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4 ISSUE 144 : BLUESMATTERS.COM

ELCOME 

KAI STRAUSS 

TENBY BLUES FESTIVAL 

SIEGAL & MASTRO 

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WITH SOUL AND STYLE 

AN INTERVIEW WITH KAI STRAUSS 

In the world of modern blues, few artists embody the genre’s timeless spirit 

quite like Kai Strauss. A torchbearer for authentic electric blues, Strauss has 

spent decades honing his craft, blending fiery guitar work with heartfelt vocals 

and an undeniable stage presence. 


Supplied 

Whether channelling the gritty essence of 

Chicago blues or infusing his own German 

roots into the music, Strauss has earned 

a reputation as a dedicated musician who 

bridges tradition and innovation. Blues matters 

caught up with Kai to discuss his journey, 

his influences, and his newest release Wailin’ 

In Vienna. 

A TEENAGE SPARK 

Born in the 1970s, Strauss found his passion 

for music during his teenage years in 

the 1980s, when musicians were idolised as 

modern superheroes. “I guess that’s why I 

wanted to be one,” Strauss says with a chuckle, 

admitting he later realised the su-perhero 

glamour doesn’t quite reflect the musician’s 

life! Still, he’s deeply content: “I’m happy. It’s 

a good life. I do what I love to do.” His first 

encounter with the guitar came at age 11, 

starting with simple tunes on a nylon-string 

acoustic guitar. Strauss fondly recalls, “It was 

just children’s songs and later some Cat Stevens. 

Just strum-ming parts, that’s what we 

did.” Though he didn’t come from a musical 

family, he credits his mother for nurturing his 

early love for music. “She loved to dance and 

en-joyed music, and her enthusiasm left a 

lasting impression”. 

DISCOVERING THE BLUES 

Formal lessons at a local music school laid 

the groundwork for Strauss’s early skills. By 

his mid-teens, however, his heart was set on 

the blues, driven by a fascination with Stevie 

Ray Vaughan and Muddy Waters. “I wasn’t 

the best student; all I wanted to learn was 

how to play like Stevie Ray or Muddy.” Much 

of his education came through self-teaching, 

jamming with local musicians, and poring 

over records. “I wasn’t into jazz chords or 

rock songs, I just wanted to learn those classic 

blues riffs.” 

BUILDING A CAREER 

At 17, Strauss joined his first band under a 

local musician named Martin. They played 

a mix of blues rock, Hendrix covers, and original 

songs. “Martin would pick me up for rehearsals 

because I didn’t even have a driver’s 

license yet.” A year later, Strauss formed his 

own band, eager to explore a more traditional 

blues sound. 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Strauss 

became a regular at a weekly blues jam 

session in Osnabrück, a city near his hometown. 

“It was amazing, there was no inter-net 

then, so these jams introduced me to a whole 

world of blues; players like Pee Wee Crayton, 

Ronnie Earl, and Gatemouth Brown.” 

The Osnabrück scene also pro-vided Strauss 

with opportunities to hone his skills and gain 

stage experience. 

GERMANY’S BLUES SCENE 

THEN AND NOW 

“Back then, there were more clubs, it was 

easier to find places to play during the week. 

Now it’s mostly weekends.” Despite the 

changing landscape, he fondly recalls the 

supportive community of musicians and 

venues that helped him grow. 

Through dedication and a deep love for the 

genre, Kai Strauss has become one of Europe’s 

premier blues guitarists. 

ISSUE 144 : BLUESMATTERS.COM 7

THE BEST ADVICE AND INFLUENCES 

ALONG THE WAY 

Throughout his musical career, Kai Strauss has learned 

much from those around him. When asked about the best 

advice he received, Strauss doesn’t cite a singular piece of 

wisdom but instead reflects on the lasting influence of his 

collaborations, particular-ly with Memo Gonzalez. “Playing 

with Memo for 15 years was incredibly important for 

my growth as both a musician and a stage performer. 

He taught me how to walk on stage with confidence and 

really ‘go for it. Also, I don’t think I would be a professional 

musician without the jam sessions I attended,” he 

admits. He also humorously re-flects that the one piece of 

advice he wishes he’d received earlier was to “start saving 

money for the future”, something he believes would have 

been helpful as he moved forward in his career. 

WHAT THE BLUES MEANS TO KAI STRAUSS 

“It’s the music I love, growing up in Germany in the 1980s, 

blues was an uncommon genre for young people”, but 

Strauss was captivated from the start. “I just fell in love 

with it, even though it wasn’t the music most 13 or 14year 

olds were listening to.” 

However, Strauss is careful not to over-romanticise the 

genre. He recognises that, as a European who grew up in 

a comfortable environment, his relationship to blues is 

different from that of its originators. “I’m a guest in the 

blues culture, I see myself more as a fan playing for other 

fans, rather than as a blues man in the traditional sense. 

THE CHANGING BLUES AUDIENCE 

These days, his crowds tend to be male and mostly fifty 

and older, a trend he be-lieves is tied to the aging of both 

the musicians and their fanbase. “When I first start-ed 

playing, we had younger people in the audience, but I 

think the audience grows older with the band. While the 

blues scene may not attract many young listeners right 

now, as people age and experience life’s challenges, more 

will come to appreciate the depth of the music. At 18, 

you can’t really relate to the pain and heartbreak in blues 

lyrics, but when you’re older, the lyrics hit harder, and I 

think that’s when people dis-cover the blues.” 

THE STRUGGLE TO ATTRACT 

YOUNGER AUDIENCES 

Though Strauss expresses satisfaction with the audiences 

he plays for, he acknowl-edges the challenge of attracting 

younger listeners. “It’s difficult to get young people 

into clubs. Once they’re there, they’ll realise that blues 

isn’t about old men playing sad songs. It can be a great 

time. You must go through sorrow and pain to really under-stand 

blues,” he says. “When you’re young, you think 

you’re invincible. You don’t want to listen to music about 

life’s struggles. But once you get older, the lyrics start to 

resonate.” 

THE CREATION OF WAILIN’ IN VIENNA 

For Kai Strauss, making music is not just about playing 

the guitar, it’s about connect-ing with the right people, 

the right ideas, and finding the right moment. The production 

process for his new album is a perfect example of 

this. According to Strauss, the ini-tial spark for the album 

came from his longtime collaborator, Dani Gugolz, a Swiss 

bassist based in Austria. “Dani had already produced 

some blues sessions in Vienna, and after one of them, I 

mentioned that one day I’d love to record a 50s-style tradi-tional 

blues album. A year later, Dani called me up with 

the perfect opportunity, a five-day window in his studio 

to make the dream a reality”. 

This collaborative spirit formed the backbone of the 

album’s creation. With Dani han-dling much of the logistical 

side, Strauss was able to focus on the music, beginning 

with a series of original songs. He had considered covering 

some classic blues tracks, but soon found himself 

writing so much original material that covers became 

unnec-essary. “I think it was a good thing, because it gave 

me a chance to fully embrace that classic blues sound in 

my own way.” 

A CLASSIC SOUND WITH A MODERN TWIST 

One of the most striking elements of Wailin’ In Vienna, is 

its authenticity. The album is a love letter to the 50s blues 

era, with Strauss drawing on his influences to create 

something that feels familiar but uniquely his own. While 

recording, Strauss and his band aimed for a live feel. 

They recorded most tracks in a home studio with minimal 

overdubs, capturing the raw, organic energy of a live 

performance. 

The results are undeniable. The album’s old-school sound 

is clear, but Strauss em-phasises that there’s no intention 

to mimic the past. “I’m not trying to recreate BB King or 

Muddy Waters; I’m just writing in that style with respect 

for the period.” 

ASSEMBLING THE DREAM TEAM 

Creating a cohesive sound meant bringing in the right 

players. Strauss called upon Rusty Zinn, an American 

guitarist whom he’d previously worked with on other sessions. 

Zinn, known for his soulful playing and deep blues 


“The blues is so wide, there’s everything between the 

fifties and the nineties, and I love all of it. But I want to 

keep my influences separate, there’s no need to mix fifties 

blues with a modern, funky sound. Everything has its time 

and place.” 

As for the future, Strauss hopes to take the album on the 

road, but only if the right opportunity arises. “I wouldn’t 

want to mix my band’s modern style with this 50s project,” 

he says, indicating that, should the right promoters 

be interested, he might as-semble a special tour, featuring 

some of the musicians from the album. 

knowledge, was an obvious choice. “We had a great vibe 

from the start,” says Strauss. 

In addition to Zinn, the album features a range of talented 

musicians from Vienna’s blues scene, many of whom 

Strauss had worked with before. The rhythm section 

was filled out by Peter Muller, a drummer with a home 

studio, and Strauss was also joined by a talented local 

pianist, making for an intimate, collaborative recording 

environ-ment. However, the real magic happened when 

the horns were added. Overdubbed in the U.S., the horns 

added a rich, vintage feel to tracks like Old Fashioned 

Daddy and Let’s Have a Good Time. 

SONGWRITING WITH SOUL 

Strauss’s songwriting process is both simple and deeply 

effective. “It can start with anything; a guitar riff, a melody, 

or just a phrase that sticks with me”. For Old Fashioned 

Daddy, the title came from a phrase that popped 

into his head while he was working on a melody. Using 

his phone to record a basic 12-bar shuffle, Strauss would 

continue to work through the song mentally while doing 

everyday tasks. The process is organic, and while Strauss 

admits that his lyrics are straightforward, they fit the 

tra-ditional blues form perfectly. 

“I don’t write Bob Dylan lyrics,” he jokes, “but the simple 

lyrics about everyday life are exactly what this kind 

of music needs. Why sing about something modern, 

like COVID, when you’re writing 

50s-style blues?” 

A BALANCED APPROACH 

TO BLUES 

Strauss’s latest album is a true 

testament to the depth and diversity 

of the blues, em-bracing the fifties 

traditional sound while remaining 

firmly rooted in his own experi-ence. 

The musicianship, the spirit of collaboration, 

and the raw emotion come 

through in every track. As Strauss 

looks forward, he’s not interested in 

pigeonholing himself into one style. 

For now, Strauss is content knowing that he’s creating the 

kind of music he loves, rooted in tradition, yet distinctly 

his own. And with Wailin’ In Vienna, he’s given listen-ers 

a fresh look at the timeless blues tradition that continues 

to captivate and inspire. 

A EUROPEAN TOUR IN THE WORKS? 

The conversation shifts to talk of future plans, including 

a possible return to the UK. “It’s always tough to make 

it work financially,” Strauss admits. “We had a good tour 

lined up before COVID, but that, of course, changed 

everything. Still, we played some great gigs, like the 

festival in Carlisle. That was a highlight. Other than that, 

there’s nothing on the books for the UK at the moment.” 

However, Strauss remains optimistic about his international 

reach. He is currently working on expanding 

his presence beyond Germany, having already secured 

agents in France, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe. 

“It’s getting more international, but slowly. I think it 

would be easier if I had an American background. Having 

a Ger-man passport sometimes makes things a bit more 

complicated,” he says. 

Despite these challenges, Strauss remains committed to 

growing his international fanbase, and he is looking forward 

to next year’s performances. “The calendar is fill-ing 

up nicely, and even as far ahead as 2026, we’re already 

getting bookings in Ger-many.” 

For further information see website: https://www.kaistrauss.com/english/ 

EXPLORE 

 


SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC NEAR YOU

THE BIG BLUES CHART 

THE TOP 50 BLUES ALBUMS 

POS ARTIST ALBUM LABEL 

#1 RONNIE BAKER BROOKS BLUES IN MY DNA ALLIGATOR RECORDS 

#2 SHEMEKIA COPELAND BLAME IT ON EVE ALLIGATOR RECORDS 

#3 JOVIN WEBB DRIFTER BLIND PIG RECORDS 

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#7 ERIC BIBB IN THE REAL WORLD STONY PLAIN RECORDS 

#8 ALBERT CASTIGLIA RIGHTEOUS SOULS GULF COAST RECORDS 

#9 KEVIN SONNY GULLAGE GO BE FREE BLIND PIG 

#10 CHRIS CAIN GOOD INTENTIONS GONE BAD ALLIGATOR 

#11 KAT RIGGINS & HER BLUES REVIVAL REVIVAL HOUSE OF BERRY PRODUCTIONS 

#12 BRUCE KATZ BAND BACK IN BOSTON LIVE DANCING ROOSTER RECORDS 

#13 VANEESE THOMAS STORIES IN BLUE OVERTON MUSIC 

#14 JIMMY CARPENTER JUST GOT STARTED GULF COAST RECORDS 

#15 TAS CRU BAND LIVE: ALL NATURAL CAGE-FREE... SUBCAT 

#16 BENNY TURNER BT NOLA BLUE RECORDS 

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#23 FRANK CATALANO / LURRIE BELL SET ME FREE CATALANO MUSIC 

#24 MIKEY JUNIOR TRAVELING NORTH 8TH TRAIN RECORDS 

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#26 ZAC HARMON FLOREADA’S BOY CATFOOD RECORDS 

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#28 J.P. REALI BLUES SINCE BIRTH REALI RECORDS 

#29 PIPER AND THE HARD TIMES REVELATION HARD TIMES RECORDS 

#30 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS STRUCK DOWN STONY PLAIN RECORDS 

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The Illustrated Blues Of Brian Kramer 

BANJO MAN- A MUSICAL 

CHILDREN'S BOOK 

When Eric Bibb contacted me this past spring to illustrate 

a kid’s book based on his song Banjo Man, I was overjoyed 

and knew this was a challenge I needed at this time. 

We got to brainstorming and collaborating immediately 

and the relationship was seamless, inspiring, informative, 

and joyful! 

Everything seemed to manifest with a fluid purpose 

beyond the creation. 

Eric wanted to make this a limited edition release at this 

time, simply because we were both so stoked and proud 

of what we created, we just wanted to get it out there to 

share this joy and inspire young (and older) folks. 

If you are a fan of Eric Bibb’s music and vibe as well as my 

art and vibe, this collaboration will have you listening and 

turning back to page one over and over again. 

So, order your copy before they’re gone. 

Lovingly signed by us both. 

NEW! Banjo Man- A musical children’s book 

By Eric Bibb and Brian Kramer. 

Order your limited, signed edition at ericbibb.com 



TENBY BLUES FESTIVAL 

 

Iain Patience Jude Randall 

My first visit to Tenby Blues Festival was a fabulous 

eye-opener. Based in the beautiful Welsh, Pembrokeshire 

coast, the town absolutely resonates with great music 

and a warm, comforting blues vibe for three days with 

music from local and international artists rocking from 

morn till night. 

Kicking off on the first night, US duo Erin Harpe and Jim 

Countryman brought a taste of pure quality old-school 

acoustic blues to the main De Valence Pavillion theatre.. 

A perfect start to the event, this pair have an absolute 

mastery of the old blues with a set featuring music from 

the likes of Memphis Minnie and Sippie Wallace. Harpe’s 

guitar picking is always top-dollar and alongside her partner 

Jim Countryman on Bass Ukulele, the set was a great 

opening reminder of the power and beauty of traditional 

acoustic blues music. 

There then followed an entirely different style and set 

of full-throttle, funky electric blues led by Pat Fulgoni 

and his Blues Experience. With a full-on, five-piece band, 

Fulgoni’s powerful vocal delivery worked wonders as he 

pushed the boat out with a set based on his own compositions 

and a confidence that highlighted this band’s 

importance in the growing blues world in the UK. 

The night was closed by a perennial favourite when Ian 

Siegal took to the stage. Backed by Jonny Henderson on 

keys and Tom Jukes on drums, Siegal was a true showstopper. 

From the moment he stepped on the stage to the 

end of the set, he never put a foot wrong, including his 

dead-pan, drole delivery of sidelines and quips. Basing his 

set around his older material, including ‘Swagger’, Siegal 

was, for me, probably the festival giant. His voice is rich 

and demanding, his own compositions. Invariably commanding 

and his picking more than a match for anyone 

in the blues world today. This was simply a stunning set 

topped off with a quick, jokiily introduced, encore. The 

festival would have been worth attending purely for this 

guy and the opening night’s fabulous range of artists and 

musical styles. 

Saturday saw the opening of the Blues Trail, gigs spread 

across the town at venues including restaurants, hotels 

and halls, featuring a huge variety of musical styles and 

formats from soloists to high-powered seven-piece, 

jazz-infused outfits. In effect, something for everyone 

was available. Dave Thomas turned out a cracking set 

of acoustic, roots music including fine harp and picking. 

His own composition, Repossession Blues’ is little short 

of a classic these days and with a significant history and 

back-catalogue under his belt, he delivered with a shining 

self-assurance and a warmth in a blues trail restaurant 

venue. 

