RC and the Moonpie Band - All This - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, All This, from RC and the Moonpie Band and it's a lot of fun.  Opening with boogie rocker and title track, All This, RC (Robert Christian) has lead vocals backed by Robert Marlowe on funky guitar, T Bone Betourney on drums,  Mike Logiovino on bass and Russell Pleasants on backing vocals. With Latin styling and tongue in cheek lyrics, Cheated on Me is a cool, clever track with interesting guitar work and a tight rhythm. Wild primitive delta styling and acoustic slide guitar make Big Ass Jug  O' Wine a favorite entry on the release. Older Women has a Screamin Jay Hawking kind of feel with dramatic wailing, solid soul vocals and powerful keyboard soloing. With fundamental blues structure, Take Off Your Shoes follows a T Bone Walker lead but with less flamboyant soloing and more curious vocals. The Buddy Guy Up is a super shuffle with a super groove. Potent vocals, dancing piano, hot guitar and a radical attitude makes this the party choice for the release. Wrapping the release is Funky Way with a great bass groove by Logiovino, excellent drum work by Betourney and just a super overall groove. Very nice closer. 

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American Showplace Music artist: Rachelle Coba - Blink - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blink, from Rachelle Coba and it's an soulful understated rocker. Opening with High and Dry, a rocker with a driving beat, Coba on guitar and vocal is teamed with Paul Kuzik on bass, Andrei Koricanics on drums and featuring John Ginty on piano. Dance These Blues Away has a cool funky back beat that really gives Coba a chance to showcase her bluesy vocals and soulful guitar riffs. Very nice. Good Ole Heartbreak is a soul ballad with a great melody. Another strong track, this could easily be the top radio track on the release. A solid rocker with a light country flavor (think Stones or Mellencamp) title track, Blink, had a strong (rock) dance groove and just the right guitar tone to push it over the edge. Solid! Another track that deserves a particular note is Shuffle Ya with an almost spoken vocal line but with a heavy footed bottom and guitar punctuation over the warm organ ride of Ginty. Very nice. Wrapping the release is another strong blues ballad, Blame It On The Blues giving Coba one last chance to showcase her soulful vocals with rich organ piano work by Ginty. Excellent closer. 

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Solid Blues Records artist: JW - Jones - Live - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live, from JW- Jones and it's terrific. Opening with A Memo, a cool, well written rocker with a solid melody. Jones' band is Laura Greenberg on bass and vocal, Will Laurin on drums and vocals and Don Cummings on Hammond and vocals. Jones gets the opportunity to stretch a bit and with nicely phrased blues riffs, punctuates this fine opener. On BB King's Need You So Bad, Jones' vocals are firm and his guitar playing sure footed. I have heard each of his previous releases and this one really shines. Howlin' Wolf's Moanin' At Midnight has a steady rolling tempo with aggressive blues stance, breaking into a Hendrix "Voodoo Chile" posture and letting the pyrotechnics fly. Very nice. Dylan's Tonight I'll be Staying Here With You has an approach that blends Dylan, Beck and Garcia styles. Another BB King track, Early Every Morning, has a hard driving bass line putting Jones into boogie mode, dancing across the fretboard in the manner of Gatemouth Brown, but using his own phrasing making it all his own. Very nice.  Albert King's, You're Gonna Need Me, sets up nicely with a cool undertow on bass and subdued King styling on rhythm, allowing Jones to lay it out there "All Jones". Excellent! Reworking Jimmy Rogers' That's Alright, you got pure slow blues. Some of Jones best vocals in years shine here and Muddy Waters styling on slide is extremely effective. Wrapping the release is I Might Not Come Home At All with an extended guitar exploration including the Walk Don't Run, Wipeout, Daytripper, Satisfaction, James Bond Theme, Secret Agent Man, Communication Man, Baracuda, Hawaii 5-O Theme, Batman Theme, Spider Man Theme, Apache, Pipeline,  Brown Sugar, Oh Pretty Woman, Misirlou and Johnny B Goode. Excellent closer for a really solid release. I think his best yet!

