The Togs - Originals - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Originals, by The Togs, a pair of musicians from France. Togs is Peter Callate on lead vocal and guitar and Stag Augagmeur on rhythm guitar. Opening with Migrant's Song, Callate leads off with clean acoustic guitar accompaniment  and his own unique voice. Following a basic folk blues format he and Augagneur really set a clean pace. On Someday, addition of piano adds dimensionality and clever additional guitar fingering shows solid instrumentation. With it's quick pace, Hold Me Tight is one of my favorites on the release. It has solid vocals and clear, almost Jimmy Page like acoustic guitar strumming. Second Chance has a particularly strong melody and composition with emotional vocals by Callate almost bringing to mind one of my favorite contemporary singers, Frank Black. Wrapping the release is Lonely Hearts with a strong acoustic punky rock feel and an interesting electric guitar solo. This is a solid closer for an interesting release. 

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Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters and Colin James Both Set to Play Big Blues Bender at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on September 6

Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters and Colin James Both Set to Play Big Blues Bender at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on September 6

LAS VEGAS, NV – - Four-time Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, as well as acclaimed Canadian guitarist Colin James, are set to play the 2019 edition of the Big Blues Bender on Friday, September 6 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Both sets will take place at “The Joint”: Colin James from 6:30 – 7:45pm; followed by Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters from 8:15-9:45pm.



Ronnie Earl, who has won “Guitar Player of the Year” honors four times from the Blues Foundation, was the hit of the most-recent Blues Music Awards show in Memphis with his show-stopping live performance of the Junior Wells classic, “In the Wee Hours.”



Earl is following that up with the August 30 release of the latest Stony Plain Records album (on CD and vinyl formats) from the blues guitar master and his band, the Broadcasters, Beyond the Blue Door. Ronnie Earl believes in the power of music to heal the mind and spirit, and that’s quickly evident in the 15 tracks on his new disc. Special guests on the album include David Bromberg, acoustic guitar and vocals; Kim Wilson, harmonica and vocals; and Greg Piccolo, tenor sax.



The core group of Broadcasters will be performing at the Big Blues Bender: Ronnie Earl, guitar; Dave Limina, Hammond B3 and piano; Diane Blue, vocals; Paul Kochanski, bass and Forrest Padgett, drums.



Beyond the Blue Door confirms Earl's status as one of the most soulful blues/soul/jazz guitarists working today. He’s also a DownBeat magazine winner for “Blues Album of the Year,” an Associate Professor of Guitar at Berklee College of Music and has taught at the National Guitar summer workshop in Connecticut. 



Perhaps David Bromberg, himself a master guitar craftsman, said it best about him: “Ronnie Earl is an incredible musician. He plays with more emotion than anyone else who plays blues, or really anything, today, and he gets me every time I hear him. The Broadcasters are the quality of musicians you would expect Ronnie to be playing with: solid, tasteful, and moving. You can’t be better than that.”



Acclaimed guitarist Colin James released his 19th album, Miles to Go, last September on Stony Plain Records in the USA; True North Records for the rest of the world. Miles to Go is Colin James’ ambitious sequel to his critically-acclaimed 2016 CD, Blue Highways, and it continues James’ story with a collection of carefully curated songs handpicked from some of the greatest blues artists.  

In the months leading up to the recording, as James was reflecting on songs for the album he decided to reacquaint himself with a beautiful red Gibson ES-335.  It was just like the guitar he played as a teenager, but regretfully had to sell for rent money.


While James reconnected with this guitar, Miles to Go seemed to just flow onto the studio floor.

This album blends songs old and new, some of them completely reimagined and some almost perfect homages. But all are unified by a theme of undying love for the blues and the highest respect for the creators that led the way.


Known as one of Canada’s best blues musicians, it wasn’t until Blue Highways that James found himself on a blues chart: the album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. It also landed him one of his biggest hits: “Riding in the Moonlight,” a Willie Dixon song that James once covered when busking in the streets and subways of Toronto and Montreal that landed on a Spotify playlist garnering millions of streams.

“Blues has always been a pass-it-forward kind of thing,” says James. “It’s also surprisingly hard to write. You have to be careful how modern you get in your phrasing. Certain writers can write a song that sounds like it was done 40 years ago, but it’s deceptively hard.”

