Cover photo by Bob Kieser © 2015 Blues Blast Magazine
In This Issue
Mark Thompson has our feature interview with Blues Blast Music Award nominee, Josh Hoyer.
We have 13 reviews for you including reviews of new music from Low Society, Josh Hoyer And The Shadowboxers, The Sidney Green Street Band, Moondog Medicine Show, Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King, The Chris O’Leary Band, Tommy Cox, Rita Engedalen, Howard Glazer, Lisa Mills, Fathead, Dave Ray and Mick Kidd.
We have the latest in Blues Society news from around the globe. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
From The Editor’s Desk
Hey Blues Fans,
I wanted to remind you that we still have some of the new Blues Blast Magazine t-shirts available as low as $12 and FREE shipping until the end of February. So show your support for Blues Blast Magazine and get yourself one.
We have lots of sizes available, some in long sleeve, plus we also have ladies sizes to fit the stylish Blues woman! To get yours now, Click Here.
Also we want to announce we will be starting up our Blues Blast Overdose issue again starting with the last issue in February. Each month we will be offering free downloadable tracks from Blues artists everywhere.
If you band has a track that you would like to offer to Blues Blast readers, please check out the details at http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/have-your-music-included-in-blues-overdose/. Then drop us a line to tell us what you got!
Wishing you health, happiness and lots of Blues music!
Bob Kieser
Featured Blues Review – 1 of 13
Low Society – You Can’t Keep A Good Woman Down
Icehouse Records
www.screaminblues.com
12 songs time-56:20
Controlled chaos in the hands of the right people can be a glorious thing to behold. These are definitely the right people. The main perpetrators here are Mandy Lemons on raging vocals and Sturgis Nikides providing the guitars that come at you from all directions. Nick Dodson provides the bass and Mike “Drummerlife” Munn the drums and percussion. His busy cymbal work is refreshing. Other musicians contribute keyboards, saxophone, accordion and harmonica as needed. The music they present here is a concoction of rock, blues, R&B, roots, Memphis rock n’ soul, etc…All served up with attitude. Ten originals and tw0 covers are all given the Low Society once over.
Slide guitar “as slippery as deer guts on a door knob” lead into Mandy’s take charge guttural vocals, as you are rudely awakened by the joyful noise of “Crammed And Jammed”. This is a pummeling of the best kind. Koko Taylor’s “Voodoo Woman” is also spearheaded by raucous slide work. The vocal is urgent and over-the-top. Dr. Herman Green, who has played with B.B. King and Lionel Hampton, delivers some tasty saxophone. With Mandy’s brazen vocal delivery you get a picture in your head of her maniacally stalking the stage.
The dramatic reading of “Need Your Love” sounds like it could have come from the movie “Cabaret”. Rick Steff’s accordion lends a bit of “oom-pah-pah” atmosphere. Greasy Memphis funk is the stuff that “Son House Says” is made of. Organ chords washing under some gritty guitar supports the strutting vocal. The title track throttles the point home as slide guitar and piano battle it out. A slow and moody intro leads into “This Heart Of Mine”. Mandy pleads her case with a deeply soulful and heartfelt vocal performance.
Strugis Nikides’ slide gets all jumpy and melodic on the upbeat “Up In Your Grave”, although the lyrics are threatening. The band handles Memphis Minnie’s “Let Me Ride” as a “Sunday go to meeting” religious rant. It includes a male answer vocal and nifty piano and acoustic slide guitar. Shuffling snare drums move the down-on-my-luck “No Money Down”. Mandy gets righteous from her pulpit on the hard charging “You Got A Right”.
Our girl sounds possessed on the atmospheric “El Diablo”. The sole accompaniment here is acoustic guitar and spare percussion. Mandy repents on “Should’ve Known Better> Her vocal reeks of sincerity. Organ and saxophone are added to the stew.
After a listen you know you have experienced something very special and energizing. Mandy is the obvious vocal point, but when mixed with the manic slide guitars and rhythm section an unstoppable force is created. Nothing is held back here. Mandy’s voice and delivery are something to behold. It’s the tough girl vibe, but there is more at work here. The lyrics come from a real place. When Mandy leaves your CD player there is no question she was there.