The evening sets included wonderful work from a rootsy 

and funky pairing with Vince Lee and Sophie Lord – a 

neat-rockabilly set at times with great lyricism and vocals 

together with fine musicianship. Followed by one of the 

busiest guys on the UK scene, James Oliver, the night 

was set for success. Oliver is always a delight, his recent 

album, ‘Twang’ resonating throughout the set, his Tele- 


for more as he closed the main stage. 

Meanwhile, a few hundred yards down the road, Andy 

Twyman entertained with his usual deadpan delivery, wit 

and fretwork to the fore. Twyman writes most of his own 

material often peppered with innuendo and humour but 

always coupled with classic acoustic blues picking which 

included his one-string cigar-box routine and an encore 

of deliciously risqué self-penned material. 

With the night reaching a close, another UK favourite 

pairing took the stage. Fran McGillvary and Mike Burke 

need little introduction to UK blues lovers. A pairing that 

fits together like hand and glove after many years on the 

blues circuit, they grabbed the audience from the very 

off, starting out with the perennial favourite ‘Trouble in 

Mind,’ always a winner in my book. 

Sunday, which I sadly missed due to illness and hospitalisation!, 

included the always superb Michael Messer, 

alongside Blockhead Chaz Jankel – a gig I’d been really 

looking forward to catching – The Low Down Dirty Dog 

Blues Band, and a festival closer by Sister Suzie. 

caster mastery and buoyant good humour and wit had 

the packed hall eating out of his substantial hand. 

Not an easy act to follow, US blues-rocker, Hamilton 

Loomis next took up position and carried on pretty much 

where Oliver left-off with an audience happy and hungry 

Organised by Malcolm Cawley and Chris Osborne, Tenby 

Blues Festival is easily in line for the Best Blues Festival in 

UK, for my money. The organisation is seamless and certain, 

the variety of acts just excellent and the location an 

absolute sure-fire winner. The Blues Trail, with free gigs 

rocking all over town is just the topping on the cake. 



WHEN JOHNNY MET IAN 

AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHNNY MASTRO 

Johnny Mastro doesn’t just play the blues—he lives them. As the frontman 

of Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boys, his raw, soul-stirring sound has become a 

mainstay in the blues world, blending gritty harmonica riffs with an electrifying 

stage presence that commands attention. 


Supplied 

Blues legends Ian Siegal and Johnny Mastro have joined 

forces for a collaboration that’s as raw and authentic as 

the genre itself. Their latest album, Easy Tiger, captures 

the essence of their combined artistry, blending soulful 

vocals, gritty harmonica, and storytelling steeped in tradition. 

In this feature, we delve into the stories behind the 

album, the journeys that brought these two powerhouse 

musicians together, and what this collaboration means 

for the future of blues. 

SIEGAL: THE VOICE OF GRIT AND SOUL 

Ian Siegal’s presence on stage is transformative. His 

voice, capable of swinging from a gravelly growl to a 

heartfelt croon, and his guitar playing, dripping with Mississippi 

grit, have made him a standout figure in modern 

blues. Born in the UK, Siegal channels the spirit of the 

Delta in every note, weaving tales of love, loss, and life’s 

raw truths. 

When it comes to songwriting, Siegal embraces a fluid 

and instinctive approach. “Usually, it’s just a phrase. I’ll 

scroll through years’ worth of iPhone notes and find 

something like My Dog Won’t Hunt. All I had was the 

title,” he laughs. For Siegal, lyrics often come first, with 

melodies taking shape later. 

Collaborating with Mastro brought a new dimension to 

his creative process. “Johnny would send me titles, and 

I’d run with them,” he explains. “It’s rarely a musical idea 

unless it’s someone else’s that I latch onto.” 

MASTRO: HARMONICA VIRTUOSO WITH A GRITTY EDGE 

Johnny Mastro’s journey into the blues world was born 

from an innate passion. “I fell in love with the harmonica 

when I was a kid. I didn’t even know why, but I just loved 

it,” he recalls. By the time he was a teenager, Mastro was 

playing in bar bands, but his real transformation came 

when he stumbled upon Babe and Ricky’s Inn, a legendary 

blues venue in Los Angeles. 

Run by the formidable “Mama,” the club became Mastro’s 

home for 16 years. “Mama encouraged me to keep going 

and gave me a platform,” he says. “That’s how my band 

got its name—Mama’s Boys. Without her, I’d probably be 

doing something else.” 

Relocating to New Orleans over a decade ago allowed 

Mastro to immerse himself in the city’s vibrant music 

scene. “Here, there’s a local blues scene where you can 

perform regularly even if you’re not travelling constantly. 

It’s a good balance,” he explains. 

THE BIRTH OF EASY TIGER 

The collaboration between Siegal and Mastro began with 

mutual respect and a shared desire to shake things up. 

“We were both on the same label years ago and crossed 

paths at festivals,” Mastro says. “I’ve always admired Ian’s 

songwriting, his records, and his voice. I thought it would 

be cool to put a driving blues band behind him.” 

Siegal was immediately intrigued, and the two began 

exchanging ideas remotely. “We’d trade riffs, lyrics, and 


concepts through messenger,” Mastro shares. “By the 

time we hit the studio, we had everything we needed.” 

Recording took place in a vintage New Orleans studio 

filled with tube equipment from the 1940s and 50s. “We 

rehearsed for one day and recorded everything over two 

days,” Mastro recalls. “Most of what you hear is live and 

on the floor. It’s raw, it’s honest, and it’s the blues at its 

core.” 

The album’s title, Easy Tiger, came about casually. “It was 

just a note I had for an album title,” Siegal says. “When I 

suggested it, Johnny loved it.” The cover artwork, featuring 

a striking cat, was similarly spontaneous. “Johnny 

showed me a mock-up, and we both agreed it was perfect. 

It reminded me of the giant cat from The Goodies,” Siegal 

adds with a laugh. 

TRACKS THAT TELL STORIES 

The tracks on Easy Tiger showcase the pair’s knack for 

storytelling, blending traditional blues elements with 

fresh perspectives. 

Four on the Floor kicks off the album with a fast boogie. 

“The stop-time breaks give Ian’s vocals room to shine,” 

Mastro says. 

Balling the Jack, inspired by old Southern slang for fast 

trains, shifts tempos mid-track, adding a unique flair. 

Quick to the Gun delivers a poignant critique of America’s 

gun culture. “It’s about the violence here in New 

Orleans,” Mastro explains. “Arguments escalate to shootings 

far too often.” 

Wine Headed revisits a playful blues term from Mastro’s 

earlier band, describing someone who’s had a bit too 

much wine. 

One of the most striking tracks is Whore in Church, 

inspired by a Southern expression Siegal picked up while 

touring with Jimbo Mathus. “It’s stream-of-consciousness 

fun,” Siegal explains. “In Europe, it gets laughs, but in the 

U.S., especially in the South, reactions can be mixed.” 

The Blues: A Changing Landscape 

Both musicians reflect on the state of the blues today, 

recognising its challenges and opportunities. Siegal 

laments the genre’s increasing commercialisation. “It’s 

not a working-class music anymore,” he says. “Unless 

you’ve got money, you can’t afford to promote, record, or 

hire a PR agent.” 

Mastro shares Siegal’s frustrations, adding: “A lot of 

what’s out there feels overly polished. Blues is raw, dark, 

and driving. That’s the spirit I wanted Easy Tiger to capture.” 

Despite the hurdles, both are optimistic about the blues’ 

future. Siegal highlights emerging talents like Jontavious 

Willis and Blind Boy Paxton, who bring fresh energy to 

traditional blues. “Young Black musicians embracing the 

genre again is significant,” he says. “It shows the blues is 

still relevant.” 

BRINGING EASY TIGER TO LIFE 

With the album complete, Siegal and Mastro are gearing 

up for live performances. “We haven’t played these songs 

for an audience yet, but we’re heading to the Netherlands 

for a run of shows,” Mastro says. While UK dates remain 

uncertain due to logistical challenges, the pair are eager 

to bring their collaboration to audiences. “Festivals, 

absolutely,” Siegal says. “If you’re reading this, come and 

get us!” 

For both musicians, the live experience promises to add a 

new dimension to the album. “The songs weren’t written 

with the audience in mind, but they’re built to connect,” 

Mastro explains. “There’s a feelgood 

energy in this album, and I 

think people will respond to it.” 

THE MAGIC OF COLLABORATION 

The seamless chemistry between 

Siegal and Mastro is evident 

throughout the album. “This was 

the easiest album I’ve made,” 

Mastro says. “Ian trusted me to 

mix the record, and everything 

just fell into place.” 

Siegal agrees: “We weren’t trying 

to recreate something or pretend 

to be anything we’re not. This 

album reflects who we are.” 

LOOKING AHEAD 

As Ian Siegal and Johnny Mastro 

continue to blaze their own trails, 

Easy Tiger stands as a testament 

to their shared passion for authentic 

blues. The album’s raw energy, 

heartfelt storytelling, and undeniable 

chemistry make it a must-listen 

for blues fans. 

For Siegal, the journey is about 

balance. “I still love being on stage, 

but I’m ready to slow down,” he says. 

“I want to spend more time at home— 

maybe get some dogs. They deserve 

someone who’s there.” 

As for Mastro, the collaboration has 

reinvigorated his creative spirit. “This 

record is a testament to keeping it 

real,” he says. “It’s organic, it’s honest, 

and it’s from the heart. That’s all I could 

ever ask for.” 


EXPLORE 

 


TOP 5 BLUES 

ALBUMS OF 

2024 

As we look back on 2024, it’s clear that the year has been 

a remarkable one for blues enthusiasts. With fresh talent 

emerging and seasoned artists returning to the forefront, 

the blues scene is alive and kicking. Our team of dedicated 

writers has pored over countless releases, and after 

much debate, we’ve compiled our top picks for the best 

blues albums of the year. Here’s a roundup of the albums 

that left a lasting impression on us and the blues community. 

Compiling our top 5 blues albums of the year was no 

easy feat, especially when our dedicated team of writers 

each brought their own unique perspectives to the table. 

Here’s a breakdown of who championed which albums 

and the reasons behind their choices. 

COLIN CAMPBELL’S PICKS: 

A CELEBRATION OF BLUES ROOTS 

Colin Campbell found himself captivated by Katie Knipp’s 

Me. With her powerful vocals and masterful musicianship, 

Katie’s album struck a chord with Colin, particularly 

for its raw, honest songwriting. Each track offers an emotionally 

rich experience, showcasing Katie’s versatility on 

piano and other instruments. For Colin, this album is an 

essential listen for those who appreciate authenticity and 

soul-stirring blues. 

Another standout for Colin was Rick Estrin & The Nightcats’ 

The Hits Keep Coming. This album, with its blend 

of wit, charm, and infectious rhythms, showcases Rick’s 

ability to breathe new life into modern blues. The playful 

lyrics and captivating melodies made it an easy choice for 

Colin, demonstrating why Estrin continues to be a beloved 

figure in the blues world(Top 5 2024 BM). 

DAVE DURY’S PICKS: 

GRIT, GROOVE, AND STORYTELLING 

Dave Dury was thoroughly impressed with Eddie 9V’s 

Saratoga, which he describes as a bold, raw album that 

pushes the boundaries of Southern soul and blues-rock. 

For Dave, Eddie’s sharp storytelling, especially on tracks 

like “The Road To Nowhere,” captures the essence of a 

road trip through modern America. 

Dave also highlighted Big Harp George’s Cooking with 

Gas for its blend of blues, jazz, soul, and funk, delivered 

with George’s signature humour and expertise on the 

chromatic harp. It’s an album that brings joy to listeners 

while showcasing technical prowess. 

GRAEME SCOTT’S PICKS: 

SOULFUL AND DIVERSE SOUNDS 

Graeme Scott has long been a fan of Elles Bailey, so it’s 

no surprise that he chose her album Beneath The Neon 

Glow for his list. With standout tracks like “Ballad Of A 

Broken Dream,” Graeme appreciated the soulful Americana 

vibes and Elles’ rich storytelling. Her ability to blend 

traditional blues with modern touches has kept her at the 

top of his favourites list(Graeme Scott - my top 5 ). 

Another gem for Graeme was Vanessa Collier’s Do It My 

Own Way, where Vanessa’s command over vocals, horns, 

and guitar left a lasting impression. Her ability to infuse 

soul and funk into the blues genre was a major draw for 

Graeme, making this album a top contender(Graeme 

Scott - my top 5 ). 

ADRIAN BLACKLEY’S PICKS: 

BLUES WITH A MODERN EDGE 

Adrian Blackley’s love for traditional yet innovative blues 

led him to select Danielle Nicole’s The Love You Bleed. 

He was particularly struck by Danielle’s exploration of 

love and self-reflection, with songs like “Willpower” 

showcasing her growth as a songwriter. The production, 

helmed by Tony Braunagel and mixed by John Porter, 

adds depth to her soulful melodies. 

Adrian also chose Foghat’s Sonic Mojo for its seamless 

blend of rock, blues, and even a touch of country. The 

album, which includes contributions from the late Kim 


Simmonds, left Adrian appreciating its cohesion and 

quality. 

ANDY SNIPPER’S PICKS: 

BLENDING TRADITION AND INNOVATION 

Andy Snipper’s top pick was JJ Grey & Mofro’s Olustee, 

which he described as a masterclass in Southern soulblues. 

The album’s mix of blues, rock, and soul, paired 

with Grey’s storytelling, created an irresistible listening 

experience for Andy(top 5 Andy Snipper). 

He was also drawn to Martin Harley’s Morning Sun, an 

album that brings a more acoustic, intimate approach to 

blues. Harley’s heartfelt songwriting and laid-back vibe 

resonated with Andy, making it a standout choice. 

These top picks from our writers reflect the diverse and 

vibrant blues landscape of 2024. Whether you’re drawn 

to the soulful reflections of Katie Knipp, the Southern 

rock energy of Eddie 9V, or the heartfelt grooves of Danielle 

Nicole, there’s something in this list for every blues 

fan. Dive into these albums and experience the best that 

blues had to offer this year! 

THE TOP FIVE OF 2024... 

FIVE 

FOUR 

KATIE KNIPP – ME 

Katie Knipp’s album Me is a deeply personal exploration 

of blues and soul. Known for her powerhouse vocals and 

multi-instrumental prowess, Katie delivers a collection 

of ten tracks that showcase her raw talent. The album 

is packed with heartfelt songwriting and rich musical 

arrangements that are both intimate and resonant. Each 

track feels like a window into her soul, with Knipp’s unfiltered 

emotions pouring through her lyrics and melodies. 

Her ability to seamlessly blend blues, rock, and soul while 

maintaining a stripped-back approach makes Me a standout 

in 2024. Whether it’s her powerful vocal delivery or 

her impeccable piano playing, Katie Knipp has solidified 

herself as a force to be reckoned with in the blues genre. 

 

EXPLORE 

 

 

ELLES BAILEY – BENEATH THE NEON GLOW 

With her distinct blend of blues-infused Americana, Elles 

Bailey’s Beneath The Neon Glow has been a favourite 

among fans and critics alike. The album is a testament to 

her ever-evolving artistry, featuring tracks like “Ballad Of 

A Broken Dream” and “If This Is Love” that capture her 

signature soulful sound. Elles’ voice shines throughout 

the record, delivering lyrics that are as powerful as they 

are poignant. Produced with a modern touch while staying 

true to her roots, Beneath The Neon Glow showcases 

Bailey’s ability to infuse traditional blues elements with 

contemporary storytelling. The album is an emotional 

journey that explores love, heartbreak, and resilience, 

making it a must-listen for any blues enthusiast. 

 

EXPLORE 

 

 


Everett Zuraw 

THREE 

DANIELLE NICOLE – THE LOVE YOU BLEED 

Danielle Nicole’s The Love You Bleed is a masterful exploration 

of love and the complexities of the human heart. 

Produced by Tony Braunagel and mixed by John Porter, 

the album weaves together elements of blues, soul, and 

rock. Danielle’s smooth, sultry vocals are complemented 

by lush instrumentation, creating a rich, immersive 

soundscape. 

TWO 

Tracks like “Willpower” and “Determination” are standout 

examples of her lyrical depth and vocal prowess, 

exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. This 

album demonstrates Danielle’s growth as an artist, solidifying 

her place among the top voices in blues music today. 

 

EXPLORE 

 

 

Missy Faulkner 

JJ GREY & MOFRO – OLUSTEE 

JJ Grey has returned to form with his latest album, Olustee, 

delivering a sound that is both soulful and deeply 

rooted in Southern blues. Known for his storytelling 

prowess, Grey delves into themes of life, love, and loss 

with an authenticity that few can match. This album isn’t 

purely blues; it seamlessly blends rock, soul, and funk, 

showcasing Grey’s versatility. 

