Australia's Anni Piper Launches 2014 Florida Tour November 13 in Punta Gorda

Back from Australia, bassist-vocalist, Anni Piper, brings her lively blend of "Saucy Aussie" blues to Florida for a tour that kicks off in Punta Gorda on Thursday, November 13. More info at  www.annipiper.com.

ANNI PIPER, AUSTRALIA'S AWARD-WINNING FIRST LADY OF BLUES LAUNCHES 2014 FLORIDA TOUR ON NOVEMBER 13 IN PUNTA GORDA     Performs Locally: Two Brothers Home Style Cooking - Thur. Nov. 13          (PUNTA GORDA, Fl)  - Back from Australia, Anni Piper brings her lively blend of "Saucy Aussie" blues to Florida for a tour that kicks off Thursday, November 13 in Punta Gorda at Two Brothers Home Style Cooking, 307 E. Marion. 7 p.m. show. Free. Info: (941) 347-8483 or http://2brothershscpg.wix.com/2brothershscpg.   Anni Piper blends deep, sexy vocals with a high-energy bass playing style (often barefoot), making for a thoroughly enjoyable live experience. On the recording end, Piper won "Best Blues Album" at the 2013 Canberra Roots & Blues Awards in Australia for her collaborative effort with Nicole Hart on the critically-lauded Split Second (Blues Leaf Records). Piper was also nominated in the "Female Vocalist Of The Year" category for the 2014 Australian Blues Music Awards.                        Anni Piper, Australia's award-winning First Lady of Blues.                                                   ANNI PIPER - SOME BACKGROUND        Piper first started playing electric guitar at age twelve, but switched to bass at age fourteen.  In 2004 Anni released an album entitled "Jailbait" in her native Australia, for which she won "Best New Talent" at the 2005 Australian Blues Music Awards. Subsequent album releases include 2007's "Texas Hold 'Em," 2010's "Chasin' Tail" (released by Blues Leaf), and her newest, 2013's "Split Second." Blues Leaf also released "Two's Company,"  a compilation from her two Australian releases.  Throughout her burgeoning career, Piper's charismatic stage presence and sultry vocals have garnered her both great reviews and multiple music industry awards nominations.                                   WHAT THE MEDIA IS SAYING...     "If you enjoy award-winning talent with a splash of the wild side, sultry Australian performer Anni Piper won't even come close to disappointing you. And you don't have to travel Down Under!"                     NAPLES DAILY NEWS   "Raw and raucous, down and dirty, Down Under blues."   ILLINOIS TIMES                                      "A songwriter of distinction, her songs have a blues sensibility while still addressing the issues of today."                                                                                  EDMONTON JOURNAL   "Barefoot in a red cocktail dress and brandishing both an electric bass guitar and a powerful blues vocal tone, this down under diva makes quite the impression."                                                                                                                    VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY       The Alternate Root magazine invited Anni Piper to perform on their popular television show "The Extended Play," taped this past Spring in front of a live studio audience in Boston. Watch it here:             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u8RimKT                         Anni Piper  - Winter 2014 Tour Itinerary Nov. 13 (Thur.) Nov. 20 (Thur.) Nov. 21 (Fri.) Nov. 22 (Sat.) Nov. 26 (Wed.) Nov.  28 (Fri.) Nov. 29 (Sat.) Dec. 4 (Thur.) Dec. 5 (Fri.) Dec. 19 (Fri.) TWO BROTHERS HOME STYLE COOKING ACES LOUNGE TITANIC MICROBREWERY TITANIC MICROBREWERY ENGLEWOODS ON DEARBORN MANGROVE MAMAS RESTAURANT MANGROVE MAMAS RESTAURANT SOUTH SHORES TAVERN/PATIO BAR LITTLE BAR THE ALLEY   (more dates to be announced)    Punta Gorda, FL    Bradenton, FL    Coral Gables, FL    Coral Gables, FL    Englewood, FL    Sugarloaf Shores,, FL    Sugarloaf Shores, FL    Lake Worth, FL    Goodland, FL    Sanford, FL                      www.annipiper.com                       https://www.facebook.com/AnniPiper.music     Bradenton Times Florida Keys Free Press Daytona Beach News-Journal Edmonton Journal Join us on Facebook       Follow us on Twitter       Send us an Email