Colin James will also perform at the annual star-studded charity to benefit the Handy Artists Relief Trust (HART) on Wednesday, September 4. 100% of the proceeds benefit HART. For more information on the HART fund, visit blues.org/hart-fund. This event is ONLY open to attendees of the Big Blues Bender due to limited capacity Tickets are $35 – Standing Room Only Section; $65 – Reserved Seating Section.

When: Wed Sep, 4, 2019 @ 8pm (Doors 7:30pm)
Where: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Vinyl

Mind Smoke Records artist: The Hideaways - The Lost Tapes Vol. 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Lost Tapes Vol. 1, from The Hideaways, and it's terrific! Opening with Albert King's Let's Have A Natural Ball and it's on fire! With Chris James on lead vocal and guitar the band sounds more like Gatemouth Brown or Alvin Lee than King. Sean O'Neill on bass paired with Boom Boom Johnson on drums really drives the bottom and Scotty Micciche hits it hard on harp. Sensational opener. Doc Pomus' Lonely Avenue is a really cool sauntering shuffle with reverb drenched guitar soloing and it's steady beat. Junior Wells' Little By Little has super feel and James and Micciche paired on vocal makes for great stuff. Micciche takes a real nice harmonica solo on this one and really takes the track to a higher plain. James' guitar runs, double stops and fanning style fit this track to a tee. Excellent! Switching over to Chuck Berry style on Bye Bye Johnny, an strong rock n roll bottom gives James a wide open field to lay out blues fused rock riffs. Very nice! Another really hot track is Honey Boy with so much heat generated by James, Micciche, Johnson and O'Neill you feel they are going to run off the rail. Smoking!! Wrapping the release is T-Bone Walker's I'm Still In Love With You. bringing the pace way down, James vocals are exceptional and his guitar phrasing is perfect. This is an excellent closer for an exceptional release! 

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Endless Blues Records artist: Tullie Brae - Revelation - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Revelation, from Tullie Brae who mixes power vocals and a heavy rhythm section producing a solid rock sound. Opening with Price of the Blues, Brae belts with a  Grace Slick like swagger laying heavy on the bass line of Bill Ruffino, and adding her own slide work on with David Green on drums. Powerful opener. On ballad Mississippi Rain, we see the other side of Brae's sensitive vocals with excellent guitar phrasing by Jeff Jensen and bright piano highlights by Rick Steff. On blues rocker, Break These Chains, Brae strikes a nice medium with a bluesy vocals, deep raspy guitars by Jensen and nicely highlighted by Brandon Santini on harmonica. My favorite track on the release is soul track, New Shoes with it's straightforward radio melody. Smooth, gospel like piano work over the organ on this track really drives the bottom and Brae's vocals are spot on. My other favorite track on the release is Shine, another soul track with excellent backing pushing Brae to "Shine". Backing vocals by Mick Kolassa,  Dauniele Hill and Susan Marshall give this track that extra warmth and a sweet guitar solo by Jensen gives it a real Muscle Shoals kind of feel. Very nice.

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Reali Records artist: J.P. Reali - A Highway Cruise - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Highway Cruise, from J. P. Reali and it's cool and laid back. Opening with My Baby Likes To Boogie, a nice paced shuffle, Reali leads the way on vocal and guitar, with cool guitar soloing  by Duke Levine on electric guitar, hot riffs by Kevin Barry on lap steel, and nice piano work by Tom West, with Jim Haggerty on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums and Dennis Brennan on harmonica. On Chuck Berry flavored, The Ballad Of A Burglar, these guys nail the Berry guitar rhythm and Reali's vocal cadence is spot on. Levine's guitar riffs are crisp, Barry,s slide work creamy and Brennan's piano work adds great texture. Blues for Casey has a real nice Grateful Dead or Arlo Guthrie feel with it's acoustic carefree flow. Barry on dobro and Levine on mandolin balance nicely with West on piano and Brennan on Harmonica. My favorite track on the release. Wrapping the release is Whiskey For Blood, a  country blues track with Dave Bromberg style vocals. I really like this track as well with it's pure bluegrass style instrumentation and cool harp work by Brennan. nice closer for a cool release.