Don’t take my word for it, pick this puppy up and make a believer out of yourself. You can thank me later.
Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.
Featured Blues Interview – Josh Hoyer
It was John Lee Hooker who sang, “It’s in him and it’s got to come out”. That memorable phrase has been uttered countless times – and certainly serves as an appropriate starting point when talking about singer, songwriter, musician and bandleader Josh Hoyer.
His self-titled debut recording with his band, the Shadowboxers, received critical acclaim in addition to a nomination for a 2014 Blues Blast Music Award nomination in the New Artist Debut Album category.
Hoyer’s story starts when at early age. At the ripe old of four, he participated in a talent show at the high school where his father was teaching, singing John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good”. That experience was the start of his musical journey that continued with singing in the church choir. During fifth grade, all of the students got to try out different instruments. The staff determined that Hoyer was best suited for the trombone but he only had eyes for the saxophone. His stubborn nature won out and he played sax and sang all the way through high school.
“I was in show choirs in junior high and planned to continue that in high school. But a teacher there, Tim Sharer, noticed that I had a really good ear, good pitch and the ability to improvise, so he put me in the Jazz choir. I wasn’t real happy about it at first but grew to love it. Up until then I was singing what everyone else was singing on the sheet music. It was a pivotal moment because it helped me cultivate my own voice and ideas through improvisation. It really broadened my horizons and I am thankful that he noticed that ability in me.”
After a short attempt at college, Hoyer began checking out shows at the Zoo Bar, the famous club that is a home for roots music in Lincoln, Nebraska. Not old enough to get in, he would hang out in the back alley listening to music through the vent. One of his favorite musicians was organ player Ron Levy. “He was the guy I always wanted to come & see. He was super funky – great songs and really original ideas. I was also a big fan of Medeski, Martin & Woods.”
At the same time, Hoyer started listening to a lot of jazz records, leading him to pick-up the sax again. “I started over from scratch without sheet music, playing by ear & trying to figure out what I was hearing.”
The urge to roam prompted Hoyer to leave Lincoln and travel the country, eventually settling in Oregon. Finding it hard to lead a band while playing his sax, he had begun teaching himself how to play keyboards on an old Roland synthesizer he purchased, figuring out to get the sounds he was searching for.
“I‘d write chords, melodies, and bass lines, then my buddies would play them. I was fortunate to know people that were willing to play my ideas and help me learn how to write songs.”
Next up was a stop in New Orleans, which was a breath of fresh air.
“That music scene really turned me on! Music is life and everything down there is based on music. I felt at home there, more than I ever did in Nebraska. I was very excited about my music.”
Always a hard worker, he would get up early in the morning and work all day in the heat at landscape maintenance – “a glorified lawnmower” – and then spend his evenings hitting club after club. But a falling-out with his roommates over a brawl in the middle of the night ended his stay.
“They broke my bed, and under the bed was my saxophone which got smashed. I said screw you, I’m going home. So I left & went back to Lincoln. Good things have happened since I came home but I’ve always wondered what might have happened if I had stayed in New Orleans. I sure loved it there.”
Back in Lincoln, Hoyer became a fixture at several weekly blues jams, playing regularly with Magic Slim and his bass-playing brother, Nick Holt. In 2003, he took his sax on the road with singer E.C. Scott.
“That was a learning experience. She is a phenomenal bandleader and ran a tight ship. She got the sound she wanted while treating the band members with respect. There was no messing with that. If she wanted you to play a certain lick, that is what you were going to play or else you can catch the bus home. As an independent artist, she managed herself. No record label, no booking agent – she inspired me and showed me what it took to be make a band successful.”
Hoyer also learned that he has a hard time taking orders and, when his head was filled with his own ideas, he returned yet again to Lincoln to form his own band. His first project was Electric Soul Method, a collection of some of the best local players. The band did one record, winning local awards for Best Artist and Best Album. But the highlights did not last very long.
