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

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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...
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8th Train Records artist: Tom Craig - Good Man Gone Bad - New Release Review

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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good Man Gone Bad , by Tom Craig and it's solid blues rock. Opening with I'm Working Too Hard , Tom Craig on lead vocal and guitar sets a firm pace with Dave Gross on bass and Vin Mott on drums. With it's melodic guitar lead and bluesy edge, a solid opener. What's A Man Gotta Do has great drive along the lines of Willie Cobb's dynamic, You Don't Love Me. With tight drum patterns, strong guitar lead and with the addition of Mikey Junior on harmonica, a super track. On Chicago style blues track, Treat Your Daddy Nice , Craig really gets the band revved up. With a great guitar vamp and Big Daddy Lamberson on harmonica, this is a strong track. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Change My Way Of Living with it's easy sway and soulful vocals by Craig. Of particular interest is Craig's smoking guitar blues and addition of Doug James on bari sax, Hailey Brinnel on trombone and Mike Scott ...
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Delmark Records artist: Dave Specter - Six String Soul - New Release Review

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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Six String Soul , a double cd release by Dave Specter and it's great. Celebrating 30 years on Delmark, with remastered recordings from throughout his career and celebrating many guests. Opening with Buzz Me Specter on guitar, is joined by Barkin Bill Smith on vocal and Ronnie Earl on guitar as well as Ken Saydak on organ, Dez Desormeaux on sax, Red Groetzinger on sax, Mike McCurdy on bass and John Hiller on drums. Very cool. Specter really stretches out nicely on solo guitar on slow blues, Railroad Station . Smith, on lead vocal does a real nice job and Bob Stroger on bass anchors the track. Saydak's piano is a nice accent and sax soloing by Groetzinger is really nice. I really like instrumental, Specter's Walk, with it's deep jazz groove. Specter cruses on guitar, Desormeaux's sax solo is rich, and Saydak's organ work is strong. Tad Robinson has lead vocal on Sweet Serenity . I've always been ...
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Netjams Music artist: Bill Breen & Friends - New Release Review

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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bill Breen & Friends from Bill Breen and it's a cool mix of blues, jazz and fusion. Opening with Bohemian Grove Jam , a funky fusion track, Breen on guitar is joined by Joe Martone on keys, Mike Pryor on bass, Sean Peck on percussion and Charles Wright on sax guitar with a special appearance by Oz Noy (second solo). Very cool. On classic, Thrill Is Gone , Mark Wilson joins on vocal with a powerful delivery and Breen's guitar phrasing is sweet and his tone is crisp and clear and Martone's organ adds nice warmth. On AWB's Pick Up The Pieces , Breen takes the horn part on lead guitar with Martone on organ, Gus Velasquez on bass and Sean Peck on drums. Velasquez picks up a heavy thump on the turn around and Breen cuts loose with a real nice guitar solo for a strong cover. On T-Bone Walker's classic, Stormy Monday , Gary Lee Jones is upfront on lead vocal and is a "Allman like" arrangement, Mart...
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Willie Jackson - All In The Blues - New Release Review

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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, All In The Blues , from Willie Jackson and it's a full house of pop, rock rhythm and blues. Opening with easy shuffle, I'm Your Landlord , Willie Jackson shows pure style on vocal, backed by Lomax Spaulding on guitar, Trosky Lane on bass, Jimmy Brown on horn, and organ and drums by Eric L Winbush and with backing vocals by Suzanne El-Habre. One of my favorite tracks on the release is funk fused boogie, Stranger In My Hole . Twin Jackson's drum work really anchors this track with cool flute work, some smoky riffs on guitar by Lane and some of Jackson's best vocals on the release. Chicago style blues, She Needs Satisfied , has a solid groove set by Lane on bass and the addition of Ace Anderson on harmonica really sets this track off nicely. Another Chicago style shuffle, Coon Hound Nose , has a great groove with solid vocals by Jackson and real nice harmonica by Anderson.  Wrapping the release is R&B trac...
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Nina Simone and Her Friends' deluxe reissue coming from BMG; four tracks from 'Little Girl Blue' recording session in 1957

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        ON DELUXE REISSUE OF  NINA SIMONE AND HER FRIENDS, A BRAND-NEW STEREO RE-MASTER SHOWCASES A LEGEND ON HER ASCENSION TO STARDOM   Set includes four tracks from the  Little Girl Blue  recording session in 1957 along with songs by jazz-vocal greats Chris Connor and Carmen McRae   Available from Bethlehem Records/BMG December 3 on vinyl, CD and digital platforms  Stream the “African Mailman” re-mastered track here  (hyperlin...
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Catn' round Sound artist: Carolyn Lee Jones - Christmas Is Here - New Release Review

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  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Christmas Is Here , from Carolyn Lee Jones , and it's a jazzy approach at contemporary seasons greetings. Opening with one of the season's top songs, The Christmas Song , Jones is bright and tight on her vocal lead with crisp piano soloing by Brad Williams, Jonathan Fisher on bass, and Tom Burchill who lays in some tasty lead guitar. Strong opener. Charlie Brown's favorite, Christmas Time Is Here is given a straight ballad cover with crystal clear vocals, piano and warm cello backing by Jonathan Fisher. Very nice. I particularly like Tony Baker's trombone solo on Warm December , a bouncy pop track. Johnny Moore's Merry Christmas Baby has a solid boogie woogie beat with Keith Jordan on trumpet, Tony Baker on trombone, Dave Monsch on bari, Lynn Seaton on bass, Dennis Durick on drums and Todd Parsnow on guitar and a fat sax solo by Mario Cruz. Santa Baby has gotten so much airplay over the past few yea...
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Mean Old Fireman and the Cruel Engineers - Dumpster Fire - New Release Review

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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dumpster Fire, from Mean Old Fireman and the Cruel Engineers , and it's a solid block of traditional blues. Opening with Tour 3 funky blues rocker with a heavy bottom, Ned Bolle is upfront on lead vocal and slide guitar  with Joey Pafumi on drums, Rick Plourde on bass and some nice harmonica by Dana Andrews. Cool opener. McArthur's Cunning Ruger is a cool. extended Southern style blues rocker with some really sweet slide guitar work by Bolle. His vocals blend nicely with this styling, joined by Christina Lacoste, Shockwell Morency and Chat De Rouelle on backing vocals. On traditional blues track, Stack O Lee , Bolle's vocals have just the right amount of grit and with a New Orleans drums style by Pafumi and John Wadkins on keys, Bolle's slide work makes this my favorite track on the release. Toby Soriero opens up on electric guitar a bit on Got No Spoons and Bolle is right there with him on slide. This i...
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