Fans of JJ Grey will appreciate tracks like “Georgia Warehouse,” 

where his raspy voice and powerful lyrics resonate 

with listeners. Whether it’s the groove-laden bass 

lines or the soulful horn sections, Olustee is a dynamic 

album that captures the essence of Southern blues. 

 

EXPLORE 

 

 


ONE 

EDDIE 9V – SARATOGA 

Topping our list is Saratoga, the highly anticipated album 

from Atlanta’s own Eddie 9V. Known for his energetic 

stage presence and sharp storytelling, Eddie delivers a 

raw, unapologetic blues experience with this release. 

Saratoga is filled with electrifying guitar riffs, soulful 

vocals, and lyrics that reflect Eddie’s unique perspective 

on life, love, and the open road. 

Tracks like “The Road To Nowhere” showcase Eddie’s 

ability to blend Southern soul with blues-rock in a way 

that feels both classic and refreshingly modern. Produced 

at the legendary Studio 606 and helmed by Grammy-winning 

producer Darrell Thorp, the album is as close to the 

heart as you can get. Eddie’s signature wit and observational 

lyrics make Saratoga a standout in the blues landscape, 

capturing the spirit of a one-man band pushing 

through life’s adversities. 

With Saratoga, Eddie 9V cements his status as one of 

the most exciting and authentic voices in contemporary 

blues. The album is a journey through the highs and lows 

of a musician’s life, making it the perfect soundtrack for 

those who appreciate blues at its most genuine and raw. 

EXPLORE 

 

“the album 

is as close to 

the heart as 

you can get” 


10 YEARS 

OF EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB 

Words: Colin Campbell 

Pictures: Stuart Stott 

Since its founding in 2014, the Edinburgh Blues Club has 

become a staple in the Scottish music scene. But beyond 

the live performances and star-studded lineups, there’s 

something unique about this organisation: it’s a social 

enterprise dedicated to creating a space for blues music 

while serving and enriching the local community. By 

balancing the world of live entertainment with a commitment 

to social impact, the Edinburgh Blues Club has 

successfully redefined what it means to be a grassroots 

music organisation. 

The year 2024 marks a significant milestone for the 

Edinburgh Blues Club, as it celebrates ten years of 

bringing the raw, soulful sounds of the blues to audiences 

across Scotland. Founded in 2014, this nonprofit, membership-based 

club has become a beloved institution for 

musicians, fans, and the Edinburgh community alike. Its 

founders set out to preserve the essence of live blues 

music, and a decade later, the club stands as a testament 

to their dedication, love for the genre, and passion for 

fostering a vibrant blues community even managing to 

survive the recent pandemic. Also, they achieved a major 

accolade in 2018 being named UK Blues Club/Venue of 

the year by UK Blues Federation. 

A DECADE OF MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES 

In the ten years since its inception, the Edinburgh Blues 

Club has hosted an impressive lineup of talent, ranging 

from legendary blues veterans to promising new artists. 

This commitment to quality has not only earned the club 

respect in the blues community but has also allowed 

audiences in Edinburgh to experience world-class performances 

up close. 

There have been many memorable performances, one 

that stands out was Billy Branch who brought his band 

Sons Of Blues to Edinburgh in 2020 from Chicago in a 

tribute to Little Walter that also featured Little Walter’s 

daughter, Marion Diaz reminiscing about the heady days 

of Chicago blues culture and the scene around that time. 

Also, when Josh Smith played, he did a guitar workshop. 

There was even a question-and-answer session with the 

head of Alligator Records Bruce Iglauer who brought 

Toronzo Cannon and The Cannonball Express to the 

club. Countless other American acts have also played 

including, Lucky Peterson, Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, 

Walter Trout and Samantha Fish. 

But the club has never limited itself to big names. Part of 

its ethos has been to highlight diverse styles and voices 

24 ISSUE 144 : BLUESMATTERS.COM

within the blues, creating space for both established and 

emerging artists. The club has introduced its audiences to 

the raw energy of acts like Ian Siegal, the boundary-pushing 

Blues Caravan, and the deep soul of artists such as 

newer artists, Bywater Call, and the rockier side of blues 

with Robert Jon & The Wreck. This eclectic programming 

has kept the lineup fresh, reflecting the evolution of the 

blues while staying grounded in its rich traditions. Beyond 

just organising events, the club also supports local 

musicians and smaller acts, often booking Scottish artists 

as opening acts for major performers. This not only provides 

a platform for homegrown talent but also connects 

local musicians with the larger blues community, creating 

opportunities for collaboration and growth. 

JOURNEY THROUGH EDINBURGH’S LIVE SCENE 

The Edinburgh Blues Club has made its mark in 

some of the city’s best-known music venues, 

adapting to each space and embracing the character 

it brings to the music. The Voodoo Rooms, an 

iconic venue with a vintage vibe, has been a natural 

fit for the club. Its intimate setting and ornate 

decor offer the perfect backdrop for the blues, 

making each show feel personal and immersive. For 


larger events, the club has turned to places like La Belle 

Angele, a storied venue that has hosted everyone from 

Oasis to Radiohead. Last month the club hosted Dom 

Martin Band there. The space accommodates a larger 

crowd while preserving the close, interactive atmosphere 

that the club prioritises. La Belle Angele’s history as a 

breeding ground for musical talent aligns with the club’s 

mission, bringing together Edinburgh’s vibrant musical 

past and present. On occasions, the club has ventured 

into unique, less conventional spaces, giving its’ shows an 

added sense of novelty and excitement. For example, it 

has hosted events at The Pleasance Theatre, known for 

its superb acoustics and layout, John Primer was hosted 

here also Bob Corritore and Thorbjorn Risager. The 

Liquid Room has also been used for hosting bands like, 

When Rivers Meet. Such venues add an extra layer of atmosphere 

to the performances, amplifying the emotional 

depth of the music and reminding audiences of the blues’ 

spiritual roots. 

THE EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB FOUNDATION 

The EBC Foundation is the community outreach initiative 

of the Edinburgh Blues Club, founded on the belief that 

the club’s success is measured not only by membership 

numbers and ticket sales, but by its positive impact on 

Edinburgh’s blues scene and community. The Foundation 

has supported local musicians and venues in various 

ways. It funded hotel costs for Jed Potts & The Hillman 

Hunters during their tour to prevent them from sleeping 

in their van and contributed significantly to the Gerry 

Jablonski Band’s crowdfunding campaign to produce 

a single and music video. Additionally, the Foundation 

supported a crowdfunder to save a local venue, provided 

funds for medical care for their friend Matt Long still 

sadly missed, and prepaid future gigs for local musicians 

whose livelihoods were heavily affected by the Covid-19 

pandemic. 


A LEGACY IN THE MAKING 

As it celebrates its tenth anniversary, the Edinburgh 

Blues Club shows no signs of slowing down. The team is 

as dedicated as ever to bringing top-tier blues talent to 

the Scottish capital and expanding the reach of the genre. 

In the spirit of looking forward, they plan to introduce 

new initiatives in the coming years, such as educational 

workshops, collaborations with other music organizations, 

and a continued focus on discovering and supporting 

emerging artists. 

to have experienced a night at the club, it’s clear that the 

blues are alive and well in Edinburgh, carried forward by 

the passion and dedication of this remarkable organisation, 

whose committee, be them Directors or members 

do this for the love of live blues infused music. Here’s to 

the next ten years of blues in the heart of Scotland—long 

may it play. 

More on the EBC website: edinburgh-blues.uk 

FINAL THOUGHTS: A DECADE OF DEDICATION 

The success of the Edinburgh Blues Club is a reminder of 

the enduring appeal of live music and the power of community. 

For ten years, it has been a space where the soul 

of the blues comes alive in every riff, every heartfelt lyric, 

and every shared moment between artist and audience. 

The club has remained true to its founding ethos: making 

blues accessible, fostering community, and celebrating 

the magic of live performance. As it steps into the next 

decade, the Edinburgh Blues Club stands as a beacon for 

blues enthusiasts everywhere. It’s more than a venue or a 

series of shows; it’s a community bound by a love of music 

that transcends time and place. For those lucky enough 


THE DYNAMIC DUO BEHIND 

YORK’S VIBRANT MUSIC SCENE 



Meet Paul Winn and Ben Darwin - the masterminds 

behind a beloved radio show, a thriving blues festival, 

and a rocking band that’s taking the local scene by storm. 

LISTEN 

 

 

RADIO SHOW 

Stephen Harrison 

Keery Irvine 

In a cozy studio tucked away in York, England, the 

airwaves come alive with the sound of blues music and 

infectious laughter. This is the domain of Paul Winn and 

Ben Darwin, the dynamic duo behind the wildly popular 

“Fab Folk and Blues” radio show, which has been captivating 

listeners for the past five years. 

But their influence extends far beyond the confines of 

the studio. Winn and Darwin are also the driving forces 

behind the York Blues Festival, a one-day celebration of 

all things blues that has become a must-attend event for 

music lovers across the region. And if that wasn’t enough, 

the two are also the frontmen of D C Blues Band that 

has been steadily building a loyal following with their 

high-energy performances and infectious camaraderie. 

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO RADIO STARDOM 

The story of Winn and Darwin’s radio journey began 

nearly a decade ago, when Wynn was a guest on a local 

radio show in York. “The presenter said to me afterwards 

that I was a natural on the microphone and asked if I’d like 

to be his understudy,” Winn recalls. “I snapped his arm off, 

really.” 

Winn soon found himself hosting his own show, which he 

dubbed “Fab Folk and Blues.” It was a three-hour extravaganza 

that allowed him to indulge his passion for the 

blues. But when the station was sold, Wynn found himself 

out of a job – and determined to keep the music alive. 

“I really got the bloody bug for it,” Wynn says. “So, I started 

doing work for this station in Scarborough, and then I 

got asked to work for another station in Wetherby, where 

I had the blues hour.” 

It was around this time that Darwin, a longtime friend 

and fellow musician, started getting involved. “I just came 

around a little bit, for a couple of nights,” Darwin says. 

“Then I started doing a couple of gigs roundups, and it 

was building up to COVID that I really joined in.” 

A DYNAMIC DUO TAKES THE AIRWAVES BY STORM 

The partnership between Winn and Darwin proved to be 

a stroke of genius. Their natural chemistry and infectious 

enthusiasm for the blues quickly won over listeners, and 

the “Fab Folk and Blues” show became a must-listen for 

music fans across the region. 

“We quite often go down some random wormholes 

because we started introducing, not well, not on purpose 

humour, but it was just random facts, the most stupid 

things, “Winn explains. “It’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, big Bill Booms, 

you there. He was seven foot two.’ ‘That’s the size of a 

panda bear,’ sort of thing, you know.” 

Darwin chimes in, “And then it was Albert Collins. And I 

was like, ‘I think, turn around. Says, oh yeah. That was the 

husband of EastEnders actress Michelle Collins,’ or whatever 

it was, you know. And he kind of started from there, 


organizing a bit of a piss up with a load of bands in and we 

just invite people to turn up,” Darwin says with a chuckle. 

PROMOTING NEW TALENT AND MAINTAINING QUALITY 

While the festival’s laid-back vibe is a big part of its 

appeal, Winn and Darwin take the curation of the lineup 

very seriously. They’re committed to showcasing a 

diverse array of talent, from established acts to up-andcoming 

artists. 

“We try to get as wide a variety of bands as we can fit in in 

the one day,” Winn explains. “If somebody doesn’t like one 

band, that’s cool, they’re probably going to like the next 

one.” 

This approach has led to some memorable moments, like 

the time they booked a heavier band that divided the 

audience. “We had people going into the other bar going, 

‘Oh, this is too noisy for me,’” Darwin recalls. “And we had 

people coming up to us going, ‘Oh, my God. Where did 

you get these from? These are amazing.’” 

just stupid little things like that.” 

This playful banter and willingness to veer off the beaten 

path has become a hallmark of the show, setting it apart 

from the more strait-laced blues programs that dot the 

airwaves. “We just play it on how we speak to each other 

normally,” Wynn says. “Yeah, either on radio or band or 

whatever we’re doing.” 

BUILDING A BLUES EMPIRE, ONE GIG AT A TIME 

While the radio show has been a labour of love for Winn 

and Darwin, their true passion lies in their work as 

musicians. The two have been playing together in various 

bands for over a decade, and their current outfit, a 

blues-infused group, has been steadily building a reputation 

as one of the most exciting acts on the local scene. 

“We’ve had a few changes in lineup over the years, but 

Ben and I have been the only ones,” Winn says. “We just 

got, like, it’s like, we’ve got our own personality, and the 

band itself got its own personality as well, you know, 

which comes across when people come and see us.” 

This commitment to creating a unique and engaging live 

experience has also been a driving force behind the York 

Blues Festival, which Winn and Darwin have been organizing 

for the past several years. 

“It’s about what we want to do, and it’s our personalities, 

and it’s kind of quite nice because, again, it’s sort of, it’s 

about what we want to do, and it’s our personalities,” 

Darwin explains. “We don’t try and change something 

that’s not broken. You know, it works.” 

The festival has become a beloved annual event, attracting 

blues fans from across the region who come to 

soak up the relaxed, friendly atmosphere that Winn and 

Darwin have cultivated. “It’s just about me and me mate, 

Winn and Darwin’s dedication to nurturing new talent 

extends to their radio show as well. They use the platform 

to promote emerging artists and help them gain exposure, 

often inviting them to perform live in the studio. 

“We sort of become friends’ acquaintances of a lot of 

them, like you will in your role, and then then you invite 

him to come and play, and they’re well, up for it, because 

we, we don’t have the biggest budget in the world,” Winn 

says. 

DREAMING BIG AND STAYING GROUNDED 

As their empire continues to grow, Winn and Darwin 

remain grounded and focused on the things that matter 

most to them – creating great music, fostering a sense of 

community, and having a damn good time doing it. 

When asked about their dream guests for the radio show, 

the two rattle off a list of blues legends, from Derek 

Trucks and Susan Tedeschi to Dennis Gruver and Matt 

Schofield. But they’re just as excited about the prospect 

of having their own band perform on the show, even if the 

logistics might be a bit tricky. 

“I would love for our band to play on our show, but we’re 

too noisy,” Winn admits with a laugh. “It’d be an absolute 

nightmare, wouldn’t it, and we’d be squeezed in that 

room, and it’d sound horrible.” 

For now, Winn and Darwin are content to keep doing 

what they love, whether it’s entertaining listeners on the 

radio, rocking the stage at the York Blues Festival, or simply 

jamming with their bandmates. And as long as they’re 

having fun, their fans will be sure to follow. 

“It’s just about me and me mate, organizing a bit of a piss 

up with a load of bands in and we just invite people to 

turn up,” Darwin says. “Why try and change something 

that’s not broken?” 


THE SILENT STRUGGLE 

UK’S SMALL VENUES ON THE BRINK 

+ Ian Potter 

In recent years, the UK has seen a worrying trend that’s 

casting a dark shadow over its vibrant music scene: the 

closure of small, grassroots music venues. The places 

that once gave birth to future superstars and nurtured 

emerging talent are finding it harder than ever to keep 

their doors open. And while stadium tours and festival 

headliners continue to dominate the spotlight, it’s the 

smaller, community-driven venues that are struggling to 

survive, often with little attention or support. 

THE RISE OF BIG ACTS AND THE DECLINE OF GRASSROOTS VENUES 

It’s hard to miss the buzz surrounding major artists and 

their stadium tours. Sold-out arenas, lucrative ticket 

sales, and wall-to-wall media coverage create the illusion 

that the music industry is thriving. But beneath the 

glittering surface lies a harsh reality: while big-name 

acts rake in millions, smaller venues, which serve as the 

lifeblood of the music scene, are teetering on the brink of 

extinction. 

Grassroots venues have long been the incubators for new 

talent, the places where bands can cut their teeth and 

develop their craft. However, in the current climate, these 

venues are struggling to attract audiences. With ticket 

sales declining, many are forced to shut down, unable 

to compete with the attention and resources that are funneled 

into larger, more established acts. 

A PERFECT STORM: THE CHALLENGES FACING SMALL VENUES 

The issues facing small venues are multifaceted. Rising 

costs, increased competition from larger events, and 

changing audience habits have created a perfect storm 

that’s making it difficult for these venues to survive. The 

lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has only 

made matters worse. Many small venues were forced to 

close their doors during lockdowns and, despite reopening, 

have struggled to draw crowds back. 

Additionally, with the rising cost of living, audiences are 

becoming more selective about where they spend their 

money. For many, the appeal of paying a premium to see 

a big-name artist outweighs the risk of spending on lesser-known 

acts in smaller, intimate settings. The result? 

Fewer tickets sold, fewer gigs, and, ultimately, venue 

closures. 

THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING GRASSROOTS VENUES 

The closure of small music venues isn’t just a loss for the 

music industry—it’s a loss for the communities they serve 

and the culture they foster. Grassroots venues are more 

than just spaces for live music; they’re hubs of creativity, 

diversity, and social connection. These spaces allow new, 

unsigned artists to find their voice, build a fan base, and 

gain the experience they need to take their careers to the 

next level. 

Without these venues, where will the next generation of 

musicians hone their craft? The UK has a rich history of 

iconic bands—The Beatles, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys—who 

started out playing in small venues before rising to global 


fame. If grassroots venues disappear, we risk losing the 

next wave of great artists before they even have a chance 

to break through. 

THE DOMINO EFFECT: BEYOND THE MUSIC 

The impact of venue closures extends beyond the music 

scene. These spaces contribute to the local economy, providing 

jobs, attracting tourism, and supporting surrounding 

businesses like bars, restaurants, and shops. The 

loss of these venues creates a ripple effect, hurting local 

communities that rely on the foot traffic and vibrancy 

that live music brings. 

Moreover, small venues are crucial for fostering a sense 

of community. They bring people together, providing a 

space for music lovers to connect and share experiences. 

The closure of these venues isn’t just an economic blow; 

it’s a social one, eroding the cultural fabric that binds 

communities together. 

WHAT CAN BE DONE? 

To prevent further closures, we need to rethink how 

we support grassroots music venues. This could mean 

increasing funding and grants for small venues, reducing 

licensing fees, or providing tax breaks for businesses that 

support live music. Additionally, we as music lovers can 

play our part by attending more gigs at smaller venues, 

buying tickets in advance, and spreading the word to 

encourage others to support grassroots music. 

There’s also a need for the music industry as a whole 

to shift its focus. While there’s no denying the allure of 

stadium tours, more needs to be done to promote the 

importance of grassroots music. The industry giants—record 

labels, radio stations, streaming platforms—should 

use their influence to shine a light on up-and-coming 

artists and the venues that support them. 

“it’s up to all of us to 

support the grassroots 

venues” 

A CALL TO ACTION 

Small venues have always been the heart and soul of the 

UK’s music scene. If we want to keep the spirit of live 

music alive, it’s up to all of us to support the grassroots 

venues that make it possible. Next time you’re deciding 

which gig to attend, consider heading to your local venue 

to support the bands who are just starting out. After 

all, today’s small-time performers could be tomorrow’s 

superstars. 

Let’s make sure they have the stages they need to grow, 

and let’s keep the UK’s music scene as vibrant and diverse 

as it’s always been. Together, we can prevent the lights 

from going out on the venues that have given us so much. 

A FINAL WORD FROM DAVID 

MUNDELL, GRASSROOTS 

VENUE OWNER 

Many small music venues have ceased trading in the last 

two years and many more are going to cease trading unless 

support is forthcoming. The Music Venue Trust have 

galvanised the grass roots industry into action to shame 

the large corporations into taking some responsibility 

and ultimately give some financial support. The proposed 

action is for Stadiums and Arenas to donate £1 from their 

incredibly large ticket prices which then goes to a central 

fund hopefully governed by the MVT. All venues are different 

and it won’t be easy distributing this fund. 

I hope the industry finds a solution voluntarily otherwise 

it will be left to the Government to introduce legislation 

to ensure that they do. 

Here in Kinross it’s difficult to host a young and upcoming 

Artist, as Rock N Roll is expensive! I try to ensure a young 

Band returns on a regular basis so we hopefully have an 

opportunity to build an audience. That can become very 

frustrating as you will lose money and hope you can receive 

a pay off show to recompense all the past times you 

did lose money. 

People love supporting Tribute Bands and established 

Artists but are less keen to come along and support new 

music. 

Support your local music venue wherever you are. If you 

don’t you will lose it. It’s as simple as that. 


ICONIC BLUES CLUBS 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VENUES IN BLUES 

Over a hundred years ago, Juke-Joints were the only 

place one could go and see local Blues artists performing 

on any given weekend. This was usually on a Saturday 

evening after everyone had finished work on such places 

as Dockery Farm, or other similar plantations. Sunday, 

was a day of worship, even though the Juke-Joints were 

often referred to as the home of the devil’s music, which 

had been loudly applauded only a day before. 

As the years rolled by, one by one the legendary Juke- 

Joints closed their doors for the last time, people were no 

longer in slavery, no longer the property of plantations 

as work in the big industrial cities began to prosper. The 

likes of Muddy Waters and Charlie Musselwhite had 

headed to Chicago bringing with them the Blues from 

Clarksdale and Memphis, to name just two. 

As the Electric Blues became more popular more and 

more Blues artists made their way to Chicago and many 

other cities in the North. They joined the Blues people of 

Chicago who needed places to play, at first on the North 

Side of the city. As the clubs began to become more popular, 

this attracted more artists, until Chicago really was 

the home of The Blues. 

Two clubs, in particular, stood out, both have seen the 

greatest Blues artists visiting and performing, and both 

have had famous recordings from within their walls. 

THE CHECKERBOARD LOUNGE 

8531 SOUTH CRANDON AVENUE-CHICAGO 

This club was owned by Buddy Guy and L. C. Thurman 

and first opened its doors in 1972. Over the years The 

Checkerboard Loung has been host to some of the biggest 

names in Blues, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Chuck 

Berry, and on one special night, The Rolling Stones. In 

1981, The Checkerboard Lounge had Muddy Waters 

and his band appearing with a couple of guests, Buddy 

Guy joined in, and then in walked The Rolling Stones who 

were in town to perform at a large arena gig the night 

after. As Muddy Was playing, the Stones trundled in and 

settled at a table at the front of the club. What followed 

has gone down in Blues folklore. 

Muddy invited Mick Jagger onto the stage to join him on 

the song, Baby Please Don’t Go, soon to be followed by 

Keth, Ronnie, and Ian Stewart. They proceeded to play a 

whole raft of Blues classics that thankfully was recorded 

for prosperity, and is available on vinyl and DVD. They 

were joined by Buddy Guy, members of his band, and an 

assortment of others including, Junior Wells. Sadly, the 

club did not continue to prosper, Buddy Guy left, and the 

club finally closed its doors in 2015 following the death of 

L. C. Thurman. But, its legacy will live forever, and not just 

because of that one special night. 


BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS CLUB 

700 SOUTH WABASH AVENUE, CHICAGO 

The original Buddy Guys was situated at 754 South 

Wabash Avenue near Michigan Avenue but has been at 

its present location since 1989. Legends Club, not unlike 

the Checkerboard Lounge, has been at the heart of the 

Blues scene in Chicago attracting thousands upon thousands 

of visitors every year from all over the world. It 

serves delicious Southern and Cajun food and also serves 

a beer by the name of, Buddy Brew. 

Even though Buddy is well into his 80s, he still performs 

a month’s worth of gigs at Legends every January. I have 

been lucky enough to have visited both locations of Legends, 

the last time in 2017 at the start of our Routre 66 

trip, where we had the pleasure of seeing, Fruitland Jackson, 

and John Nemeth. For me, a Blues enthusiast, It was 

like walking into a cathedral, a cathedral of Blues, seeing 

photos of some of the many artists that have appeared 

there over the years. 

The Club is basically part of a promise that Buddy Guy 

made to Muddy Waters in 1983, just before Muddy 

passed away, Muddy made Buddy promise that he would 

help to keep the Blues alive, “ Legends is part of that 

promise” said Buddy. Two live recordings have come out 

of Legends, Live At Buddy ’s-Junior Wells, and Buddy Guy 

and Junior Wells, Last Time Around-Live At Legends. I’m 

honoured to say that I have a copy of both on vinyl. 

GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB 

387-DELTA AVENUE, CLARKSDALE, Ms-38614 USA 

Ground Zero Blues Club is Co-Owned by, Morgan Freeman, 

Howard Stovall, Eric Meier, and Bill Luckett. It first 

opened its doors in 2001, but this is not the reason for 

the name, after the attacks in New York that same year. 

It is because Clarksdale itself has always been referred 

to as “ Ground Zero” It has been replicated to represent 

the original style with which the earlier Juke-Joints had 

been built. It boasts seven upstairs apartments that are 

available to rent and is situated close to The Delta Blues 

Museum. 

The list of artists that have graced its stage read like 

a veritable who’s who, Christone “Kingfish” Ingrams, 

Bobby Rush, Kat Riggins, Robert Plant, John Nemeth, 

Pinetop Perkins, Chuck Berry, Watermelon Slim, and our 

very own, Emma Wilson. This venue has long been on my 

bucket list, even though I’ve not yet visited this place, I 

feel a calling towards it, it is something in the soil calling 

me, almost calling me to my spiritual home. Maybe I’ll 

catch you there soon. 

HOUSE OF BLUES- MUSIC AND FOOD 

LIVE CONCERT HALLS 

The House Of Blues is an American chain of live concert 

halls and restaurants founded by Issac Tigrett, the 

co-founder of the Hard Rock Café, and Dan Akroyd, Co- 

Star of The Blues Brothers Films, and Blues enthusiast. 

The very first one opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 

on Thanksgiving Day, 1992. Since then, another eleven 

locations have opened all across North America, Chicago, 

Los Angeles, New Orleans, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Las 

Vegas, San Diego, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, and Boston. 

All of The House Of Blues sights cater for the same 

things, great live Blues shows, conventions, and fantastic 

original cooking. Some may say that it has become more 

like the Hard Rock Café, a Multi-National conglomerate 

style, but The House Of Blues is nothing like that, it 

is built on the traditions of Blues music, and the Blues 

legacy is at the heart of the operation. That is why it is so 

successful. 

THE 100 CLUB 

OXFORD STREET-LONDON 

The 100 Club first opened its doors in 1942 and was a 

Jazz Club, originally named, The Feldman Swing Club. It 

changed its name in 1964 when the father of the current 

owner took it over. During what was called the swinging 

sixties, London was the hub for Blues and Jazz music 

attracting punters and artists from across the globe. 

When it was a Jazz club it attracted luminaries such as 

Benny Goodman, Cleo Laine, Johnny Dankworth, and Ray 

Ellington. 

As the years wore on, musical tastes changed, and not 

always for the better. Many rock bands, who had started 

as Blues bands were able to perform at much larger and 

much better-paying establishments. During the 70s, 

many punk bnads got their breaks playing on the legendary 

stage, The Buzzcocks, The Jam, Sex Pistols, The Clash, 

so this iconic venue right in the heart of London has probably 

helped more genres of music than anywhere else. 

Over the last few years, more and more Blues bands have 

returned to the 100 Club, along with up and coming Jazz 

bands. One special night in 1986 sticks out, The Rolling 

Stones performed an impromptu gig at The 100 Club 

in tribute to their former keyboard player and founder 

member, Ian Stewart. Not only that, but the Rolling Stone 

swere joined by legendary Blue sartists, Eric Clapton and 

Jeff Beck for a night of Boogie Woogie nostalgia. If ever a 

small club deserves recognition for introducing so many 

artists to the world of Jazz and Blues, then surely, The 

100 Club does’ 


THE NEAL BROTHERS BRING 

BLUES HISTORY TO LIFE 

+ Laura Carbone 

The authentic Club Ebony, one of the South’s most significant 

African American nightclubs, is back and making 

history once again. Located in Indianola, Mississippi, just 

around the corner from the B.B. King Museum and the 

final resting place of the legendary musician himself, visiting 

Club Ebony feels like stepping back to 1948 in search 

of the largest and finest nightclub around. 

Built after World War II by John Jones, Club Ebony became 

the premier black nightclub in a region surrounded 

by cotton plantations, where music served as a sense of 

community and a safe place to let off steam. Over the 

years, ownership changed hands, but the club maintained 

its tradition of booking top acts from the chitlin circuit. 

Legendary performers such as Louis Jordan, James 

Brown, Ike Turner, Howlin’ Wolf, Ray Charles, Clarence 

Carter, Bobby Rush, and many others graced its stage for 

decades. 

B.B. King, born and raised in Indianola, played there in 

the 1950s, where he fell in love with his future wife, the 

daughter of the club’s owner. In 1980 through 2008, as a 

world-famous blues musician, he would return back to his 

hometown of Indianola for an annual homecoming held 

in his honor, culminating in a nighttime performance at 

Club Ebony. He was so enamored with this club that he 

purchased the club to preserve these memories and it’s 

cultural history. After his death, it is now owned by the 

B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. It has 

just completed a significant renovation to bring the club 

back to full operation while keeping the historic feel. The 

mint green exterior walls with its large and welcoming 

sign have not changed nor the red neon sign that beckons 

one to enter its doors. Inside, it is large and designed to 

host the big bands of the past as you step back into musical 

time. The ceiling has stamped tin tiles, archival photos 

hang on the walls; and behind the stage hangs the iconic 

Club Ebony logo. 

The Neal Family is a deeply rooted, multi-generational 

blues family from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Raised by their 

musical father, Rayful Neal, ten children were born into 

this blues legacy. As young brothers in the early 1980s, 

they toured Toronto as the Neal Brothers Band. During 

their performances, they often shared the stage with 

great artists like John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, 

and Buddy Guy, delivering unforgettable shows that blew 

the roof off the venues. 

Now forty years later they are together again as brothers 

and fellow musicians for a live recording that features 

all the brothers. The album “Neal Brothers Live at Club 

Ebony” was recorded in October 2025 with the B.B. King 

Museum and the BB King Recording Studio, Mississippi 


Valley State University. 

The Neal Brothers consist of six talented musicians, each 

of whom has the opportunity to shine or take a solo on 

this recording. The eldest brother, Kenny Neal, is a threetime 

Grammy-nominated artist and a recipient of multiple 

Blues Music Awards. Kenny would frequently sit in 

with B.B. King when he was at Club Ebony and B. B. gifted 

Kenny one of his rare original 345 Gibson Lucille’s. Ray 

Neal has performed with legends such as Little Milton 

and Bobby “Blue” Bland and is a successful independent 

blues artist. Frederick Neal is a superb keyboard player, 

singer, and jokester, while Darnell Neal holds down the 

bottom with the bass; both frequently tour with Kenny 

as his primary musician. However, on this recording, 

each of them has contributed songs where they lead the 

band. Like their father, Larry Neal is a notable harmonica 

master, and Gralin Hoffman Neal supports his brothers 

on drums. 

History is being made again with the Neal Brothers coming 

together to record a very special album that includes 

all the brothers at the notable Club Ebony, as well as 

marking the first live recording done at the club in the last 

18 years. 


BIG COUNTRY 

STEPHEN WILSON JR 

Adam Kennedy 

Tim Cofield 

Rising US star Stephen Wilson Jr’s debut album was 

released five years to the day of his father’s death. Subsequently, 

søn of dad is a 22-song tribute to Stephen Wilson 

Sr. that has garnered widespread critical acclaim from the 

media and fans alike. 

Perhaps you saw Stephen Wilson Jr on his recent UK 

tour, or even earlier this year as support to fellow countrymen 

The Cadillac Three. “Those are some dear friends 

of mine. We’ve known each other in the Nashville circuit 

for quite some time. I would say that we kind of came up 

together in a lot of ways and in our respective indie rock 

bands,” said Stephen. 

Stephen Wilson Jr recently performed on Later with 

Jools Holland. Appearing on the show was somewhat of 

a bucket list experience for the genre-defying artist. “I’m 

a big fan of the show myself. I’m a big fan of a lot of the 

music that comes out of the UK. So, I’ve been watching 

that program to discover new bands myself, even though 

it’s been a little bit harder to find that program over here,” 

he says. “It was a real dream. It’s actually like a dream 

that I didn’t even have the capacity to dream at the time, 

because honestly, I never saw myself as an artist. I was 

always like a guitar player, side guy, songwriter, and 

behind-the-scenes fella. And so, yeah, I always dreamed 

of playing on Jools Holland. I never thought it’d be my 

name on there. I thought it’d be maybe some band I was in 

or something like that. So, it was wild to see my name, my 

dad’s name, be announced on Later with Jools Holland. 

It was a very surreal moment, honestly.” He adds: “It was 

probably one of the biggest highlights of my career that 

I’ve had. I haven’t had the longest artist career. I’ve only 

been kicking for a couple of years now. But man, it’s going 

to be really hard to top that one.” 

Stephen Wilson Jr’s 22-track debut album chronicles 

the emotions that the artist was going through following 

the passing of his father. “My dad died six years ago, and 

I said goodbye to him on an iPhone 8. And pretty much I 

died when he died, too. Like I was talking about earlier, 

that guy who never imagined himself singing on a stage 

or never imagined his name being announced on Jools 

Holland. That guy died with him. And so here’s this fellow. 


So that was kind of the beginning of the genesis, really,” 

explains Stephen. “It was like, a death to self and perhaps 

a birth to a new one because my whole identity was 

wrapped around my dad, Stephen Wilson Jr. My name is 

his name, very much an interlinked relationship. And so, 

it left me a bit lost because the word lost is sometimes a 

great place to be when you’re looking for something.” 