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Landslide Records artist: Geoff Achison - Sovereign Town - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sovereign Town, from Geoff Achison and it's quite good. Opening with folk rocker, Skeleton Kiss, Achison, on guitar and vocal crafts a definitely radio worthy track with solid backing by Andrew Fry on bass, Dave Clark on drums, Liam Kealy on Hammond and John McNamara on backing vocals. Title track, Sovereign Town has a real nice feel with rich warm backing vocals and a blend of finger picked and slide guitar by Achison supporting his distinctive vocals. Very nice. With a light jazzy touch, Misha Bella has a cool George Benson touch but maintaining Achison style country runs. Kealy's Hammond solo balances the track nicely making it one of my favorites on the release. Another particularly interesting track is World of Blue with fluid delivery, a strong melody, warm backing vocals, nice slide and just the right amount of Hammond. Excellent! Instrumental track, Hand of Faith, has a very soothing melody and with firm yet delicate articulate, Achison delivers this exceptional track. Wrapping the release is instrumental, Coolbardie Sunrise with tight fingerpicking in a traditional country blues style. Excellent closer for a cool release. 

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On The Fly Music artist: Lee Palmer - Horns & Harps - New Relese Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Harps & Horns, from Lee Palmer and it's quiet and relaxing. Opening with  Waitin' On A Train, an easy going shuffle featuring Palmer on vocal and guitar, Sean O'Grady on drums, Iain McNally on guitars, Alec Fraser on bass, Steve O'Connor on piano, Roly Platt on harp and Chris Ayries on backing vocal. Saucy blues number, My Baby Again, features fat sax by Turner King, silky vocals by Palmer and really clean piano soloing by O'Connor.  Bringing down the tempo on Shake Em Blues, a drone bass line by Fraser Jr. sets the stage and nicely blended vocals and warm organ work by O'Connor, topped by Platt makes this one of my release favorites. Electric riffs by McNally start boogie track, Rockin' Strawberry Jam, off right and with a romping rhythm, hot sax riffs and cool vocals this is another favorite. Wrapping the release is quiet, jazzy, Isn't That So, with a nice blend of sax, bass and vocals. Very nice. 

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Vizz Tone Label Group artist: Amanda Fish - Free - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Free, from Amanda Fish and it's cool. Fish takes a raw pop edge with soul to create her own voice. Opening with 2020, a funky blues track Fish kicks off her shoes and captures that southern rock Muscle Shoals" feel with Dave Hays on guitar. Cool opener. Boogie track, Not Anymore has a great driving bass line and with Richard Rosenblatt spicing up the track on harp. Boogie! One of my favorite tracks on the release is Anymore with really nice soulful vocals and Chris Hazelton joining on organ. Blessed is full blown gospel style soul with Sarah Morgan on backing vocals and Ken Valdez on guitar. Alastair Greene kicks it into high gear on rocker, Going Down with super slide guitar. Very cool. Powerful soul ballad, You Could Be shows just how gripping Fish's vocals can be when she digs down and she does dig. Coyote Bill adds some hot flashes on guitar joined by Hazelton on organ. Hot and heavy. Another boogie track with hot slide is Here We Are and plenty of soul country sweat. Best blues vocals on the release show on Don't Mean A Thing with a lot of the emotion of Janis on Ball and Chain featuring very nicely articulated guitar soloing by Hays. With a change up, Fish switches to a raw, Courtney Love style for another super track. Wrapping the release is title track, Free, a solemn soul track with Fish accompanying herself on piano, joined by Hazelton on organ, and then springing into a full blown spiritual track with Hays and Carl Butler on guitar, Morgan on vocals, Glen James on tambourine and drums, and Fish of course on bass. This is a sneakily super release. Give it a couple of listens and see for yourself. 

