Ruthie Foster 'Joy Comes Back' coming March 24th on Blue Corn Records

THREE-TIME GRAMMY NOMINEE RUTHIE FOSTER TRANSFORMS SORROW INTO CAREER-DEFINING SOUL/BLUES/GOSPEL/ROCK OPUS JOY COMES BACK, RELEASING MARCH 24 ON BLUE CORN MUSIC Derek Trucks, Willie Weeks, Joe Vitale, Warren Hood among guests on songs by Chris Stapleton, Mississippi John Hurt, Stevie Wonder and even Black Sabbath

AUSTIN, Texas — In the tightknit musical community of Austin, Texas, it’s tough to get away with posturing. You either bring it, or you don’t. If you do, word gets around. Praises are sung. And one day, you find yourself duetting with Bonnie Raitt, or standing onstage with the Allman Brothers at New York’s Beacon Theater and trading verses with Susan Tedeschi. You might even wind up getting nominated for a Best Blues Album Grammy — three times in a row. In addition to your six Female Artist of the Year/Koko Taylor Blues Music Awards.   There’s only one Austinite with that résumé: Ruthie Foster. And when she releases Joy Comes Back, her eighth Blue Corn Music album, on March 24, 2017, the Recording Academy might want to put its engraver on notice. Because every note on it confirms this truth: It’s Ruthie’s time.   When she recorded these songs, Foster wasn’t merely singing about love and loss; she was splitting a household and custody of her 5-year-old daughter. Music was her therapy.   In the warm confines of Austin producer and former neighbor Daniel Barrett’s studio, she found a comfort level she’d never before experienced while recording. It gave her the strength to pour the heartache of her family’s fracture and the cautious hope of new love into 10 incredible tracks, nine of which are by a diverse array of writers ranging from Mississippi John Hurt, Sean Staples and Grace Pettis (daughter of renowned folk singer Pierce Pettis), to Chris Stapleton and Black Sabbath. Yes, Black Sabbath: Foster reimagines “War Pigs” as a jam session with Son House. She also covers the Four Tops’ “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever,” written by Ivy Jo Hunter and Stevie Wonder.   And she makes each one hers, aided by some special guests. Tedeschi’s husband, Derek Trucks, drops slide guitar into the title tune; bassist Willie Weeks (Bowie, Clapton, George Harrison) plays on the Foster-penned “Open Sky”; and drumming legend Joe Vitale (Crosby, Stills & Nash; the Eagles) appears on several tracks. Grace Pettis adds guitar to “Working Woman” and vocals on “Good Sailor,” Pettis’ co-write with Haley Cole. Local hero Warren Hood (“Champ Hood’s boy,” as Foster calls him) lays fiddle and mandolin on Hurt’s bluegrass-tinted “Richland Woman Blues.” Barrett plays guitars, drums and percussion; other contributors include Brian Standefer, Eric Holden, Frank LoCrasto, Nicholas Ryland and Red Young, as well as the core members of Ruthie’s touring band, Samantha Banks and Larry Fulcher.     At one point, Barrett described the album to Hood as “some blues, some folk, some soul, some rock, some gospel.” Hood replied, “Sounds like Ruthie Foster music.”   Exactly. And “Ruthie Foster music” is an adventurous trip, harboring in places where stylistic limitations don’t exist and anything is worth trying. Which explains how she can turn even a song she was initially unsure about, “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever,” into a gospel-pop tour-de-force that could make Aretha Franklin jealous. “Once in a while I get a song I just resist, but I go ahead and start feeling what it feels like to sing it,” Foster explains. “That was one of those songs; it just felt good to sing.”   As for motivating herself in the studio if sparks don’t flash immediately, she says that’s been part of the job. “I go in, I’m prepared, I sing, and then I go home.” What she didn’t do in the past was hang out in the studio. Foster and Barrett had already spent many caffeine-fueled hours discussing music and life before recording; that continued as they worked — with occasional breaks to catch a loose neighborhood dog or entertain an ailing child. “Those small, real-life interruptions made it really nice for me,” she says. “They made it less like a job, which opened me up creatively.”   They weren’t even planning an album at first; they’d just decided to work up some songs, starting with “Forgiven,” by the Weepies’ Deb Talan. A gorgeous, majestic and moving ballad, it’s the perfectly placed final track. “This song said so much about what I was going through,” Foster says softly. “To have it be the catalyst for this album was a gift.” She cried during the playback — for the first time in her career.   That emotional nakedness is exactly what makes Joy Comes Back so extraordinary. On songs such as Pettis’ powerful “Good Sailor,” Foster, a Navy vet, plunged right into lines like I've been tossed around in the deepest blue/I almost drowned a time or two/But easy living never did me no favors/Smooth seas never made a good sailor.”   “It’s written so well, I was upset that I hadn’t written it myself,” Foster says, laughing. When Pettis heard the track, she told Foster, “It’s your song now.” Foster also claimed Pettis’ “Working Woman,” a rousing soul anthem of empowerment — and righteous anger.   She takes listeners to church on the gospel-soul title song, augmenting Staples’ lyrics with some of her own. When she told Barrett that in her childhood church, percussion was provided by the sisters’ tapping heels, he borrowed a neighbor’s high-heeled shoes and miked his well-aged oak floor. They banged away like kids.   “War Pigs” reminded Foster of nights spent servicing Naval helicopters with guys who liked their heavy metal cranked to 11. But her version, with spectral harmonica by Simon Wallace, Barrett’s Porterdavis bandmate, is more elemental.   “I wanted something unexpected that would be cool to do at festivals,” Foster says. “To get people out of their seats or tents to find out what the heck is that? Who is this little ol’ short black woman doing Black Sabbath on a resonator?”   On past albums, Foster says, “It was about being a professional singer, a hallelujah-chorus girl. But I’m a real person, and relaying that through this music and the stories behind it is really important to me. I haven’t written much because it’s been rough for me to put pen to paper, but Dan, having spent at least a year and a half being a listener and witness to my life, found these songs that have a lot to do with where I was and where I am — and who I am.”   For 2014’s Promise of a Brand New Day, producer Meshell Ndegeocello encouraged her to write originals. But a true artist can make any song his or her own, no matter who wrote it. And truly extraordinary artists do it so well that their version becomes definitive.   “Putting myself into another person’s words was huge for me,” Foster says. “I connect more to my voice these days than I do to anything. Even speaking — that was something my grandmother worked with me on, because I would stutter. It was a big deal for me to connect to words as a young kid. So I’m coming full circle.”   Adds Barrett, “It was one of the privileges of my artistic life, getting to watch an artist of her magnitude find her voice anew. You could drop her anywhere on earth and people would feel the truth in her voice.”   That truth? It sounds like Ruthie Foster music.

