Issue 18-16 April 18, 2024 (2024)

Sue Foley –One Guitar Woman

Stony Plain Records

http://www.suefoley.com

12 Tracks – 43 minutes

Ottawa born Sue Foley got her start playing her father’s guitar at age 13 and became interested in playing the blues after listening to The Rolling Stones and other era blues rock bands. At age 16, she played her first professional performance. After graduating high school, she moved to Vancouver and formed her first band. That band played over 300 shows in 1989 traveling across the US, Canada and Europe. She sat in with Duke Robillard at the W.C. handy Awards in Memphis that year where Austin club owner Clifford Antone saw her performance. She sent a demo tape to Antone’s Records and followed with an audition. She was immediately signed and following a move to Austin, she released her debut album in 1992.

Recognized as a pioneer in an industry where at the time there very few female guitarists, she became interested in the history of other women guitarists. As a result, she started a music history project she called Guitar Woman, which consisted of interviews with dozens of female guitarists and the release of numerous articles and work on a book between 2001 and 2008. She released many solo albums both before, during and after that period. She also teamed up with Peter Karp for two albums and joined a supergroup that consisted of Billy Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughan, and Mike Flanigan.

Now she returns to her Guitar Woman project with release of herOne Guitar Womanalbum. Her liner notes say, “The Women in this album represent some of the historic players who have influenced me and who have been my guides throughout my career. They were massively talented, and they all possessed courage and vision which transformed both their cultures and the story of the guitar. The one guitar references that she set aside her beloved and routinely utilized Fender Telecaster instead utilizing a nylon-string acoustic guitar she purchased in 2022 while in Paracho, Mexico. She selected the dozen cuts on this album as a tribute to the women who came before her.

The liner notes included with the album provides details of the history of each of the selected women. I will simply reference you to the album for the intriguing backgrounds of these woman. She opens the album with “Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie”, a song from Elizabeth Cotton who was born in 1893 and did not start performing professionally until she was 60 years old after her talent was discovered by Pete Seeger’s family who had hired her as a housekeeper. “Freight Train” by Cotton also appears later on the album. Cotton was a left-handed Piedmont picker who played her guitar upside down which Sue says makes it impossible to duplicate her sound.

Memphis Minnie is also represented with two songs “In My Girlish Days” and “Ain’t Nothing in Rambling”. Minnie, whose actual name was Lizzie “Kid” Douglas, was born in New Orleans in 1897. Minnie played a pivotal role in moving the blues sound to the electric guitar and into an era of rock ‘n’ roll. Sue chose the two songs for their lyrical content.

“Mother” Maybelle Carter’s songs “Lonesome Homesick Blues” and “Maybelle’s Guitar” flatpicking style including the “Carter scratch” was also difficult to duplicate. Maybelle considered the matriarch of country music, and the mother-in-law of Johnny Cash played a 1928 Gibson L5, which many consider to be the most important single guitar in country music.

Lydia Mendoza as born in Houston Texas in 1916 to migrant workers that hitchhiked with her family across the southern U.S. She entertained fellow migrant workers with her music. Sue sings the song “Mal Hombre” in Spanish with some English verses thrown in. Lydia was ultimately inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and honored by a National Medal of Honors for her six-decade career.

Elvie Thomas and Geeshie Wiley only teamed up for six recordings all released in the 1920’s. Their songs are considered to have a lasting impact in the early era of country blues. Two of the songs, “Motherless Child Blues” and “Last Kind Words Blues” were again chosen for their lyrics which provide a reference to the era’s societal norms.

Chuck Berry once said that his whole career was an impression of the performances of Sister Rosetta Tharpe who played an electric guitar with windmill strumming and duck walks across the stage. Born in 1915, she was known as the “Godmother of Rock and Roll”. Sue chose “My Journey to the Sky”, one of the less flashy songs in Rosetta’s repertoire but offered a reflective side of her personality.

Ida Presti was born in France in 1924. As a baby her father stretched her fingers so she could play guitar. She never attended any regular school as her father instructed her in guitar practice for many hours every day. She died at age 47 while on a U.S. concert tour. “Romance in A Minor” is the selected cut on this album.

Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza became simply known as Charo. Influenced by gypsies who camped on her family’s property and trained classically in Spain, she became renowned for her expertise in playing Spanish guitar and flamenco music. The speed of her playing was difficult to duplicate. Her wit, comedic presence, and her trademarked catchphrase “cuchi-cuchi” resulted in many appearances on variety shows in the 1960’s such as Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show and Laugh-In. The album concludes with the instrumental “La Malaguena”.

Sue has been nominated thirteen times in the Blues Music Award category of Traditional Female Artist of the year and has won three consecutive times. She is nominated again in that category in the 2024 awards which will be given out on May 9 in Memphis. Sue cites the accomplishment of these women who“forged the path for all female guitarists”.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Eric Bibb –Live at the Scala Theatre, Stockholm

Stony Plain Records

www.ericbibb.com

10 Tracks – 45 minutes

72-year-old Eric Bibb’s career has spanned over five decades with over 40 albums recorded. His career has generated many well-deserved accolades and awards including multiple Blues Foundation Music Awards for “Artist of the Year” and “Album of the Year” and three Grammy nominations, the most recent nomination in 2024 for his album, Ridin’. The always smooth-voiced and pleasant vocalist skirts the edge of Americana mixed with his blues. The joy in his voice as he sings his songs is prevalent in every note and while many vocalists sometimes are difficult to pick out all of their lyrics, Eric’s presentations are always fluid and easily discerned. But first and foremost, he is a storyteller and finds or writes songs that he relates to and feels his audience will also be engaged with.

In addition to his vocals, Eric plays the acoustic guitar on all but one track. He is joined by Christer Lyssarides on electric and slide guitar, John Lindstrom on pedal steel and electric guitar, Glen Scott on bass, keyboards, and drums and also produced the album, Olle Linder on drums and upright bass, Greger Anderson on harmonica, and Esbjorn Hazelius on fiddle with a few guests added along the way.

Eric said the intent of this album had three goals in selecting his songs: 1) Tried and true songs that had not appeared multiple times on previous live albums; 2) A few songs from his recent albums Dear America and Ridin’; 3) At least one song that he had never recorded before. He says, “Every song on the album holds a special place in my heart”. The album includes five songs written by Eric, three traditional songs with arrangements by Eric, and two covers of other artists.

The album opens with the traditional “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad”. The song was first recorded in 1923 by Henry Whitter and called “Lonesome Road Blues”. The original song tells the tale of a prison inmate. The lyrics have changed over the years and the song has been recorded by many artists including Bill Monroe, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Grateful Dead and numerous others. Eric makes the song his own. Where the original song says, “I’m down in the jailhouse on my knees”, Eric’s version says, “I’m down in the valley on my knees”, which implies he is praying for better times.

He follows that song with an original, “Silver Spoon”, a song that first appeared on his 2014 album, Blues People. The song is biographical as he recites, “Some say I was born with a silver spoon in mouth / People you know, I’ve paid my dues / Born to play the guitar all around the world / Born to sing the blues”. “Along The Way” from his 2021 Dear America album is next. The song is an encouragement to step back from all your troubles, take the time to appreciate what you have, and forgive those who may have wronged you.

“Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie” was written in 1935 by Lead Belly but not released by him until 1946. The song is a tale of a man working hard in the fields and begging for Sylvie to bring him a drink of water. The second cover is of Walter Vinson’s “Things Is ‘Bout Comin’ My Way” recorded by him in 1930 with the Mississippi Sheiks. Tampa Red did another version of the song in 1931 and, of course, has been sung and altered by many over the years including a more positive version titled “Sitting on Top of the World”. This version would certainly proceed that latter version as it speaks of all the hard times a man on the road has but concludes, “I’m always happy, I’m never mad / Thinkin’ ’bout the bad times I’ve had / ‘Cause after all my hard travelin’ / Things is ’bout to come my way.”

Another original by Eric, “Rosewood”, also appeared on his Blues People album. The song is a story of an African American community that in 1923 was completely wiped out in a fire and massacre that left the whole community and many whites dead. Eric tells the tale as a statement to learn from the past with concerns from the present disunity that is occurring. “Whole World’s Got the Blues” is from Dear America and expresses his worries about all of the confrontations occurring around the world and in America. He states, “If there’s hope for the future gon’ take a quantum leap”. “River Blues” comes from Eric’s 2008 albumGet on Board. He seeks solace to relieve his troubled mind as he says he is “Goin’ down to the river soothes my soul just to watch it flow”.