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Savoy Brown - City Night - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, City Night, from Savoy Brown and it's smokin'! Opening with Walking on Hot Stones, Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown is back with a vengeance. With a driving, heavy bottomed blues rocker beat, Simmonds is handling lead vocal like never before and his guitar can still breathe fire. An excellent slide player and overall guitar player, this is a great opener. I love the guitar tone that Simmonds gets on Payback Time and he has definitely refined his vocal delivery which gets closer and closer to a great blues rock delivery with every release. His lead riffs are as good as ever and at his best, he can compete with anyone. Neighborhood Blues has a real nice funky slouch and Simmonds rides the pocket with excellent, call and response like Clapton on Outside Woman Blues with the Cream. My favorite track on the release, Selfish World, conjures an eerie sense of Savoy Brown from the early 70's with it's calm but heavy undertone and easy approach giving Simmonds an excellent platform to deliver his overwhelming blues lead. Excellent! Title track, City Night, is a cool shuffle with a strong bass line by Pat DeSalvo and a solid drum rhythm by Garnet Grimm. Simmonds is comfortable over just about any rhythm and his riffs seem effortless. Wrapping the release is a relentless boogie, Ain't Gonna Worry with it's driving bass line and Simmonds' trademark guitar riffs over the turnaround. This is a real foot stomper. I'm thrilled to say that this is a really cool release and one of Simmonds best efforts in years.

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Brett Spaulding & The Psychic Spies - Livin' To Play - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Livin' To Play, by Brett Spaulding & The Psychic Spies and it solid. Opening with blues based rocker and title track, Livin' To Play, Brett Spaulding on lead vocal and guitar sets a lumbering pace with solid footing. Backed by Chad Holtzman on guitar and organ, Emmet VanEtten on drums, Brent Wright on guitars and backing vocals, and Stephen Fletcher on keys, this is a solid opener. Can't Stop is sure fire radio track with a clean melody and Glenn Frey like bones. The Lucky Ones is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a solid rhythm and cool bass line. Spaulding's lead vocal, paired with backing vocals by Holtzman and Wright give it the perfect balance. Another of my favorite tracks is Everyday with it's chugging, driving, rock feel and obtuse guitar riff. Wrapping the release is Little Differences with it's garage undertone and poppy melody. This is a cool release with a lot of great tunes. 

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Blue Barrel Records artist:Joe Restivo - Where's Joe - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Where's Joe?, by Joe Restivo and it's really strong. Opening with late 50's jazz styling on T. Monk's Bolivar Blues, guitar player Joe Restivo has put together a really nice selection of tracks and just the right mix of musicians to pull this off. With it's bluesy style, Restivo lays out really articulate guitar soloing over the tight rhythms of Tim Goodwin on bass and Tom Lonardo on drums. art Edmaiston hammers the sax delivering a period master work making this an excellent opener. Title track, Where's Joe is a real nice shuffle led by Edmaiston, paired with Restivo on guitar. His solo break here is excellent and of course Edmaiston's sax work is really nice as well. What an opening duo! Backed down to a whisper, Starlight Motel has a really nice melody framed by Restivo and Edmaiston. Restivo's pure understanding of what this music should feel like causes his guitar runs to float on air. Beautiful. Tiny Grimes' Tiny's Tempo is really rocking. With excellent pace and perfect timing in the band, this track is powerful. First up is Edmaiston blowing a great sax solo. His tone is rich and his work fluid. Restivo steps up next and he doesn't waste a note. Wow...excellent! With a lot of swing and a great Latin chaser rhythm by Lonardo, A Few Questions weaves from soft and subtle to powerful and punchy. Edmaiston's sax work really soars on this one and Restivo sounds like an old pro with sophisticated guitar runs. Very cool! next up is a laid back rework of House of the Rising Sun. Mostly sax lead by Edmaiston with firm under pinning by Restivo, a very nice job. Wrapping the release is an exploration on the Stylistic's  People Make The World Go 'Round. This track is adventurous and well articulated. This is an excellent release. If you can check your expectations for a Joe Bonamassa or Johnny Winter like release at the door, you're set for a great ride.