Before his musical career, life was very different for Stephen 

Wilson Jr. “I used to be a scientist in my former life. 

And so, in the weirdest way, I put my lab coat back on and 

my emotional lab coat. And I just started trying to keep a 

record of what I was going through. I feel like that’s what 

scientists do most of their day is keep records. They just 

keep track of things. They keep records. And then you 

sort your records and your data into hopefully something 

compelling. But so, I just kept a record of everything I 

was going through,” he says. “I love that we call albums 

records. And I love that because that’s more of what it 

is. It’s a record, not a music record, but literally a record-keeping 

exercise. So, søn of dad is just me, literally a 

lost fella from literally minute one of his death. We pretty 

much spent four years making the record. So, it was a 

four-year process of me going through from the instant 

grief to maybe figuring out how to find some closure.” 

The album features an astonishing 22 songs chronicling 

Stephen Wilson Jr’s journey through grief. Once he 

started writing, did he feel as though he tapped into a 

creative vein so to speak. “Yeah, that was more what was 

happening. I was just trying to do my job, not so much 

make a record if that makes sense. And the job at the time 

was just to try to harvest these songs that were showing 

up at the time,” he says. “And so, 21 songs didn’t feel like 

enough and 23 felt like too much. And I don’t know why 

22. But I just kept writing songs until something said, 

stop. OK, you’re done now. And that’s where we stopped. 

And I don’t know why 22. There was a lot to talk about, I 

guess.” 

The artist’s sound transcends genres spanning country, 

grunge and indie rock. In his own way, he calls it ‘Death 

Cab for Country’. “I didn’t really get into this to be in a 

particular genre. I’m kind of living within an anomaly. 

And it’s all kind of a bit of a mistake in a weird way. So, 

it doesn’t surprise me that the genres are kind of blended 

- that part is a little bit perhaps out of the norm,” he 

says. “So the genre stuff is not something I think about. I 

think of myself as a country songwriter. That’s what I do. 

I write country songs. Whether I sing country music or 

play country music, I’ll let you decide that. Whether I play 

rock and roll music or Americana or indie or whatever it 

is or grunge, I’ll let you all decide that. But at the moment, 

I write country songs. And that’s where they kind of start 

with the country. I’m a country songwriter. And whether 

I’m anything else from there, I don’t really know. But 

yeah, there’s a lot of indie elements. I jokingly call it Death 

Cab for Country. It kind of sums it up in the weirdest, 

best, quickest way possible.” 

Stephen elaborates further: “When I started writing my 

own stuff, I wanted to write more Guy Clark-esque, really 

deep country songs. But when I start picking up a guitar 

and singing them, they sound closer to Soundgarden for 

some reason. I don’t know why they just do. I’m not trying 

to make them sound that way, but in my head, they’re 

country songs. They just come out sounding a little bit 

more like Superunknown.” 

“lost is sometimes 

a great 

place to be when 

you’re looking for 

something.” 

The artist is not afraid to call upon his grunge influences 

for inspiration. “Soundgarden taught me how to play 

guitar. I mean, almost literally, my whole guitar style 

is Soundgarden,” he says. “When I first started playing 

guitar, my friend gave me this tab book. It was Superunknown, 

the whole album,” he recalls. “And he gave it to 

me. And I learned every song on that record. I’d only been 

playing guitar for six months. That’s where I learned how 

to do all the weird open tunings. I didn’t know you could 

tune your guitar differently until Soundgarden. And I 

learned that early on.” 

He adds: “And then obviously other bands had a big 

influence on me. Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Weezer were 

a big influence, at that time. And then Death Cab and the 

Postal Service. How grunge kind of merged into indie 

music. Grunge kind of split off into nu-metal and then indie. 

And I wasn’t going down the nu-metal path. After the 

post-grunge thing, that was honestly really compelling to 

me. So, all the indie stuff was kind of really when I started 

making music - that’s the world I started making it in. But 

I had listened to a lot of grunge music, obviously, up until 

that point.” 

Stephen Wilson Jr recently returned to the UK on his first 

headline tour of our British Isles. The UK has a special 

place in the artist’s heart. “The first tour I ever went on 

was in the UK right out of COVID - the first tour for me 

as an artist. Brothers Osborne brought me over there 

in 2022, right when things opened back up, like literally 

right in the beginning. So, my artist career sort of started 

in the UK,” he concludes. 

The debut album from Stephen Wilson Jr, søn of dad, is 

out now. For further information, please visit 

www.stephenwilsonjr.com 


NEIL 

SADLER 

A BRIGHT FUTURE BECKONS 

STEVE YOURGLIVCH SUPPLIED 

Neil Sadler might not be a household name, but his wealth of experience and talent are 

undeniable. With his partner Karen providing much of the impetus, the future is looking 

very bright indeed. His recent Past To Present album saw him reach the top spot in the 

IBBA charts, and his diary for 2025 is already starting to bulge. Without doubt, more 

blues followers will soon have him on their radar. 

Neil has certainly paid his blues dues. He’s been 

playing in bands since the early 80s, running his 

own successful studio, No Machine Studios in 

Wokingham, and gaining invaluable experience 

as a producer, sound engineer, songwriter, and 

collaborator. Add to this his triumphs over significant 

health challenges, and it’s clear Neil has 

lived the blues. 

A Retrospective Journey 

The album title, Past To Present, offers a clue to 

its theme — a retrospective look at Neil’s career. 

However, it’s not a tired compilation. These are 

spanking new recordings. 

“Some new material and some old,” Neil says. 

“Everything is replayed, re-jigged if you like, 

to reflect the way I’m playing guitar now, so it 

sounds very contemporary. I play everything on 

the album. 

“Throughout my career, I’ve amassed a huge 

amount of back catalogue — some recorded and 

released, some not. Running No Machine Studios 

for 30 years helped me hone my skills. I’ve 

learned to play resonator and acoustic guitar, 

bass, electric guitar, keyboards, and even drums. 

I’m not the best drummer, but I can hold a beat. 

“When lockdown came along, it was an opportunity 

to shut down the rehearsal side of No 

Machine, which had become a drain. I’d be there 

until midnight, waiting for bands to pack up. The 

lease was up for renewal, and I was tired and 

drained. It felt like the right time to re-focus and 

move on. 

“I’ve accumulated stacks of music I’ve recorded. 

I spent so much time tweaking and re-recording 

things. I’ve still got loads to go back and listen 

to. I’ve got a set of Robert Johnson songs that 

I’ll probably release, as well as some covers I’ve 

worked on for other people.” 

Chart Success and 

Future Plans 

Past To Present received widespread radio play, 

peaking at number one in the IBBA charts and 

staying there for several months. I asked Neil 

how he plans to follow this success. 

“Most likely the Robert Johnson covers,” Neil 

reveals. “Obviously, they won’t be played exactly 

as he did. I’ve spent ages listening to his recordings, 

trying to get inside how he played and what 

he was feeling. 

“I’ve recorded a lot of variations — some left 

as they were, others with added keyboards 



Kev Langman on bass,” Neil says. “We play all the tracks 

from the album and have even tried adding a keyboard 

player. Live, it’s going really well. We get repeat bookings 

and pick up new gigs on the back of shows. 

“Next year, we’re moving further afield, out of Devon. 

We’ve got festivals booked, and we’re heading as far as 

Yorkshire. We’ve got about three hours’ worth of material, 

so we keep it fresh and vibrant. 

or drums. There’s probably 14 or 15 tracks so far, but I 

want to work on more. I’m mindful that some of the lyrics 

aren’t politically correct these days, so I need to decide 

whether to keep those or leave them out.” 

I reminded Neil that he recorded an album of Robert 

Johnson songs in 2022 with the band Blue Touch. 

“Yes, the lockdown material I worked on formed the foundation 

for that,” Neil explains. “The stuff I’m doing now is 

different. We tried to promote it live, but I don’t think the 

band was as into it as I was.” 

Early Days: Sleeping Lions 

Looking back, Neil recalls his first serious band, Sleeping 

Lions. 

“That was right back in the 80s,” he says. “I’d always been 

in local bands, playing lots of gigs in London, but nothing 

came of it. Eventually, I joined my brother’s band, Sleeping 

Lions. We got signed by CBS Records and released a 

couple of albums and some singles. It was amazing being 

thrust into top-class recording studios, which is where 

I picked up a lot of my recording skills just by watching 

people. 

“One of the things I had to do was play bass because my 

brother was the lead guitarist. After we were dropped by 

the label, I became disillusioned with the music business 

and went back to playing with old friends. Out of that, the 

UK Blues Project emerged. We were together for about 

ten years and recorded a couple of albums. There’s a 

track, No Rush, from that period on Past To Present, but I 

re-recorded the guitar part.” 

A Live Band and a Loyal Following 

Although Neil records most of his material himself, 

he also has a live band that’s steadily building a loyal 

following. 

“Our band is a three-piece with Ray Barwell on drums and 

“When I recorded Past To Present, I was in a reflective 

state of mind. I was going through cancer treatment and 

didn’t know if I’d make it. Songs like I Ain’t Gonna Cross 

That River reflect that period, as does No Love Left, No 

More. But it’s not a sad album. It’s upbeat, foot-stomping. 

At Swanage recently, everyone was on their feet. 

“We often get young guitarists at shows who like to chat 

afterwards. In January, we’ve got a slot with Boogaloo 

Promotions at Church Crookham near Fleet.” 

Collaborations with 

Blues Legends 

Many Blues Matters readers may recognise Neil from his 

collaborations with Dennis Siggery. 

“We worked together for about 15 years,” Neil recalls. 

“The most recent project was Justified in 2023. It was 

tough to put together a live band to play it. Dennis has 

since put together a new version of the Eric Street Band 

"It's upbeat, footstomping, 

and full 

of life" 

and released a new album. Having moved to Devon, it just 

wasn’t viable for us to keep working together.” 

Neil also spent significant time with Larry Miller. 

“Larry was a regular at No Machine Studios, and I played 

live with him in Ireland and France. Since his stroke, he’s 

unable to perform live, but we include a little tribute 

section to him in our shows. Larry was one of those people 

who encouraged me to form my own band. He’s very 

much missed.” 

Discover More 

To find out more about Neil Sadler’s music and history, or 

to keep up to date with his gigs, visit neil-sadler.com. 


EXPLORE 

 


PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE 

There are, broadly speaking, genre defining bands and then there are ‘the’ genre defining 

bands. Synonymous with the classic country-rock movement that fully emerged as a music 

classification in the early seventies, the Pure Prairie League undoubtedly continues to 

be one of the genre defining bands. 

Paul Davies 

Supplied 

However, most folk term country-rock as Americana 

these days, and that’s absolutely fine given the ever 

evolving nature of any musical movement shaped by a 

group’s maturing sound and shape shifting line up as superlatively 

demonstrated by the current iteration of the 

Pure Prairie League. 

Named after the temperance union featured in the 1939 

Errol Flynn cowboy movie, Dodge City, remaining band 

old timers, David John Call and Michael Reilly, continue 

to dodge Father Time by keeping themselves productively 

busy as long term bassist now producer of current 

PPL’s Back On Track album, Michael Reilly, intrigued by 

my surname, also reveals a very interesting side project 

to me: “I gotta ask you a question,” he asserts, “are you 

any relation to Rick Davies? I’m going to see him later 

today and I’ll ask him about his relatives.” Michael adds, 

“We’ve got this little combo together called Ricky And 

The Rockets. It’s us and three guys who live out here on 

Long Island.” I enquire if he is talking about Supertramp’s 

Rick Davies? “Yes, he’s turned eighty and we’re still out 

there. We played a gig a month or so ago and it was killer. 


People flew in from all over the world.” He continues: “We 

do about eight or nine Supertramp songs that Rick wrote, 

you know, Bloody Well Right, Goodbye Stranger... And a 

whole bunch of those things that Rick wrote. Then we do 

a bunch of old R&B and jazz, Art Blakey, Mo Allison and 

Chuck Berry.” Michael clearly relishes this project with 

the other half of Supertramp’s songwriting duo: “I’m more 

of a fan of Rick’s songs simply because they’re a little bit 

more genuine. Roger’s songs were very good, but he was 

most definitely the pop guy. Rick is more, not to use an 

improper comparison, the John Lennon guy of the duo 

and Roger was definitely more the McCartney pop guy.” 

Sadly, I have let him down by doubting my relativity to 

Rick, as far as I know... 

Anyway, we get back on track to discuss the upcoming 

new release of the same name. But first another country-rock 

& roll story floats into Michael’s mind: “I knew 

the guys in Pure Prairie League because they were from 

the same town as me, Cincinnati, Ohio, and I was at one 

of their first gigs in 1970. I was playing in a different band 

called The Lemon Pipers at the time, and I was standing 

in front of the stage watching these guys play, and I loved 

Craig’s (Fuller) voice, and I loved John Call’s approach to 

the pedal steel, because it was like a rock approach to a 

country instrument. And I said to myself, ‘man, I love this 

stuff. I’d like to be in this band one of these days.” And 

lo and behold his wish came true as he furthers: “Fast 

forward to 1972 and Mike Connor, the piano player, and I 

had been living in England for a year, and we had a country 

blues band called The Lee Riders and we did some 

touring with Bowie on the Ziggy Stardust tour.” As I’m 

taking in this piece of rock history information, 

Mike continues: “So, when we came back in May ‘72, the 

Pure Prairie League was getting ready to go in the studio 

in Toronto to record the Busting Out album. And that’s 

when they called me and Mike Connor and said we want 

to put a band together, not just a couple songwriters 

and stuff. We joined the band at that time.” Having had a 

moment or three to digest the Ziggy meets country-rock 

info, I press Mike further on this: “Bowie hated our guts,” 


he asserts with a wry chuckle. “He did an interview in the 

Melody Maker, I think it was, and called us some ‘fucked 

country band’. So, I had T shirts made up, of course, down 

in Kensington that said, ‘some fucked country band’. We 

were friends with Mike Garson and Mick Ronson and 

they enjoyed it. They liked the band. We were nice guys, 

easy to get along with, but Bowie was into his Ziggy 

phase. Him and Angie dressed alike and looked alike and 

wore the same make-up.” He pauses for thought: “This 

was ‘72 and we had the same booking agency and they 

put us on these gigs with Bowie, much to his chagrin, I’m 

sure, but we had fun with it.” I ask if he witnessed the final 

Ziggy farewell concert at the Hammersmith Odeon: “We 

did not. There was a little fracas at a gig because they 

wouldn’t let us use the lights or the sound system. We 

“Why don’t we just 

do a record? It’s 

been a long time! 

had to use our little Shure vocal master PA as a sound 

system like it was a rehearsal room...the guitar player got 

a little drunk and chucked a whiskey glass down at the 

stage, and it hit the lights and showered glass all over.” 

He finally adds: “Well, the problem was that Angela was 

sitting three rows behind us in the balcony and saw our 

guitar player chuck the glass. That was the end of The Lee 

Riders tour with Bowie.” 

As we haul this highly entertaining chat back on track, 

Mike further reminisces about the integral importance 

of Craig Fuller to the success of the band: “Craig’s a great 

singer and a fairly good songwriter, but he always had 

the idea that he was going to be a star. He didn’t really 

want to be in a band, but he knew he needed a band at the 

time... later when he joined Little Feat in the 80s, Craig 

had played with Eric Kaz, and they were the opening act 

for Little Feat for a year or two. John Call was playing in 

that band as well. It was sort of a natural fit that Craig 

kind of stepped into Lowell’s shoes and I think he did a 

great job with it.” He ponders awhile: “I prefer Craig’s 

voice from the early days of Pure Prairie League, as opposed 

to being Lowell, if you know what I’m saying, but he 

did a great job with it, and the songs he wrote fit the band 

perfectly. It’s my opinion, but I thought he was a little out 

of place there, but he did a great job!” 

Before we eventually get to Back On Track, Mike tells me 

all about Vince Gill’s connection with the band: “When 

people hear him play guitar, all of a sudden he’s playing 

like Larry Carlton. This kid from Oklahoma. It was a 

great thing to have him in the band.” Mike continues: “He 

played in a bluegrass band called Mountain Smoke, in 

Oklahoma City, and they were opening up a show for us 

at the Civic Centre in 1976, I think. And boy, we were just 

taken with his voice and his picking style, so we asked him 

if he would like to come up and sit in on our set. He played 

three or four songs with us, and I said, ‘Hey, you want to 

play rock and roll? You want to join the band’? He says, 

‘No, man. I’m a bluegrasser’. But two years later, we were 

auditioning guitar players, singer-songwriters, and we 

were looking for a new guitar player. Vince showed up at 

S.I.R. Studios in Los Angeles with a friend of his that wanted 

to audition. His friend didn’t cut the mustard... but I 

said, ‘Hey, look, the auditions are done, it’s eight o’clock, 

you want to grab a guitar from downstairs and jam for a 

while’? He says, ‘I’ve got my guitar in the car’. We played 

for four hours until midnight and then I offered him the 

gig again and this time he said, ‘Yeah, I do’. So off we went 

for three albums and three and a half years later...” 