The traditional song “500 Miles” is credited as being written by Hedy West in 1961 and first recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965. Eric’s version is from his 2023 album Ridin’. “Mole In the Ground” is an Appalachian folk song first recorded by Bascom Lamar Lunsford in 1928. The song had floated around the mountains for years and Bascom said he learned it from a neighbor around 1901. As with other similar songs, lyrics have changed over the years. Eric’s version is from his 2018 album Global Griot. Lamine Cissokho joins on the song on a kora, a long-necked harp lute that brings a unique sound to the song. The song brings a spirited hope for the possibility of change.

In all a very pleasant album. Eric is in top form throughout in a very engaging performance.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Blues Blast Music Awards Submissions

Submissions from artists and labels for the 17th Annual Blues Blast Music Awards are open until May 31st, 2024.

Albums released between June 1. 2023 and May 31, 2024 are eligible this year.

Submit your music now. Click this link:
www.bluesblastmagazine.com/blues-blast-awards-submission-information

Chris Duarte –Ain’t Giving Up

Provogue Records

http://duarte.rocks

12 Tracks – 50 minutes

Texas guitarist Chris Duarte was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1963. He gained notoriety in the early 1990’s in the Austin music scene and exposure at the South X Southwest Music Convention. Riding the heels of Stevie Ray Vaughan in those early days and playing in a style that was compared to Vaughan, Chris’ career took off with the release of his first album Texas Sugar / Strat Magik in 1994, which in turn led to Guitar Player Magazine naming him the “Best New Talent” in their 1995 Readers Poll and placed fourth in the magazine’s 1995 list of “Best Blues Guitarists” behind Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and B.B. King.

Ain’t Giving Up is Chris’ 15th album release. He stresses that for him, “music must evolve”. Over the years, he has dabbled with jazz and various tempos within his tour sets and even from one song to the next on his albums. It is noted that Chris sometimes plays so hard that his fingers bleed, which has photographed evidence. Dennis Herring, who produced Chris’ first album returns for the first time to produce this album. He is joined by Jessica Will on bass and Brannen Temple on drums and used a Univox Rhythm Machine to create some loops. All of his guitar solos were recorded live. He said with this album, he wanted “to explore beyond hard-driving blues”, which is what he is known for.

Chris comes blasting out with an all-out rocker on “Nobody But You” which tells a tale of a green-eyed redhead who “can’t behave” but he notes that “I’m a bad boy too”. An experiment in changing tempos and feedback with hints of Hendrix finds Chris telling her “I don’t want have a “Big Fight”…, take your stuff out of my face”. “Bye, Bye, Bye” is a throwback song to early rock ‘n’ roll and a move to get people up on the dance floor.

“Can Opener” is an instrumental blues shuffle pointing back to his early Texas roots and featuring some very tasty guitar licks. “Gimme Your Love” preaches that “you must be strong for each other while you can” in a slow blues run. Another slow rocker “Come My Way” cites, “Ever since I was a young boy, I had a lot to learn. Good luck and a bad choice, no one had my turn.”

Chris moves into a boogie as he explains “I will never find another woman “Half as Good as Two” and definitely wants two women to replace the one bad woman in his life. She tells him “Lies, Lies, Lies” in another rocking number where he says, “she never looks me in the eyes, trouble coming to my door”. “Ain’t Giving Up on Us” finds the blues shuffle again as “everything I say goes in and out the other ear”.

“Look What U Made Me Do” returns to an older rock ‘n’ roll sound with a pounding drumbeat and a blazing guitar. “The Real Low Down” identifies “It has been a long, hard year. I’ve had my face on the ground, but in a bumpy year I’m coming back around. He closes the album with the seven-minute “Weak Days”, which starts with a noodling guitar run and moves into a quiet “rainy Tuesday morning” which is an obvious tap towards “Stormy Monday Blues” and proves a strong change of pace from the rest of the album.