“It was a fun project. But it fizzled out because it was filled with bandleaders who also didn’t want to be told what to do. The bass player left to form a band. The piano player moved to New York & is currently touring with Lenny Kravitz. The band had lots of talent but I learned that there can only be one cook in the kitchen. Otherwise nothing is going to happen.”
“Then I started the Sons of 76. That was a dark period in my life. I became introverted and wanted to tell more stories. It had an Americana sound with some New Orleans and rock flavors. I did three records for that band, which also won some local awards.
But we never made people very happy. They would come to hear us on a Friday night and would leave saying you guys sound great but, now I’m depressed! After a while I started to see that.
Magic Slim had always told me that the music business is not about you, it’s about the people that paid to see you. When you see them happy & dancing, that’s the kind of music you want to play.”
“That tied into what I experienced in New Orleans, when people got together and had a good time, the music was something really powerful. So I decided to go back to playing dance music, soul & funk music with some horns.
So we put the Shadowboxers together just two years ago and, man, things just took off for us! It is a very positive, uplifting experience at our shows. I have redefined my job description over the last couple years. There is enough sadness in the world. We can talk about it lyrically but it doesn’t have to sound depressing. I want to lift people up.
The leader plays keyboards, clarinet and baritone sax and uses his powerful voice to bring life to his lyrics. The Shadowboxers include Benny Kushner on guitar, Justin Jones on drums & percussion, Josh Dargar on bass, Mike Dee on sax, and Tommy Van Den Berg on trombone. Hanna Bendler, Kim Moser, and Megan Spain provide backing vocals on the band’s recordings and some live shows. Brian Morrow plays flute on the latest recording.
Hoyer’s influences include Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, and the funky side of Etta James. Listening to their music, he would often be moved to dance, throwing his arms around like he was boxing,
“I would get ready for the day. I am going to conquer the day. Today is my day & I’m going to go out and get what I need to get. I love that feeling of empowerment that music can give you. It also relates to our need to box away at the shadows, the fears and doubts that prevent us from being the best person we can be.”
Despite learning many valuable lessons from the many blues players he encountered, Hoyer never really felt at home with the music, preferring the sounds of soul and jazz that inspired him. But no matter what music he is playing, the bandleader knows the importance of building strong relationships that can withstand the pull of egos, long stretches on the road, and the constant financial strain of playing music for a living.
“Everyone’s motivation has to be in the right place. I try to stay away from people that are all about themselves, people who have a need to show off. The music has a lot more strength when we are all together.
It’s important to me to take care of the guys in the band, especially now that we are getting out on the road more. When we play at a club, they want us back. But it is tough right now to get your foot in the door. I booked bands at the Zoo Bar so I have experience on that side. It is tough for a club struggling to make ends meet week to week to take a chance on a new band, to pay them enough money to make it worthwhile to drive 500 miles for the gig.”
“But we aren’t owed anything as musicians. You have to earn it. If your music is strong, you perform it well and you connect with the audience, then you are earning your money. Some bands have some unrealistic expectations. But it’s tough times whether you are working as a mechanic or a nurse or a musician.
You have to give someone a product they can sell at their club. I feel I owe the club something and need to do right by them.”
The reality of tour finances has been weighing on Hoyer as the Shadowboxers prepare to hit the road to support their new release, Living By The Minute, on Silver Streak Records. The various dates scheduled only offer enough guaranteed money to cover less than a third of the projected expenses for the trip. Only two clubs are covering hotel rooms for the band, which means Hoyer has to pick up the tab for housing for the other five members of the Shadowboxers the other nights.
“We do real well locally, so we save money. The corporate gigs help out. But we set money aside just like everyone else in any other business. We just hope we can open some more doors.
Charlie Hull is the primary force at Silver Streak records. He developed successful campaigns for Red Bull and Adidas that focused on youth marketing and branding. Also a music lover, Hull decided to get into the business and is a big supporter of the band. Hoyer appreciates being relieved of some responsibilities regarding promotion, registering music, and maintaining a strong web presence.