With a couple of all time classic country-rock staples in 

their knapsack, Amie and Two Lane Highway, the band’s 

fortunes took off in the 70s: “When Busting Out came 

out, and Amie was on that record, in ‘72; it didn’t get 

much traction. Then Craig left the band in ‘73 due to 

the draft situation. So, we hit the road in ‘73 with Larry 

Goshorn and we were doing 250 college shows a year 

for about eight to ten years. We just crammed Amie 

down their throats. Every college student with a beat-up 

acoustic guitar found it very easy to learn the chords for 

Amie. There was a lot of coffee house kind of stuff going 

on back in the 70s in the colleges, and a lot of humping to 

that song,” Mike exclaims with a cheeky glint in his eye. 

“With Two Lane Highway, we were down at Ardent 

Studios, Memphis in 73 where we were going to record a 

Tom Waits song called Old 55; we had kind of made it up 

tempo.” He adds: “Well, the Eagles wound up recording 

that later as a ballad. But we made it up tempo, and then 

Larry says, ‘Man, I can write a song as good as that’. And 

here comes Two Lane Highway and we recorded that 

down there in ‘73 and when it finally got onto an album in 

‘75 when RCA re-signed the band.” 

Finally, we have turned out of an engaging detour and hit 

the home straight where Mike tells me about the new album, 

Back On Track, and this venerable group’s eleventh 


studio record: “I’ve retired from touring with the band, 

now I just manage the band and I produced the new album. 

I hired a new bass and guitar player. That was about 

three years ago. It’s sort of like I’ve passed the torch and 

let the new young guys have a go at it. However, I’m still 

the boss.” This easy natured approach has paid dividends: 

“I hired them because number one: they were fans of 

the band. Number two: they were friends of some of the 

other guys in the band. Then they came up with the idea 

“why don’t we do an EP’? Because Pure Prairie League 

hasn’t had an album out for twenty years.” Mike says: 

“Once they submitted some songs, I went, ‘well, what the 

hell’. Why don’t we just do a record? It’s been a long time... 

let’s do an album.” He explains: “I had a few songs that I 

wanted to bring in and Jeff Zona, the guitar player wrote 

five songs on the record, and Jared, the bass player, wrote 

three and I contributed four.” Mike takes stock for a moment 

before adding: “I’ll never deny Pure Prairie League’s 

history and legacy. I wanted to continue and expand on it. 

To show people that after five and a half decades, we may 

be long in the tooth, but we’re certainly not creatively 

dead.” Most definitely not as he details the recording process 

of how Back On Track came together: “We started it 

in July of ‘23 and finished it up in July of ‘24. We worked 

about a week a month. I would fly down to Nashville, and 

we’d get together in the studio and cut some tracks. We 

started with the basics, then started doing overdubs and 

then vocals and I had a few guests appear on the record. 

It seemed to work out well.” 

I enquire as to whether Craig Fuller has heard and given 

this project his blessing? “He basically retired from 

touring in 2014. He doesn’t play much and he’s not too 

active. He does a few songwriter conventions. He’s just 

enjoying where he lives, which is on a golf course in North 

Carolina. He’s now a grandfather and he’s putting his time 

in there.” Mike reveals: “ But you know what, I sent him a 

copy of the Little Feat song Six Feet Of Snow we recorded 

for this, and he went, ‘man, it sounds great. I love it. I 

can’t wait for the record’. Craig’s a dear old friend and he 

supports the fact that we’ve kept it all going throughout 

these years.” 

Another dear old friend also makes a return to Back 

On Track as Sad Luke appears once more as the cover 

illustration as further proof that this rejuvenated country-rock 

institution is blending the old with the new 

and keeping it real as they’re back on track where they 

belong. 

EXPLORE 

 


SUPER SONIC 

AN INTERVIEW WITH ROGER EARL FROM FOGHAT 

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Foghat recently witnessed 

their first #1 album when their latest release, Sonic Mojo, 

topped the Billboard Blues Chart. A testament to the group’s staying 

power after all these years. 

+ Adam Kennedy 

Although there have been lineup changes along the way, 

Foghat drummer Roger Earl is celebrating 53 years in 

the band. But how is the artist feeling about reaching 

this milestone in his career? “Be careful what you f*cking 

wish for,” he laughs. “Ever since I was growing up, there 

was always music in our household. My father played the 

piano. That wasn’t his day job, but in fact, he took me to 

see Jerry Lee Lewis when I was 12 with my best friend 

and a few other people at the time. I was never the same 

after that.” 

He continues: “I got Chuck Berry records. I went to see 

the Stones when I was 16 or 17 at Eel Pie Island and The 

Marquee. And it’s all I ever wanted to do. I was a commercial 

artist. Because the drums and cymbals were expensive, 

so I had to have a day job, but all I wanted to do was 

play in a band. I was never going to be Buddy Rich. There 

are only a few of them in this world that have ever came 

close to that. But I always loved playing in bands. Rock 

and roll, that was my first, and then the blues. And I always 

wanted to come to the States, and I got that chance 


when I was 21/22 when I was in Savoy Brown.” 

Being a professional musician is all he has ever wanted. 

“The thing is, I didn’t want to have another job. This is 

what I do. This is what I wanted to do. Ever since I was 

a kid I’ve been in a band,” he says. “We’ve had some ups 

and downs. Of course, especially losing Lonesome Dave 

and Rob Price, that was tough. And also, Craig MacGregor, 

our bass player. We were really tight. We were good 

friends. We were brothers. That’s part’s been tough. And 

there were times when I wondered what I was going to do 

or carry on. But then I would meet somebody, or somebody 

would say, come on, Roger, get off the couch and go 

do something.” He adds: “Sonic Mojo, sums up what this 

band’s all about. It’s a blues rock band. I listened to this 

music when I was a kid. It’s still there.” 

Sonic Mojo also features the last songs ever written by 

former bandmate, and long-time friend of the band Kim 

Simmonds of Savoy Brown. “After our last previous studio 

album, Under the Influence, I invited Kim down to play 

on it, which he did. We were finishing up in Nashville, and 

our producer was Tom Hambridge. Kim played on three 

or four songs. And then when we were finishing … Kim 

came up to me and said - look, I’d really like to write some 

songs for Foghat. I said, well, that’d be great, so long as 

you play on them. And he had a wry smile,” recalls Roger. 

“Unfortunately, Kim didn’t. He got ill, but he sent me four 

songs with him playing to a drum track, just playing, guitar 

and singing. And we took them and ran with it.” 

Roger adds: “The sad part was, I think I talked to Kim a 

couple of months before he passed. He was in hospital 

for a long time, and they wouldn’t let you call there or 

go there. But with Kim, it was sort of like we did a whole 

circle, with Kim coming back and writing some songs.” 

The Foghat drummer has nothing but kind words for 

the Savoy Brown legend. “Kim, he was a beautiful man, a 

great guitar player and a fantastic writer,” he says. “I love 

Kim Simmonds. I love him a lot.” 

Sonic Mojo features several covers from some of the 

greats of the blues genre. When asked about the blues, 

Roger proudly shows me his t-shirt emblazoned with the 

phrase, Born in Muddy Waters. “Lonesome Dave said 

something one time, and it stayed with me. I think the 

reason that we have a passion for blues and American 

music is because it has an honesty about it,” proclaims 

Roger. “And I thought Dave hit it on the head with that 

one. It feels real, even though I wasn’t born in Mississippi, 

and I didn’t travel to Chicago until I was 23, there’s 

an honesty about the music, and I just gravitated to it.” 

He continues: “When I first came here, it felt like I was 

coming home, even though they speak a little funny - just 

kidding. It felt right. And I got to play with my heroes. I 

played with Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker in the 

band. It was just magic.” 

Foghat aside, in his early days as a musician, Roger Earl 

had the opportunity to audition to play with Jimi Hendrix. 

“Chas Chandler called me up at work and said, have 

you heard of Jimi Hendrix? He was in all the newspapers 

and all the music magazines. I said, yeah. He said, do you 

want to come and audition? I said, yeah. It was a weekday 

in London, just off Piccadilly Circus. It was a jazz club,” 

recalls Roger. “Of course, it was raining, and we were all 

standing outside. It was about 12 o’clock or one o’clock, 

and we were waiting for the place to open. The cleaners 

had just been in there. And Jimi comes up, and he starts 

talking to me about some songs that he’d written the 

night before. I was just in line, and I was about fourth, 

fifth or sixth in line to play. I brought my own drums. My 

brother gave me a hand, taking them down the steps, and 

Jimi started playing.” 

“It’s a land of 

music, as far as 

I’m concerned” 

Performing with the legendary guitarist was a memorable 

occasion. “He was very generous with his time. I’m sure I 

played for about 40 minutes or so. Obviously, I didn’t get 

the job. The drummer he took was absolutely phenomenal,” 

explains Roger. “But I did actually jam with him one 

night at a club in New York City. I got up and sat in on a 

song, and a bunch of people were playing with him. It was 

like a jam session. And also, at a club out in LA one time, 

and I seem to remember Eric Burdon was singing at the 

time, but everybody was getting up, so I got to do that. 

I never really hung out with other than the time I auditioned. 

He was a beautiful man. He was something else.” 

Roger Earl is hoping to bring Foghat back to his homeland 

of the UK in 2025. “We’re trying to get over next year in 

the spring. Our manager is talking to some people, different 

agents over there. I want to go there. We haven’t 

played there since just after the record was released. We 

did a three-week tour with Captain Beefheart. We had 

got a couple of gigs around London and did a couple of 

gigs up in Scotland, but that was it,” said Roger. For now, 

his home is the United States. “This is my adopted home. I 

love living here. I love playing here. It’s a land of music, as 

far as I’m concerned,” concludes Roger. 

Sonic Mojo, the #1 album from Foghat, is out now. For 

further information, please visit foghat.com 


BLUESICOLOGY BY DANI WILDE 

BLUES WOMEN – THE UNSUNG PIONEERS OF ROCK AND ROLL 

Long before Elvis and Chuck Berry, the blues women of 

the 1920s, 30s, and 40s laid the groundwork for what 

would become rock ‘n’ roll. 

TRIXIE SMITH: THE FIRST TO ROCK 

A little over 100 years ago, in 1922, 27-year-old Trixie 

Smith stepped into a New York recording studio to 

record her best-known song, *My Man Rocks Me (With 

One Steady Roll)*, released on Black Swan Records. Trixie 

sang: 

*My daddy rocks me with one steady roll. 

There’s no slippin’ when he once takes hold. 

I looked at the clock and the clock struck one. 

I said, “Now Daddy, ain’t we got fun.” 

He kept rockin’ with one steady roll.* 

The terms ‘rocking’ and ‘rolling’ had been used before 

in religious music, but this was the first time they were 

used in a secular context and as a metaphor for sex. The 

song, composed by J. Berni Barbour, was a hit for Trixie 

Smith over three decades before Bill Haley released 

*Rock Around the Clock*. Trixie’s release inspired other 

blues songs to use the phrase ‘rock ‘n’ roll,’ such as *Rock 

That Thing*, composed and released by blues woman Lil 

Johnson in 1929. 

Lil Johnson would also record an early blues version of 

*Keep a Knockin’*, later a rock ‘n’ roll hit for Little Richard. 

Trixie Smith’s *My Man Rocks Me* added momentum to 

a movement of blues women who sang freely about sex 

and relationships with sass and humour in their ‘hokum’ 

songs, at a time when women were typically expected to 

be at home in the kitchen. 

While the song is about relationships on the surface, Trixie’s 

1920s blues aligned with the progressive Black politics 

of the era. Trixie was signed to Black entrepreneur 

Harry Pace’s Black Swan Records, a label that supported 

the New Negro Movement and aligned with the politics 

of the NAACP. 

“News of the completion of the first list of Black Swan records 

will be received with great interest and enthusiasm by 

our people all over the United States... A great uproar was 

caused among white phonograph record companies who 

resent the idea of having a race company enter what they 

felt was an exclusive field.”* 

— Chicago Defender, May 7, 1921 


Blending gospel vocals with her upbeat take on blues 

guitar, Tharpe created a new playing style. She had been 

playing what we now call rock ‘n’ roll guitar since the 

1930s, two decades before Chuck Berry and Elvis. As a 

boy, Elvis Presley would rush home to hear her on WELO 

Radio’s gospel show. 

Tharpe was among the first recording artists to use heavy 

distortion on her electric guitar, paving the way for electric 

blues. Her speed, dexterity, and immense feel created 

a style that would influence the rock ‘n’ roll superstars of 

the 1950s. 

THE LEGACY OF BLUES WOMEN IN ROCK ‘N’ ROLL 

Many of the 1950s rock ‘n’ roll hits by white artists were 

first recorded by Black rhythm and blues artists. For 

example: 

Black Swan was the first major Black-owned record 

company. It was not only a pioneering business but also 

a progressive experiment in Black politics and culture. 

Harry Pace, when not running the label, led the Atlanta 

arm of the NAACP. Black Swan demonstrates a clear link 

between the recordings of blues women like Trixie Smith 

and organised Black political activism of the era. 

1920s Black protest leader W.E.B. Du Bois stated at the 

NAACP’s June 1926 convention: 

“All art is propaganda and ever must be... I do not care a 

damn for any art that is not propaganda!” 

As successful and respected recording artists, Black 

Swan’s blues women contributed to this political agenda 

in the battle for racial equality. 

Trixie Smith and her peers on Black Swan’s roster also 

contributed greatly to the Harlem Renaissance, a political 

and cultural movement in the 1920s and 30s that celebrated 

Black literature, music, art, theatre, dance, and 

scholarship, making a powerful statement of Black pride. 

Trixie Smith’s contributions to music are underappreciated. 

Her groundbreaking work not only influenced 

the sound of rock ‘n’ roll but also demonstrated music’s 

power in the fight for equality. 1950s rock ‘n’ roll continued 

this fight as Black artists like Fats Domino and Chuck 

Berry appealed to both Black and white youth, helping to 

integrate venues for the first time. 

SISTER ROSETTA THARPE: 

THE GODMOTHER OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL 

Sister Rosetta Tharpe stands as one of the greatest pioneers 

of rock ‘n’ roll. In 1942, *Billboard* magazine journalist 

Maurie Orodenker used the term “rock-and-roll” to 

describe energetic tracks like *Rock Me* by Tharpe. 

- Jerry Lee Lewis’s *Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On* 

(1957) was a 1955 hit for Big Maybelle. 

- Elvis’s *Hound Dog* (1956) was originally written for 

Big Mama Thornton, whose 1953 version sold between 

500,000 and 750,000 copies. Thornton never received 

royalties and expressed frustration at this injustice. 

When Little Richard sang his trademark “Lucille-aagh” 

in 1957, he credited the vocal technique to Ruth Brown, 

who had used it in her 1952 track *Mama, He Treats Your 

Daughter So Mean*. 

Many Black artists felt that rock ‘n’ roll was simply rebranded 

rhythm and blues. Fats Domino said in 1957: 

“What they call rock ‘n’ roll now is rhythm and blues. I’ve 

been playing it for 15 years in New Orleans!” 

Little Richard observed the racial double standard of the 

era: 

“If Elvis had been Black, he wouldn’t have been as big as he 

was... If I was white, do you know how huge I’d be?” 

Female artists like Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker played 

fiery, innovative rhythm and blues in the early 1950s that 

represented the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. However, racial discrimination 

meant white pop covers of Black R&B songs 

often achieved greater success. 

LaVern Baker’s frustration with this led her to insure 

her life before an international flight, naming Georgia 

Gibbs—who outsold her by covering *Tweedle Dee*—as 

the beneficiary. Baker wrote to Gibbs: 

“You need this more than I do, because if anything happens 

to me, you’re out of business.” 

Despite systemic barriers, the pioneering contributions 

of blues women like LaVern Baker, Ruth Brown, and Big 

Mama Thornton laid the foundation for rock ‘n’ roll. Their 

legacy, though often undervalued, continues to shape 

music today. 



ISSUE 144 : BLUESMATTERS.COM 53 

Scott Doubt

Canadian blues rocker Steve Hill recently returned with his new album Hanging 

on a String. For his latest offering, the artist ventured south of the Canadian 

border to record in Los Angeles at the legendary Studio 606. Although 

getting the album out into the world was no easy task, there were trials and 

tribulations along the way. 