The album title obviously references the love song in the middle of the album, but Ain’t Giving Up could also reference a musician’s position in making a recording in today’s market. But Chris specifically says the album is about “pushing his music forward” “I’m here, and I’m not giving up on my blues or my career. And I’m not playing it safe either.” As shown above, Chris still finds his way in the blues, but reaches out for other sounds that moves his music in new ways. As ever, his guitar work is raw, but certainly palatable.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Sean Riley & the Water – Stone Cold Hands

Pugnacious Records

www.seanrileyandthewater.com

10 songs – 35 minutes

Here’s an interesting album for you. Singer/songwriter Sean Riley has made a name for himself in New Orleans, performing a brand of music that pays tribute to the early sounds of the Gulf Coast. It’s a rue that combines traditional folk stylings with the rhythms that laid the groundwork for the blues, jazz and more that was to come.

A guitarist and dobro player with a light, rhythmic touch and a vocalist with a sound to match, Riley splits his time as a soloist touring the lower Mississippi as well as Australia and Europe when not working with his band, the Water, a revolving ensemble which includes several of the top names in Louisiana music and which released a previous EP, Biting Through, under the aggregation’s previous name, Old Riley & the Water.

They combine here on their first full-length album, an almost all original set with timeless appeal, a sound that would have been welcomed by revelers at communal dinners, dances and more after a long week in the fields or late nights in a juke joint, where they’d party the night away.

Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, a multi-instrumentalist and beloved Zydeco/Afro-Louisiana musician, plays accordion and harmonica on four tracks. Waylon Thibodeaux, who’s known as “Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler,” helps cut a rug on two others. They’re joined by Phil Breen on keys and organ on five numbers and vocalist Tiffany Pollack who shines alone on one and joins forces with Megan Harris Brunious and Whitney Alouisious on another. Holding down the bottom throughout are percussionist Mike Barras and bassist/producer/label owner Dean Zucchero.

Several of the originals here were penned during the pandemic and reflect some of the stress we all endured. The collaborative effort was recorded at Rhythm Shack Studio in the Crescent City by Zucchero and engineer Jake Eckert with the end product, Riley says, “truly speaking to the spirit of the New Orleans music community.

Like the mighty Mississippi, that spirit flows through the entirety of this album, beginning with Riley’s precise, rapid-fire picking at opens “Dance Me One More Time” before accordion and percussion kick in and Sean urges to the lady of his desire: “Get up here, and find out why you’re here!” The action shows and takes on a country-blues approach for “Go Easy on Me,” a plea for comfort amidst lyrics that demonstrate the singer’s in the midst of unspoken torment.

The sweet, languorous title cut, “Stone Cold Hands,” bemoans the loss of a friend but acknowledging that the passing was no surprise as Riley offers up comfort for someone hit hard by the tragedy. The tempo heats up and the rhythm percolates at the jump of “Truck Route Blues” aided by Sunpie’s harp before a cover of Jimmy Reed’s “High and Lonesome” shuffles at the crossroads of Chicago and the bayou and Sean sings call-and-response with the instrumentation for the sprightly “Out All Night.”

“A Losing Hand” opens with a regimented drumbeat before settling into a honeyed, percussive number driving by Thibodeaux’s fiddle that complains about continuing to play cards in a game where the dealer wears a crooked grin. It gives way to the instrumental, “Rosie’s Rag,” a dobro-fueled pleaser before the blues-drenched “Jump the Line” celebrates staying on course despite taking risks along the way. The disc closes with the “Shine a Little Stronger,” a cheerful, optimistic number directed at residents of the Gulf Coast that, despite recent struggles, they’ll be stronger and that the sun will shine once more if they go with the flow.

Definitely not your big-city, one-four-five blues, but oh so good!

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.

Last December, blues fans were treated to the surprising news that the storied Blind Pig Record label was relaunching after being on hiatus for much of the last eight years. Since its inception in 1977, the label had put out many classic recordings by a deep roster of outstanding blues artists. The relaunch offers an opportunity for more must-hear projects that will delight blues fans around the world.

Taking over as the label head is Jeff Schroedl, a long-time veteran of the music business, serving as Executive Vice President of the Hal Leonard Corporation, known for it’s music publications and music educational material. Additionally, Schroedl has experience as a working musician, playing guitar for the Milwaukee-based Altered Five Blues Band. Formed more than two decades ago, the band has worked hard to garner recognition, as witnessed by a number of awards, including their first release, Cryin” Mercy, being named the “Best Self-released Album” at the 2015 International Blues Challenge, sponsored by the Blues Foundation.