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Mike Zito's 'Blue Room' - 20th Anniversary Edition to be Re Released on 11/16/18

Mike Zito Debut 'Blue Room' Celebrates Two Decades

20th Anniversary Edition Re Released Nov 16^th on Ruf Records

It’s back. The debut album that blew up the ’90s blues scene. The songs that announced the touchdown of a major new talent. In modern times, as an established solo star and former member of the globally acclaimed Royal Southern Brotherhood, Mike Zito’s reputation precedes him. But turn back the clocks. Rewind the film reels. Slip through the wormhole to 1998, when a 27-year-old punk kid took his first shot in the studio. “Blue Room,” he reflects, “is the beginning of me becoming an artist.”

By 1998, Zito had been around the block. Raised at the sharp end in St. Louis, Missouri, he’d witnessed the lean years of the ’70s, as his father – a union employee at the local Anheuser-Busch brewery – grafted to support five kids in a cramped apartment. Music was a way out, with Zito learning his craft at a downtown guitar store, then seizing any live work that fell his way. As he told the Blues Mag: “I’ve played with country bands, dance bands, rock bands, alternative bands…”

Blue Room was the moment of clarity, when Zito realised he was burning to be more than a roadhouse-filling covers band. In 1997, he assembled a dedicated lineup and announced his new mission statement: original songs written from the heart. But artistic integrity didn’t come cheap. With just $1000 for studio bills, the entire Blue Room tracklisting was captured in a single day, and you can still feel the urgency flood through the speakers. “We’d played the night before until 6am at an all-night club in St. Louis,” recalls Zito, “and went to the studio at 9am. We brought beer with us and basically did not sleep. The vibe is total bravado, full of honesty.”

Blue Room changed everything. As the album sold, the songs began to be requested live – displacing the Cream and Hendrix covers – and Zito was heralded as an artist of rare potential. Back then, he didn’t anticipate the bitter-sweet future about to unfold – the lost years of alcoholism in the post-millennium, the salvation offered by his wife, Laura, the plaudits of Royal Southern Brotherhood in 2012 and the rising trajectory of his solo career since he picked it back up with 2015’s Keep Coming Back. But when Zito looks back now at Blue Room, he wouldn’t change a thing: “I find such joy in listening to the young man on this recording. I’m so proud that it’s finally being released by Ruf Records after twenty years…”

Blue Room out on Ruf Records Nov 16, 2018

Vizz Tone Label Group artist: Josh Smith - Burn To Grow - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Burn To Grow, from Josh Smith and it's really cool. Opening with soul flavored track, Half Blues, the title hits it. This track has strong soulful vocals and a solid blues bottom with stinging guitar work by Smith. Backed by Travis Carlton on bass, Lemar Carter on drums Jamelle Adisa on trumpet, Chris Johnson on trombone, J.P. Floyd on trombone, Matthew DeMerritt on tenor sax, and Dan Boisey of tenor and bari sax, this is a terrific start. A bit smoother, a bit like Al Green, Through the Night shows real attention to conventional soul music but still with the guitar accents of a blues master. A strong radio contender with a great melody and warm melodic backing vocals by Monet Owens, Watching You Go has powerful guitar riffs that would make SRV's neck hair stand on end. With it's heavy bass line lead by Carlton and the raw guitar edge by Smith, balanced by confident vocals, a tight rhythm section and cool horn topping Let Me Take Care of You has a real nice groove. Another of my favorite tracks on the release, What We Need is a loose, slow blues with cocky blues guitar riffs. Smiths vocals are really soulful as throughout but this track just hits the spot. Very nice. A little more funk and horn input on You Never Know yields a jazzier side of Smith and his guitar melds to yet another bluesy style. Wrapping the release is title track, Burn to Grow, a blues fused rocker. With a heavy, lumbering bottom and fat, overdriven guitar this is a solid contemporary closer.