“I still do the booking, the management and songwriting. It has given me more free time but not enough yet. I am a stay-at-home Dad with a one year old and a five year old that I take to school every day I am home. I have a great support system here with my parents, my wife and her folks.
They try to give me time to write. I hope that when we get back from this tour I’ll be able to get the latest batch of ideas out. Booking & management can take thirty hours a week. I’d love to have that time to focus on the art form. So we are going out there to earn that time!”
Monterey International booked the upcoming tour dates. The company regards the band as an emerging artist and will be monitoring their progress carefully. Hoyer says that the Monterey staff was blown away by how far the band had come in two years. While Hoyer is booking the band now, if the progression continues this year, Monterey may step in and give Hoyer those extra hours for songwriting.
“My songs have strong grooves. Lyrically, I like writers like Bob Dylan that talk about real shit. I try not to be too heavy. One strength of music is the opportunity to address issues that you can’t address in any other social platform. I don’t want to be preacher – but I also don’t want my songs to be about nothing.
Blues has been a music where the honesty always comes out. I learned about the concept of space from listening to Miles Davis – that what you don’t play is almost more important than what you do play. And John Coltrane was constantly searching for that right note that would elevate the listener. I strive for that kind of tenacity.”
To see a video of Josh Hoyer’s performance at the 2014 Blues Blast Music Awards,CLICK HERE.
Visit Josh’s website at http://joshhoyerandtheshadowboxers.com/
Photos by Bob Kieser © 2015 Blues Blast Magazine
Interviewer Mark Thompson lives in Florida, where he is enjoying life without snow. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Suncoast Blues Society and the past president of the Crossroads Blues Society of Northern Illinois. Music has been a huge part of his life for the past fifty years – just ask his wife!
Featured Blues Review – 2 of 13
Josh Hoyer And The Shadowboxers – Living By The Minute
10 songs – 57 minutes
Silver Street Records
www.joshhoyerandtheshadowboxers.com
The winters are long, cold and brutal in the Midwest, but Josh Hoyer And The Shadowboxers are doing their best to heat things up for anyone with courage enough to venture out and catch their red-hot blend of blues, soul and jazz.
Hoyer was a nominee for Best New Artist at last year’s Blues Blast Awards. He and his tight ensemble emerged from the Plains two years ago at the Las Vegas Blues and Rhythm Revival festival at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, and they’ve been burning a path wherever they’ve gone since, performing original music that’s hints of sounds of the past while delivering a message of social consciousness.
A Nebraska native who works out of a home base in Lincoln, Hoyer’s musical journey includes several years on the road in the Pacific Northwest, a long stint in New Orleans, where he developed his chops, and a return home, where he spent years working with the homeless and acquired a different outlook on the world, complete with all of its joys and blemishes. His musical influences range from John Coltrane and Miles Davis to Ray Charles, James Brown and Otis Redding. A family man, he took a leap of faith not long ago and started hitting the road fulltime.
In their full alignment, the Shadowboxers are a throwback to the past: a full band complete with horn section and backup singers. A strong tenor vocally, Hoyer doubles on keyboards and saxophone as he fronts the group for their second release, a follow-up to last year’s self-titled debut album. Josh wrote and produced all the material you’ll hear here. Benny Kushner, who’s toured with The Millions and the Mescal Brothers, handles guitar, backed by a rhythm section of veteran road warrior Justin G. Jones on drums and 19-year-old phenom Joshua Barger on bass. Sax player Mike Dee and trombonist Tommy Van Den Berg round out the sound, aided by vocalists Hanna Bendler, Kim Moser and Megan Spain. Brian Morrow sits in on flute for this session.
The soulful “Living By The Minute,” a jazz-tinged statement about living from check to check, kicks off the disc with a complaint that most working folks can relate to: Not having enough time for the woman who holds down the top spot in your heart and thoughts. The horn- and organ-driven “Misfit Children” is a hard-hitting funk with jazz overtones about folks turning a blind eye to suffering. Hoyer’s vow is to keep working forward as he urges society to compromise despite their differences and make the right choices. The theme about social inequity continues for the minor-key “Over The City.” The city looks peaceful from a distance, but teams with problems on closer inspection.