VizzTone Label Group artist: Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers - Love Whip Blues - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (11/4/14), Love Whip Blues, by Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers and it's relaxed and enjoyable. Opening with The Delta Swing, Erin Harpe leads the way on vocal and Jim Countryman plays a real nice bass line. Richard Rosenblatt on harp contributes throughout on harp and Bob Nisi hold the tempo on drums. On title track, Love Whip Blues, Harpe shows the dynamics of her vocals on a track from the linage of Memphis Minnie and Dave Gross adds some cool keys effects. Willie Brown's Future Blues is up next with a lot of spring and Sonny Jim Clifford on slide. Good Luck Baby has a R&B favor with a twist of island. A very poppy tune with a smooth melody it's a perfect track for airplay. Lucille Bogan's The M&O Blues has a real nice sway to it, highlighted by the harp work of Rosenblatt and and thick slide work of Bob Margolin. Excellent! One Way Man based on William Moore's One Way Gal is a light springy blues track and a nice showcase for Harpe. Luke Jordan's Pick Poor Robin Clean is a cool little blues ditty. Gross on guitar and mandolin on this track adds to the brightness of the overall feel and a cool bass solo sneaks in there as well. Very nice! Virtual Booty Blues has a springy step and it's obvious that Harpe is having a blast. Rosenblatt adds some really nice riffs on this track giving it that extra taste of blues. Charles River Delta Blues, based on Mississippi Blues by Willie Brown has a real nice feel. A nice jam between Gross on piano, Rosenblatt on harp and Harpe on guitar gives this track a real Chicago feel. Wrapping the release is John Prine's Angel From Montgomery. This is a different and fresh arrangement from the ones most of us are familiar with with a bright mostly acoustic backing. A very nice conclusion to a cool, light and breezy release.

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Shrapnel Records artist: Chris Duarte Group - Lucky 13 - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Lucky 13, from the Chris Duarte Group and it cooks! Opening with free wheelin' You Know You're Wrong, Duarte, backed by John McKnight on drums and Kevin Vecchione on bass, this tracks rocks. A relentless drive on the bottom and Duarte's fluid guitar riffs make this a grand opener. Think SRV on an experimental, progressive trip. Angry Man is a cool rock n roller with a nice hook. A simple beat and flashy riffs make this a very appealing track. Crazy For Your Love is a strong blues track with a solid Texas lope. You want a heavy dose of Texas blues...here it is! Excellent! Who Loves You is Chris Duarte meets Clarence Brown. With a definite swing and beautiful Gatemouth like guitar riffs, this track is a winner. Here I Come is a lighter pop style blues track with slick guitar riffs and a definite hook. Let It Go is an intense slow blues track with incredibly inspired guitar soloing. This track is over 9 minutes but believe me, it seems like 3. Brilliant! Man Up returns to a more radio sound with a cool Todd Rundgren feel but with firm Duarte signature. Not Chasing It is nice rockin' guitar jam with a certain looseness. A solid base gives Duarte all the room he needs to lay down a cool line and he just lets it rip. Nice! Weak Wheels is a heavy footed blues rocker with a funky bottom. Cool melody, nice vocal harmonies and a wailing guitar riff....This track will stick with you! Ain't Gonna Hurt No More is a Texas style boogie with a real nice drag. Texas style all the way and Duarte lays it down nice and tasty. next up is Meus Via Vita Suite which is 3 separate concepts, the first, Let's Go For A Ride, which is a cool pop track with what sounds like backward guitar riffs. Part 2 is Minefield Of My Mind which has a much more progressive feel. Totally instrumental, lays down a driving rhythm and then just allows a John McLaughlin like guitar solo go. Really interesting! Part 3, Setting Sun, is a ballad which slows way down with a gospel/R&B feel. Clear concise guitar riffs cap this track. Wrapping the release is Jump The Trane, a real cool guitar shuffle track. Excellent finish to a really hot release !  

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Full Force Music Management artist: Sterling Koch Trio - Place Your Bets - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Place Your Bets, from Sterling Koch and it's more purely pop blues than previous releases. Opening with SRV's House Is Rockin', Koch is joined by Jack Kulp on harp and backing vocals. On Hound Dog Taylor's It's Alright, Koch again keeps the bottom easy but hits the slide nicely as well as complimenting with a sweet articulated guitar solo. Kulp again does a nice job on harp. Jimmy Reed's Dizzy doesn't vary much from Reed's original but with an easier approach. Again backing vocals from Kulp add to the breadth of the vocals and Koch's slide playing is top notch. ZZ Top's Tubesnake Boogie sees the addition of backing vocals from Jennifer Dierwechter. Again keeping it to a simple acoustic style, this track has a totally different feel from the heavy romper that Gibbons throws down. On Albert King's, Don't Bother Me, Kulp opens the track on harp and some of the most slicing slide work on the release bites through. Sonny Boy Williamson II's, Checkin' Up On My Baby defaults from lead harp to some real nice clean slide work. Kulp does check in with a nicely blown harp solo for one of the coolest track on the release. John Lee Hooker's Dimples, has a real nice swing, taking Hookers original feel to the next slickest step. I had noticed on earlier recordings Koch's proficiency on guitar but on this release, I have more of an appreciation of him as a vocalist. Neat and clean guitar and harp riffs fill this track. Otis Rush's My Baby (She's A Good 'Un) is up next and with a little twist of that southern flare and even maybe a taste of Johnathan Edwards, this track has some of the best harp work on the release. Kenny Wayne Shepherd's Blue On Black is a well known ballad with quiet approach. Jennifer Dierwechter has a more dominant role vocally and Koch, along with a rhythmic acoustic strumming, fills the air with sweet slide runs. Original Koch track, Nothin' But The Blues, has a super, wide open open slide solo and Kulp follows with a cool harp solo of his own. Wrapping the release is Peter Green's Oh Well!. Koch continues to reaffirm his skill as both a vocalist and guitar player. Nice job. If you're looking for a release where you'll remember each track and love slide work, this may be your ticket.