Taking over the running of a record label, even one with a storied past, took a real leap of faith.

“Sony and the Orchard Group acquired the Blind Pig label from its original founders in 2016. I’ve known some of their people for several years and been talking with their label division about the idea of relaunching Blind Pig for more than a year. I met with them a couple times, and the more we talked, the more it made sense to try to do it. They were excited about it. I’m excited about it. So we reached out to Jerry Del Giudice and Ed Chmelewski, the label’s founders, to get their thoughts and support.

“They were very supportive and helpful, and we decided to go for it. It’s a risky, risky business for sure, but I think there’s a lot of potential there, and I am excited about bringing the Blind Pig Record label back. I’ve a big fan of the label through the years, and certainly want to do my best to maintain that quality people associate with the name and brand.”

“I’m not too big on titles, so I haven’t given myself one. The day will come when I’ll make up a real title for myself. Right now, I’m leading the label from all angles. I’m doing the A& R, scouting talent, and I’m very involved in the business side of contractual agreements and terms as well as getting our artists started in terms of recording, songwriting, and connecting with producers, all the way through to marketing and promotion.

“I’m involved in all aspects, and then bringing others into certain areas of a project as needed. Thankfully, I have a diverse background in the music business with content creation, music publishing, and lots of interaction with management companies, publishers, other artists, PR firms, digital e-commerce, booking agents, and some radio promoters. And I’m also obviously a big blues and roots music fan. So I’m passionate about the music and want to help it evolve. My plan is to do my best to bring all of those pieces together. I will try to defer to the artist and the producer on projects, staying in the background while paying attention to the songs and provide some general direction.

“It may seem crazy to do it, but sometimes you’ve got to take a risk. If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always gotten. And I think that’s important to let people know that I want to help people, to connect with exceptionally talented artists, and help them reach their potential. I’ve got a lot to learn. And it’s a tough task these days for any record company, unless you’re got Taylor Swift on your label.”

The Orchard is a music distribution company, a division of Sony Music. Having access to The Orchard system certainly will make it easier for Schroedl to get future Blind Pig releases out in the the different formats of today’s musical marketplace.

“Distribution was how the Orchard started. They’ve evolved to having other components. They have a suite of services that they can offer, some of which we’ll partner with, such as digital marketing We’ll see how that goes, but they have been very helpful for sure. The Orchard owns the rights to the back catalog of Blind Pig recordings.

“Initially, I will looking after the website, the social media formats, and some of the marketing. I’m also very involved with in the YouTube channel content. You know, it’s all me. It’s my risk. I’m the label at this point, with help from The Orchard in terms of what they can offer in their suite of services. But essentially the risk is mine, so I’m going to have to selective and careful as I try to pave the way forward.”

After decades of being in the business, especially with his experiences as the guitarist for the Altered Five Blues Band, Schroedl has a pretty clear concept in mind regarding the type of artists he envisions on the label.

“We will be looking for real, genuine artists with rare talent. The goal will be to release records that people listen to over and over again, because the songs, the voice, and the music are so compelling, it reaches out and grabs you, pulls you in. Those great records take you to a special place, help you get away for an hour and escape. I want to work with artists who excel at songwriting and sing from the heart, making music that at least moves me, and hopefully moves other people, too.

“Everyone has their opinion about music. I just think the special sauce starts with a great song and a great voice. And blues music has to keep evolving and growing. It’s a living, breathing genre that needs to continue changing and progressing. At the same time, we are committed to a deep respect for the history and tradition of the genre.

“We’ve signed two artists that I’m really excited about. They’re both at the very beginning of their careers. In the future I imagine we’ll sign people at different spots in their careers. We have been talking to a variety of people. But first up, we’ve signed two people we’re really excited about. I think they could have a really, really bright future, so we’re trying to do it right. The Blind Pig relaunch news wasn’t public until recently. I had reached out to our new artists some months ago just to explore the idea and talk to them, just trying to get a handle on what they’re all about, what their potential might be, and their thoughts on songwriting.

“Jovin Webb is a really passionate musician down there in Louisiana. He’s gigging a lot, but not a well known name in blues circles yet. I think he has a really special voice and his songs are incredible. He’s partnered up with producer Tom Hambridge and we’re going to track the record in early March. The songs are outstanding and I think that’s really what it’s all about.