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Eller Soul Records artist: Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones - Complicated Mess - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Complicated Mess, from Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones and it's really strong. Opening with title track, Complicated Mess, guitar man and vocalist, Doug Deming sets the table for a blues feast. His vocals are solid as always and using machine gun and trem bend, his riffs are hot! Joining are Andrew Gohman on bass and Marty Dodson on drums. Super opener. Kim Wilson's harp work adds great depth and Demings riffs are rich and jazzy on Sweet Poison, a cool bluesy ballad. Sam Theard's classic, You Rascal You, has great wings with Little Charlie Baty on guitar, joining Deming with clever lyrics and an extremely active rhythm section. Excellent! Shuffle, Need My Baby has a great lope and Madison Slim's harp work is strong giving the track a nice edge. My favorite track on the release is slow blues, Deep Blue Sea, with soulful vocal by Deming and smoldering guitar riffs, playing against Bon Welsh's piano workout. Excellent! Bright jazzy instrumental, Captain's Quarters is bass driven by Gohman and Little Charlie and Deming really give it a strong workout. Very nice! Shuffle track, Cookin' At The Kitchen has a great feel with Welsh on piano, Slim on Harp, and tight trums work by Dodson. Wrapping the release is horn soaked instrumental Rat Killin', with Tino Barker on lush bari sax, Sax Gordon on tenor sax, Gohman getting loose on bass and some terrific flight finger work by Deming. Excellent closer for a really strong release. 

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Endless Blues Records artist: Mick Kolassa and the Taylor Made Blues Band - 149 Delta Ave. - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 149 Delta Ave, from Mick Kolassa and the Taylor Made Blues Band and the talent is thick. Opening with I Can't Slow Down, a 2 steppin rocker, Mick Kolassa on lead vocal is backed by David Dunavent on guitars, Leo Goff on bass, Lee Andrew Williams on drums, Chris Stephenson on keys and Susan Marshall and Daunielle Hill on backing vocal this is a cool opener. Eric Hughes joins on US 12 to Highway 49, a smart shuffle with solid harp work. Cotton Road is one of my favorites on the release with roots in chain gang work songs. Toronzo Cannon adds some really smart guitar lead and wailing backing vocals make this track rich with feel. Pullin Me Down has a creeping R&B blues style with solid bass work from Goff, crisp guitar soloing by Jeff Jensen and includes tight trumpet and sax work by  Marc Franklin and Kirk Smothers. Very nice. A funky version of Ashford and Simpson's I Don't Need No Doctor has a real nice groove and the trumpet work of Franklin is bright. Alternating solos by Franklin, Smothers, Jensen and Stephensen really fill out the track. Wrapping the release is an interesting remake of classic Stuff Smith track, the Viper. Kolassa's vocals work well and with Suavo Jones on trombone, Alice Hansen on Stuff Smith's part (violin), Mike Wilson on Puccalo, and Marc Franklin on trumpet, this is a terrific closer.

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Connor Ray Music artist: The Bob Lanza Blues Band - Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women from The Bob Lanza Blues Band and it's a super dose of old style blues with a fresh feel. Opening with title track, Kids, Dogs and Krazy Women, Bob Lanza (vocal and guitar), Anthony Krizan (guitar, vocal, drums and percussion), John Ginty (keys), Dave Lockhart (bass) and Vin Mott (drums, harmonica) are a force to be reckoned with. With a slinky rhythm, solid vocals, slide guitar and harp, this track is a cool opener. Texas boogie Not The Man I Use To Be is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's droning bass line, B3 soloing by Ginty and gripping blues solo by Lanza. very nice. Another of my favorites is Full Time Lover with it's slow, blues guitar riffs and soulful vocals. Excellent! Hey Cotton is a strong track with a driving blues pace and rock n roll guitar riffs and hot harp work by Mott in tribute to James Cotton. Shuffle track, Every Side of Lonesome has a familiar Chicago feel with great harp tone from Mott. Another excellent track is Let Me In showcasing Ginty's notable piano work. Wrapping the release is instrumental, Raritan River Stomp with an easy pace and acoustic slide. Super closer for a really nice release. 

