Delmark artist: Mike Wheeler - Self Made Man - New Release Review

I just received a copy of the newest release, Self Made Man, from Mike Wheeler and it literally does have it all! Wheeler is a first rate soul style singer who can hold his own with just about anyone. The first track out of the gate is Here I Am, a funky blues track where Wheeler not only excels on vocal but rips out some awesome guitar riffs. This is a R&B style blues/dance track and it is a mover. Wheeler is backed by an extremely tight band of Brian James (keys), Larry Williams (bass), Cleo Cole (drums) and Omar Coleman (harp). Big Mistake is a great swing blues with a great tempo, well placed guitar riffs and strong key work from James. The title track, Self Made Man, another track based in R&B but with a funk edge really highlights Wheelers voice and guitar playing with harp by Coleman. It's really noticeable the similarities from Albert King in both guitar and singing styles. Wheeler has his own voice and guitar style but there are some of Albert's qualities present in the recordings. I'm Missing You has a cool shuffle rhythm and again Wheelers voice is sweet. James plays a nice organ bottom and solo on this track and Wheeler steps up again with a rippin guitar solo. Join Hands is a R&B track with some really heavy funk bass by Williams. Wheeler shows his versatility on guitar playing riffs that have a more jazz phrasing. Next up is Willie Dixon's Let Me Love You Baby with a modern jazz blues twist. James plays the Rhodes with a Ramsey Lewis flair adding great depth to this track. Wheeler comes back with some fleet foot guitar riffs and keeps the track sounding fresh. You're Doing Wrong is a terrific blues track to allow Wheeler the base to sing over but also a great basis to squeeze some really hot riffs from his Les Paul. This is a hot track and is the highlight of the package for me. Walkin' Out The Door is a light BB King phrased blues track. It has that happy rhythm and Wheeler of course taking his own route on guitar. On Get Your Mind Right, Cole sets the pace with a strong lead hi-hat rhythm and Wheelers singing style is a perfect compliment for this R&B style blues track. Coleman plays some nice back side harp on this track as well leaving plenty of room for Wheeler to stretch out on guitar. On I Don't Like It Like That, we got some funky blues and Wheeler get's right into the slot. Wheeler is best known as a guitar slinger (which he absolutely is)but his man could be lead vocalist for just about any band he would choose. Vocals are great. On Moving Forward Williams leads the way with some cosmic bass lines and we got us a progressive funk/blues track. Wheeler demonstrates that he knows what to do with any bottom presented to him flaming everything in his path with his searing solos. Wrapping up the recording is I'm Working which is an uptempo R&B style blues again with a funk bottom and well phrased guitars galore. This is a cool finish for this great cd. I think anyone but hard core delta blues enthusiasts would find this a terrific recording.

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Delmark Records artists: Mississippi Heat - Delta Bound - New Release review

I just received the new recording, Delta Bound by Pierre Lacocque's Mississippi Heat. The Heat is packing some big time talent with Lacocque on Harp, Inetta Visor on vocal, Kenny Smith on drums, Billy Flynn on guitar, Chubby Carrier on accordion, Dietra Farr on vocals and Carl Weathersby guitar. The recording opens with Granny Mae, a stylized Chicago blues runner with Visor taking the lead and PL playing up a storm. Look - A - Here, Baby remains cradled in the arms of Chicago. Flynn plays a crisp guitar solo on this track of course in compliment to the solid vocals of Dietra Farr and smokin harp work of Lacocque. New Orleans Man takes a real look south as is indicated by the title with Carrier adding toe zydeco feel on the drumming of Smith. My Mother's Plea slows it down a little bit giving Visor a chance to dig in a little and opening the door for Flynn to play some cool riffs on guitar and for Cameron to show his stuff on keys. One particular treat on the recording is a new twist on Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood which takes a swinging blues approach to an old standard and gives Flynn the opportunity to play some blistering riffs along with Visor's slick vocal styling and nice harp work from Lacocque. Padlock Blues has the smokey sound of a early city blues. Cameron's piano work on this track is particularly cool as is the harp work of Lacocque. What's Happening To Me? has that Chicago sound loud and clear with a cool instrumentals by Cameron and Flynn and of course a nice harp riff by PL. The Blues Matrix has a bit more of a R&B style and is really solid. Giles Corey takes a funky guitar solo on this track in compliment to PL's harp work on this track. Trouble In His Tail again slows it down a bit showcasing PL's harp work really nicely. Mr. Mistreater takes a smoother club style trip into the blues, Visor trading vocal riffs with Flynn who takes a rippin solo on this track. Lemon Twist is a slick instrumental with guitar, harp and Hammond solo's. Very nice. Sweet Ol' Blues gets back on the straight Chicago trail and PL is digging in on harp behind the vocal lead of Farr. Easy To Please gets the R&B groove going again with each band member taking a shot to close out the recording. If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Delmark Records artist: Linsey Alexander - Been There Done That - New release Review