“Our other new artist is Sonny Gullage, from New Orleans. He just has a great voice. I mean, the voice drew me in. He’s a really talented young musician, a keyboardist, and he’s already out there playing big festivals here and abroad, starting to gain a following. He’s a really good songwriter too, but very different than Jovin. They couldn’t be more different, but the songs are real. These guys are singing about real stuff in their lives. Sonny’s a young guy, 25 years old. He’s been writing, but hadn’t put it together in a way that he was able to do a recording. That’s where we came in, to try to help him.

“He’s got 12 tracks on the record, original tunes, and 11 of the 12 he wrote or co-wrote and And, yeah, they’re real tunes. He grew up playing in bars, doing solo and duo stuff, just playing covers like a lot of people do. He learned the ropes, but his whole live show, his band, everything’s going to be transformed here in the coming months He was all over the place musically. But he’s got a really special style. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s almost like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles meets Jonny Lang and B.B. King. He’s really good, and the album is really tight. The album’s direction is certainly grounded in the blues and, to some degree, takes the music forward. I have been following him since 2020, early in the pandemic.”

Hambridge is producing both projects. Initially, Schroedl told the award-winning producer that he could decide which project he wanted to work on. But Hambridge was really excited about both artists, so Schroedl finally relented, after making it clear that Hambridge was not going to produce every Blind Pig release. And somehow, the producer managed to fit both projects into his always busy schedule.

“I’m not going to lie. Special singers and performers don’t grow on trees. But there are some good ones out there, no doubt. Sonny is really a heck of a live performer. He’s all over the place. And Jovin’s got a lot of presence too, in a different way. He plays a little bit of guitar, plays a little bit of piano, plays a little bit of harmonica, but he’s more of a front man. But he has a pretty commanding stage presence. Both of these guys are really humble and hungry.”

The music business has changed dramatically in the last decade. Many artists have been scrambling to generate revenue streams to compensate for egregiously low pay for downloads and the bottoming out of the CD market. But Schroedl feels there is opportunity out there.

“I think the music industry as a whole is strong and growing. It has always been disrupted by different things, going back in time. You have to work through those disruptions and spin problems into opportunities. The sky was falling when digital came out, and now that’s turning out to be good in its own way. CDs sales are a challenge these days. Certainly vinyl has helped a bit, as another revenue streams that artists and labels have. The blues world has been challenged in some ways, but at the same time, I believe that if the right music gets promoted in the right way, there’s still plenty of people who want to hear it.”

The Altered Five Blues Band has a new five song EP, Testifyin’, coming out in March as a digital-only product. It will feature more songs in the band’s original style, delivered by lead vocalist Jeff Taylor’s powerful voice, punctuated by Schroedl’s sharp guitar work. The group was the first band signed to the label after The Orchard purchase, so it is fitting that they lead the way for the relaunch.

“The band’s been at it for 23 years, and this is our seventh studio recording. We decided to do a shorter EP this time. We’ve been traveling a bit. I think we did six trips to Europe in the last two years and this year we decided, hey, let’s take it a little easy and be more selective with performing. The EP has three or four of the songs that are kind of related to that theme of “testifying”. One’s called “I’ve Got The Scars To Prove It,” and another is titled, “You Can’t Win (If It Ain’t Within’)”. Another one’s called, “Don’t Tell Me I Can’t”. The sounds are built around Jeff’s voice, but everyone brings something different to the mix.”

Besides Schroedl and Taylor, the current line-up of the band includes Mark Solveson on bass guitar, Alan Arber on drums, and Steve Huebler on keyboards. Huebler was the group’s original keyboardist. He left to pursue other opportunities but returned to the fold in late 2021, when health issues sent Raymond Tevich to the sidelines.

“So three of us have been there from the beginning with a couple changes along the way, But it’s the same sound and most of the same guys through the years. We cut these tracks for the EP in one day. I guess we did a couple of overdubs the second day. But it was two takes of every song, and done.”

Artists interested in exploring opportunities with Blind Pig can find instructions for submitting material at the label’s website, under the “About” tab at: www.blindpigrecords.com

“It’s hard. I know it is. That’s kind of the age we live in, where anybody can put anything out they want, In a way, it’s good. But it’s also hard to cut through the stuff, and that makes it hard to break people. But it’s been done many times before. It might take a couple records and plenty of hard work, but like I said earlier, we’re going to have to be really selective.