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Vizztone Label Group artist: Sean Costello - In The Magic Shop - New Release Review

I just received the newest release of artist Sean Costello's work, In The Magic Shop and it is spectacular! This release was recorded at the Magic Shop studio in 2005 but never released. The spontaneity is remarkable. Opening with BB King's It's My Own Fault, Costello digs in on his guitar and plays some of the most lush guitar riffs that I have heard this year. This thing is off the hook! Primarily but not exclusively an instrumental, even Costello's vocals are spot on. Brilliant! Next up is Can't Let Go, a catchy R&B track joined by Paul Linden on B3, Melvin Zachery on bass, Brian Jackson on Wurlitzer, Liz Tormezand Brianne Winter on backing vocals and Ray Hangen on drums. On Hard Luck Woman, a bouncy blues track it's hard not to get infected. With Linden adding in some harp work, this is a tight track and on that on melody and rhythm alone should hit the airwaves. Really nice! Ned Wever's beautiful ballad, Trust in Me, is up next and Costello shows how expressive he can be just as a showcase vocalist. Excellent! Feel Like I Ain't Got A Home is a blues rocker with a straight forward drive. This is another excellent radio for different reasons. A catchy melody and driving rhythm makes this a track that will stick with you. Fenton Robinson's You Don't Know What Love Is, is a spectacular funky blues number. With Costello singing with great clarity over Matt Wauchope on B3 and grabbing his guitar by the scruff, this track defies you to sit still. Excellent! Bobby Womack's Check It Out retains all of the R&B sound and Costello's voice is perfect for delivery throughout. Succinct guitar riffs punctuate the track. I really really like it! I Went Wrong is a beautiful BB King styled track and Zachery's bass line setting the bar. Costello really does an excellent job on vocals and Linden keeping the groove on keys, Costello takes a really nice guitar solo. A totally unexpected track, Rod Stewart's You Wear It Well, would be a natural track for the radio as it was a huge track for Stewart years ago. Solid writing and a solid performance makes for a solid interpretation by Costello and addition of 12 string guitar work by Jimi Zhivago. Told Me A Lie is a really unusual track with soulful vocals and an interesting bass line. Although I'm not blown away by the guitar tone, the overall feel is still excellent. Make A Move is a light jazzy but funky track with a cool groove. Costello's tone seems pinched but his playing is really nice. Hagen really sets the tone on drums and backing vocals by Greta Gettler and Dayna Kurtz add texture. Wrapping the release is Johnny Fuller's Fool's Paradise. A really pretty melody is a super basis for this track with Costello again showing that he's not just another excellent guitar player. But an excellent guitar player he is. Playing light articulate riffs against Linder on keys, this track is a really nice close to an excellent release. I have a number of Sean Costello albums but this is a must have! (Profits to Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research)

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Firenze Records artist: Markus James - Head For The Hills - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (October 28, 2014), Head For The Hills, from Markus James and it's alive! Opening with Just Say Yes, a stripped down driver with straightforward drumming and rhythm guitar. James vocals, presented like through a distorted mic is nicely complimented by whirling slide guitar work. Very cool! RL Burnside's Going Down South really has the feel of today's modern blues as delivered by the Keys for example but with heartier slide and also featuring Kenney Kimbrough on drums. I like this track for isn't simplicity juxtaposed against it's modern slide techniques. Head For The Hills has a lot of the roots of Mali without losing it's North American sound (or vice versa). Shake is a real shak shaker with Calvin Jackson on drums. James does a real nice job on vocal and guitar on this track plus adding a cool harp part as well. This track is certain to appeal to contemporary audiences. Suit Of Golden Clothes is one of my favorites from purely a blues point of view. It captures much of the delta feel and sounds. For Blind Willie is a a somber guitar chant not unlike some of Ry Cooders work. It is very pure and very nice! Marlon Green leads the way on drums on Gone Like Tomorrow. With high register slide work playing against the solid rhythms of the tom toms, this is a cool track just for listening. Fallin From The Sky shows a lot of tension with heavy vocal work from James and his steamy slide work backed only by basic (hambone) percussion. Very cool! Nomo is the closest to a contemporary commercial track on the release. A catchy melody and lyrics make this an easy anthem. Title track, Head For The Hills has a driving beat from Kimbrough and metallic sounding slide work under authentic vocals. With country blues picking coupled with slide work and lightly distorted vocals this is another cool track. On A Mississippi Porch has a very clean and simple acoustic touch. Easy acoustic slide work and hambone percussion give this track realism. Sleepyhead has what I'd describe as a quiet melody that is almost distinctly Mississippi but with a definite Mali sense about it. Very nice. Candyland Refugee is a track with two distinct facets. A simple contemporary song but with an African rhythm and instrumentation. Interesting sound. Diddley Bow And Buckets is a primitive track of exactly as it is titled. A simple DB and soft buckets by Calvin Jackson. Woke Me has a strong feel of Robert Johnson (Crossroads) with a certain modern feel. Kimbrough is back on drums and James' vocals are confident and his slide work is hot! Wrapping the track is Green, a simple acoustic slide guitar melody. A cool track with acoustic nature sounds added on string instrument is a nice conclusion to an unusually cool blues release.