I just received the new release called Been There Done That from Linsey Alexander. This recording starts off with Raffle Ticket, an original shuffle tune right out of the smokey Chicago blues scene. Alexander has a great voice for Chicago blues and is complimented on this track with a tight rhythm section and none other than Billy branch on harp. Bad Man gets the funk groove going and makes me think there's some Funky Chicken coming up.... nice!Fabrizio "Breezy" Rodio whops up some funky guitar riffs to punch up the track and the horn section, Ryan Nyther and Bryan Fritz ride the groove.The title track, Been There Done That, is a R&B track and the horns add the warmth that you'd expect to compliment Alexanders vocals. Mike Wheeler adds some real nice guitar accompaniment and soloing to I Had A Dream, an Bloomfield styled blues track. Looks Like It's Going To Rain, a tribute to Willie Kent, is a soul style blues track, Alexander plays some nice Albert King style riffs and Roosevelt Purifoy plays some luscious keys throughout. Billy is back on harp on My Mama Gave Me The Blues and he is evident from the first phrase. His playing and the style of song brings the best out in Alexander who belts out blues from deep inside of himself. Great performance! Going Back To My Old Time Used To Be gets the Albert King style funky blues going and the band is right on it. Alexander plays some real nice riffs of his own on this track. Going Up On The Roof is a great dark blues with gut grabbing vocal and guitar work. Alexander leaves it all on the table on this one! Certainly one of the best tracks on the recording. Saving Robert Johnson again gets into the funky blues groove and the band is obviously comfortable here. Greg McDaniel on Bass and James Wilson keep the band hot throughout the recording. This is a great debut for Alexander on Delmark and well look forward to many more.

Here's an example of Linsey's work:
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Delmark Records artist: Rockin' Johnny Band - Grim Reaper - New Release Review

I just got a copy of Grim Reaper, the new Rockin' Johnny Band and it is great! Rockin' Johnny (Burgin)on guitars and vocals has built a strong support band in Rick Kreher on rhythm guitar, David "Big D" Erickson on harp, John Sefner on bass and Steve Bass on drums. I gotta tell you this music is pure Chicago blues but although it sounds really authentic, it doesn't sound rehashed or tired. It sounds fresh, new and hot! With at least 5 of the tracks being originals, Rockin' Johnny has assembled a solid 15 track set that opens with the title track, Grim Reaper. This is a great slow blues with not only solid soulful vocals but a tight band and great expressive guitar solos. If you don't love this song, just take the CD off. This is the real deal. Window To Your Soul is another RJ original and another really strong entry. Johnny's guitar playing has a lot of the little short runs and frenzied looseness that so define the early Chicago blues players and they beautifully compliment the entire release. Jody Williams' I Was Fooled is another outstanding track on the release, uptempo and loping with again very defined guitar work as well as Big D blowin' some sweet harp. Lousy Dimes is a mid cooker with Big D taking a pretty long harp solo and RJ playing a cool expressive but not overtly flashy guitar solo. A new interpretation of Rollin' and Tumblin' shows imagination with more of a jazz/blues feel and once again Johnny pulls out some great riffs. I really like it. Another original, It's Expensive To Be Broke, is another great slow cooker, this time with Kenny Anderson, Dudley Owens and Jerry DiMuzio on horns bringing up the bottom. It's a great opportunity to get Johnny into the slow groove playing that sweet slow blues on his guitar. Otis Rush's My Baby's A Good 'Un sets up well again for Johnny to sing the blues and to use his terrific expressive playing skills. Big D penned Brand New Boots is a terrific slow instrumental giving not only Johnny but also Big D great opportunities to show their stuff. My Sweet Baby, in the Elmore James ring has Johnny playing slide. Johnny takes a new look at Fenton Robinson's Loan Me A Dime and I think that he does a terrific job on it. Unlike a number of covers that have preceded him, he gives it his own style and it is a great track which sounds fresh and original. Check the guitar playing on this track. Just really "on" it. Another RJ original, Shoe Leather and Tire Rubber is a cool track. It hard to describe the nuances that make this such a great recording but it is consistently from top to bottom. Big D takes a nice harp solo on this track for guys like me that have to hear that solo on every song. Little Walter Jacobs' Everybody Needs Somebody is up next and it fits perfectly into the set. Rockin' Johnny plays an extended guitar solo on this track and I sit wondering where Johnny's been for the past 10 years. If I haven't made it clear, this is a great recording. If you like guitar, if you like harp, if you like blues this is a great cd!!
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Delmark artist: Quintus McCormick - Still Called The Blues - New Release review