Adam Kennedy 

As credited 

As AC/DC once said, ‘It’s a long way to the top if you 

want to rock and roll’. This is a sentiment which the artist 

appreciates. “It’s not everybody who is passionate about 

music who can make a living out of it in 2024. I still can. 

And hopefully, it keeps going like this because I don’t 

know what else to do. I’ve never done anything else. I 

was a newspaper boy from nine to fifteen. And then at 

sixteen, I was playing clubs and I never learned how to do 

anything else.” 

For his latest offering, Steve Hill ventured to Los Angeles 

to record at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606. The opportunity 

was catalysed by a connection at the microphone company 

Lauten Audio. “At the time they were distributed by 

a Montreal company, and they were looking for an artist 

to do demos at the NAMM show in L.A. and Sweetwater 

in Indiana. And the distributor from Montreal, one of the 

guys who worked there, saw a video of myself and he 

sent it to Brian [Laudenslager, owner of the Lauten Audio 

microphone company]. And Brian was like, oh, yeah, we 

want this guy,” recalls Steve. 

“I was not the star of those events. The star was Darrell 

Thorp, who’s the engineer, mixer and producer of my 

record. Darrell does the Foo Fighters albums, he’s done 

Beck, he’s done Radiohead, he’s done McCartney. He’s got 

ten Grammys. He’s worked with Snoop Dogg and Reba 

McEntire. He does any type of music. He’s an incredible 

engineer,” said Steve. “And we do these events where I’d 

be in a cubicle, basically in a box. And he was on stage 

explaining how he mics, and I had cameras on me, but he 

was the star of the event. And they were the people of 

the industry about the microphones and mic placement. 

And they like me because it was just one guy and it’s a 

band, and so I was perfect for those events.” 

Beyond these showcase events, Steve and Brian remained 

in touch. “Almost two years ago, I was on tour in 

Western Canada, and I played Calgary, and somebody 

filmed me. I posted it back on Facebook and Brian was 

at Studio 606 with Darrell and he saw the video and he 

called me and he’s like, hey, Steve, it’s been a while, come 

and record in L.A. You should come and record at 606,” 

recounts Steve. “I’m like, yeah, Brian, that’d be awesome.” 

After the tour, Steve’s travels became a bit of an uphill 

struggle, if you will excuse the pun. “About a week and a 

half later, it’s the end of the tour and I’m sleeping at my 

tour manager’s place because I’m leaving the very next 

day. And we got to Calgary late. We were in Red Deer doing 

a show and then we got there late and I’m sleeping on 

an inflatable mat downstairs. And it’s really not comfortable 

and I can’t sleep,” said Steve. “And at some point, I’m 

dreaming of barbecue, and it smells like barbecue. And 

then I opened my eyes, and the basement was filled with 

smoke.” 

Things started to take a turn for the worse. “The house 

is on fire. So, I get up, I wake Nate, we get out of there, 

we call the fireman. And then somebody else was picking 

me up to bring me to the airport.” Steve’s lucky escape 

also created a moment of inspiration. “Every time I finish 


Anik Jean 


56 ISSUE 144 : BLUESMATTERS.COM 

Scott Doubt

a tour, I’m sitting in my seat in the plane, and I take a 

photo, and I post a little text and it started with ‘woke 

up in a house on fire’.” 

Once back home in Montreal, Brian called the artist 

to check in on his friend. “I called him back and he’s 

like, hey, man, that’s a good line for a song. And I’m 

like, yeah, I agree,” recalls Steve. “A week later, he had 

arranged the whole thing. He had booked the studio, 

booked Darrell and decided to be the producer of the 

album. He paid for the recording, and they filmed the 

whole thing.” 

But being caught up in the house fire wasn’t the only 

plot twist on Steve Hill’s creative journey. “I went 

there last week of August and my buddy, Johnny 

Pilgrim, who I write lyrics with, he lives in L.A. And he 

comes to pick me up and my girlfriend at the airport. 

And 15 minutes later, we got hit at a stop sign. Somebody 

ran on a red light straight into us,” said Steve. 

“I got broken ribs, and I was in the studio thirty-six 

hours later. So, I did a few days, but it was getting 

worse and worse. Every day something else was stuck. 

And so, the producers decided to postpone the whole 

thing.” 

“they were made 

to be played live” 

Steve Hill was looking for his big break in California 

but ended up with broken bones instead. “It took 

three months for me to heal, actually a year. But after 

three months, I was OK. I got some cortisone shots, 

and I was fine to perform, and it gave me more time to 

get ready to record,” explains Steve. “I had this drive. 

The first time I went there, I saw it as my break. If I 

have one break in my life, it’s this one. And everything 

depended on it. And because of a stupid accident, I 

couldn’t do it.” 


It comes more naturally. But then I like songs to have a 

few different levels. So, it’s not just about me. The beauty 

of music is that somebody can listen to it and think that 

the song is about a completely different subject than 

what I wrote it about. And that’s fine. That’s how it should 

be. But there are a few songs in there where they’re more 

personal, like Show Ya.” 

Once on the mend, Steve resumed recording. “There 

was no way that I would mess it up the second time. So, 

I got in there and I was so focused. I’ve never been that 

focused in my entire life,” said Steve. “And I had six days 

to record the album, and I did it in five. We would do two 

songs a day and it’s all first, second or third takes. And I’m 

very proud of it.” 

In the studio, the creative juices were flowing. “There 

are eight songs on the album. Of course, when you do an 

album, you write more stuff than what you have on the 

album,” confirms Steve. “I had another song which was 

really good, which will come out later, but it just didn’t fit. 

And these eight songs together felt like a concept album 

at the same time. They were meant to be together.” 

Hanging on a String wasn’t intended to be a concept 

album per se, but when you put them all together, it feels 

like a concept album, set in a dystopian world where music 

is the only salvation. “Once the album was done, and 

I had all these songs in that particular order, it seemed 

like there’s a story behind it. And, ending with When The 

Music’s Over gives it that feeling, I think it’s very personal 

and very universal at the same time,” explains Steve. 

“These times we live in with AI and the world is changing 

fast. And as a musician, it can feel like that sort of last of 

the blacksmith type of thing, especially for a guy like me, 

playing everything together. The album’s done straight 

to tape, recorded live in the studio. It’s not how the world 

works anymore.” 

The latter was written with creative counterpart Johnny 

Pilgrim. “It’s really my life story there. I heard rock and 

roll as a kid, and I was fascinated by it. And I would play 

air guitar. I would play on a tennis racket, on a hockey 

stick. And then eventually I met some friends and one of 

them had an electric guitar and the other one had a drum 

kit. I didn’t even know that in my town there were electric 

guitars. I thought that it’s something that they had in the 

big cities,” laughs Steve. “And then at 16, I was playing 

clubs. And by the time I was 18, I was a professional musician 

and moved to Montreal. And I’ve been doing that 

ever since.” 

The highs and lows of life as a professional musician are 

explored in the song. “In the story, the guy gets screwed 

by a record label. And I’ve gotten screwed many times. 

Lately, I’ve gotten screwed again. It always happens in 

the music business,” said Steve. “And in the song, the 

last verse is the guy’s touring in a beat-up car and he 

plays a dive bar. He plays a wedding, a wake. I don’t play 

weddings or wakes, but at the same time, the guy in the 

song says, but don’t get me wrong. I’m still happy doing 

this. That’s what I love to do. I love playing music for the 

people. And that has never changed. And it won’t. And 

I’m fortunate enough to have an audience, at least here 

in Canada, where I can make a living and tour most of the 

year. And I play to sold-out audiences here.” 

As an artist, there is a lot of anticipation and hard work 

involved in releasing your art. “I always put everything 

into my albums, but you never know how the people are 

going to react to it,” said Steve. “Obviously I enjoy playing 

these songs live, and it’s a great feeling to finally have the 

album out, because I’m an independent artist, it’s my own 

record label, I don’t have a manager, so it’s a lot of work 

to get there. It’s one thing to write the songs, to perform 

them, and to record them, but then to put it out, and finding 

the guy who’s going to do the album cover, getting the 

Steve adds: “There’s all these concerns about AI and what 

the future holds. We had a big election here a week ago, 

south of the border. That changed a lot of things for us 

Canadians and for the whole world. But at the core of 

that, there’s that light at the end of the tunnel. It’s my love 

for music, and music will always be there. And there’s 

what’s going on in the world right now, but music is eternal. 

And it’s always been there for me, and it always will 

be there. And it’s the same thing for everybody.” 

The subjects that the artist grapples with on the album 

come from a personal place. This style of writing 

is something that he enjoys. “It’s easier for me to write 

about something that I can relate to,” he says. “And if it’s 

something that I’ve experienced, it sounds more natural. 


t-shirts done, getting the CDs done, the promotion, 

it’s a lot of work, and it’s not what I enjoy. I do these 

things just so I can keep on playing the guitar, it’s 

just something that I have to do.” 

Eric Buggea 

With the album finally released, how is Steve feeling 

about the album? “It’s a great feeling. It took a long 

time to get there,” explains Steve. “Basically, the 

album came out exactly a year and a half after I 

started writing the songs for it, so it’s a lot of hard 

work to get there, and now it’s my favourite part of 

the whole process. I’m touring, I’m playing the songs 

live, and the reaction has been great. People are 

really digging the album, and the songs work great 

live, and they were made to be played live, so the 

show is really happening.” 

Performing the new material live has been a rewarding 

experience. “It’s great to be back on the 

road and to see the fans with new material. The 

reaction to the new stuff has been great,” said Steve. 

Perhaps the biggest reward of all has been the reaction 

from the artist’s followers. “Most fans write 

to me telling me that it’s their favourite album yet,” 

concludes Steve. 

Steve Hill’s new album “Hanging On A String” is 

released by No Label Records and is available from 

www.stevehillmusic.com 

EXPLORE 

 


BIG BLUES 

REVIEWS 

 

STEVE HILL 

HANGING ON A STRING 

No Label Records 

If you read our interview with 

Canadian blues/rocker Steve Hill in 

the current issue, you may get the 

impression that his new album had 

its fair share of trials and tribulations. 

You might even say it was a 

bit of an up Hill struggle, if you will 

excuse the pun. But troubles aside, 

one thing that the artist’s challenges 

did not dampen on his new album is 

the quality of this amazing release. 

Fans of Hill argue that Hanging on a 

String is perhaps his best album yet. 

And having listened to the record, 

you would be hard-pressed to argue 

against that sentiment. Although not 

by intention, the release is a concept 

album of sorts. But don’t expect the 

traditional type of concept record 

like Tommy or Quadrophenia by The 

Who. It has more to do with the fact 

there is a story or common thread 

that runs through the album. This 

narrative became apparent to Hill 

upon completion of the album. The 

title track opens the album with the 

line ‘woke up in a house on fire’. A 

note which comes from a true story 

which the artist encountered following 

the conclusion of a Canadian tour. 

And if that doesn’t grab your attention, 

then nothing will. The song has 

a real old-school groove, perhaps in 

the style of hill country blues. The 

track is underpinned by a foot-tapping 

rhythm and searing fuzz-fuelled 

guitar riffs. The sound on the album 

switches up thanks to Devil’s Handyman, 

and the song’s sinister vocals and 

poetic lyricism perfectly accentuate 

the mood. Steve grapples with his life 

and experiences in the music industry 

during the autobiographical number 

Show Ya. It’s an up-tempo blues/rocker 

fuelled by Steve’s passionate delivery. 

Show Ya is one of the standout tracks 

of the release. Just glancing down the 

track list of the album, the song title 

World Gone Insane feels particularly 

pertinent in the strange times 

we are living through. The song 

builds from a slow and sombre 

introduction into a raging slice 

of groove rock that, in places, 

is reminiscent of bands like 

Queens of the Stone Age. s the 

album progresses, the raw studio 

sound of Maggie instils the live 

feel of the album. The song is 

perhaps catchier than The Common 

Cold and features another 

heart and soul-performance from 

Hill. Much like the track which 

follows it, You Know Who. 

LISTEN NOW 

 

Adam Kennedy 

REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DEC 

A TRIBUTE TO EDDIE BOYD 

STOVAL, COAHOMA 

Bluelight Records 

A tribute to Blues legend Eddie Boyd is 

long overdue in my opinion, it has been 

thirty years since we lost him. Now, you 

would be forgiven for expecting a bunch 

of Blues artists from America, especially 

the deep south of America to release 

such an album. Now you are probably 

thinking that Finland is as far removed 

from the Delta as it is possible to be, but 

you would be wrong in that assumption. 

For many years, Finland has been at the 

epicenter of Scandinavian and European 

Blues. Now I have to admit that the musicians 

on this album are new to me, but 

what a great bunch of Blues artists they 

are. Eleven tracks on the album each one 

a classic with the band giving no quarter 

at any turn. Stovall, Coahoma sees Pepe 

Ahiqvist regale us with his brilliant vocals, 

guitar playing, and harmonica playing, 

leaving you in no doubt as to these 

guys’ credentials. She Is Real has Jukka 

Gustavson showing off his skills on the 

keyboards alongside the rest of the band 

who, I must say, have 

made one of the finest 

Sebastien-Desilets 

60 BLUES MATTERS! ISSUE 144

EMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REtribute 

albums I’ve ever heard. Five Long 

Years has been covered by the great and 

the good even before Eddie Boyd passed 

away, and there have been many great 

versions since. I’m not going to say this 

tops any of them, indeed, it’s a much 

slower version that doesn’t have the 

climactic finish of the old live versions, 

but it has been done with expertise and 

guile. A wonderful tune given the grace 

it fully deserves. As I attested to earlier, 

these guys who originate from Finland 

are some of the best Blues artists in the 

whole of Europe, which proves to me 

that the Blues is in very capable hands 

outside of America as well as inside 

America. If you want further proof of 

this, take a listen to, The Blues Is Here To 

Stay on this album. It is simply jaw-dropping. 

It has been a pleasure listening to 

this album, Bravo guys. Many thanks for 

reminding everyone of the talent that 

Eddie Boyd shared with us all. I’m sure 

he’s smiling in heaven. 

ALL IS 

Inde- 

STEPHEN HARRISON 

WELL 

TICKET WEST 

pendent 

Ticket West are brothers Pascal 

and Walter Wilheim from 

the Netherlands. Following on 

from the albums High Class Horse 

(2020), Driving Man (2021), 49 

Park St. Blues (2022) and Chucufu 

(2023 with Greg Izor) they released 

their fifth album All Is Well in August. 

With Walter on guitar and Pascal on 

bass and vocals the brothers enlist the 

help of friends Kees Van Herk on drums, 

percussion, Bas Kleine on Harmonica and 

Paul Bond on keys. All Is Well contains 

all original songs in the blues tradition 

of love, loss and judgement. The album 

opens, with Buzzing, a driving drumbeat 

and guitar riff keeps the tempo up 

on this toe tapping tale of his baby not 

wanting him anymore. Don’t Judge Me, 

is a mid-tempo shuffle with a drum and 

guitar rhythm given depth with clapping 

and stinging guitar riffs, while Head Over 

Heels, features a jaunty groove from 

the drums and wonderful piano work. 

Rhythmic drumming and guitar riffs fill 

out Hip Shakin’ Woman Waiting, with its 

grooving R n R rhythm and Chuck Berry 

riffs. The swing blues of Wedding Blues. 

The album closes with God Save My 

MARCUS TRUMMER 

FROM THE START 

Gypsy Soul Records 

Rising star of the Canadian blues scene, 

Marcus Trummer, released his new 

album From The Start via Gypsy Soul Records 

on Friday, 15th November. For his new album, the young bluesman 

travelled to Toronto to work with a crack team of musicians and producers. 

Perhaps you could say that there is a common thread running through 

the album thanks to production work by The Commoners’ guitarist Ross 

Hayes Citrullo, with additional contributions from the band’s Miles 

Evans-Branagh (keys and piano) and Adam Cannon (drums). The record 

opens with Holding Out For You. A song with a soulful summertime 

groove that is oozing with keys, horns and Trummer’s silky-smooth vocals. 

an album which showcases 

talent beyond his age 

Let You Down follows in a similar vein. His tone and fretwork particularly 

in his soloing further exemplify that the artist has found his sweet spot 

in the soulful blues space. Hard Time changes the mood of the album 

with a more sombre number. The pertinent message found in Waiting For 

Change highlights Marcus’ songwriting capabilities. The artist’s wonderful 

vocal delivery 

is coupled with a 

superb solo which 

illustrate Trummer’s 

tone and appreciation 

of space. The 

award-winning 

bluesman pays homage 

to perhaps the 

greatest of all, BB 

King, with the traditional 

blues number 

The Only Thing. The 

soulful blues sounds 

of From The Start 

features undertones of heavyweights of the genre, the Tedeschi Trucks 

Band. The penultimate song of the album Ready To Go confirm Trummer’s 

influence by soul greats like Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye. The sound is 

classic, to say the least. The album concludes with Let The Devil Win, as 

Trummer switches gears during an all-out rocker. At just 23 years old, 

Marcus Trummer delivers an album which showcases talent beyond his 

age. A young man with an old soul, but most importantly, a bright future. If 

this album is just the start, we look forward to more of what’s to come. 