Roots Singer/Guitarist Beth Garner Slithers the Blues on New CD, "Snake Farm," Coming Feb. 24

Roots Singer/Guitarist Beth Garner Slithers the Blues on New CD, Snake Farm, Coming Feb. 24

on The Music of Nashville Label, Via

CEN/RED Distribution

NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville-based roots singer/guitarist Beth Garner announces a February 24 release date for her new CD, Snake Farm, on The Music of Nashville imprint, via CEN/RED Distribution, a division of Sony Music. Snake Farm features mostly original songs written or co-written by Beth Garner, with the exception of the title track, authored by Texas country legend Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Beth Garner’s music on the new album showcases her soulful singing, with its roots firmly in blues, gospel and soul with rock ‘n roll flourishes, as well as her scintillating axe work that alternately smokes and sizzles on standard and slide guitar. Recorded mostly live at Slack Key Studios in Woodbine, Tennessee, Snake Farm was produced by Garner and Randy Kohrs. The backing band features Rory Hoffman (sax, keyboards and rhythm guitar), Wes Little (drums), Steve Forrest (bass) and Angela Primm and Gale Mayes (background vocals).    

Beth Garner talked about the inspirations for the songs on her new CD. “The verses for ‘Alright by Me’ were just for fun and the music and groove is for the band. I liked the chord structure and once we added the background singers, the song became something playful, but still rooted in the blues. I love guitar solos, I wanted to bring them back, since they seem to be disappearing from songs. For that reason, I took two choruses.

“‘Backroads Freddie’ is a little ditty I came up with while literally taking the backroads. There are alleyways in my neighborhood and when I would take a short cut, the words popped in my head. I took the idea to Fred Koller (“Angel Eyes,” “Lord, I Want My Rib Back,” “Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian") and he gave me some words to fill out the verses. I wanted the music to depict driving, so under the solos you can actually feel the band switch gears, into a ZZ Top groove. I wanted this song to become something fun that people could cover and jam on. I initially wanted a guy to sing it, so I sang it low and put overdrive on the vocals to make it growl.”

The song, “Drop Down,” is kind of about the end of the world, she admits. “‘Drop Down’ can mean duck and cover or drop down can mean get down and dance. What will you do when ‘it’ happens? Are you going to finish your eggplant casserole or run to the store and stock up on milk and bullets? Co-written with Fred Koller. I love the background vocals in this song. The major third against the minor. Spooky. I wanted to keep in the roots of the blues and have the slide double the vocals.”

The song “Used to Be” is Beth’s tip of the hat to Hound Dog Taylor and Elmore James. “Every blues album has gotta have that E grinder shuffle,” she declares. “I call this Nashville Blues, because the words are so wordy. This song is about being in your 30s, wondering how you ended up where you are and you start looking for your old boyfriend forgetting there were issues, and maybe you would just settle for old time’s sake. But then you take a solo and remember it’s all just the blues.”

The song “Ramblin’ Man” is not a cover of The Allman Brothers Band classic, but rather an original “about a groupie who loves to follow Texas country bands around.

“‘Snake Farm,’ written by Ray Wylie Hubbard, is a story about the non-fictional snake farm located in Texas, just north of San Antonio on I-35. It’s a famous place if you drive that highway. 

“‘Wish I Was’ is modern blues. Your radio gets stolen, too broke to replace it. You wanna be a rock star and smash the tele on tour while in London. Never quite happy, restless, the grass is always greener. Take me back to the good old days. There are about seven other verses, only included on live performances. A fun three-chord jam in the style of Hound Dog Taylor and Stevie Wonder.”

A Texas native, Beth Garner spent a number of years playing in the Austin music scene before relocating to Algood, Tennessee in 2007, not originally to play music, but “to build a blimp for the Department of Defense, “ she says. “I worked for my uncle in a warehouse with bad heating. In March 2007, I began a three-month US tour with Russian band The Red Elvises, where we played small sold-out venues from coast to coast. I gained a lot of fans and learned about our great country from the back of a van full of Russians.” 

After the tour, Garner returned to Tennessee and started playing for tips in the biker bars that dotted the small byways around the small town of Cookeville area.

“The band leader used me to take the tip jar around like a stripper, “she admits. “By September of that year, I started to hear about Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville, which I soon moved to and started hanging out there, learning the ways of that small stretch downtown that housed a dozen or so bars, and bands that were top-quality, and some not so top quality.”