I just got my copy of Quintus McCormick's now release, Still Called The Blues. Seven of the 13 tracks on the cd are originals demonstrating McCormick's influences in solu, blues, R&B, funk and rock. On Bobby Rush's What's Good For The Goose, McCormick not only shines on vocals but lays down some sweet blues riffs. Original track What Am I Gonna Do is a strong track showing influences from New Orleans funk and R&B as well as soul and blues McCormick's light touch on the guitar solo is really a nice approach to the track. Still Called The Blues is in the vein of the Albert King soul blues and quite a strong entry. Everybody Knows About My Good Thing is the stellar track on the cd with McCormick not only singing the blues but squeezing every last drop from his guitar. Another interesting track was McCormick's take on the classic I Woke Up This Morning, starting out with a Latin rhythm but turning to a full swing on the chorus. The guitar solo on this track is particularly interesting. Another original, Always, a ballad, shows again McCormick's musical range and vocal talents. This is a real strong soul oriented blues recording. Check it out!
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Although not a track from the cd a good example of Quintus' style!

Delmark Presents :It Ain't Over - 55 Years Of Blues

I opened the mail yesterday and found a real treat. I received a copy of the recording, It Ain't Over celebrating Delmark's 55 years in business live at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago. I have been in this club many many times and this would have had to be the blast of all blasts. The opening track finds powerhouse singer Zora Young doing some power funk with a backing band featuring Lurie Bell and Scott Cable on guitars, Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Bob Stronger on bass and Kenny Smith on drums. Young's Till The Fat Lady Sings is a great opener for this show. Bell throws down some great blues riffs on the funk playing his 335 and as Purifoy starts to rap out the funk on the keys Young starts to channel the godfather of soul with some squeals that would make JB proud. The rhythm section on this band is remarkably tight and Cable gets in some hot riffs on his Strat. I notice three amps on stage throughout the night which appear to be a Brownface Vibroverb, a Pro Tweed and a Blackface Twin.
Next up is Jimmy Johnson who does two great songs; Cold Cold Feeling and You Don't Know What Love Is. Johnson's vocals are very strong and deliberate and grab you good. He also manages to squeeze some terrific blues solos out of what I have found to be in general a sterile guitar. It's like they say, Jeff Beck can play a toy guitar and it will still sound like Jeff beck. Well. this isn't a toy and Johnson knows how to play it really well. Johnson is backed by Dave Specter on guitar, Brother John Kattke on keys, Harlan Terson on bass and Marty Binder on drums. Kattke gets the opportunity to show his stuff on You Don't Know and Spector takes a cool second guitar solo on his Epi 335 with the mini pickups.
Aaron Moore takes the stage for two vocal/ piano numbers with Kenny Smith on drums. It's all about style and Moore delivers the goods on Wading In Deep Water and Why You So Mean To Me.
Little Arthur Duncan leads the next set of Pretty Girls Everywhere and I Got To Go of course featuring Duncan, ever the showman, on harp and vocals, Rick Kreher on Strat, Nick Moss on a JazzMaster, Bob Stronger on bass (Fender Jazz) and Kenny Smith on drums. I hadn't mentioned it earlier but Stronger is right in the pocket and always tight. Moss takes short crisp solos on each track.
Lurrie Bell is up next with Don't You Lie To Me and Reconsider Baby. Bell is joined by Purifoy, Stronger and Smith. He plays both pickups most of the time and seems to opt for more of a twangy single coil tone that really suits his playing style. (The more I watch this video the more I am impressed by Stronger's incredibly tight playing). Bell really digs in on Don't You Lie To Me and lays down a very cool shuffle solo. On Reconsider Baby Bells vocals are impressive and he has fattened up his tone somehow and really takes the 335 down. Some extremely impressive playing by Bell in choice not only of riffs and style but neck position for effect and dynamics.
Bell's crew stays on stage and they bring up Shirley Johnson to sing a terrific version of As The Years Go Passing By. Johnson has a great deep rich voice and Bell keeps stinging the tune with impeccable taste. Bell gets another chance to shine and he steps up. He is relentless on the 335 and squeezes every drop of blues out of it!
Eddie Shaw replaces Johnson with Bell and crew and rips onto the stage playing a great tenor sax into to For You My Love. He leads the band in vocals and Purifoy's presence is more prominent. Shaw blows some major league riffs and the place is hoppin. The Sun Is Shining, a great loping blues tune gives the band a great opportunity to stretch a little first with Shaw on tenor, then with Purifoy on keys and bell on guitar. This turns into a cool boogie jam.
Last up is Tail Dragger with the addition of Big D. on Harp, Kevin Shanihan on Strat for Tend To Your Business. Big D. takes a great swat on harp and the band lays back and lets TD have the floor. Bell takes a particularly articulate stretch on this track and Shanahan gets in a quick tasty shot of the blues. For the final track Tail Dragger does a great version of My Woman Is Gone. His vocals are impressive and the band is tight. Billy Branch joins on harp and blows out some terrific riffs.
This is a great show commemorating the 55th year of Delmark and the declaration of Delmark Records Day (March 7, 2008) in Chicago by Mayor Richard M. Dailey and the hard work done by founder Bob Koester of such a meaningful blues milestone.
Special features including a pretty insightful discussion of the history of Delmark, it's development and the blues. It's a great listen.
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Don't You Ever Leave Me All Alone - Andrew "Voice" Odom

