Delmark 60 Years of Blues - New release review

I just received a new release, Delmark 60 Years of Blues and it's terrific! Opening with Studebaker John's Maxwell Street Kings and When They Played The Real Blues. John on harp, guitar and vocals drives a hard Chicago line on this super track from Kingsville Jukin'. Really hot! Following this track is Junior Wells and Rock me Baby from the Southside Blues Jam sessions. With Otis Spann on piano, Louis Meyers on guitar, and Wells on vocal and harp, this is a band that is hard to beat. Wells is on top of his game and Spann is one of my all time favorite blues pianists so this track is primo! Lindsey Alexander plays Raffle Ticket with Mike Wheeler on guitar Roosevelt Purifoy laying down some excellent piano. Alexander leads a tight ship on this track released on Been There Done That. Magic Sam plays I Don't Want No Woman, from his Live At The Advant Garde. His guitar work is finely articulated and his vocals are inspired. This track is swinging! Quintus McCormick struts in with Fifty Fifty from Hey Jodie. This funky R&B/Albert King styled blues track gets your butt squirming in your seat. Little Walter is up next with Just Keep Lovin' Her, an alternate track to the one included on The Blues World Of Little Walter. This band includes Muddy Waters and Baby Face Leroy. Prime Little Walter. Giles Corey's Stoned Soul plays Oh Mademoiselle, a rockin blues track with a definite contemporary feel. Corey lays down a funky guitar rhythm along with Marty Sammon on clav, Joewaun Scott on bass, and Rick King on drums. This track will be released on much anticipated Giles Corey's Stoned Soul to be released in 2014. Eddie C. Campbell plays Big World, a jump track from his 2008 release Tear This World Up with full horn section. Campbell's slick guitar work with effects make this a standout track. Big Joe Williams brings 44 Blues, an unreleased tape from 1960. This is an excellent early tape with only Williams on 7 string guitar and vocal. Sharon Lewis & Texas Fire covers Blues Train from the Blues Train. This soul infused track is a real mover. Billy Branch steps up on this track with his distinctive harp sound. Delmark really should be commended for putting this release together in such a manner that it flows nicely from style to style ... cohesive yet diverse. Lurrie Bell plays She's A Good 'un from Blues In My Soul. Bell, a standout contemporary blues guitar player lays down some deep grooves on this well paced track also featuring Roosevelt Purifoy on piano. Playing just behind the beat gives this track a real grip! Mississippi Heat turns it up for Let's Live It Up, with Inetta Visor on vocal, the incredible Pierre Lacocque on harp and especially hot on this track are Giles Corey on guitar, Hambone Cameron on organ, Stephen Howard on bass and Blaze Thomas on drums from the releae Let's Live It Up. Again pacing the release, Detroit Jr. plays on of my favorites from the release, Key To The Highway, accompanying himself on piano from Blues On The Internet. Excellent!! Tail Dragger and an allstar band featuring Lurrie Bell and Kevin Shanahan on guitar, Billy Branch on harp extraordinaire, Bob Stroger on bass and Kenny Smith on drums set the Chicago groove with Tend To Your Business from My Head Is Bald, Live From Friendly's Lounge. Sleepy John Estes contributes Stop That Thing from Live In Japan. This track is yet to be release but will be in 2014. Featuring Estes on guitar and vocal and Hammie Nixon on harp this track is hot! Wrapping the release is Toronzo Cannon and John The Conquer Root from John The Conquer Root. This track successfully blends Jimi with contemporary blues for a truly smoking ending for a super release. Yeah, catch the guitar work on this deal! It's not often that I sing praises (ok, I don't sing much at all) of a compilation, but this is a really cool one! If you haven't got all of these releases already (excecpt the ones not yet released, this is a great sampler for what you have missed and if you do already have them, it's a great cd to put on and play if you want a mix of different great bands. No filler here!

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Delmark artist: Toronzo Cannon - John The Conquer Root - New Release Review

I just received a copy of the new release, John The Conquer Root by Toronzo Cannon and it's powerful. Opening with The title track, John The Conquer Root, this release is balls to the wall! With a percussion bottom (Brian "BJ" Jones) worthy of Bonzo himself, this track is heavy and laden with hot guitar riffs and gripping vocals from Cannon. Excellent. I've Been Doing Fine has more of a Chicago blues style with organ by Roosevelt Purifoy and bass from Dave Forte. Cold World is a much more contemporary R&B style number with horns from Kenny Anderson (trumpet), Norman Palm (trombone), Dudley Owens (sax), Jerry Di Muzio (sax) and backing vocals by Kay Reed, Theresa Davis and Vanessa Holmes. Cannon takes the opportunity to lay out some tasty riffs but this some is all about the groove. Gentle Reminder is a rock blues track with a stiff driving funk belly. Cannon uses great vocal phrasing on this track and answers his call with Texas style stinging guitar riffs. Very cool. If You're Woman Enough To Leave Me is a funky blues track with Cannon laying down really solid guitar riffs to accompany his spot on singing. A Latin beat on drums by Jones and sweet harp work from Omar Coleman make Shame a real strong contender for the radio track on the release. On relaxed, soul style blues track, You Made Me This Way, Cannon really shines on vocals and Purifoy adds bright key work. Been Better To You opens big with horns and a New Orleans style funk. Singing guitar punctuations and rich horn work saturate this track and Cannon knows how to work it. On Big Ray Bop, a swing track, Coleman plays some of the nicest harp work on the release. Cannons vocal is more Ray Charles in nature and Purifoy steps up the piano work laying down some real fine riffs on this track. Sweet, Sweet, Sweet is a slide guitar butt rippin with Joanna Connor and Lawrence Gladney adding guitars. Finishing up with Root To The Fruit... She's Mine (Reprise) returns to the wall of music in the title track and flat out guitar/ drum massacre. I can't say enough how much I especially enjoy these two particular tracks. Excellent ending to a very solid 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”

 

In My Dream - Linsey Alexander

Chicago is the blues capital of the world, and if recent popularity is any kind of benchmark, Linsey Alexander just might be the hottest sound in town right now.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Linsey Alexander discovered on Chicago's south side a down to earth city that truly understands and appreciates music. In much the same way as many great blues artists before him, he grew up in a poor but honest and hard working family, learning early on that music has the power to lift the spirit and comfort the soul. In Linsey's own words, "Blues music is not hard- it's just a documentary about life."

His first guitar - a gift from a family friend who played on the front stoop of Linsey's home in Memphis - was never retrieved from the pawn shop where he left it almost 50 years ago. Using the money to help pay his way to Chicago, he now plays a variety of Gibson and Fender guitars, and since 1959, Linsey Alexander has been perfecting the art of entertainment blues for the sheer and simple pleasure of it. His easy smile and unpretentious personality define a charismatic entertainer who loves to perform; and perform he does!

Although having played with B.B.King, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Little Milton, Magic Slim Johnnie Taylor, A.C.Reed, Larry McCray, Bither Smith, John Primer, Otis Clay, Eddie Clearwater and other great blues performers., Linsey Alexander has remained resolutely true to his own style. His first cds release, Someone’s Cookin' In My Kitchen, My Days Are So Long and his latest realease If You Ain't Got It is a compilation of original Blues and R&B tunes.

He is thankful for the good things in his life, and now at last, seems willing to realize that the friends who encouraged him to keep playing over the years may have known a thing or two about talent. Maybe, just maybe, he's ready to believe .

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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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