Garner soon picked up a gig with Broadway icon Shelly Bush and Broadband, solely on the fact she was a female lead guitar picker and didn't have that much hard-core country experience. From there, she started playing the Full Moon Saloon in various country bands, eventually getting her own shift, gaining musical chops and showmanship and also picking up the slide guitar. All the time, she continued “paying her dues” as a musician and performer and learning the right way of doing things as a professional. 

Beth Garner also started developing a fan base from around the world as Nashville tourists discovered her singing and playing, including some famous ones. “Once, while I was playing with my band the TN Twisters (my original band a la TX Tornados), Robin Zander from Cheap Trick came in, sat at the front bar and watched us for about two hours,” Garner recalls. “He introduced himself and went on and on about how much he loved the band, he even called me the female Jeff Beck. Later on that night, we dropped Robin off at his hotel and he sat there in my jeep, telling us how great we were. It was four in the morning and I had another gig at 2pm that next day and really needed to get some sleep, but it was very difficult to ask Robin Zander of Cheap Trick to get out of your car, while he tells you how much he loved your band. A highlight of my career for me.”

In 2015, Garner decided to get back into the blues. She frequented Carol Ann's, a famous club in Nashville that keeps the blues and history of soul music in that town alive. It was there she was inspired to return to the blues, but this time Beth had paid her dues. And now it was time to release some new material. Fortunately, she had a true fan that wanted to make it happen, so in October, 2015, she recorded seven songs mostly live in a little home studio basement that is painted purple, Slack Key Studios. “With master musician and engineer Randy Kohrs at the helm, we co-produced these songs,” she says, “all with these rules: it has to be all heart and soul, no more than three or four chords, only A and B sections, and long guitar solos. I wanted to keep the album in line for the purists, but my age and experience let me put my own stamp on what the blues is to me. Muddy Waters says ‘Blues is the roots and music is the fruit.’ The blues to me is summed up in Snake Farm. I can't describe it. You just have to listen to it, and hopefully feel something.”

Eric Johnson Hits The Road To Support First All Acoustic Solo Album: EJ

Run Begins In Johnson’s Home Town Of Austin, Texas on January 15

Austin, TX – Eric Johnson will hit the road next month in support of his first acoustic solo album titled EJ.  Thirty years after his breakthrough solo release 'Tones' brought him national recognition, the new release showcases nine original compositions and four covers.  Johnson shares, "Ever since I was young, I've played piano and acoustic guitar in my private life.  This type of music has always been a part of me, but I never showcased it on any kind of bigger level, like a full acoustic record. With EJ, I just decided to be more honest with myself and everybody, and show more of my personal side."  

Johnson, long known for his painstaking approach to making records, used a much more immediate attack for the self-produced EJ. "Almost all of that material was cut live," Johnson explains. "Some of the songs I actually sang and played at the same time - just live in the studio. Recording this way gave it more of an honest realism and organic emotion. Especially on the acoustic, you just have to get in there and play."

On the original compositions "Wonder," "Fatherly Downs," and "All Things You Are," Johnson frames his voice with his prized 1980 Martin D-45, a gift from his late father. He plays the steel-string on his superlative instrumentals "Once Upon a Time in Texas," "All Things You Are," and "Song for Irene." He conjures the beautiful, pensive tones of "Serinidad," another original instrumental, on a Ramirez nylon-string guitar. A spirited steel-string arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" rounds out the solo guitar tracks.

Johnson recasts another Simon and Garfunkel favorite, "Scarborough Fair," for voice and piano, and plays piano on the originals "Water Under the Bridge," "November," and "Wrapped in a Cloud," an ensemble track with acoustic bass, cello, drums, and percussion. In a move that's sure to surprise his fans, Johnson rearranged Jimi Hendrix' "One Rainy Wish" for guitar and piano, capping the performance with a jazz-inflected piano solo. Rounding out the record is Johnson and guest guitarist Doyle Dykes' superlative cover of Les Paul and Mary Ford's 1951 classic, "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise."

Throughout his career, Johnson has approached music as a healing force, a way to enhance a listener's consciousness and conjure joy and inspiration. "That's what I've always appreciated most about other artists," he says. "Some artists inspire us to wake up and get back to the clarity of consciousness. With this record, I'm trying to do that too, because I appreciate it so much in other people."

Confirmed appearances include:

1/15     Austin, TX                                                      Paramount Theatre

1/17     Tucson, AZ                                                     Rialto Theater

1/18     Phoenix, AZ                                                    MIM

1/19     Anaheim & Los Angeles, CA                         NAMM & Grammy Museum Appearances

1/20     Agoura Hills, CA                                            Canyon Club

1/21     Pasadena, CA                                                  Rose Theater

1/22     San Juan Capistrano, CA                                Coach House

1/24     Sacramento, CA                                              Crest Theater

1/25     Oakland, CA                                                   Yoshi’s

1/26     Napa, CA                                                        Blue Note

1/27     Napa, CA                                                        Blue Note

1/28     Napa, CA                                                        Blue Note

1/30     Seattle, WA                                                    Jazz Alley

1/31     Portland, OR                                                   Aladdin Theater

2/01     Spokane, WA                                                  Bing Crosby Theater

2/03     Boise, ID                                                         Egyptian Theater

2/04     Salt Lake City, UT                                          State Room

2/07     Ft. Collins, CO                                                Lincoln Theater

2/08     Denver, CO                                                     Gothic Theater

2/10     Santa Fe, NM                                                  Lensic Theater

2/16     Dallas, TX                                                       House of Blues

2/18     San Antonio, TX                                             Aztec

2/19     Houston, TX                                                   House of Blues

Additional appearances will be announced as confirmed.