Eminently capable of serving up spot-on imitations of both Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King, Andrew Odom was also a man of many interrelated nicknames: Voice, Big Voice, B.B., Little B.B., B.B. Junior. Perhaps his chameleonic talents held him back; Odom was a journeyman Chicago singer who recorded relatively sparingly.

Like the majority of his peers, Odom started out singing spirituals but fell in with Albert King and Johnny O'Neal on the St. Louis blues scene of the mid-'50s and began plying his trade there. He made an unobtrusive recording debut in 1961, singing "East St. Louis" with the band of one Little Aaron for the highly obscure Marlo imprint. He arrived in Chicago around 1960, hooking up with Earl Hooker as the slide guitar wizard's vocalist. A single for Nation Records in 1967 (as Andre Odom) preceded his debut album for ABC-BluesWay (cut in 1969, it remained in the can for quite a while before the label finally issued it).

A guest spot on Jimmy Dawkins' encore Delmark LP, All for Business, was a highlight of the '70s for the singer. He cut his own album for the French Isabel label in 1982 in the company of Magic Slim & the Teardrops (reissued by Evidence in 1993), but it was a 1992 set for Flying Fish, Goin' to California (co-produced by guitarist Steve Freund), that probably captured his considerable vocal charms the best.

Odom was a popular attraction on the Windy City circuit right up until the fateful night when he suffered a heart attack while driving from Buddy Guy's Legends to another local blues mecca, the Checkerboard Lounge. He's been missed ever since.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/andrew-odom#ixzz1gcsRALaW
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Help Me - Junior Wells

Junior Wells (December 9, 1934 – January 15, 1998), born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., was an American Chicago blues vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist. Wells, who was best known for his performances and recordings with Muddy Waters, Earl Hooker, and Buddy Guy, also performed with Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison
Junior Wells was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, and raised in West Memphis, Arkansas, though other sources report that his birth was in West Memphis. Initially taught by his cousin, Junior Parker, and Sonny Boy Williamson II, Wells learned how to play the harmonica by the age of seven with surprising skill. He moved to Chicago in 1948 with his mother after her divorce and began sitting in with local musicians at house parties and taverns. Wild and rebellious but needing an outlet for his talents, he began performing with The Aces (guitarist brothers Dave and Louis Myers and drummer Fred Below) and developed a more modern amplified harmonica style influenced by Little Walter. In 1952, he made his first recordings, when he replaced Little Walter in Muddy Waters' band and appeared on one of Waters' sessions for Chess Records in 1952. His first recordings as a band leader were made in the following year for States Records. In the later 1950s and early 1960s he also recorded singles for Chief Records and its Profile Records subsidiary, including "Messin' with the Kid", "Come on in This House", and "It Hurts Me Too", which would remain in his repertoire throughout his career. His 1960 Profile single "Little by Little" (written by Chief owner and producer Mel London) reached #23 in the Billboard R&B chart, making it the first of two Wells' singles to enter the chart.