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Big Blue Records artist: Barbara Blue - Fish in dirty H2O - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fish in dirty H2O, from Barbara Blue and it's solid. Opening with My Heart Belongs To The Blues, Barbara Blue is joined by Will McFarlane on guitar, Dave Smith on bass, Lester Snell on keys and Bernard Purdie on drums. With it's smooth smoky feel, Blue displays the richness of her deep voice. Boogie blues, Accidental Theft features some really nice slide work compliments of Scott Sharrard giving the track a thick gutsy texture to compliment Blues own gutsy vocals. Dr Jesus has a gospel style with warm backing vocals by Maureen Smith, Candace Mache, Lorina McMinn and Lynette "Sue" McCracklin and some spicy guitar accents by Michael Tols.  Shuffle,  Gravy Train has a sparky pace with plenty of horn by Lonnie McMillan on tenor sax, Marc Franklin on trumpet, Jim Spake on bari sax, and Steve Graham on trombone. Another bluesy shuffle, That's Working On Me works really nicely with Blues vocals and tenor sax work by McMillan gives it a jazzy polish. Wrapping the release Blue pulls out Robert Johnson's Come On In My Kitchen and with a slow, spiritual like twist and the warm backing vocals of Mache, McMinn and McCracklin and the B3 of Rick Steff give it a fresh appeal making it an excellent closer.

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Shining Stone Records artist: Anthony Geraci - Why Did You Have To Go - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Why Did You Have To Go, from Anthony Geraci, and it's rich. Opening with R&B title track, Why Did You Have To Go, Sugar Ray Norcia is upfront on lead vocal backed by Michael Mudcat Ward on bass, Marty Richards on drums, Sax Gordon on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet and with stellar guitar styling by Monster Mike Welch and piano wizardry by Anthony Geraci. Excellent opener. Bluesy ballad, Angelina, Angelina is really strong with really nice piano work by Geraci and lead vocals by Sugaray Rayford. Welch is back again with signature tone, backed by Willie J Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums. Very nice. Soul track, Two Steps Away From The Blues, features Michelle "Evil Gal" Willson on lead vocal with warm piano and B3 work by Geraci. Norcia is back on vocal and harp on Time's Running Out, an easy shuffle, joined by nice pace piano work by Geraci and the strong guitar accents by Ronnie Earl. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Baptized In The River Yazoo with Willie J Laws on piano duet with Geraci. The piano work here is terrific. Another track with dazzling piano is Too Many Bad Decisions with Dennis Brennan on lead vocal and Welch on guitar. Slow blues, My Last Good-Bye digs in deep with Norcia on vocal and harp. Piano tension and guitar excellence (by Earl) really gives this track edge, making it another of my choices for the release. Wrapping the release is jazzy A Minor, Affair with Troy Gonyea and Geraci leading the foundation of the track which features nice trumpet and sax solos by Wooverton and Beadle and a flight fingered guitar solo by Kid Ramos. Excellent closer for a strong release. 

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Dennis Herrera - You Stole My Heart - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Stole My Heart, from Dennis Herrera and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with rock n' roller and title track, You Stole My Heart, Dennis Herrera and piano man Sid Morris really get the track hopping. Featuring sax work by Jack Sanford, Frank DeRose on bass and Robi Bean on drums this is a great start. Takes Money is a cool fusion of boogaloo and rocking blues. I love rolling rhythm, and Herrera's rough vocals with Denis Depoitre's harp, and Rich Wenzels B3 over that tight rhythm section of Bill Stuve on bass and Lee Campbell on drums is tops. Boogie woogie is the word on With No Refrain starting with that bass line by Stuve. Herrera has a smoothness inherent in his rugged vocal that works great with the light piano work of Wenzel and his own understated guitar approach. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Look Out with it's R&B groove and laid back vocal lead by Herrera and the sax reinforcement by Sanford. Very cool. Instrumental track, You Can Name It has a super feel and gives Herrera a terrific opportunity to jam...jazz style...with his band. Excellent track. Low slung, My Past Time is smooth with a nice B3 solo from Wenzel and Herrera showing his blues groove on vocal and guitar. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Bittersweet, featuring Herrera on acoustic slide and vocal. Un updated delta sound with less than polished vocals and the rural sound of Herrera's guitar make for a sweet closer. 