ELVIN BISHOP'S BIG FUN TRIO SET FOR FEBRUARY 10 RELEASE

ELVIN BISHOP'S BIG FUN TRIO

SET FOR FEBRUARY 10 RELEASE

Deceptively loose but always tight…the raspy chuckle in Bishop’s singing and the sharp sting of his guitar are forceful and fresh, enduring and fun.     --Fresh Air, NPR

I love these guys; Bob and Willy are great musicians. With a trio there’s no place to hide – you’ve got to be pourin’ everything you got right out front, totally goin’ for it all the time. If you’ve got some real good musicians who are willing and able to do that, you’ve got something that will move people. And it’s fun!     --Elvin Bishop

Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and blues master Elvin Bishop – along with his friends, guitarist/pianist Bob Welsh and percussionist/vocalist Willy Jordan – unleashes his latest musical mixture, Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio (AL 4973) on Friday, February 10, 2017.

Bishop told The San Jose Mercury News, “Every time I pick up the guitar, something new comes out of it. I guess you’d call me a late bloomer. When you get to be my age, you’re not expecting to be progressing or coming up with any new ideas, but for some reason, I’m lucky enough that that’s what’s happening to me.”

Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio is among his very best musical ideas ever. The music is rootsy, spirited and soulful, performed by serious musicians hell-bent on having a good time. Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio features Bishop’s down-home delivery, deep blues picking and slide guitar playfully meshing with Welsh’s piano and guitar licks and Jordan’s soul singing and propulsive cajón playing. The album’s laid-back, front-porch vibe mixes four rollicking Bishop originals with three co-writes and five raucous, well-chosen covers of songs by Lightnin' Hopkins, Fats Domino, Sunnyland Slim, Ted Taylor and Bobby Womack. And because one can never have too much fun, Bishop’s pals Kim Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite and Rick Estrin stop by the sessions, each adding his distinctive harmonica talent (and in Musselwhite’s case, vocals too) to a song. Listening to the proceedings, it’s easy to see why the Chicago Sun-Times enthusiastically declared, “It’s impossible not to like Bishop. He’s always singing something lowbrow and uplifting.”

When it comes to the formation of The Big Fun Trio, it’s best to let Elvin tell the story himself:
Me and a couple of fellas got to jamming in my studio one day and we lucked up on The Big Fun Trio. I knew Willy Jordan from when he played percussion on some of my albums, and I liked his singing and rhythm feel. This time he brought a cajón, a South American percussion instrument. It's a square box you sit on to play it, and he got some amazing sounds out of it---bass drum, snare, anything---and he's a real strong singer. Bob Welsh is a member of my regular band, an amazing talent. He plays great guitar or piano and can get a tremendous "bass" sound on his guitar.

In a trio, there's no place to hide. You need to be totally into it all the time and you got to have the right guys. The combination of the three of us clicked big time. We went out and played a couple of gigs, and it was really cool to see how the people reacted to the goin’-for-it feel of the music.

We decided we better make a CD, so here 'tis. We enjoyed the hell out of playing this music, and we hope you do the same listening to it.

According to San Francisco Bay native Jordan, who has 27 years of experience playing drums with artists including John Lee Hooker, Joe Louis Walker and Angela Strehli, making this album was “crazy different. It’s rootsy but also new. We all stayed simple to stay strong.” Welsh, originally from Covington, Louisiana, has performed and toured with Bishop, Rusty Zinn, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Boy Arnold, James Cotton and others. Welsh says he too was blown away by the sessions. “Recording this music was fun and fresh and new to us. I had to practice more, learn some new things. The result is fearless.”

Bishop's previous release, 2014's Grammy-nominated Can’t Even Do Wrong Right, turned the music-loving world on its head. Reviews poured in from NPR’s Fresh Air, Rolling Stone, Living Blues, No Depression and many others. He appeared on TBS-Television’s CONAN and performed twice on A Prairie Home Companion (the second time, in 2015, with The Big Fun Trio). He toured across the country, bringing his smile-inducing blues music to eager fans around the world. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and soon after into the Blues Hall Of Fame. He won the Living Blues Award for Best Blues Album Of 2014 and three 2014 Blues Music Awards: Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year (for the title track) and The Elvin Bishop Band took the award for Band Of The Year.

Now, with Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Bishop confidently debuts his new -- yet satisfyingly familiar -- sound, ready to share the group’s happy-go-lucky vibe with listeners near and far. The trio’s instrumental, vocal and songwriting talents guarantee a boisterous good time.

Reverend Peyton's 'The Front Porch Sessions' coming March 10 from Thirty Tigers

REVEREND PEYTON SHOWCASES SONGS FROM THE PORCH  Charismatic roots preacher breaks it down on career-defining  The Front Porch Sessions, slated for March 10, 2017 release

