Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ridin' A Chicken , from Big Joe Shelton & The Black Prairie Blues Ambassadors and it's real cool. Opening with Put The Chairs In The Wagon , a driving rocker, Big Joe Shelton is up front on vocal and harp with firm backing by Bob Damm on percussion, Ed Swan on bass and Ben Ferrell laying down some real strong riffs on guitar. Title track, Ridin' A Chicken , has a real Latin flavor and the tight percussion work of Damm is nicely complimented by Bobby Shannon on keys. Shelton shows solid vocals and Swan lays solid footing under the adventurous guitar soloing of Ferrell. Very nice! Got So Hot is a smokin' blues rocker with shifting keys, nice guitar work and strong percussive punctuation. With a walking bass line and a familiar Sonny Boy Williamson form, Just Let Me Breathe has a great feel. Shelton's vocals are solid and rich key work by Shannon is nicely complimented by the flowing guitar riffs a...

I just received the newest release from Big Joe Shelton and it's quite entertaining. Opening with Frog's Hair , a shuffle tune, Shelton rally's the troops with his ruckus vocals, Ben Ferrell responds with hot riffs on the guitar and David Reese hits the keys. On title track, I'd Never Let Her Down , Bob Damm keeps a Latin rhythm as Shelton tells the tale, Doug Thomas warms up the track with nice sax work and Ferrell steps up with stinging guitar riffs. How Good Love Could Be highlights Shelton's skills on harp with a Butterfield like blues track. Stop The Hating is a reggae style track and Damm is tight with Ed Swan on bass. Laugh Out Loud is a blues ballad with nice melodic guitar riffs from Ferrell and complimentary sax riffs from Thomas. Little Willie has a strong Bo Diddley style track reminiscent of Willie and the Hand Jive or Willie the Wimp. Shelton shows really nice story telling skills on this track and slide work from Ferrell makes this track hot. C...

Big Joe Shelton was born in the Black Prairie region of Northeast Mississippi. As a child growing up in a small Mississippi town he was exposed to an African-American culture, which still strongly reflected that of the early part of the twentieth century. He attended tent minstrel shows, bar-b-que picnics and heard street musicians performing authentic traditional blues. The Black Belt region is also the birthplace of blues legends Howlin’ Wolf, Bukka White and Big Joe Williams. As a young man he was fortunate in befriending Williams and this association greatly influenced his musical sensibilities. As a child Big Joe sang in church and grammar school choirs. In his teens he began playing the harmonica and guitar. “The Older I Get the Better I Was” is his second release on the independent ALT 45 RECORDS label. It was recorded at the B.B. King Recording Studio on the campus of Mississippi Valley State University at Itta Bena over the Summer of 2010. It includes ten original tracks all c...