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Celso Salim Band - Mama's Hometown - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mama's Hometown, by Celso Salim Band and it's cool, soulful blues. Opening with Mad Dog, a super track with a cool New Orleans style rhythm and nice "Allmanesque" slide work by Salim to support Rafael Cury on lead vocal. Great opener. Chicago styling plays up on Locked Out In Misery featuring Darryl Carriere on harp and backed by Mike Hoghtower on bass and Lynn Coulter on drums has nice articulate guitar riffs throughout by Salim. Up tempo boogie rocker, Let It Burn, has a really nice feel, with Dave Fraiser on keys and solid slide playing by Salim and cool vocals by Salim, Cury, Fraiser, Hightower and Coulter. Blues ballad, No Need To Be Alone has a strong melody and vocal making it a strong radio contender and fine guitar work giving it real strength with the blues crowd. Very nice. Title track, Mama's Hometown, has a slinky feel and nicely blended vocal melodies, floating on an easy bottom with the soft feel of dobro slide. Very nice. Salim closes the release with traditional blues, In My Time of Dying, featuring his dobro and vocal. This is a really nice release with a lot of texture.

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Deb Rhymer - Don't Wait Up - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Don't Wait Up, from Deb Rhymer, and it's quite good. Opening with shuffle track, Heartache and Trouble, Rhymer and her band of power features Kelly Fawcett on guitar, Andy Graffiti on drums, Clayton O' Howe on bass and a supple solo by Gene Hardy on sax. Elmore James' Cry For Me Baby, has great feel and vocal phrasing with Gary Preston on harp and styling guitar work by Fawcett. Very cool. Bluesy original pop track, Don't Wait Up commands the title track position and rightly so with it's catchy melody and radio appeal. Rhymer's vocals are smooth and Fawcett's guitar soloing clean and brilliant. Another cool shuffle track is There's The Door with excellent trombone work by Randy Oxford really shining bright on an already solid entry. Wrapping the release is slow blues ballad, Giving Me the Blues with Wynn Gogol on keys. Rhymer picks the right track for her closer, showcasing her best vocal effort on the release. Fawcett digs in nicely with a tight guitar solo wrapping up the excellent closer. 

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Electro-Fi Records artist: Mark Hummel - Harpbreaker - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Harpbreaker, from Mark Hummel and it's one of the best Chicago style blues records that I've heard in a long time. Opening with terrific harp boogie, Harpoventilatin', Mark Hummel wastse not a second showing why he's one of the top blues harp players in the world today. With strong pace, and great phrasing, Mark Hummel leads the way joined by Charles Wheal on guitar, Steve Wolf on bass, Marty Dodson on drums and Bob Welsh on keys. Jump track, Rotten Kid really is hot with Wheal laying out some terrific guitar riffs working nicely with Hummel's own featured playing. Excellent. With a super strut, Walkin' With Mr. Lee has just the right snap. Featuring Wes Starr on drums, RW Grigsby on bass, Charlie Baty and Anson Funderburgh on guitars, this track is terrific. Slow blues, Cristo Redentor has such a presence with it's soulful melody and smooth guitar phrasing by Kid Anderson. Excellent! Senor Blues has a beautiful Latin feel with a floating melody and features confident solos by Hummel, Chris Burns (keys) and Johnny bones (sax) backed by Rusty Zinn on guitar, Lech Wierzynski on trumpet, and Willie Panker on drums. Smooth shuffle, Glide On, features nice solos from Zinn, Burns and Hummel. Very nice. Harp boogie, Chuckaluck, is a great showcase for Hummel with Dave Eagle on washboard, Aaron Hammerman on piano and Billy Flynn on guitar. Sweet. Wrapping the release is classic blues number, See See Rider with Zinn on guitar and Hummel on harp, about as stripped down as a modern blues gets. Super closer for an excellent release.