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Rocketnoodle Music artist: Vince Agwada - Light Of Day - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Light of Day, by Vince Agwada and I really like it! Opening with hard driving boogie track, Two Tons of Fun, Agwada lays it down hard and heavy with a track that will appeal to most anyone who loves blues music. I mean blazing slide guitar and great vocals by Agwada, pushed along by Brian Jones on drums and with Terri Lane on backing vocals, this track is excellent! Hard Headed Woman takes a basic blues and funks it up with a great bass line by Andre Howard, and drums by Brady Williams, keys by Roosevelt Purifoy, horns by Game Changer Horns and adding excellent blues guitar soloing throughout just killing it. Blues 99 has a heavy footed funk feel and it's grittiness maintains a blues rock framework with Agwada on guitar and bass, Steven Gillis on drums and Agwada's vocals are perfect. This may be the best opening 3 tracks on a blues rock release is many years.  If you lean more toward a Gary Moore 'ballad" style blues, Blue Moon Call has you covered with a solid melody and melodic guitar solo making it the top radio track on the release. Quicksand has much of the drive of Don Nix's Goin Down with just a touch of funk and stinging guitar riffs over the drumming of Steven Gillis, Andre Howard on bass and Joe Munroe on keys. Mustafa's Lament has a more laid back feel with excellent solos by Edwin Daugherty on sax and ripping guitar by Agwada. Very cool. With a cool jazzy touch and springy blues/jazz guitar riffs, Find My Baby has a great feel. With Terrence Higgins on drums, Billy Blalock on percussion and Lionel Haas on keys, this gives Agawa a really nice platform to showcase a more sensitive side of his guitar playing a la George Benson. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a more contemporary, Hendrix/rock inspired track, and title track, Light of Day. With slashing guitar phrasing by Agwada and power drum backing by Billy Blaylock, this is a strong closer for an excellent release. 

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Tom Euler - Blues Got My Back - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Got My Back, from Tom Euler and it's solid. Opening with title track, Blues Got My Back, Tom Euler gets the track hopping right away with this up tempo shuffle featuring Lucy Kilpatrick on keys, Michael Behlmar on drums, Von Jose Roberts on bass and leading the way on lead guitar and vocals. Super opener. On funky blues number, Bridge You Ain't Burnt, the band shifts gears with a tight bottom and Euler's strong vocals and powerful lead guitar. On ballad, Forgive Me, Euler steps the pace way back with a strong melody and pure radio track. His vocal, floating on Kilpatrick's keyboard work is soothing and mellow. Snapping back quickly on Tricky Business, Euler has the guitar up front and setting the pace. Trading lead with Kilpatrick this is a high power instrumental of the first degree. My favorite track on the release, Tough Guy, has a cool Texas style swagger, with powerful vocals, fluid guitar lead and warm keyboards over a solid bottom. Throwing open the doors and letting the blues out, this track is smoking. Wrapping the release is easy paced pop track, Thought of You with a smooth radio appeal. A nice melody, well controlled vocals, tidy drums and clean piano work closes the release. Nice job. 

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Rip Cat Records artist: Forty Fours - Twist The Knife - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Twist The Knife, from the 44's and it's hot! Opening with excellent, original instrumental track, Cutting Deep, the band holds a tight blues rally while lead guitar player, Johnny Main tears it up. Excellent style and chops makes this one of the coolest new tracks I've heard this year. With Eric Von Herzen on harp, Mike Hightower on bass, Gary Ferguson on drums and Junior Watson on guitar, this is a massive opener. On Howlin' Wollf''s Howlin', Main sings with a raspy, Wolf like voice and rolls immediately into a nice long guitar solo, also nicely worked over by Von Herzen on harmonica. Very cool. On Morganfield's Champagne and Reefer, Main sings soulfully and Von Herzen really has nice tone with an excellent harp solo. Very cool. Doyle Bramhall II's Rosie is up next with it's swampy drive and droning lower end. Main really takes advantage of this primal feel with wailing guitar soloing, complimented by Von Herzen's fat harp work. Very nice! James Harmon's Helsinki Blues is up next with it's even pace and low key bottom. Excellent vocals and stinging guitar riffs by Main make this another of the best tracks on the release. Very nice. Wrapping the release is T-Bone Walker's 44's Shuffle with a real nice intro by Von Herzen. Main's vocals are smooth and steady Von Hersen really digs in on this one with some of his nicest playing on the release. This is a great shuffle and a really solid closer for a strong release. 