“We can’t start out signing a ton of people There’s already crazy stuff coming in that’s just not blues based at all. Thankfully, some legit things have come through. So as long as you match our label style, that’s good. I don’t know how many records we’re going to put out each year, but probably we will start a little slower, ramping up as we get more into it. You’ve got to get your bearings and just take your time. You don’t want to get out in front of your skis. We had some time in the months leading up to the announcement to kind of lay the groundwork, six to eight months just kind of getting some things set up.

“There are still some things to be worked out. We still don’t have the store set up on website, and some other things like that. Once we get the word out, hopefully people will hear that the first two records are pretty high quality and it’ll start attracting different people to the label. Again, I hope to create that special sauce that comes from a great song sung by an equally fine voice. That is when the magic happens!”

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Mark Thompson lives in Florida, where he is enjoying the sun and retirement. He is the past President of the Board of Directors for the Suncoast Blues Society and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Blues Foundation. Music has been a huge part of his life for the past fifty years – just ask his wife!

S

Tas Cru – Live

Subcat Records

http://www.tascru.com

10 Tracks – 43 minutes

The album has a sub-title shown on the cover as “All-Natural, Cage Free, and Fan Fed”. These three things are indicative of the recording being “rough and raw” exactly it was performed live before an invited audience in the Subcat Music Studios in Syracuse, New York with the recording of ten songs selected as the most requested songs on the band’s 2023 tour. He cites that these songs were selected from well over 100 songs that are currently in Tas’s repertoire.

Tas’s interaction with his audience is frequently noted in reviews of his concerts. The musicians on the recording are those that were on the 2023 tour with Tas. Tas, of course, is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the group. All the songs on the album are originals written by him. He is joined on vocals by Mia Casale, who has performed on all of Tas’s studio albums. Tom Terry on bass and vocals has a long history playing with other blues artists including Jason Ricci, Chris O’Leary, Alexis P. Suter and Paul nelson. Phil Diiorio plays drums and also adds vocals. Scott Ebner fills out the group on piano and organ.

The album opens with “Dat Maybe” from 2017’s Blues Music Award nominated album Simmered and Stewed. He comes out rocking with the declaration, “Don’t say you will, when you know you won’t.” “Don’t gimme dat maybe when your heart says no.” Two songs from his 2023 album Riffin’ the Blue follows. On the first one, he encourages everyone to ” Stand up” and “time for you to choose” and “time to come together as one”, offering a unifying social commentary. The second song from the album “Brown Liquor Woman” talks about the women who “do not drink no champagne or wine” and “just have one thing on their mind”. Scott’s piano strongly skitters alongside of Tas’s guitar through the song.

Mia takes the lead vocal on “Have a Drink” from 2018’s Memphis Song.Mia’s strong voice encourages everyone to “raise a glass and have a drink to the blues”. Scott pulls out a barrelhouse piano on this one that slides into a nice riff from Tas’ s guitar. Scott then jumps into the lead on “Take Me Back to Tulsa” from 2014’s You Keep the Money, which starts very quietly and builds rhythmically. They jump back to the 2017 album for “Grizzle & Bone”, a funky ode to all the Waffle House waitresses.

He returns to Memphis Song for the funky “One Eyed Jack”, which he says references that he plays with “the hand that the good Lord dealt me” but noting that “it is hard to keep on winning when the devil sits in”. Scott’s organ and Tas’s guitar keeps the music jumping. The next two songs are also from You Keep the Money, starting with the title song of that album as he asks “her to just show me love”. He determines that he feels like he is “Drunk Half the Time” from his baby that “has lips that taste like cherry wine”.

He ends the album with the gospel blues of “Heal My Soul” from Memphis Song. This is a feel-good song that was cowritten by Mia. The high energy song leads off with Mia’s charged gospel sound and then teaming with Tas in a strong duet with Tas backed by Scott’s driving piano.