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3011 Records artist: Howard and the White Boys - Rosa's Lounge - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Rosa's Lounge, from Howard and the White Boys and it's quite good. Opening with Heat Seeking Missile, a cool R&B style blues, Howard (bass and vocals) and the boys, Rocco Calipari (guitar), Pete Galanis (guitar) and Jim "Bucka" Christopolous launch off into a great track. Nice lead guitar work and great vocals highlight the track. Strung Out On The Blues is up next and it rips! A down and dirty track really showcases Howard's vocals and especially tasty guitar riffs throughout. This is my favorite track on the release and shows how strong Howard and gang can be live! Trouble Follows You is a cool Billy Boy Arnold or Bo Diddley influenced track with a great rhythm and strong drum beat by Christopulos. Cool slide work on this track over the guitar rhythm nicely emphasizes the contrast. Judge has a bit of funk and slick guitar rhythms. Freewheeling guitar work pushed along by Christopulos and McCullum makes this track sing. A slow R&B style blues, What Would I Do, sets up nicely. This track should play nicely into radio play with a sweet melody and fluent bursts of guitar wizardry. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner is a cool blues track with a track of Taj Mahal in feel. With a solid bass line and nice slide work, this track will appeal to both dancers and guitar enthusiasts. Super boogie, Black Cat features Steve Asma on slide guitar and this track moves! Asma adds a real nice texture and a free wheeling approach as the band literally romps (Think Tush). Excellent! R&B style track, The Last Time, employs wah wah and a funky back beat for a straight up radio track. Of course there are slick solos with pinched harmonics and double stops but this track is one that will stick in your head. The Blues Are Killin' Me is an easy blues rocker with a solid bass line and featuring Neal O'hara on organ some fluid guitar riffs in an extended jam format. Wrapping the release is That's Alright which was recorded in JoyRide Studios in Chicago. With a tighter more radio oriented flavor, this track again seems to be perfectly suited for a diverse audience of listeners. I like this release. A live review of this band shows it's musical talent and diversity. Very cool.

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Jack Bruce, Bassist for Supergroup Cream, Dead at 71

Jack Bruce, the bassist for legendary rock supergroup Cream, has died. He was 71.
Bruce's family announced his death via Facebook and the musician's official website.
"It is with great sadness that we, Jack's family, announce the passing of our beloved Jack: husband, father, granddad and all-round legend," the statement said. "The world of music will be a poorer place without him, but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts."

See also: 45 Essential Classic Rock Anthems

Post by Jack Bruce.

The Scottish-born singer died Saturday "at his home in Suffolk surrounded by his family," publicist Claire Singers confirmed.
No further details were provided, but the Press Association reported that Bruce died of liver disease.
Bruce is best known as a member of the 1960s British band, Cream, performing alongside members Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Formed in 1966, Cream went on to sell 35 million albums in just two years, according to Bruce's website. The band's third album, Wheels of Fire became the first-ever platinum-selling double album. Cream split shortly after its debut in 1968, and Bruce went on to front his own bands.
"Jack felt that he had strayed too far from his ideals, and wanted to re-discover his musical and social roots," according to Bruce's website.
He returned to the studio to record his 2001 solo album Shadows in the Air, which hit no. 5 on the British jazz and blues chart.
Bruce was born to musical parents in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 14, 1943. His parents traveled extensively in Canada and the U.S., and a young Bruce attended 14 different schools. He finished his formal education at Bellahouston Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, to which he won a scholarship for cello and composition.
Bruce left Scotland at 16, and in 1962, joined his first important band, the influential Alexis Korner's Blues Inc., in London. It featured drummer Charlie Watts, who later joined The Rolling Stones.