“I write about what I think about and see in the world,” Josh says. “Not all of that is happy…but the groove is!”
That’s true about the next tune — “A Man Who Believes His Own Lies” – too, as Hoyer and his backup singers trade riffs as he vows to love his woman longer and stronger after hurting her in some unspoken way. It’s an upbeat pleaser that swings from the jump and remains full of hope despite the theme. The pace heats up for “Let It Out,” a rapid-fire lesson to take a lesson from the rock-‘in’-roll generation and release your frustrations, and then slows down dramatically again for “The First One,” a straight-ahead love song that’s a cross between Macon and Memphis soul. Hoyer’s relaxed delivery powers the number and allows him the opportunity to show his vocal prowess full-force, aided by a sensual sax solo.
The hard-driving “Real Time” is an observation about people losing grip on doing their best as they struggle and toil through the day. The horn section gets to step out mid-song. A staccato rhythm kicks off “11:11 333,” the message of which has spiritual significance. Living in 333 synthesizes mind, body and spirit with angels loving, surrounding and protecting you, while 11:11 signifies a conscious spiritual journey in which you’re aware of things in your life that others dismiss. “Blood And Bone,” a tune about living together, and “Don’t Turn Away,” a message to be responsible in the choices you make because they’ll affect your children.
It’s not old-school Memphis, Detroit or Chicago, but modern soul blues for modern times. Hoyer delivers on all counts: Fresh tunes, solid rhythms and a message worthy of being heard.
Reviewer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. 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.
Featured Blues Review – 3 of 13
The Sidney Green Street Band – SGSB
Self Release
www.reverbnation.com/thesidneygreenstreetband
11 tracks / 51:08
The Sidney Green Street band is promoted as a New Jersey bar band, but don’t let that description fool you into thinking they are amateurs – these guys are the real deal. But you do not have to travel to the Garden State to appreciate their brand of blues-rock, as they have recently issued their sophomore CD, SGSB.
Though they have only put out two albums, this quartet has more than enough experience to get the job done no matter where they are playing. Lance Doss (guitar and vocals) toured the world for over six years with John Cale, and guitarist Justin Jordan has over 20 years of professional experience, touring and appearing with artists as diverse as Sean Fleming, Shirley Allston Reeves and Gary US Bonds. Bassist Paul Page toured with John Cale too, and appeared with some really cool acts including Dion, Popa Chubby, Gary US Bonds, Bo Diddley, Del Shannon and Ben E. King. And rounding out the group is drummer Steve Holley whose resume includes work with Paul McCartney, Joe Cocker, and Chuck Berry to name a few.
The Sidney Green Street Band has a few things going for it that most North Jersey bar bands do not, and the first thing is original material: Lance wrote all eleven guitar-heavy tracks for this album. Another plus is a high level of musical ability, and the last piece is their take on Southern blues-rock. Apparently, Doss picked up a good dose of this from his home state of Alabama, but their vibe is still original with just a touch of Skynyrd here and there.
The band took a chance by opening the set with a slow song, “Bye, Bye, Bye,” but this burning rocker paid off for them. Jordan and Doss’ smoking hot guitars are run in stereo and Lance knocks the vocals out with his diverse style, which can be described as a rough on one side and smooth on the other — kind of like a sheet of A-C plywood! This leads into the almost-pop “Sadie,” a play on the original Sadie Hawkins story as introduced in the Li’l Abner comic strip back in 1937 (in case you were wondering).
This change of genres is not unusual for the Sidney Green Street Band. “Some Things Ain’t Never Gonna Change” is a soft rock tune, but with hard hitting rhythm guitar work over the awesome backline of Page and Holley. It has a few unique guitar breaks, including a standalone dry solo and a heavily processed Wah pedal solo. Also, the modern boogie of “Number” is a jaw-dropping bit of guitar fun.