BROWN COUNTY, Ind. — Southern Indiana-bred singer-guitarist Reverend Peyton is the bigger-than-life frontman of Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. He has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. That passionate inspiration has made Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band America’s foremost country blues outfit and fuels the Rev’s new release, The Front Porch Sessions. Peyton’s dazzling guitar mastery is equaled here by his knack for vivid, emotionally impactful songwriting, and his originals are matched in their authenticity by the deeply felt vintage blues tunes that he covers. The album showcases the Rev’s irrepressible personality while echoing the enduring spirit of such acoustic blues icons as Charlie Patton, Blind Willie Johnson, Bukka White and Furry Lewis, whose “When My Baby Left Me” receives a memorable reading. The Front Porch Sessions will be released March 10, 2017 on Family Owned Records/Thirty Tigers. The Front Porch Sessions maintains a potent level of intensity throughout, from the upbeat optimism of the album-opener “We Deserve a Happy Ending” to the blunt slice-of-life rural reality of “One More Thing” to the rollicking, playful swagger of “Shakey Shirley,” “One Bad Shoe” and “Cornbread and Butterbeans.” Meanwhile, the instrumentals “It’s All Night Long” and “Flying Squirrels” demonstrate the Rev’s nimble, imaginative guitar work.  That lifelong pursuit of musical authenticity was instilled in his musical consciousness while Peyton was growing up in rural Indiana, where his early love for blues, ragtime, folk, country and other traditional styles gave him a sense of direction that would soon manifest itself in his own music. He and the Big Damn Band won a large and loyal fan base, thanks to their tireless touring efforts and high-energy showmanship, along with such acclaimed albums as Big Damn Nation, The Gospel Album, The Whole Fam Damnily, The Wages, Between the Ditches, So Delicious and the Charlie Patton tribute disc Peyton on Patton. Despite his prior achievements, the Rev views The Front Porch Sessions as a personal creative milestone.  “I really think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done,” he asserts. “I’m interested in making hand-made American music, and the goal is to be timeless.” # # # Join the 4.1 Million Internet viewers who have watched the video of Reverend Peyton playing Shotgun Guitar, also seen on Comedy Central.

MUST BE GROUNDHOG DAY…REAL GONE IS BACK WITH ANOTHER SET OF ECLECTIC ‘N’ ESSENTIAL RELEASES TO KICK OFF THE NEW YEAR

     

     

February 3 Releases Include Deluxe Reissues of Albums from Delaney & Bonnie, Lesley Gore, and Thom Bell, Plus Long-Lost Albums from Larry Coryell, Jim Kweskin, and Duke Ellington, Capped with Rare Live Soft Machine on Vinyl and a 2-CD Lynn Anderson Collection

Year after year, Real Gone Music starts the calendar with a bang by putting out a huge slate of releases, and this year’s crop is no exception—the label is putting out a total of ten releases the day after Groundhog Day! Leading off the line-up is a deluxe reissue of the roots-rock classic LP Motel Shot by Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, featuring eight unreleased bonus tracks on a domestic CD debut. The label is also filling in the last big gap in Lesley Gore’s catalog by reissuing her A&M album Love Me by Name, again garnished with bonus tracks. And fabled R&B producer Thom Bell’s classic soundtrack to The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh featuring The Spinners, The Four Tops, The Sylvers, and more receives an expanded reissue with three bonus tracks.

Then, the label delves into the Vanguard vaults for a pair of long-lost classics: guitar god Larry Coryell’s second solo album, and Jug Band leader Jim Kweskin’s first solo album. The liner notes to both feature quotes from their respective artists. The only Duke Ellington album yet to be reissued, 1963’s Serenade to Sweden with Swedish singer Alice Babs, finally sees the light of day on CD. A rare live show from the proto-prog rock band Soft Machine comes out on limited edition “soft” purple vinyl. And a long-overdue, comprehensive collection of the great Lynn Anderson’s hit recordings for the Chart and Columbia labels caps off the schedule with a flourish.

Though they never achieved the popular success enjoyed by some of their peers, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett spearheaded the roots-rock revolution of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s along with The Allman Brothers and The Band, turning away from the exoticism of psychedelia towards music “rooted” in blues, country, and soul. Witness the fact that the “And Friends” that played with the pair included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Dave Mason and Bobby Whitlock….out of Delaney and Bonnie’s various aggregations arose Derek and the Dominoes and Joe Cocker’s band for the legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. And for Delaney & Bonnie and Friends’ Motel Shot, the duo’s fourth studio album and their third for Atco/Atlantic, the circle of “friends” included Cocker, Whitlock, and Mason, plus appearances by Duane Allman, Gram Parsons, and John Hartford among others! But for the most part, this is a largely acoustic, charmingly informal affair dipped in gospel and dominated by the Bramletts and Whitlock; the Motel Shot title refers to informal, after hours jam sessions on the road. But there’s a whole lot more to the story (and to this release!). The project began not in a hotel room but in the living room of engineer Bruce Botnick, with November 1970 sessions as a prospective release for Elektra Records. But, after Delaney had a falling out with label head Jac Holzman, the project moved to Atco, who put the “band” into a proper studio to re-record much of the material. Those later sessions comprise the original album, which has heretofore only appeared briefly on CD in Japan; but, after hours of tape research, co-producers Bill Inglot and Pat Thomas uncovered the original “living room” sessions that yielded the eight unreleased tracks on this Expanded Edition CD release – and notably is the first American CD release of the original Motel Shot album as well. Remastered by Inglot, with an essay by Thomas that includes exclusive (and extremely candid) quotes from Bonnie Bramlett, Bobby Whitlock, Bruce Botnick, and Jac Holzman, Motel Shot finally is presented here the way it was originally conceived, and takes its rightful place as one of the great albums of the classic era of the roots rock movement.