"Virtue & Vice" By Hornbuckle Wins Mile High Blues Society's 'Best Self-Produced Blues CD'

HOORAY FOR HORNBUCKLE:   "VIRTUE & VICE" WINS 'BEST SELF-PRODUCED CD' AS VOTED BY DENVER'S MILE HIGH BLUES SOCIETY   (DENVER, CO) - "Virtue & Vice," the critically-acclaimed album by Denver-based group Hornbuckle, has won "Best Self-Produced CD" as voted on by the Mile High Blues Society in Denver, CO. "Virtue & Vice" will now qualify for the International competition judged by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. The winner will be announced during the IBC Finals on the night of January 24, 2015 at the Orpheum Theatre in the Historic Beale Street District.   "Virtue & Vice is beautifully recorded and produced," says Mile High Blues Society President, Rick Davis. "The songs are brilliant, sad, and uplifting. Blues ballads telling a story of failure, struggle, and redemption. The performances are first-rate," Davis concludes.    Hornbuckle, known as "Denver's First Family of the Blues," is fronted by guitarist-vocalist Michael Hornbuckle and brother, Brian Hornbuckle (bass-vocals).   WHAT THE MEDIA IS SAYING ABOUT HORNBUCKLE'S  "VIRTUE & VICE" "Hornbuckle's sound is fresh and interesting...these guys have managed to find a way to give the blues a mainstream, pop-driven sound, while at the same time staying true to their bluesy roots. The songs themselves are nothing short of excellent."                                             ROCK OVER AMERICA "Not since ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan has there been a band that could wind a mean bar room boogie and bring the blues home like the Hornbuckle Brothers. One of the best new independently produced albums of the year."                                                   XOMBIEWOOF MAGAZINE "Spearheaded by Michael's smooth, soulful voice (a la Paul Rodgers in Tonality), the quartet presents a thoroughly sophisticated product right down to the subtle instrumentation that makes "Beautiful Rain," "Angels, Addicts, Poets & Thieves," and "Beautiful Rain"sound so rich."                                    MUSIC CONNECTION "Michael Hornbuckle's voice is a soulful powerhouse that closely matches the pipes of Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) as the band soars over the blues on Virtue & Vice, their most recent release."                                    THE ALTERNATE ROOT                                             www.hornbucklemusic.com                https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hornbuckle

Blind Pig Records artist: Jimmy Thackery - Extra Jimmies - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Extra Jimmies, from Jimmy Thackery and it great! Made up of tracks from previous releases, Empty Arms Motel, Wild Night Out! and Switching Gears, this release is super. Opening with Write If You Find Love, a bluesy rock number, Thackery leads on vocal and guitar joined by Michael Patrick on bass and Al Gamble on B3. BB King's cool shuffle track, You Upset Me Baby, is up next and Thackery is immediately in the groove. Drummer Mark Stutso takes the lead on vocal and Thackery gives this track a good spanking on guitar and Wayne Burdette joins on bass. Recorded live, a whole different dynamic occurs with a bit more time to jam. Very cool! Fast instrumental shuffle, Rude Mood is a terrific opportunity for Thackery to spread his wings and smoke show what he's got and he's not holding back. Excellent! On New Orleans influenced, I Got To Be Strong, Patrick, Gamble and Stutso carry the rhythm and Thackery spices it up with red hot riffs. I particularly like Thackery's loose vocal style on this track giving it a party feel. Wildchild Butler's Lickin' Gravy is flat out smokin' with Thackery taking it down and dirty. His vocal grit juxtaposed against his rip snorting guitar solo's make this my favorite track on the release! Take Me With You When You Go is sopping with gumbo joined by Chubby Carrier on accordion. Love To Ride has a simple two step rhythm and clever bluesy riffs and soft backing vocals. Trouble Man is a straightforward blues rocker featuring some scorching fretwork and a catchy melody. I Wouldn't Change A Thing is a bluesy ballad featuring nice vocal harmonies with Reba Russell, solid B3 work from Gamble and saturated guitar work from Thackery. Very nice! Lowell Fulsom's Honey Hush is up next set up with a simple rock and roll rhythm. Thackery's fat guitar attack really sets this track apart not only stylistically but sonically. Cool! Flyin' Low is a good name for this track with it's low key style but it is flying. Grinding guitar riffs at the bottom of the fretboard make this track different. Empty Arms Motel has a rockin' R&B feel. Nicely articulated double stopped picking and wild bends give this track that something special. Wrapping the release is Monkey, a serious rock n roller. Gamble holds down the bottom with Patrick as Thackery lays down some of the hottest RnR riffs on record since Alvin Lee. Excellent conclusion to a super release.