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Paula Harris - Speakeasy - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Speakeasy, from Paula Harris, and it has old school pop jazz roots. Opening with Nothing Good Happens After Midnight, Harris shows her deep throaty voice over the sultry piano of Nate Ginsberg, with Rich Girard on bass and D'mar martin on drums. On funky, I Wanna Hate Myself Tomorrow (or Raising Hell Tonight), Harris shows her vocal versatility and Ginsberg's piano is tops. R&B / jazz track, Good Morning Heartache has a rich melody and with it's bouncy rhythm and sparkling piano is one of my favorites on the release. Something Wicked is another smooth soulful tune with a great feel and the addition of nice trumpet work of Bill Ortiz and spoken word by Big Llou Johnson. Monk's classic, Round Midnight is a pure highlight with dark warm vocals, excellent piano and tasteful trumpet by Ortiz and spot on bass work by Girard. Wrapping the release is jazz classic, Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby,  with Harris in full swing mode. Again, Ginsberg's piano is stellar and the driving bass lines of Girard are tight. Cool closer for a cool release. 

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Old Chimney artist: Jon Gindick - Love At The All Night Cafe - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love At The All Night Café, from Jon Gindick and it's easy, breezy and bluesy. Opening with I Was Born To Wail, harmonica player, guitar player and lead vocalist, Jon Gindick sets the pace with train riffs and a up tempo beat. Backed by Ralph Carter on bass, Frack Goldwasser on guitar and Pete Gallagher on drums, the band hits the ground running. Title track, The All Night Café has a cool, Latin sway, clean guitar riffs, excellent percussion, harmonica and vocal making it one of my favorites on the release. Another of my favorites is blues number, Load Me Up Baby with it's rocking intro and it's swinging refrain with really nice guitar soloing. Very cool. Swing track, Happy Wife, Happy Life, Happy Home is another really cool track with some of Gindick's best vocals and overall great track. I Love The Feminine Girl has a clever story sure to make it a favorite with listeners and a solid beat. Wrapping the release is ballad, In The Land Of You, with it's radio style melody and warm harmonies. Carter's piano work leads the track nicely and with the spotlight on Gindick, he's comfortable with lead vocal and harmonica. Nice closer. 

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Blueskitty Records artist: Michele D'Amour and the Love Dealers - Heart of Memphis - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Heart of Memphis, from Michele D'Amour and the Love Dealers and it's got real traction. Opening with Another Sleepless Night, a slick, Latin flavored track along the lines of Black Magic Woman, finds Michele up front on vocal with Jeff Cornell laying down some sweet guitar lead, backed by Patrick McDanel on bass, Dave Delzotto on drums, Brian Olendorf on keys and Noel Barnes on sax. Another breezy, bluesy track with Latin rhythm is Come On Over with Sheila Kelly and Kristi miller singing lush backing vocals. Olendorf's piano solo is smooth and a tasty trumpet insert by Greg Lyons adds just the right iridescence. Title track, Heart of Memphis has rich horns and smooth vocal leads by Michele. With a nice interwoven texture of trumpet, bass, guitar, lead and backing vocal, this is a cool radio track. One of the most fun tracks on the release is funky, Memphis Soul Stew a la James Brown style. Michele directs the building of a cool stew of jam. A warm sax solo by Barnes, tight guitar solo by Cornell, a great bass solo by McDanel, snappy drums by Delzotto and of course a bright piano solo by Olendorf makes this one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is bluesy ballad, Strange Angels, with the focus on Michele on lead. I really like the lead bass lines and little things like the warm backing vocals and the spiritual styling of Olendorf's piano and organ work. Solid closer.

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Leny's Girl - Walk Outside Again - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Walk Outside Again, from Leny's Girl and it's a cool rocker with blues and country roots. Opening with Pretend, a wide open country rocker with plenty of twists and turns. Featuring Kasey McKenzie on vocal, Beggsy on guitar, Brownie on drums, Cookie on harp and Tom Raw on bass, it's a solid start.  Devil With A Gun is a real cool rock track with suspense and tension via a simple bass line, tight drum riffs, a vicious harp riff and great vocals by McKenzie. Title track, Walk Outside Again has haunting slide work by Beggsy, nicely isolating the vocals on McKenzie on the softer part of this track and giving the track real dynamics when they open up and pour on the heat. Very nice. Miss Robin Hood is a wide open rocker with a driving beat, fat slide work and McKenzie's most powerful vocals on the release. Wrapping the release is Table with a strong dose of the San Francisco psychedelic blues sound. This is a cool wrapper for a solid release.  