Having filled a major gap in the late, great Lesley Gore’s discography with its release of her Motown album Someplace Else Now, Real Gone Music now turns its attention to the other major missing piece of her catalog, the 1976 album she recorded for A&M Records. Love Me by Name not only reunited Lesley with producer Quincy Jones from her hit-making ‘60s days, but brought her into together with a truly staggering array of talent, including Herbie Hancock, Toots Thielemans, Harvey Mason, Jim Keltner, Dave Grusin and just about every other studio superstar you could name, even the Partridge Family! Love Me by Name features compositions written by Gore and her songwriting partner Ellen Weston, most notably the title track, which was later covered by Dusty Springfield, Patti Austin, and Jennifer Holiday among others. The album also gave a nod to the disco and funk trends that were so prominent in pop music at the time, particularly on the lead-off track, “Sometimes,” which paired her unmistakable pipes with the Brothers Johnson. Our Real Gone reissue marks the worldwide debut of this album on CD, and adds two rare single versions as well as liner notes by Joe Marchese that explore the life and times of this remarkable lady. Remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and featuring rare photos, this Expanded Edition of Love Me by Name is the one release that Lesley Gore fans worldwide have been waiting for.

Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are tipping off 2017 with a slam dunk release!  The 1979 cult favorite film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh featured an all-star team from the worlds of basketball and Hollywood - Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Meadowlark Lemon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry Tarkanian, Stockard Channing, Jonathan Winters, Flip Wilson, Debbie Allen, Harry Shearer, and more – for its fantastical tale of a struggling Pittsburgh basketball team that beats the odds with a little help from the heavens.  The movie’s soundtrack was equally illustrious.  Pop-soul maestro Thom Bell, renowned for his work with The Spinners, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and Johnny Mathis, wrote, produced, arranged, and conducted his very first motion picture score, and the result was a soul symphony incorporating funk, disco, and jazz rhythms, and of course, Bell’s trademark luscious balladry.  An A-team of R&B’s finest artists was enlisted to perform Bell’s all-new songs, including The Four Tops, The Spinners, Bell and James, Phyllis Hyman, The Delfonics’ William “Poogie” Hart, and The Sylvers, plus country superstar Loretta Lynn, ragtime legend Eubie Blake, and the one and only Doc Severinsen.  Yet, when the movie came and went from theatres, so did the soundtrack album…until now! The Fish gained a cult following on television and VHS, and now, it’s time for its sizzling soundtrack to have its chance on the court, too.  Hip-hop’s most tuned-in artists have already sampled these lost grooves; now you can hear the originals! The first-ever CD release of The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh boasts a sparkling new remastering from the original Lorimar Records tapes by Sean Brennan at Sony’s Battery Studios, detailed liner notes by The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese featuring fresh quotes from Thom Bell, and three rare bonus tracks: two distinctive 12-inch mixes of Bell and James’ infectious title track, and the lush, dramatic “Pisces Theme.”  This deluxe Expanded Edition is nothing but net, and a must-have for classic soul fans from Philly to Motown…and of course, Pittsburgh.  The Doctor is in!

Larry Coryell is one of the greatest guitarists ever to walk the face of the earth, but he remains somewhat underappreciated—witness the fact that this, his second solo album, has never been released on CD until this Real Gone reissue! 1969’s Coryell offers an intriguing blend of improvised and arranged pieces, with an all-star cast that includes Ron Carter, Bernard Purdie, Albert Stinson (“The Jam with Albert” is perhaps the highlight of the entire album), Chuck Rainey, and Free Spirits bandmate Jim Pepper. Jimi Hendrix is definitely an influence on this jazz-rock gem, but Coryell takes his axe in directions only known to him; at this time, only John McLaughlin (with whom Coryell would shortly cut the one-off Spaces) could rival him in the fusion field. Bill Kopp’s notes include copious quotes from Larry Coryell himself; Mike Milchner’s remastering lets this overlooked album shine.

After a couple of albums on Vanguard Records established Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band as a major force in the folk scene, their leader had something different in mind for his first LP without the group. Billed to Jim Kweskin, 1965’s Relax Your Mind gave him the opportunity to, as he puts it in Richie Unterberger’s liner notes, record “music that was a little more meaningful to me personally.” With accompaniment by the Jug Band members Fritz Richmond on washtub bass and Mel Lyman on harmonica, Kweskin delivered a set just as diverse as his records with the full Jug Band, encompassing traditional folk standards, blues, gospel, African music, and more. Mel Lyman’s original, stream-of-consciousness liner notes (also included here) describe an uproarious, impromptu jam session in the Vanguard studios from which much of this record was taken; the rest comes from a live date recorded at Cambridge’s Club 47 a year or two earlier. Remastering by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and copious Kweskin quotes in the notes present this fine folk album—which sees its first domestic release to retail—in its best light.

Real Gone Music is proud to present what is probably the rarest album in the voluminous Duke Ellington discography, his 1963 date with Swedish singer Alice Babs, Serenade to Sweden. That year, Ellington was hired by the Reprise label as an A&R man, free to sign any artist he wanted and to record them. His first choice was Babs, who, in Ellington’s words, was “the most unique artist I know…She sings opera, she sings lieder, she sings what we call jazz and blues, she sings like an instrument, she even yodels, and she can read any and all of it!” For her part, Babs (born Hildur Alice Nilson) had a hit in Sweden when was only 15 (“Swing It Teacher”), and was an iconic figure in her homeland, appearing in 14 Swedish films from 1938 to 1959. The result of this meeting of legendary musical minds was a sublime cool jazz masterpiece that, sadly, never received a proper release in the U.S. and appears to be the only Ellington album never to be reissued on CD or even digitally, having eluded even the most comprehensive compilers. Needless to say, original copies go for big Swedish krona online, and not just because it’s rare; Babs’ wordless vocals and scat singing on “The Boy in My Dreams,” “Strange Visitor,” and “Babsie” are positively Ella-worthy, and Ellington’s masterful arrangements—at times filigreed with a French horn section—provide the perfect accompaniment. We’ve added liner notes by Scott Yanow, while the album boasts remastering by Aaron Kannowski. Fascinating for any jazz fan—essential for Ellington enthusiasts!