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Blind Pig Records artist: JW-Jones - Belmont Boulevard - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Belmont Boulevard, from JW-Jones and I think it's his best yet. Opening with Love Ten Times, a contemporary blues/rock number with a pinch of country, Jones and drummer Tom Hambridge handle the vocal part. On Bobby Parker number, Watch Your Step, Jones throws a bit of sixties rhythm to a classic R&B track with hot guitar riffs. Very Nice! Blue Jean Jacket has a fresh, southern blues rock feel with Reese Wynans on keys and Jones rips hot riffs on guitar. On Coming After Me the band lays down a really nice slinky groove with a strong bass line from Dave Roe and some of the best vocals on this release from Jones. Particularly nice guitar work by Jones on this track makes it one of my release favorites. Don't Be Ashamed has a bit of a British blues feel with Laura Greenberg on drums and Jamie Holmes on drums. Thank You has a pop rock feel with a R&B basis. Flaming guitar riffs highlight this track with it's driving beat. Really cool Magic Slim like riffs open Magic West Side Boogie. This is a slick instrumental with a cool boogie beat. I really like Jones' fretwork on this track highlighting it as a clear front runner on the release. What Would Jimmie Do? is a slower boogie with a Latin twist and a cool swing. A true rocker this track gives Jones another opening to show what he can do. Very nice! If It Feels This Good Tomorrow is definitely the radio track for the release. A catchy hook and sweet melody drives the song. Buddy Guy's What's Inside Of You is a hot number with a lot of the flash of Mr Guy himself and the right funky push that Jones needs to break loose. This is the guitar man's track and a definite cooker! Never Worth It is structured around the basic early Rock and Roll pattern and keeps it solid like TYA. A bit more polished that Mr Lee, Jones does a real nice job of articulating his riffs and adding some cool reverb and chords. Wrapping the release is Cocaine Boy is a raw blues number with echo guitar effects and staggered drumming with quite pleasant results. A real nice track to complete Jones' first release on Blind Pig Records.

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Icehouse Records artists: Low Society - You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down, from Low Society and it has edge. Opening with Blues Rocker Crammed & Jammed, vocalist Mandy Lemons is riding high on the slide work of Sturgis Nikides, supported by Mike Munn on drums and Nick Dodson on bass. Voodoo Woman again features the master slide work of Nikides with a style not a lot dissimilar to Rod Price. Lemons has the ferociousness of Pearl but her own style. Rick Steff adds a cool organ line and Dr. Herman Green some cool sax. Need Yer Love has an unusual euro sounding construction making it really stand out. With it's calliope feel and Nikides on slide, Lemons lays down some of her bluesiest vocals. Son House Says has a smooth jazzy feel but almost like a twist on "Sumertime". Keywork from Steff helps the shape the track but this is really all about Lemons. A funky twist midway led by Dodson and Muss adds texture and Nikides slides in with a cool solo as well. Title track, You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down, has a very cool boogie rhythm led by a solid bass line from Dodson. Nikides takes a slick ride on the slide on this track making it one that is most likely to end up on the radio. Very cool! Possibly my favorite track on the release, This Heart Of Mine is a slow ballad with heavy blues overtones. Building intensity throughout the track, Nikides and Lemons really hit it on the head. Excellent! Up In Your Grave has a country gospel feel with a bit of pickin and a two step rhythm. Let Me Ride has a deep south spiritual feel with Lemons coming on strong. Slide work from Nikides and light piano work from John Shaw gives it a bluesy feel. No Money Down is a ballad with a western feel. Perfect rhythm from Munn on drums makes this effect particularly clear along with steel work from Nikides. You Got A Right is a rolling blues track with an easy R&B feel (Think I'm Tore Down). Nice guitar work from Nikides adds to the rolling momentum overall. El Diablo is a fairly contemporary ballad featuring the lead vocal of Lemons but with a cool acoustic guitar riff from Nikides. Wrapping the release is Should've Known Better, a solid Texas style blues track. A solid sax solo from Dr. Green and a few cool riffs from Nikides top it off.

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Be On The Lookout: Mike Zito DVD/CD Out On November 11th

Mike Zito and The Wheel Makes

An Illegal Turn In The Right Direction

Live CD/DVD Songs From The Road Out November 11^th

Atlanta, GA – Ruf Records artist, Mike Zito is set to release his Songs From The Road Live CD/DVD on November 11^th .  Zito, an award winning artist and producer, wows the Texas home crowd with his blues boogie-woogie one winter night in January 2014, at Houston’s Dosey Doe only a few miles away from where he lives in Beaumont.

Straight from the start, Mike takes command of the stage with songs from his vast catalog over the years, with songs like Greyhound, “Gone To Texas” and “Pearl River”, co-written by the great Cyril Neville, won a Blues Music Award in 2011. Even a clever cover of the Prince classic ”Little Red Corvette”, would impress the Purple Rain man himself. Mike’s guitar work soars, sings and cheers against his velvet voice perhaps only after years of perfecting the two. Mike has cultivated this sound, one that stands on its own head with songs that talk about taking that leap, to somewhere else, has become his life story.

"Zito is a solid singer and songwriter with the technical prowess as a guitarist and producer to confidently execute his vision.” -BLINDED BY SOUND

A blasting concert with the full band starts the DVD, but there is a bonus after the lights have been turned off– a tender acoustic storyteller set where Mike stops to tell his side of his life. Three songs are performed “Dead Of Night”, “Death Row” and “Gone To Texas” with only Mike and his acoustic guitar. He tells the behind the songs, which is worth the price of the show.