If you have never attended a Tas Cru concert, you should know that this album and what you hear from Tas in concert is more on the funk and gospel side of music, definitely not hard rock album. The band is top notch with Mia’s strong backing vocals on every cut and Phil’s steady drumming that keeps the songs moving without overstepping the other musicians. In all this is an excellent album, well worth your time and certainly indicative of what you would hear at his concerts. But you should know that if you go looking for this album, Tas has said that at present CD’s and vinyl are only being sold at his concert venues. The full release of the album is not anticipated until September.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Steve Howell & The Mighty Men –99 1/2 Won’t Do

Out of the Past Music

www.stevehowell.ws

10 tracks – 41 minutes

Steve Howell says his great revelation in playing music came in 1965 at age 13 when he first heard Mississippi John Hurt’s fingerpicking country blues. That spun him into the music of other blues legends such as Blind Willie McTell, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Son House and a host of other black acoustic guitarists and vocalists. Steve was born in Marshall, Texas where he also now resides. A stint in the US Navy in the early 1970’s led his being stationed in South Wales, where he got engaged in the British acoustic folk scene and started playing in the local folk music clubs.

He has released many albums in the years since with a shifting focus on blues and jazz. As can be quickly determined from the name of his label, his interest is in the music of the past. Steve’s focus is to bring songs from the past forward to present to a new audience and perhaps to bring memories to older listeners. But he shifts the songs to have a modern sound and relevance. Past albums have featured primarily the blues or jazz, but with this album he strides across several genres including gospel, pop and soul while still providing touches of the blues to each song.

Steve has been performing with his band, The Mighty Men, for over 30 years. Steve plays acoustic and electric guitar and provides the vocals. Jason Weinheimer who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas plays the bass and keyboards. He also produced, recorded, mixed and mastered the album. Chris Michaels provides additional electric guitar and Dave Hoffpauir plays drums. Both Chris and Dave are from Shreveport, Louisiana originally, but Dave moved to Little Rock in 1992. All three of the band members have multiple involvements in other bands. Jason, Chris, and Dave teamed with Jim Dickinson for a project that was recorded but has never been released. Jason worked closely with Jim on the production of albums and considers Jim his studio mentor.

Betty James’ 1961 soul song “I’m A Little Mixed Up”, which was later covered by Koko Taylor kicks things off. Steve ‘s smooth delivery and some interesting guitar work gives the song a different direction from the earlier interpretations. The title song, “99 1/2 Won’t Do” was originally released in 1949 as a gospel song by Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Here Steve converts the song into a slow blues shuffle as he sings “70 won’t make it, 80 God won’t take it, 90 that’s close, 99 1/2 that’s almost, but you’ve got to have a 100” in making a commitment to do good. Steve next moves into the 1960’s with an instrumental version of Scott McKenzie’s counter-culture song that called all young people to come to “San Francisco” as a promotion to the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival.

An instrumental version of The Animal’s 1965 hit “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and was initially sung by Nina Simone in 1964 follows. Little Willie John’s 1956 “Talk to Me, Talk to Me” is a slow and soulful call to the dance floor. Doug Sahm recorded a successful version of the song in 1989. The traditional gospel song “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” has been recorded many times over the years as country, folk, alternative rock, electronic and even black metal by artists ranging from Odetta, Johnny Cash, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Nick Cave. Steve adds some swing to the standard gospel sound.

Charlie Rich first recorded his country hit “Who Will the Next Fool Be?” in 1961. It has also been covered by Bobby “Blue” Band and Jerry Lee Lewis. Steve also converts this song into a slow blues. “Stone Pony Blues” was originally recorded by Charlie Patton in 1929 as just “Pony Blues” but was not released until 1934 when it was re-recorded using the current title. Steve gives it a modern update.

The album concludes with two more instrumentals. The first comes from the 1966 pop song, “Walk Away Renee” recorded by The Left Banke, which is given another quiet, smooth guitar delivery. The Shadows 1966 rock instrumental hit, “Apache”, was first recorded in 1960 by Bert Weedon and was later also recorded by The Ventures. Steve picked this as a tribute to the era of rock instrumentals that was utilized as the sounds of the “spaghetti westerns” that were hit movies in that period.

Steve continues to surprise with his selection of songs. If you are expecting a major dynamic performance, then you are not understanding Steve’s direction. As indicated throughout this review, Steve and The Mighty Men deliver some excellent, albeit quiet, and smooth guitar work with some vocals on some songs that may be lost in current times. Steve’s vocals may sound slightly strained, but his delivery is such that they are certainly passable and suited to the songs he has selected.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.