There are also a few standout tracks on the album that should be pointed out. The first is “Divine,” which has a catchy hook and an acoustic rock foundation. It shows mature songwriting, though it is uncertain if comparing your lady to a “good Southern Whiskey” will get you in her good graces. Doss’ voice is in fine form here with a surplus of emotion, and his harmonies with the other members are spot on. The other winner track is the country rocker, “Payin’ the Price” which is carried by its clever lyrics, an infectious rhythm guitar line, and some truly tasteful solo work.
The album ends with a really cool tune, “Consumer,” which has a lot going on. The rhythm section builds a sweet Boz Scaggs riff on the bottom, there is a smoking twin guitar attack on top, and a fun vocal history cuts through the middle. This track would be a good set-closer, and that is exactly what the band does with it on this disc.
The Sidney Green Street Band’s new album is a solid collection of original blues-rock with a Southern flavor. If you are a fan of heavy guitar blues with a killer beat this will be your cup of tea. And if you ever find yourself on US 46 between the Del Water Gap and NYC, make sure you stop in at the Great Neck Inn – they might just be on stage!
Reviewer Rex Bartholomew is a Los Angeles-based writer and musician; his blog can be found at http://rexbass.blogspot.com
Featured Blues Review – 4 of 13
Moondog Medicine Show – Let It Go
Self Release
10 tracks; 36 minutes
www.moondogmedicineshow.com
Moondog Medicine Show is a band from Western Maryland and consists of Lana Spence (vocals) Joel Newman (guitar, backing vocals), Keith Sylvester (bass, backing vocals) and Danny Tait (drums). The band’s second album is now out on the Vizzable label, the new sub-division of Vizztone and on it they are joined by Jeremy Leber on keys, Tom Crawford on sax on two tracks and “Fast” Eddie Galvin on one. All the material here is original apart from two tracks and is mainly in the blues-rock area. Lana’s strong voice at times recalls Janis Joplin but she has a wider range, as can be seen on a tune like Roquel ‘Billy’ Davis’ 1961 song “Seven Day Fool” which blends some surf guitar with a fast rhumba rhythm to good effect.
The album opens with some stonking sax and rocking piano over a strong riff as Lana tackles Memphis Minnie’s “Hot Stuff”. Joel’s solo takes an oblique line to the main riff and the band add to the chorus enthusiastically to make a great opener. “She Wears Trouble (Like A Crown)” is based round a wah-wah riff and a powerhouse rhythm section which give Lana ample space for her powerful vocals. Title cut “Let It Go” opens with slide guitar, Lana entering in storming style, the rest of the band joining in gradually as the song gathers pace. Bluesy slide is also at the base of “Desire”, Lana adopting a gentler style as she beseeches her lover to “put out my fire, as you’re my desire”. Arguably the strongest song on the album is “How I Love Ya’” with its hard rocking rhythm and rousing chorus: “the day will come when you will see the light, yes you will. You’ve got to pick yourself up, it’s your destiny”. A fine sax solo is the icing on this particular cake.
The aforementioned “Seven Day Fool” is followed by what might be seen as an interval, a short instrumental entitled “Tirer Le Blues” in which Joel shows us his ability on the acoustic with just a little support from the rhythm section – though why the title is in French is hard to imagine! Next up is the more orthodox blues-rock of “Mama”, organ adding additional support. “It’s All Good” drops the pace as Joel switches back to acoustic slide for a duet with Lana’s powerful voice. The band is joined by Eddie Galvin’s harp for the closing track “The Day After Yesterday” on which the Joplin vocal comparisons are particularly in evidence.
This is an enjoyable CD mainly in blues-rock style so if that is your enthusiasm, you should definitely check this one out.
Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK who enjoys a wide variety of blues and roots music, especially anything in the ‘soul/blues’ category. Favorites include contemporary artists such as Curtis Salgado, Tad Robinson, Albert Castiglia and Doug Deming and classic artists including Bobby Bland, Howling Wolf and the three ‘Kings’. He gets over to the States as often as he can to see live blues.