"Zito’s actual backstory, coupled with the kind of soul you can’t help but pick u if hailing from that close to Memphis, probably explains why his particular brand of blues-rock seems not only more honest, but more flexible, than many of his contemporaries." – OFFBEAT

His band, The Wheel backs him up and adds color to the show. The Wheel consists of Jimmy Carpenter on saxophone, Scot Sutherland on bass, Rob Lee on drums and on Hammond B-3 and piano, the legendary Lewis Stephens (Delbert McClinton, Freddie King). Mike is able to pick, slide and strum on his guitars in and out as they create the musical back drop.

"Mike Zito and his collection of top notch musicians in The Wheel delivers songs with incredible artistry and a frankness that should never ignored"- LIVERPOOL SOUND & VISION

“The audience was on fire from the first note. The band played with such energy and passion. I was overwhelmed many times throughout this performance by the sheer energy of love that poured out of every soul in that building. It was a truly magical night, one I’ll never forget.” Mike beams with excitement about the show.

           A trailer of the show is ready to view on You Tube:

           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXBkrDhTlDM&feature=youtu.be

Mike will be out on the road this fall and winter, supporting his release, around the states as well as Europe at clubs, theaters and festivals. He is booked by Blue Mountain out of North Carolina and managed by Rueben Williams at Thunderbird Management.

Mike Zito is found on the internet: www.mikezito.com as well as all social media outlets.

To arrange an interview with Mike, please contact: Jill Kettles at Miss Jill PR by email: jill@missjillpr.com or tel: 404-213-8542.

To download a hi-res photo for editorial needs, click here: http://www.missjillpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Zito-2014-Press-Photo-2.jpg

MIKE ZITO INTINERARY

US Dates:

10/14/14           Memphis, Missouri       VFW/Lil Memphis Blues Society         

10/15/14           Galesburg, IL                Fat Fish Pub    

10/16/14           St. Louis, MO               Broadway Oyster Bar   

10/17/14           Kansas City, MO          Knuckleheads Saloon   

                                                            W/ Samantha Fish

10/18/14           Columbia, MO              Mojo’s 

European Dates:

11/01/14           De Korenbloem            Zingem                        Belgium

11/02/14           Nix en Meer                 Enschede                      Netherlands

11/04/14           Beaverwood                  Chislehurst                   UK

11/05/14           Wolverhampton                        Robin 2                                    UK

11/06/14           Edinburgh                    Jam House                    UK

11/07/14           Carlisle                         Bluesfest                      UK

11/08/14           Haringe                                    Bluesfestival                 Belgium

11/09/14           Ottersum                      Roepaen                       Netherlands

11/11/14           Bristol                          The Tunnels                 UK

11/12/14           Swansea                       The Scene                    UK

11/13/14           Derby                           Flower Pot                    UK

11/14/14           Sutton                          Boom Boom Club         UK

11/15/14           Berlin                           Quasimodo                   Germany

11/16/14           Sumperk                       Blues Alive                   Czech Republic

11/18/14           Bonn                            Harmonie Bonn                        Germany

11/19/14           Lindewerra                   Gemeindesaal               Germany

11/20/14           Bensheim                     Rex                              Germany

11/21/14           Basel                            Volkshaus                    Switzerland

Award-Winning Roots Music Artist Eric Bibb Sings About "Blues People" on New Stony Plain Records CD, Coming November 4

Award-Winning Roots Music Artist Eric Bibb Sings About Blues People on New Stony Plain Records CD, Coming November 4

Special Guests Include Taj Mahal, Guy Davis, The Blind Boys of Alabama & Ruthie Foster

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records, one of the world’s foremost roots music labels, announces a November 4 release date for Blues People, the new CD from award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Eric Bibb. Produced by Glen Scott, who also plays several instruments throughout, Blues People includes special guest performances by Taj Mahal, Guy Davis, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Ruthie Foster (who Eric has been touring with), Popa Chubby and a number of other musicians from around the world.

The 15 tracks on Blues People include a number of Eric Bibb originals, as well as collaborations with other songwriters, plus songs written by Guy Davis (“Chocolate Man”), Rev. Gary Davis (“I Heard the Angels Singin’”) and the traditional, “Needed Time,” arranged by Taj Mahal, Eric Bibb and Glen Scott.

The concept of Blues People came to Eric Bibb, who’s won the Blues Music Award as “Acoustic Artist of the Year” and been nominated for a Grammy, when he was surrounded by his musical friends at the Blues Foundation Awards in Memphis a few years back. It inspired him to create a collection of songs about change and hope, in collaboration with many of his friends in the blues and roots music realm.

“In the introduction to his classic book, Blues People, Amiri Baraka (who published it as LeRoi Jones) wrote: ‘The path the slave took to ‘citizenship’ is what I want to look at,’” writes Eric Bibb in the album’s liner notes. “That same path, along with its continuation, provided much inspiration for this album called Blues People. This record is also a tribute to the tribe of blues troubadours that I’m grateful to be a member of and it features the talents of several friends and heroes of mine. We, who traverse the highways and skyways of the planet playing the music known as blues, have become a rainbow tribe. We hail from many lands and cultures, bonded by our love of this music and the challenge of making it our own. What began in the fields of the southern United States, became a universal treasure, cherished by music lovers the world over.