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Zenith Records artist: Adam Holt - Kind of Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kind of Blues, from Adam Holt and it's solid. Opening with up beat rocker, Mr. Morning Drive featuring Adam Holt on vocals and guitars, Owen Finley on bass, Greg DeLuca on drums and Donnie Sundal on keys. With it's upfront poppy sound, nice melody and lovable tempo, this is a sure radio track. One of my favorite tracks on the release is I'm Still Holdin' On with a melodic slide lead from Lee Yankie and beautifully country style vocal blending, underscored by the pedal steel work of Mark Welborn and real nice electric blues style soloing by Holt. Very nice. Piano rocker, Give The Dog A Bone is a cool stripped down rocker with a definite country twinge. Holt really has a great voice and his sense of lyrics are great. Sundal, piano work on this track set a nice groove and Holt's guitar used as punctuation is perfect. Very cool. Another country flavored track, The Bourgeoisie really is a great track with a tight Latin rhythm. With a cool bass line, tight drums, organ accents and excellent guitar punctuation, Holt's vocals ride high on the wave. Excellent! Crossing over into jazz land, The End is a strong jazz track with a foot in country. This is the one track where Holt's vocals aren't the best part (his vocals are really strong) but the composition is really nice and the blend of organ, drums, bass and lead guitar are superb. Wrapping the release is Bob Dylan's Lay Lady Lay with a rich pedal steel guitar undercoating. maintaining much of Dylan's original arrangement and some instrumental enhancements, a strong closer. 

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New album from Carolyn Gaines - pays homage to blues greats - THE THRILL IS GONE out on 8/2

Carolyn Gaines Pays Homage

To B.B. King, Buddy Guy & Other Blues Greats 

With The Thrill Is Gone Out on August 2

Hand-picked covers convey her vocal prowess

Featured players: Grady Gaines, Sr and Grady Gaines, Jr and Ric Jaz

“Lady with Soul” – Johnny Rawls
“Gaines’ powerful, expressive voice has hints of the languid swing of Billie Holiday” – Blues Blast

Last year, fans and critics fell in love with Carolyn Gaines’ debut album, Beware Of My Dog, this year, she continues to sing her backside off, like Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Etta James,  Bessie Smith, and Diana Ross on her new album, The Thrill Is Gone via Polka Dot Records out on August 2, 2019. The collection is colorful and filled with snarls, sneers, growls, and guts all sung with a smile on the singer’s face. Gaines produced the album herself, and she recorded at Leon Haywood’s (“It's Got To Be Mellow,” Guitar Slim, “Bad Mama Jama”) Sunnyside Studio in Los Angeles, CA. The studio was on the verge of closing, and she had one month to do it, so Carolyn called on some legendary musicians and Family to get the job done. So, this album, The Thrill Is Gone was one of the last recordings to come out of the studio.

Special guests on the album include Ric Jaz; blues guitarist for Buddy Guy, her uncle Grady Gaines, Sr (Little Richard, Gatemouth Brown, Sam Cooke, Jimi Hendrix) and his son Grady Gaines, Jr (Grady Gaines, Sr band) both on saxophone along with Gino Baronelli, “The Blues Don” on guitars. Other players on the album are Charles Sherman on piano, Moe Bleek on organ, Glen Doll on harmonica and upright bass; duties were cover by both Dale Atkins and Paul Kennedy.

Having an album with no drums and very sparse instrumentation allows a lot of space around the notes so you can hear the emotion in Gaines’ voice. She opens with the Buddy Guy classic lines; “Damn Right I Got The Blues – from my head down to my shoes,” with the same real raw vocal prowess as Guy still conveys. Buddy Guy has always been an artist that Carolyn looks up for inspiration with his long-standing and celebrated career. Her cover of “Guess What” she confirms in song, that she won’t let her man walk all over her, “Your house all messed up, baby, and your line don't sound true, I smell a rat, cause it stinks all over you, say” (From Buddy Guy’s album, Living Proof, 2010).

On Ma Rainey’s tune, “Deep Moanin’ Blues” (1928) her uncle Grady Gaines, Sr and her cousin, Grady Gaines, Jr wail away on the saxophone while she sings deep from her bottom of her soul to get that lioness feeling out of her, [they] “just rock my socks!” laughs the blues singer. Carolyn’s voice has the swagger to it, and the attitude in her stylings and delivery is perfectly perfect like her father Roy Gaines, Buddy Guy, Ma Rainey, Bobby “Blue “Bland, The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger. Carolyn’s voice will remind you of the blues pioneer, Big Mama Thornton – a raspy, seductive sneer.