Featured Blues Review – 5 of 13
Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King – Fat Man’s Shine Parlor
Blind Pig Records – 2015
www.smokinjoekubek.com
12 tracks; 48 minutes
Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King return to Blind Pig after a gap of nine years in which time they have released four albums, two on Alligator, two on Delta Groove. Named after a store in a disreputable part of Dallas, the new album finds Kubek and King doing what they do best, rocking out in Texas roadhouse style on a series of tough blues, boogies and rockers. All the material here is original with Steve Hecht aiding on one song. The band is Joe and Bnois on guitars, Sheila Klinefelter on bass, Eric Smith on drums and Kim LaFleur who adds yet more guitar to three tracks. Bnois, as usual, handles all the vocals in his distinctive style. Joe produced the album which was recorded and mixed right at home in Dallas, Texas.
The album opens with a trademark boogie, Bnois singing of how he “Got my heart broken” by a girl. However, we soon learn that this is far from an unusual event: “I wish I could say this time was my last but I can’t be sure, judging by my past. I get so turned on it feels just like magic, but if I get caught the ending could be tragic.” The twin guitars intermesh excitingly to give us a great start to the album. Big fat chords open “Cornbread” which extols the virtues of that great southern accompaniment, Bnois assuring anyone unfamiliar with the delicacy that they are missing out. Kim’s additional guitar provides a sound that is almost like keyboards to this cut. “Diamond Eyes” drops the pace on a mid-paced ballad which Bnois sings really well and the two guitars play off each other superbly. “Crash And Burn” is extremely catchy as the guitars again interact over Sheila’s rumbling bass, Bnois taking a nimble plucked solo; “River Of Whiskey” finds Joe on slide adding a touch of country to the tune.
Some great guitar from Joe introduces the bluesy “Don’t Want To Be Alone” which has an attractive lilt to the tune and an outstanding solo with lots of sustain. Steve Hecht is credited alongside Joe and Bnois on “Brown Bomba Mojo” which has a long instrumental intro before Bnois enters on vocals – lots of fun guitar to enjoy on this one, from catchy rhythm work to leads from the two guitarists that range from delicate picking to amped up rock. “How Much” finds Bnois objecting to the costs of everyday living for the travelling musician, from cab fares to excess baggage charges for transporting guitars. Musically this is a solid shuffle with drummer Eric right in the pocket, another good track. Some echoey guitar introduces another tale of lust and infidelity as Bnois confesses that he cannot be satisfied by “One Girl By My Side” – “the magic disappears however hard I try”. “Lone Star Lap Dance” is aptly named as the band shuffles along in support of some light picking that sounds a little like a lap steel guitar, followed by some fine, stinging guitar in the main solo to provide another highlight. Bnois returns to that familiar theme of infidelity in the classic slow blues “Done Got Caught Blues”. Bnois sings of getting caught “with my pants down” as Joe emotes on guitar between the verses and Bnois finds some jazzy chords to support him. That style of guitar duetting is typical of Joe and Bnois and this is one of the best examples. Bnois’ vocals are slightly distorted and distant on “Headed For Ruin” though the guitars are present and correct, a touch of twang reminding us where the album was recorded.
As one might expect, Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King deliver another solid album with much to enjoy. Long-term fans will lap this one up and the album has enough solid tunes and playing to attract some new fans to the band.
Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK who enjoys a wide variety of blues and roots music, especially anything in the ‘soul/blues’ category. Favorites include contemporary artists such as Curtis Salgado, Tad Robinson, Albert Castiglia and Doug Deming and classic artists including Bobby Bland, Howling Wolf and the three ‘Kings’. He gets over to the States as often as he can to see live blues.
Featured Blues Review – 6 of 13
The Chris O’Leary Band – Live At BLUES NOW!