Soft Machine was one of the first prog-rock bands, but if your vision of prog-rock consists of musicians wreathed in pot smoke airily singing of fairies and wizards, it will be summarily dispelled by this fantastic “authorized bootleg,” which captures the band in March 1969 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, playing material that was to be released six months later on Soft Machine: Volume Two. The trio of Robert Wyatt on drums and vocals, Mike Ratledge on organ, and Hugh Hopper on bass launch what can only be called a high-decibel, jazz-rock sonic assault; “Like vindaloo for the ears” is how Hopper puts it on the accompanying notes on the inner sleeve, adding, “I do remember playing incredibly loud, Mike on fuzz organ and me on fuzz bass, both through hundred-watt Marshall stacks.” Some of the frenzied instrumental passages on Live at the Paradiso might recall Miles Davis’ Agharta-era band, but remember, this is a trio making all this racket (in 1969, no less); Soft Machine at this point in time were on a journey all their own. This is the first-ever vinyl release of this notorious concert, and it comes on “soft” purple vinyl limited to 1000 copies. Anybody interested in just how far out rock got in the late ‘60s will want to give this repeated listens.

She is one of the Top Ten charting female country singers of all time, the first to win an American Music Award, the first to headline and sell out Madison Square Garden, and was a regular on TV including everything from The Lawrence Welk Show to The Tonight Show to Starsky & Hutch.  Now, Real Gone Music is proud to present a collection that finally does justice to the superstar career of Lynn Anderson: 40 tracks, 38 hits, all of her classic Chart and Columbia sides, lovingly remastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios and annotated by Joe Marchese. The Definitive Collection starts with her first hit, “Ride, Ride, Ride,” and continues with every other notable song, including “Rose Garden,” “You’re My Man,” “How Can I Unlove You,” “What a Man, My Man Is,” “Keep Me in Mind,” “Mother, May I” (with her mother, Liz Anderson), “That’s a No No,” “Cry,” “Listen to a Country Song,” “Fool Me,” and many more hits both major and minor. Great, great ‘70s country from an oft-overlooked artist (why isn’t Lynn in the Country Music Hall of Fame?)!

Blue Hoss Records artist: Frank Bang & The Cook County Kings - The Blues Don't Care - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues Don't Care by Frank Bang & The Cook County Kings and it's terrific! Opening with title track, The Blues Don't Care, Donnie Nichilo lays down a solid piano line joined by Bang on guitar and vocal, Brian “BJ” Jones on drums, Andre Howard on bass and Russ Green on harp. With it's classic Chicago styling, the band sets a great tempo with a solid bass line, Green's harp instincts and Bang's vocals. The Dream is possibly my favorite track on the release with what I'd consider Otis Rush and Peter Green styling. Bang settles right down in the groove with soulful vocals and rich guitar chords, reinforced by Green's harp work. He bust's loose with a gripping guitar solo that sets you back in your chair, eased back into vocals by glistening piano work by Nichilo. This track alone is enough to demonstrate why Bang has worked with Buddy Guy for 5 years. Masterful. Blues rocker, Till The Day I Die, has a solid bottom and an almost British blues sound. Junior Wells' track, Come On In This House, retains the spirit of the original but with Bang's own signature. His vocals are less emphatic yet hot and spicy. His guitar riffs are stinging,paired perfectly with Green's harp. Excellent. Super slider, Can't Find My Way Home, is hot with it's slow blues part and it's smokin rock part. Bang wields his guitar like a flame thrower accompanied by Green who fuels the fire with his harp. Hopward and BJ throw down some hot riffs of their own making this another very solid track. Magic Slim's Possum In My Tree has swagger to spare with a heavy bottom, raw vocals and choice harp work from Green. Bang slows things down a bit with cool Hendrix like riffs with distorted, wammy bar soloing. Excellent! Ray LaMontagne's Repo Man is up next with a super funky, New Orleans like guitar line and drum work. Green holds the track at gun point with his tight harp riffs and Bang's vocals ride high on the tune. Howard sets out a real nice bass solo joined first by Nichilo and then Green, BJ and Bang for a fade out. Very nice. Another funky track, Still Called The Blues, is driven by a cool bass riff and and snappy drumming by Jones. Bang steps up on vocals and then lets his guitar talk a while. Cool. Wrapping the release is AC Reed's Can't Go On This Way. A strong shuffle track reinforced by loping guitar work by Bang and sweet harp work by Green makes this a perfect closer for such a super release.