Side story: Leon Levy, a longtime mentor of her Carolyn’s played her music for the legendary Queen of Rock, Tina Turner and she said that her voice sounded like Big Mama Thornton.  

“A celebration of the distinctive vocal tone that has a roughness that is never smoothed into something that it isn’t; her vocals are full of warmth and expression. “– Blues Doodles (UK)

Carolyn digs way down with Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” and that’s when she starts to blend tears with her vocals as she begs her man to reconsider their love. Her vocals are with mixed emotions met with the sparse sounds of her cousin Grady Gaines, Jr on saxophone with guitar, bass, and organ, so her vocals stand out.  On the halfway mark of The Thrill Is Gone - her version of Muddy Waters’ “I Got My Mojo Working” is fun, sassy and her vocals are confident as Muddy Waters with Gino Baronelli’s hopping guitar licks matching her phrasing. Carolyn’s voice sounds like honey on Otis Redding’s “Dreams To Remember” her bittersweet melody of heartbreak with Gino’s chiming chords behind her, but it was Buddy Guy’s version that drew her to the song. The lonesome harmonica cries behind her voice, on Bobby “Blue” Bland’s ultimate heartache song, “Stormy Monday” and she comes back rocking out to Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago” as she sings playfully with her uncle, Grady Gaines, Sr, on saxophone.

These songs on this album were carefully chosen by Carolyn, for she’s known and loved them since was a child from modern-day of Guy, and rockers like Jim Hendrix’s: her rock n' roll, bluesy vocals on “Hey Joe” and “Red House” are extraordinary. She brings energy and groove to the classics. It’s the teary-eyed cover of Billie Holiday’s classic “God Bless The Child,” that her cousin Grady Gaines, Jr on saxophone and Ric Jaz Buddy Guy's guitarist both strives to recreate a moment as if Billie Holiday was in the studio with them at Sunnyside. That song has always been a dream of hers to sing, taking cues from Lady Day and the singer who portrayed her on the silver screen, Diana Ross. “I always wanted to sing this song like Diana Ross, and I would dream of how I would combine it with the gracefulness of Billie,” Carolyn gushes.

The album closes with “The Thrill Is Gone,” a B.B. King song written by Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell in 1951 became a mega-hit for B.B. back in 1969. Carolyn pays homage to him as being one of her very favorite blues singers and performers. Along with her uncle Grady Gaines, Sr’s soulful saxophone and Buddy Guy’s guitarist Ric Jaz, they “bestowed raw blazing sunshine!” Carolyn shouts after hearing the final recording.

Some of this music history with Carolyn started before she was even born. The singer was born in Houston, TX and moved out to the Los Angeles area with her father as a teenager only to fall in love with blues.  Roy Gaines’ career started 60 years ago, with his band in Texas called The Jazz Crusaders, and he has released 18 albums, played with many blues and jazz greats, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Billie Holiday and Diana Ross. He played with the great Lady Day when he was just 21 at Carnegie Hall!

Her father’s love of the blues and jazz carried over to his daughter who developed a creative way, 20 years ago, to teach the American Blues genre, with her Blues School Programs by going into schools to teach children of all ages. She has the support of her father for this endeavor and Roy Gaines along with other artists Ike Turner, Guitar Shorty, Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, Etta James, Keb MO', Herbie Hancock and B.B. King to appear at various events and show examples of their beloved genre. Roy Gaines’ was a legendary teacher of the blues. She was able to cover a lot of ground through the Los Angeles Unified Schools District; both Pasadena and Hawthorne from elementary to high school, homes for the elderly, and Roger Naber's Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. As of today, Carolyn has taught over three million people the blues!

Carolyn’s family’s stories intertwine with so much rich musical history from Billie Holiday, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles, to Bobby “Blue” Bland to Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding, it’s only natural for her to pay homage!