VizzTone Label Group
http://www.thechrisolearyband.com
CD: 12 Songs; 74:36 Minutes
Styles: Contemporary Electric and Harmonica Blues, Ensemble Blues, Blues Rock
February is the time for the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day, and Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras is fast approaching, and a great way to celebrate it is by grooving to feisty New Orleans blues by New York’s Chris O’Leary Band. According to their promotional info sheet, “In March 2014, the Chris O’Leary Band traveled to Basel, Switzerland to perform at the prestigious BLUES NOW! concert series. Joining the band as a special guest was renowned blues guitarist Alex Schultz. Schultz’s storied musical career includes long associations with blues harmonica players William Clarke, Rod Piazza and Lester Butler….” With that said, Chris O’Leary is destined to join the ranks of these hallowed harp masters. In his band’s concert set of twelve songs – eleven originals and one cover – they set Switzerland’s blues-cravers on fire!
Alongside O’Leary on vocals and harmonica are Chris Vitarello on guitar, Andy Stahl on tenor saxophone, Chris DiFrancesco on baritone sax, Matt Raymond on upright and electric bass, and Jay Devlin on drums. As mentioned earlier, guitarist Alex Schultz lends his electric expertise. Together they play high-voltage ensemble blues that takes no prisoners, powerfully combining the influences of the Windy City, Memphis, and the “Big Easy”. Of their original numbers, these three are proof that worldwide blues fans will love them just as much as the Swiss did.
Track 01: “Give It” – The band’s opener is a gritty blues-rock ballad featuring a shady narrator: “Well, you ain’t got no money. I can’t hold down no job. If you would be my honey, well, I’d beg, steal and rob. Give it to me, baby!” The guitar solo in the middle is a five-alarm inferno, as are Chris O’Leary’s vocals and harmonica.
Track 05: “Water’s Risin’” – BLUES NOW!’s crowd claps along to track five, a warning of stormy weather when it comes to romance: “I hope you can swim, honey – our relationship might sink.” The best part of this song is the infectious background chorus of “Water’s risin’, taking on water….” Once again, the mid-song fretwork is fabulous.
Track 08: “Blues is a Woman” – With a slow-burning, Stevie Ray Vaughan-style guitar intro, number eight is blues as pure as Swiss mountain air. “Blues is a woman, and she don’t mean me no good. She never does like she ought to, no, that woman never does just like she should.” Every concert contains at least one selection that’s perfect for slow dancing, and this is IT.
The band’s promotional material reveals: “Chris O’Leary has put in his time on the front lines – as U.S. Marine Corps infantry squad leader, and seven years as singer, harp player, and front man for Levon Helm’s Barn Burners.”
With its considerable instrumental talent, vivacious energy, and award credentials, this terrific ensemble will make Mardi Gras last all year long!
Reviewer Rainey Wetnight is a 35 year old female Blues fan. She brings the perspective of a younger blues fan to reviews. A child of 1980s music, she was strongly influenced by her father’s blues music collection.
Featured Blues Review – 7 of 13
Tommy Cox – Acoustic Blues
www.artistecard.com/tommycoxjr
http://www.reverbnation.com/tommycoxjr
Self release
10 songs – 31 minutes
Lynchburg, Virgina-based Tommy Cox started on the blues scene in 1992 with the blues trio Tommy C and The Blue Hounds, who released one album, Blues in B-Town, and toured across the South-Eastern US. These days, Cox still plays electric blues in the Tommy C Band, but he also plays traditional acoustic country blues, in a solo, duo or trio format, with Tommy C’s Delta Blues Revue.
Cox has now released Acoustic Blues, a collection of ten all-original songs that does exactly what it says on the tin. Something of a master class in country blues styles, Cox has a strong affinity for both Delta-style blues, as on the opening track, “Buggin’ Me”, where the walking bass is reminiscent of a modern day Willie Brown, or the thumping , Patton-like “Truth Blues”, as well as the Piedmont blues of Blind Boy Fuller and the Reverend Gary Davis, with the complex alternating thumb-picking of “Too Many Mules Kicking In Your Stall”. It is apparent throughout the album that Cox has a authentically solid sound and technique, whether strumming, finger-picking or playing bottleneck on the likes of “Sinking Down” and the Blind Blake-esque “Brand New Pair Of Shoes”.
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