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Mosher St. Records artist: the Joey Gilmore Band - Respect The Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Respect The Blues, from the Joey Gilmore Band and it's quite good. Opening with deep blues, Man of My Word, Joey Gilmore breathes soul into this grabber with his super vocals and guitar joined by Robert Carter on bass, Raul Hernandez on drums, Maurice Dukes on drums, Sonny Boy Williams on keys and Ivan Chopik on guitar. On rolling shuffle, Can't Kill Nothin' Gilmore has a lot of characteristics of both BB and Albert. His guitar work is distinctly his own and cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Brownskin Woman, includes the harp work of Rockin' Jake. This track has a really nice feel with Gilmore showing his best on vocal and guitar. Very nice. Hi steppin', Livin' A Lie, features Edlene Hart on lead vocal and with just the right balance keyboard work by Williams is a real cruiser. Cajun flavored Livin' A Lie, penned by Beau Jocque sees a stinging guitar solo and warm organ work by Williams. Always one of my favorite tracks, Breakin' Up Somebody's Home, has a nice swagger, emphasized by Carter's solid bass work and backing vocals by Edlene Hart, Domino Johnson and Arlene Coutee and horn work by Yoel Hymas. Another track featuring the lead vocals by Hart is This Time I'm Gone For Good. With a solid bass line by Carter and tight guitar riffs, this track is really quite good. R&B track, Room 244 has a strong groove and Gilmore's vocals are prime backed by Hart and Johnson. Wrapping the release is Roosevelt Sykes' Night Time Is The Right Time. Featuring Hart and Gilmore on lead vocal and solid backing by Coutee and Johnson this is a strong closer.



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Suite 28 Records: ThunderSOUL Orchestra - 528-0728 - New Release Review

I just got the opportunity to review the most recent release, 528-0728 from ThunderSOUL Orchestra and it's a funky soul party. Opening with pure funk track, What U Need, Gino has the lead on vocal with background vocals by Tino and Rollo. Reginald Nello Nelson on piano Orphey on hot trumpet, the tight percussion of Donald Compton and the plucky bass of Gerald Calhoun makes this a hot track. Next up is Pleasure, another track that just oozes funk. With Howard Ware and Scott Orphey on hot trumpet, Gerrry Demars on trombone and excellent vocal blending with Tino and Rollo. Special guests, Scott Mayo on sax, Reggie Young on trombone, Darell Crooks on guitar, Gary Bias on sax, Jimmie Earl Walker on trombone, Dorian Paul Williams, Chad Welling on guitar, Eddie Knight on guitar, Elmoris Britton III on drums, Leslie Michael vocal, Alva nelson piano, Fernando Pullum on trumpet, Johnny Reason on guitar, Dean James on sax, Charles Spike on guitar, Danny Hull sax makes this band really smoke! Hey rolls into some really sweet soulful feel with super vocal blending and really nice basswork. Excellent! Super smoking Johnny Reason is really a grooving bass track with warm vocals and screaming guitar soloing in the like of Eddie Hazel. Wow! Back to the heavy funk, Noise has a great groove and nicely woven vocals. Calhoun is off the hook on bass creating such a great interplay with Compton on drums. Smooth soul track, Too Many Keys is really vocally smooth with just the right touch. Compton's drum work is tight and funky. Stretching out a funky jazz soul interlude, I Wanna Go Home is warm and with nicely woven instrumentation creates a really nice soul envelope of sound. Breathing a hot puff of funk, Hahahaha Yeah if a super funky groove. With a great bass bottom that is constantly on the move, horn punctuation and infectious vocals, this track is super. Wrapping the release is All About Love's Holiday, a cool reprise with soulful vocal blending over the vital bass work of Compton and super horn work by Demars, Nelson and Orphey. A really funky cool release. Yes!



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True North Records artist: Colin James - Blue Highways - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Highway, from Colin James and it's super! Opening with Freddie King's Boogie Funk, James is really ripping with excellent guitar tone and pace. Craig Northey is on rhythm guitar, with Norm Fisher on bass and Pat Steward on drums. Simon Kendall's organ work is tops and Steve Marriner's harp is vital. On Peter Green's Watch Out, James steps up on lead vocal and the pace is just right. Jesse O'Brien is up or organ with Steve Pelletier on bass and Geoff Hicks on drums. James lays down a solid guitar solo and Simon Kendall lays in a nice organ solo as well. Tommy Johnson's Big Road Blues gets a more modern rocking beat with James on vocal and slide. With an almost JJ Cale feel, this track could see a multi channel radio play. Made famous by Freddie King and Jeff Beck, Don Nix's Going Down is up next with a solid blues rocking drive. O'Brien's piano work is tight and James' vocals are clear, paving a broad street for some lightning guitar riffs. Very cool! Retreating into the basics of the blues, Muddy Waters' Gypsy Woman is up next and James shows his basis understanding of the blues on both guitar and vocal holding his own...old style. I particularly like O'Brien's piano riffs on this track as well as Marriner's harp work. Very cool. On Jimmy Rogers, Goin Away, James takes a little bit of an Eric Clapton approach to the track with nice slide work and backing vocals by Chris Caddell and Coleen Rennison. Memphis Slim's Lonesome gets a big swing and James steps up with monster guitar riffs. His vocals are smooth, nicely complimented by O'Brien's piano. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Junior Wells' Hoodoo Man Blues. This track is really tight to the original and James vocals and guitar riffs work nicely, highlighted by the masterful harp work by Marriner. Setting a cool acoustic blues set is Willie Dixon/ Jimmy Reed, Riding in The Moonlight / Mr. Luck. Light and snappy, James holds down acoustic guitar and vocal balanced with Marriner's harp. Very nice. Soulful William Bell track, Don't Miss Your Water gives James a chance to really show off his vocal chords and smooth they are. With simple arpeggiated chords and with horn backing by Jerry Cook and Derry Byrne this track has a super sound. Blind Willie McTell's Ain't Long For Day is up next and of course drawing out a really nice slide solo by James. It is more soulful than bluesy but heartfelt had solid. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Robert Johnson's Last Fair Deal done in standard Piedmont style. With James only on guitar and vocal, he gives the track some acoustic flair but holding true to the blues. A nice little closer to a really nice release.




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