Junior Wells worked with guitarist Buddy Guy in the 1960s, and featured Guy on guitar when he recorded his first album, Hoodoo Man Blues for Delmark Records. Wells and Guy supported the Rolling Stones on numerous occasions in the 1970s. Although his albums South Side Blues Jam (1971) and On Tap (1975) proved he had not lost his aptitude for Chicago blues, his 1980s and 1990s discs were inconsistent. However, 1996's Come On in This House was an intriguing set of classic blues songs with a rotating cast of slide guitarists, among them Alvin Youngblood Hart, Corey Harris, Sonny Landreth and Derek Trucks. Wells made an appearance in the film Blues Brothers 2000, the sequel to The Blues Brothers, which was released in 1998.

Wells continued performing until he was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 1997. That fall, he suffered a heart attack while undergoing treatment, sending him into a coma. Wells died in Chicago, after succumbing to lymphoma on January 15, 1998, and was interred in the Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago.
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Sufferin' Soul - Mighty Joe Young

Mighty Joe Young (September 23, 1927 – March 27, 1999) was an American Chicago blues guitarist. Born Joseph Young in Shreveport, Louisiana, he died in Chicago, Illinois. Though born in Louisiana, Young was raised in Milwaukee. He first began playing in the early 1950s by singing in Milwaukee nightclubs. By the mid 1950s, Young had recorded his first song for Jiffy Records in Louisiana.

Before Young became known for his contributions to blues, he was training to become a boxer.

Young was one of the busiest sidemen in Chicago from the late 1950s. He was in Otis Rush's band for several years in the 1960s, and played on Magic Sam's albums, West Side Soul and Black Magic. He recorded his own solo album, Blues with a Touch of Soul, for Delmark Records in 1971. Young also worked alongside Willie Dixon, Billy Boy Arnold and Jimmy Rogers. Young's song, "Turning Point", appeared in the Michael Mann feature film, Thief (1981).

Young died in March 1999 at the age of 71, from a complication of spinal surgery which he hoped would restore his ability to play the guitar.
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New Release from Delmark Records artist : Sharon Lewis and Texas Fire - The Real Deal - Review

I just received the new release from Sharon Lewis and Texas Fire, "The Real Deal" and real deal it is. Fort Worth, Texas native turned Chicago singer Sharon Lewis has come up through the ranks earning her stripes with Johnny B. Moore, Dave Spector and Harmonica Hinds and eventually replaced Little Mack Simmons as lead singer in the Mojo Kings. This recording has terrific instrumentation that really gets into the groove. Dave Spector lays down some outstanding guitar riffs and Bill Branch kicks in some dynamic harmonica not to mention a superb rhythm and horn section.

You know Sharon's work. Here she puts it out there in featured form.
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Delmark recording artist: Toronzo Cannon - Leaving Mood - New recording review

I just received the new recording by Toronzo Cannon, "Leaving Mood". Cannon has assembled a great band to compliment his guitar and vocals including Lawrence Gladney on Rhythm Guitar,Roosevelt Purifoy on Keys, Larry Williams on Bass, Marty Binder on Drums and Carl Weathersby who guest plays guitar on a few tracks as well as Matthew Stoller who is featured on harp on a few songs.

This is a very solid Chicago blues recording with great stinging blues guitar solos, solid vocals throughout and nice dashes of harp all played over a very tight rhythm section. The album format is not a lot unlike an Albert King recording with a switch up in rhythm patterns from slow blues to a little funk on the top. All of the soloing is added in tastefully and it is a true pleasure to listen to. If you look closely you won't find me handing out recommendations that freely but this one is a keeper!

