This Week's Reader's Favorite Post

💿 ALBUM REVIEW: John Primer and Friends - Tribute To Theresa's Lounge

Image
John fell in love with the blues as a child when his father and an older cousin played guitar and sang at night after a hard day in the fields. His mother moved to Chicago to secure a job and support her family. She promised to bring John and his sister to the big city when they reached age 18, leaving them with family. Depressed and lonely, young Primer frequently went into the neighboring woods, where he cried his troubles away and began singing the blues in solitude. He eventually built himself a diddley bow on the side of his grandmother's house out of broom wire, two nails and a brick and began accompanying himself as he sang, eventually playing for dimes and quarters in his schoolyard. After listening to Jimmy Reed , Little Milton, B.B. King , Albert King and Muddy Waters on his grandmother's record player, his biggest dream was to play alongside Muddy Waters one day. 🎵 LISTEN & SUPPORT THE ALBUM ▶ Listen to Album Samples (Clic...

EZ Link to purchase the reviewed album

CLICK ON TITLE BELOW TO GO TO PURCHASE CD/LP/Download !!!!

💿 ALBUM REVIEW: David Janeway Trio - Live At Blue Llama








Captured live at Ann Arbor, Michigan’s renowned jazz club Blue Llama in June 2024, David Janeway presents himself at the height of his powers, joined by the world-class rhythm team of Robert Hurst III and Billy Hart. A Detroit-bred musician with a deep lineage in that city’s storied jazz tradition, Janeway channels decades of mentorship, swing, and blues-rooted expression into a set that is both powerfully modern and historically grounded. The trio’s telepathic interplay fuels inventive takes on standards, luminous ballads, and Janeway’s distinctive originals, all delivered with the group’s tightly converging sound and emotional depth that define his artistry. Following acclaimed SteepleChase releases with Hart and Cameron Brown, this live recording stands as Janeway’s most vibrant statement yet—an inspired document of three master musicians creating in the moment.

🎵 LISTEN & SUPPORT THE ALBUM

▶ Listen to Album Samples (Click to Expand)

Add this Record to Your Collection

Available on CD and in Digital Formats.

🛒 Buy Album on Amazon Store As an Amazon Associate, Bman earns from qualifying purchases.
<

The Deep Dive

Opening with a lush intro by David Janeway on piano, Jerome Kern's, All The Things Your Are has a high energy rework with Robert Hurst on bass and Billy Hart really driving hard on drums. Janeway's phrasing is really strong and Hart's accents impeccable. Strong opener. Original track, Forward Motion, has a clean, bright melody, illustrated by Janeway on piano and driven by Hurst on bass. I've always loved Hart's sensibility on drums and this track is no exception. K's Shuffle has a real nice feel and gives Hurst plenty of space to stretch on bass. Janeway really gets it moving on piano with plenty of backing from Hart. Very nice. 



Wrapping the release is McCoy Tyner's, Search For Peace/Blues On The Corner and with a lush piano intro, Janeway gets his shuffle on strong. Hart and Hurst ride high on the train and Janeway just struts. Hurst gets another chance to stretch and really digs in bringing the track full circle with Hart. Solid closer. 

🎵 View David Janeway Trio Full Discography & Amazon Store Links Click to Expand / Collapse
Album Title (Click to View on Amazon) Record Label Accreditation Year
Entry Point New Direction / SteepleChase David Janeway 1986
Inside Out Timeless Records David Janeway Quintet 1993
David Janeway Trio - Excursion New Direction David Janeway Trio 2004
New Beginnings / Relaxation David Janeway Music David Janeway 2012
Secret Passages New Direction Inc. David Janeway Trio 2017
Distant Voices SteepleChase Records David Janeway Trio 2021
Interchange SteepleChase Records David Janeway Trio 2023
Forward Motion SteepleChase Records David Janeway Trio 2024
Live at Blue Llama SteepleChase Records David Janeway Trio 2026
 


This is a strong piano trio with clear artistic perspective and a crisp rhythm.

Bman's Verdict

Solid live performance giving Janeway, Hurst and Hart room to move. 


Label: SteepleChase

Released: May 4, 2026

Comments