My intention with these songs is to focus on some of the history of African Americans, the original blues people, as a reminder of what we’ve been through and where the music is coming from. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my greatest heroes. The Civil Rights movement that he is synonymous with is referred to in several songs on this album. I hope these songs will remind us that Dr. King’s dream is still a work in progress – we are still not home. May the New Year bring us closer to living that dream.”

Eric Bibb, one of the highest profile international roots music artists, was raised in New York City by a musical family; his father is noted folk singer Leon Bibb and his uncle was world-famous jazz pianist John Lewis, founding member of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Legendary actor/singer/activist Paul Robeson was Eric’s godfather, and other music icons such as Peter Seeger, Odetta and Bob Dylan were known to regularly visit the Bibb household.

Eric was given his first guitar at age seven, and by the time he’d reached 16 was asked by his father to play guitar in the house band for the elder Bibb’s local New York City TV talent show.

In 1970, Eric Bibb left New York City for Paris, meeting legendary guitarist Mickey Baker, and began to concentrate on playing blues guitar. He later moved to Europe and is now based in Finland, from which he tours extensively both in the U.S. and overseas.

To watch a special video Eric Bibb created to explain the backstory about Blues People, click on this link: http://bit.ly/BluesPeopleVideo.

Eric Bibb will be touring in support of Blues People and is booked by Folklore International Artists (www.FLiArtists.com). For more information, visit www.stonyplainrecords.com and www.ericbibb.com.

Blues People Track Listing

1 SILVER SPOON - Featuring POPA CHUBBY

2 DRIFTIN’ DOOR TO DOOR

3 GOD’S MOJO

4 TURNER STATION

5 PINK DREAM CADILLAC

6 CHOCOLATE MAN - Featuring GUY DAVIS

7 ROSEWOOD

8 I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGIN’ - Featuring J. J.  MILTEAU & THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

9 DREAM CATCHERS - Featuring HARRISON KENNEDY & RUTHIE FOSTER

10 CHAIN REACTION - Featuring GLEN SCOTT

11 NEEDED TIME - Featuring TAJ MAHAL, THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

& RUTHIE FOSTER

12 OUT WALKIN’

13 REMEMBER THE ONES - Featuring LINDA TILLERY

14 HOME - Featuring ANDRE DE LANGE

15 WHERE DO WE GO - Featuring LEYLA McCALLA

Electro-fi artists Fathead - Fatter Than Ever - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Fatter Than Ever, from Fathead and it is a full spectrum of blues influenced tracks. Opening with I Don't Want To Leave The Party, a rolling boogie, featuring John Mays on lead vocal and Al Lerman on harp. Johnny Says has a rootsy '50's kind of sound with Bucky Berger pushing things along on drums and cool guitar from Papa John King and Lerman on harp. Take A Little Time For Yourself has a little twist of country swing with a cool resonator solo from Lerman. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Evil Eye has a jagged rhythm pattern accentuated by Berger. With laid back vocals and harp and guitar adornment, I just like this track. Twenty Second Chances has a R&B ballad feel with some of the best vocals on the release. Lerman adds a warm to the track with some smooth sax work. When Did You Ever has a country two step feel. Vocal harmonizing between May and the band gives this track a feel of it's own. Lerman plays a cool harp solo on this track as well adding just that right touch. Slippery Slope has a contemporary blues feel and vocal harmonies. Lerman takes a nice harp solo on the track making it one of my favorites. Life Goes On is the most melodic track on the release making it the most likely for radio play with it's catchy hook and subtle instrumentation. My Brother actually reminds me quite a bit of the Doobie Brothers. Vocal harmonies on the chorus and both and guitar and harp leads make it a prime radio track as well. Better Off Taking Chances has a laid back Randy Newman style. Lance Anderson adds some nice piano work on this track and Lerman also adds a cool sax solo. Shoot That Rooster is a cool jump track that makes my top 3 on the release. With a great rhythm and nicely blended vocals, over the cool piano work of Anderson and hot solos from King and Lerman, this track cooks. Pinching Pennies has a little twist of Latin and a little pinch of funk and a dose of New Orleans. Denis Keldie opens Preacher Man with a cool B3 part and the pace is set by Berger on drums, cool bass lines from Omar Tunnoch and the guitar work of King. A Little Feat like track with contemporary rock/blues/funk feel ...sure to be well received. Throw Me A Bone is a cool track with a feeling of Rufus Thomas. Cost To Boogie has a sound of Funky Chicken with Tower Of Power. King breaks loose with his hottest solo on the release. It's a great conclusion of an interesting release.

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