(Don't know if anyone noticed but I've been reviewing an awful large number of lefty guitar players recently. It is totally coincidental!)
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As the Years Go Passing By - Jimmy Johnson Blues Band

Jimmy Johnson (born James Earl Thompson, November 25, 1928, Holly Springs, Mississippi) is an American blues guitarist and singer.
Several of Johnson's brothers had careers in music; among them are soul musician Syl Johnson and Magic Sam bassist Mack Thompson. In his younger years he played piano and sang in gospel groups. He and his family moved to Chicago in 1950, where he worked as a welder and played guitar in his spare time. He began playing professionally with Slim Willis in 1959, changing his last name to Johnson like his brother Syl. As a guitarist he was influenced by both Buddy Guy and Otis Rush and he played with Freddy King, Albert King, Magic Sam and Eddy Clearwater among others.

In the 1960s he played more R&B music, working with Otis Clay, Denise LaSalle, and Garland Green. He also had his own group from the early sixties, and by the late sixties he had released his first single. By 1974 he had returned to blues playing, working with Jimmy Dawkins and touring Japan with Otis Rush in 1975.

His first solo material appeared on Alligator Records and Delmark Records in 1978-79, when he was fifty years old. He was an award-winner at the first W.C. Handy Blues Music Awards held in Memphis November 16. 1980. His career continued to pick up until December 2, 1988, when his touring van crashed in Indiana, killing his keyboardist St. James Bryant and bassist Larry Exum. Johnson was injured and took an extended hiatus from the music industry, but returned to record for Verve Records in 1994. In 2002 he recorded with his brother, Syl. He remained active and among other things toured Europe in 2009, playing both England as well as Copenhagen Blues festival in Denmark.

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Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams

Joseph Lee Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982), billed throughout his career as Big Joe Williams, was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar. Performing over four decades, he recorded such songs as "Baby Please Don't Go", "Crawlin' King Snake" and "Peach Orchard Mama" for a variety of record labels, including Bluebird, Delmark, Okeh, Prestige and Vocalion. Williams was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame on October 4, 1992.

Blues historian Barry Lee Pearson (Sounds Good to Me: The Bluesman's Story, Virginia Piedmont Blues) attempted to document the gritty intensity of the Big Joe persona in this description:

When I saw him playing at Mike Bloomfield's "blues night" at the Fickle Pickle, Williams was playing an electric nine-string guitar through a small ramshackle amp with a pie plate nailed to it and a beer can dangling against that. When he played, everything rattled but Big Joe himself. The total effect of this incredible apparatus produced the most buzzing, sizzling, African-sounding music I have ever heard



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Delmark Records : Hoodoo Man Blues - Junior Well's Chicago Blues Band - New release review

They have finally done it!! Delmark has released Hoodoo Man Blues which is considered by most blues aficionados to be one of the best blues recordings of all time. Now I know if you're like me you already have the original vinyl but this is that and much more. This release has an additional 14 tracks and really puts you into the studio. Recorded in 1965 it was the first studio recording to capture a working Chicago blues band doing their stage show without time constraints of the "singles" market. I mean the holy grail...Buddy Guy and Junior Wells in original form with Jack Myers on Bass and Billy Warren on Drums!! This new digipak re-issue contains 17 performances including 3 alternate takes and 4 never before released performances. There is one completely unissued song, " I Ain't Stranded", in which Buddy playing through a Leslie speaker has influenced guitarists through the time and still today! Also included is a 16 page booklet containing eight never before published photos from the session.
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This is a must have release for Chicago Blues fans...but you already know that.

Oh, and it's also available on LP!!

Get it now!!

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Delmark Records Presents: Bad Girl - Demetria Taylor

First I have to comment on the cover of this release. I am so used to all of the fancy covers on all cd's that this one kinda caught me off guard. It is very reminiscent of the covers of old soul albums old the 60's. I don't know if it is intentional or coincidental but it's what's inside that counts. And after listening to the release, I think the cover is respectful.



I had not been earlier exposed to Demetria or knew of her through her father, the great Eddie Taylor. Now with all this against her, I am listening to the cd and i got to tell you I am pleasantly surprised.



The release sounds authentic and not a clone of everyone who came before her. She has a grindy blues voice and the band is tight. The recording isn't just Demetria singing but there is a chance for the band including Billy Branch, Eddie Shaw, Eddie Taylor jr., Shun Kinkuta, Roosevelt Purifoy, Greg McDaniel, Pookie Styx and Luke Pytel to stretch out "Chicago style". Of the new cd's I've hear recently this one hits the Chicago blues square on the head beginning to end...and I say everyone should listen to it.
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Enjoy!