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Canadian Blues Giant Harpdog Brown Shares Video for "Reefer Lovin' Woman"to Celebrate Legal Pot in Canada

Canadian Blues Giant Harpdog Brown Shares Video for “Reefer Lovin’ Woman” Released on October 17, the day pot was legalized in Canada View/Share video for "Reefer Lovin' Woman" here tinyurl.com/y985qk3k On October 17, Canadian blues singer/harmonica master Harpdog Brown celebrated the landmark occasion of Canada legalizing marijuana with the release of a new video for the track, “Reefer Lovin’ Woman”, from his forthcoming album (Spring 2019). The song is not an invitation or advocating that people ingest pot – it is simply a song about a guy who falls in love with a woman who partakes. It can be considered a social commentary as well, with the final line “that's all right with me.” For many, cannabis offers similar relief beyond the health benefits claimed by advocates of cannabis culture. “I wanted to write a fun song about one man’s acceptance of the fact that the one he fell in love with is an advocate of cannabis culture,” says Brown. When asked about his thoughts on legalization, he compared it to the prohibition of alcohol back in the day. “I believe it's long overdue. Deeming marijuana usage a criminal activity is insane in my opinion. I believe the information that supports the health benefits of cannabis over pharmaceuticals. I also believe that creating legal distribution channels would benefit Canada and communities through the taxes gained.  Eliminating the need of a black market is I think a good thing. Much like alcohol in the prohibition days, the people have spoken. Marijuana is already accepted in our culture. It’s time to take it out of the dark.” Vancouver-based Harpdog Brown has long been called a Blues Evangelist, and that’s a very fitting moniker. "I speak the blues like it's the truth, and it is,” he says. "I do feel like I'm a servant of the people. A missionary if you will. Music can heal people if they pay attention to the messages in these songs.”  Brown delivers those messages using the vintage sound whether it is with his lowdown classic blues band the Travelin’ Blues Show or with his new Uptown Blues Band.  Harpdog Brown is a gifted vocalist and an imaginative harmonica player who has earned a solid reputation as a real-deal purveyor of classic electric blues reminiscent of the old Chess Records and Sun Records of the late ‘40s and early ‘50s.  He has won three consecutive Maple Blues Awards for Harmonica Player of the Year (2014/2015/2016), the Fraser Valley Music Award, has three consecutive Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations, a Juno Nomination (Canada’s Grammy) and is the only Canadian to win the coveted Muddy Award. In 2016, he was nominated for 3 Maple Blues Awards (Harmonica Player, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year) for his latest release, Travelin’ With The Blues.  These days he’s been touring more and more as Harpdog Brown & the Uptown Blues Band - a vintage New Orleans Blues sound featuring slide trombone, keyboards, bass and drums and often a sax and clarinet. Still a vintage vibe, just a different vintage. Harpdog Brown Online www.HarpdogBrown.com Facebook https://facebook.com/HarpdogBrownLIVE

Hostel Records artist: Karen Lawrence and Blue By Nature - Best of Live - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Best of Live, by Karen Lawrence and Blue By Nature and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with shuffle track, It's All About You, lead vocalist Karen Lawrence shows raw power with strong support by Dan Potruch on drums, Charlie Diaz on bass, Rick Dufay on lead guitar and Fred Hostetler on second guitar. On soul track, Fun and Games, Lawrence really digs in with some of my favorite vocals on the release...oozing blues. With determined drumming and understated guitar work, Lawrence really has the floor to drive it home. Very nice. R&B track, I Had It All Wrong, has a super rhythm guitar roll which works nicely with Lawrence's vocal phrasing and Dufay's guitar solo is a great fit making this another top contender. Funky rocker, You Got Me Workin' has a strong pace and Dufay's slide work gives the track a Mick Taylor feel. Nice. Wrapping the release is shuffle blues rocker, I'll Get Along Alright with Lawrence showing total control and a tight cohesive band just laying in the pocket with positive accents from Potruch and Dufay. Solid closer.

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