“Carolyn Gaines sounds like Koko Taylor” – Paul Goldman, VP at Paradigm Talent Agency (Buddy Guy)

Carolyn’s choice to conserve the blues was a good one, for it’s been rewarding. Accolades from education to local governments to California Governor Gray Davis, Mayor James Hahn, NAACP-President-CEO- Kweisi Mfume and the highest honor came from First Lady Michelle Obama. Her work with the schools in the Los Angles covered the entire city: from 54^th Street Elementary School (Nipsey Russell) to Alma Reaves Woods Watts Library, 74th Street Elementary School to Crenshaw High School and county libraries. Praise came from members many levels of government; Los Angeles City Council Bernard Parks, Superintendent LAUSD, Members of Congress, City Council Members, U.S. Senators Dianne E. Watson/Dianne Feinstein, and California’s Speaker Assembly. In 2015, Carolyn Gaines was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Rhythm and Blues University in Texas an organization led by Dr. Lawrence Redd, for her work in the genre. Now, she joins fellow blues artists like legendary- award-winning Buddy Guy and Aretha Franklin; whom both have Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

Lending their talents for Carolyn’s album was Roy Gaines’ grand-daughter, Jewel, a hairstylist, fashion stylist grand-daughter Rainey, and great grand-daughter Primas, a makeup artist glamourized the blues singer on The Thrill Is Gone' album art. “And, Grady Gaines, Sr’s; five-year-old great grand-niece (Roy's great, great-granddaughter), Alisa, is a fantastic blues singer at the age of five! “Our family is keeping the blues energy flowing; groovy and bluesy. The Gaines Family is outstanding!” smiles Carolyn.

''But pedigree will only get you so far. It's heart, feeling talent that makes a master musician, and make no mistake. Carolyn Gaines is the real deal.'' - Blues Matters! UK

Carolyn Gaines album, The Thrill Is Gone will sure to be another hit with fans and critics alike, and she can’t wait to get it out;  “I just wanted to cross over from these blues greats’ beautiful, “Bluesy” historical sounds and put my style on these classics! And I hope others will enjoy them as much as I do,” exclaims Gaines. So, this album, an homage, is her way to “Keep the Blues Alive!”

 ''Carolyn Gaines is an Entertainer.'' - Grammy Winner Bobby Rush

The Thrill Is Gone – songs and original artists with year

1-      Damn Right, I Got The Blues – Buddy Guy - 1991

2-      Deep Moanin’ Blues – Ma Rainey - 1928

3-      I Got Dreams To Remember – Otis Redding - 1968

4-      God Bless The Child – Billie Holiday - 1941

5-      Guess What – Buddy Guy - 2010

6-      Hey Joe – Jimi Hendrix - 1966

7-      I Got My Mojo Working – Muddy Waters - 1956

8-      I’d Rather Go Blind – Etta James - 1968

9-      Red House – Jimi Hendrix – 1967

10-   Stormy Monday – Bobby “Blue” Bland - 1962

11-   Sweet Home Chicago – Robert Johnson - 1937

12-   The Thrill Is Gone – B.B. King - 1969

Rock-A-While Records artist: Kenny Parker - Hellfire - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hellfire, from Kenny Parker and it's a nice blues rocker. Opening with Chicago style, I've Got My Eye On You, Dan Devins is the lead vocalist and also covers harmonica. Kenny parker with just the right groove lay down strong blues solo phrasing, all backed by Mike Marshall on bass, Dave Marcaccio on drums, Bill Heid on piano and Jim McCarty on guitar. Cool opener. Blind And Paralyzed is strong Muddy Waters flavored track with a strong Waters style guitar riff and a lyric play on Etta James' most popular track. With a firm pace and deliberate lead guitar work by Parker, a strong contemporary blues entry. Rock n Roller, Bye Bye Baby has great feel and tasty piano work by Leonard Moon on piano.  Title track, Hellfire, has a firm, lumbering bottom and great organ work by Chris Codish. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Parker's guitar soloing shows genuine fire and inspiration. Very cool. Bluesy ballad, I'm Missing You, has a strong melody and just a dash of old style country, including the chorus of spoken lyrics. Classic. Country flavored shuffle track, Half Crazy has a great pace and Devins' harmonica work is cool and Heid's piano work is the icing on the cake. My favorite track on the release, Backup Plan, follows a great 12 bar format with Parker showing a great response to Devins' lead vocal. Getting a real chance to stretch, Parker takes full advantage and lays down some really sweaty riffs guaranteed to make you sit back and grin. Just short of an instrumental, very nice! Wrapping the release is a hard charging rocker, Hard Times with a driving beat. Parker and Devins both show a rockier and firm hand on this riff infused closer. 

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