LISTEN, WATCH AND DISCOVER 

MORE AT THESE ARTIST LINKS 

Adam Kennedy 

 

ISSUE 144 BLUES MATTERS! 61

REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMB 

NEIL SADLER 

PAST TO PRESENT 

Independent 

Past To Present is the first solo album that 

Neil Sadler has released. He has, in the past, 

worked with the likes of Dennis Siggery and 

The Eric Street Band. Sadler is no stranger 

to the world of the Blues, as this fine album demonstrates. All the 

songs are written by Daler, except for two, one of which was co-written by 

his partner, Karen Jenkinson. No Love Left No More, is the opening track 

of the album, and what it tells us is that this first solo album has been well 

worth the wait. Sadler’s previous work has always found him firmly rooted 

within the Blues, and this is no exception. The track co-written with 

Jenkinson is A Bad Case Of Company Blues, which portrays the rawness 

this album affords you a glimpse into 

what I’m sure will be a very bright future 

of his vocals perfectly, a tune straight out of the ZZ Top Drawer, but with 

the ability to showcase both of the writer’s talents. The other song that 

was not written by Sadler is When The Levee Breaks, a Blues standard 

for almost a hundred years. Written by Lizzie Douglass (Memphis Minnie) 

and performed by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1927, it has 

also been covered 

by Led Zeppelin, 

and more recently, 

by Beth Hart. So 

Sadler finds himself 

in what can only 

be described as, an 

esteemed company. 

Let me tell you this, 

he is not out of his 

depth by any stretch 

of the imagination. 

Bravo Neil. Now, if 

you wanted a title 

that could perfectly 

sum up a Blues scenario, 40 Miles Of Bad Road, would fit the bill. It covers 

everything you need to know about Blues music, and its various trials and 

tribulations. Past To Present sums up Neil Sadlers musical career so far, 

a career of fine musicianship, great writing, and wonderful singing, this 

album affords you a glimpse into what I’m sure will be a very bright future. 




 

Woman, an acoustic front porch blues 

with a subtle drum rhythm and melancholic 

guitar with plenty of wailing 

harmonica up front, no downbeat blues 

here, whatever the subject these guys 

keep it fun and fresh 

SHIRL 

CORKY SIEGEL 

SYMPHONISC BLUES NO.6 

Independent 

Corky Siegel’s newest release is a 

remarkable fusion of blues and classical 

music, showcasing the harmonica virtuoso’s 

lifelong dedication to bridging genres. 

Known for pioneering the symphonic 

blues genre, Siegel has always dared to 

merge the raw, heartfelt expression of 

the blues with the sophisticated structures 

of classical composition. With this 

release, he delivers yet another powerful 

piece that deepens the genre’s possibilities. 

The piece opens with a haunting, 

soulful harmonica line, straight from the 

smoky blues clubs of Chicago, Filisko’s 

Dream. It then intertwines with lush 

orchestral arrangements that feel both 

unexpected and effortlessly cohesive. 

The dialogue between the orchestra 

and Siegel’s harmonica gives the work 

an electrifying tension. The symphony’s 

swelling strings and brass sections 

provide a grand, dynamic backdrop, 

while Siegel’s harmonica adds an edge 

that’s gritty, tender, and often joyfully 

defiant. What’s particularly impressive 

about the release is its capacity to evoke 

both intimacy and grandeur. Moments 

of lyrical, melancholic beauty flow into 

raucous, foot-stomping crescendos in 

six titles, blurring the line between blues 

and classical traditions. Siegel’s expertise 

shines in his precise, emotive harmonica 

performance, driving home a powerful 

sense of narrative whether on the piece, 

Slow Blues or the up-tempo and comical 

Allegro. The CODA is especially evocative 

and inspiring. Wrecking Ball Sonata 

is another heady atmospheric tune with a 

well delivered dialogue. Opus 11 is a solo 

violin piece hewn from the Appalachian 

Mountains by the sound of it, superb. 

On the seventh track Corky informs the 

listener of his vision for the release. For 

fans of boundary-pushing music, this is a 

must-listen, a testament to Siegel’s vision 

and an invigorating example of what 

genre-blending can achieve. 

62 

BLUES MATTERS! ISSUE 144

ER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DE 

DAVY KNOWLES 

THE INVISIBLE MAN 

Independent 

COLIN CAMPBELL 

Davy Knowles is a musician who has 

been around the proverbial block a few 

times. During this time, he has managed 

to collect many admirers and many 

accolades. In fact, Joe Bonamassa has 

congratulated him on the release of this 

album, which goes to show the esteem 

in which he is held. He was also the first 

artist to perform live for The International 

Space Station, how’s that for respect? 

Add to that his many Top-5 Billboard 

Blues Albums, and you get to see what 

makes this guy tick. So, to the album, this 

is not an out-and-out Blues album, it is 

more of a collaboration of Blues, Blues/ 

Rock, Americana, and good old Rock “n” 

Roll. Tell Me What You Want Me To Be 

has a funky guitar riff, not a million miles 

away from the intro to, Superstition, by 

Stevie Wonder. Knowles adds his great 

vocals to the song perfectly blending 

with the funky guitar, giving a rockier 

edge to the proceedings. The title track, 

The Invisible Man, allows Knowles the 

opportunity to once again demonstrate, 

what I would call, his lived-in vocal range. 

Not raw or gritty, but a vocal that has 

seen some mileage. This three-piece 

KAI STRAUSS 

WAILIN’ IN VIENNA 

Continental Blue Heaven 

German blues virtuoso Kai Strauss delivers 

a knockout with his latest scintillating 

release. This is an odyssey that bridges 

classic blues soul with a fresh, modern flair. 

With standout guest appearances by Rusty Zinn, Alex Schultz, and Sax 

Gordon, Strauss offers fifteen tracks that swing between nostalgia and 

fiery energy, proving he’s got a deep respect for the genre’s roots while 

pushing it forward. 

The album opens with Old Fashioned Daddy, a toe-tapping tribute to 

blues’ golden era, setting the stage for what’s to come. 5$ Shake follows 

Kai Strauss at his best, raw, heartfelt, 

and steeped in the spirit of blues 

with a fun, infectious rhythm that invites listeners to join the ride, while 

Travelin’ Man dives into the bittersweet reality of life on the road, brought 

to life by Strauss’s soulful guitar and Zinn’s vocal flourishes. Stranded, 

takes a slower turn, Schultz’s intricate solos lending an emotional weight 

that stays with you. 

The mid-album 

jam, Sweet and 

Salty, highlights Sax 

Gordon’s brassy 

flair, adding a 

sassy punch to the 

album’s flow. The 

heart of this nostalgic 

release pulses 

through tracks like 

You Quit This Game 

Too Soon and Slow 

Roast, where the 

groove simmers, 

drawing listeners 

into their meditative pull. The title track is a smoky homage to 

Vienna’s musical legacy, capturing the city’s bluesy undercurrent 

in under three minutes. Strauss wraps things up with 

the reflective, My Old Time Used to Be and Three Bells in a 

Row, soulful closers that linger long after they end. This is 

Kai Strauss at his best, raw, heartfelt, and steeped in the 

spirit of blues. 




 



MARC 

BROUSSARD 

TIME IS A THIEF 

Artist Tone Records 

This is the first album of original 

music by Marc Broussard since 2017. Ten 

brand-new songs from one of the finest Southern Soul singers, 

this album has been well worth the wait. Broussard has surrounded 

himself with the cream of the crop of musicians as well as producers, 

Eric Krasno, who also chips in on writing some of the songs, and Jeremy 

Most. The horn arrangements are courtesy of Daniel Casares who put 

the funk into funky here. The songs are so Soulful, so full of harmony 

It really is a top-drawer piece of work 

and groove, Broussard has knocked this out of the park once again. Cold 

Blooded is one example of just how silky smooth Broussard and Krasno 

have developed since starting to work on this album together. Time Is A 

Thief is the epitome of Soul and Funk, it sometimes takes you back to the 

heady days of early 70s Soul that came out of Harlem, even though Marc 

Broussard is from 

the Southern side 

of the genre. Give 

You The World had 

me thinking about 

what it reminded 

me of, and then it 

dawned on me, Hall 

and Oates. Not that 

Broussard is in any 

way trying to copy 

them, he certainly 

doesn’t need to try 

and imitate anyone, 

I think that he’s such 

a good writer and singer, he oozes class like others have done that have 

gone before him. The final track, Stay Still almost made me feel rather 

sad, mainly because it was the end of such a marvelous album. It really is 

a top-drawer piece of work. One thing that I would dearly love to see, is 

this group of musicians going out on tour to promote this album. Now that 

would be one hell of a gig. 




 

band, with Tod Bowers on Bass, and 

Mike Hansen on Drums, leaves the guitar 

work to Knowles, and a very competent 

guitarist he is. All My Life sees a change 

of pace and direction, veering towards 

the Americana side of things. This album 

has an air of feel-good about it, all of the 

songs flow in and out of so many genres, 

sometimes within the same song. Davy 

Knowles reminds me ever so slightly of 

Bob Seger, a guy you can’t pigeon-hole, 

but a guy who touches you in so many 

ways with his music. Saving the best to 

last, is the way I’d describe, Wonder You 

Are, the final track on the album. All of 

the songs are enjoyable, but this one 

sticks out for me, melancholy lyrics, the 

guitar with so much feeling, and an overall 

sound that makes you sit up and listen 

for one last time. These guys, originating 

from Chicago have made an album of 

musical pleasure. Treat yourself, and get 

a copy. 

DE WOLFF 

MUSCLE SHOALS 

Mascot Label Group 


DeWolff’s latest release is a bluesy, soulful 

tribute to the roots of rock, dripping 

with authenticity and swampy Southern 

charm. Recorded at the legendary FAME 

Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a 

hallowed ground for some of the biggest 

names in blues and soul, DeWolff delivers 

a sound that feels like both a homage 

and a revitalisation of classic Southern 

rock. The trio captures the spirit of 

vintage blues-rock with gritty precision. 

Frontman Pablo Van De Poel’s guitar 

work is raw, electrifying, and refreshingly 

unpolished, blending seamlessly 

with brother Luka’s pulsating drums and 

Robin Piso’s Hammond organ that oozes 

with attitude. Tracks like the opener, In 

Love and the tune, Natural Woman are 

gritty, drenched in soul and distortion 

as is the benchmark on Ophelia, that 

takes a life of its own, so many layers to 

this one. Let’s Stay Together, showcases 

the band’s versatility with mellow, sundrenched 

vibes that feel like a lazy summer 

afternoon in the Deep South, a particular 

favourite. This release doesn’t just 

flirt with nostalgia, it dives headfirst into 

it, embodying the sound and swagger of 

its namesake while bringing a modern 

energy that feels both reverent and rebellious, 

as noted on the up-tempo Hard 



To Make A Buck. DeWolff pays homage 

to the legends of the past while staking a 

bold claim on the future of blues rock. De 

Wolff’s best release, yet a unique sound 

on these scintillating tracks, a sure fire no 

holds barred approach just stunning. 


DOWN HOME BLUES 

CHICAGO-THE BEAUTIFUL 

STUFF 

Wienerworld 

Now, if you think you have a difficult job, 

whatever it may be, just imagine trying 

to pick just fifteen songs from a back 

catolouge of Chicago Blues. That is nigh 

on impossible, but two guys have managed 

to do just that. Chris Bentley and 

Mike Rowe have compiled this album, 

and what a fantastic job they have done. 

The album comes with a four-page 

booklet giving background information 

on the songs and the artists, reminding 

us of days gone by, the cream of Chicago 

Blues. Tack one, side (1) sees Muddy 

Waters open the proceedings with Rollin’ 

Stone, and we all know what that particular 

song led to. That’s All Right, by Jimmy 

Rogers is the same tune that we all 

know and love, but don’t be fooled into 

thinking that this is the Country artist, 

this Jimmy Rogers first teamed up with 

Muddy Waters and his band when Muddy 

made the trip to Chicago. Many tracks 

on here are very familiar to everyone, but 

the beauty of this album is that there are 

also some hidden gems, songs that we 

may have unwittingly forgotten about. 

Songs such as Evening Shuffle, by Johnny 

Shines. Now Johnny Shines is no stranger 

to Blues aficionados, but this song may 

not be on the tip of your tongue. In the 

beginning part of his career, Shines had 

traveled around America playing guitar, 

singing, and blowing the harp, quite often 

with a guy by the name of Robert Johnson, 

before coming back to Chicago and 

recording under his own steam. Often 

Shines would be annoyed with interviewers 

who wanted to know about Johnson 

instead of his own recording career, and 

who could blame him, he was a Blues 

artist in his own right, a very good Blues 

artist. When I mentioned hidden gems, 

Pete’s Shuffle Boogie Part 1, by Mata Roy 

is a song that I had long forgotten about. 

That’s why I love this compilation so 

much, being reminded of just how good 

she was, before vanishing almost off 

WARREN HAYNES 

MILLION VOICES 

WHISPER 

Fantasy Recordings 

Warren Haynes has released a double 

album and has collaborated with his former 

bandmate, Derek Trucks on the producing side of things, 

as well as Trucks guesting on three songs. I doubt there are many artists 

around who have released or been part of as many ventures as Haynes 

has. From The Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule, and a hundred in-between 

albums. Warren Haynes has been a long-time favourite artist of mine for 

more years than I care to remember, so I was so pleased when this album 

found its way to my humble abode. Nine brand-new tracks that start 

with, These Changes, which incidentally has Derek Trucks gusting on. The 

A monument of musical greatness 

reunion of these guitar greats electrifies this song, with Haynes vocals as 

good as they have ever been. Halfway through the song, I was thinking 

to myself, if the rest of the album is half as good as this, then I’m in for a 

treat. And guess what, each and every song is just as good as the opening 

tune. Find The Cost Of Freedom/ Day Of Reckoning sees Haynes at his 

lyrical and vocal 

best, such a sweet 

tune proving that 

he has lost none of 

the work ethic that 

he’s always had, that 

attention to detail, 

which is so good 

every track seems 

effortless. Lies, Lies, 

Lies, Monkey Dance, 

Lies Lies, Lies, is 

quite a strange title 

for a song, however, 

don’t let that put 

you off because the song itself is stunningly good. Filled with funk, Warren 

Haynes blasts through it with the help of great keyboards and a magnificent 

horn section that will have you out of your chair within seconds. Million 

Voices Whisper is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest albums 

Warren Haynes has ever recorded, a bold statement I know, but when 

you sit and listen to it, I don’t expect many people will disagree with me. A 

monument of musical greatness. 




 



IAN SIEGAL 

MEETS JOHNNY 

MASTRO 

EASY TIGER 

Continental Blue Heaven 

When Ian Siegal and Johnny Mastro met in a New Orleans studio, they 

fused British and American blues into this new project, a live-recorded, 

high-voltage album that rolls in like a Southern thunderstorm. Siegal’s 

gravelly, whiskey-laden vocals and expert guitar mesh with Mastro’s ferocious 

harmonica, forging a raw, powerful sound that’s as authentic as it is 

a wonderful collaborative masterpiece 

gritty. The album roars to life with Four on the Floor, an energetic opener 

that ignites the bluesy, soul-filled journey ahead. Balling the Jack follows, 

with Siegal’s voice and Mastro’s harmonica sparking off each other in a 

fervent exchange of raw talent. Slowing things down, Baby You Can Get 

Your Gun unveils Siegal’s introspective side, while No Mercy unleashes 

Mastro’s blistering 

harmonica in a 

relentless surge. The 

swaggering beats of 

Dog Won’t Hurt and 

Tall and Tight, capture 

New Orleans’ 

wild charm, while 

Miss Your Cadillac 

tugs at heartstrings, 

driven by Siegal’s 

soulful croon and 

Mastro’s piercing 

harmonica. On the 

explosive, Quick to 

Gun, the pair are fearless, showcasing an electrifying synergy that’s all 

blues grit and passion. Emperor’s New Clothes and Wineheaded, bring a 

vintage, hard-edged feel, with Who’re in Church diving deeper, layering 

Siegal’s thoughtful lyrics with Mastro’s haunting harmonica. This infectious 

release closes with Oedipuss, a burst of raw energy, embodying the 

duo’s unfiltered spirit. This thirteen-track release is a journey through the 

blues genre in its purest form, a must-listen for fans of unpolished, souldrenched 

blues, a wonderful collaborative masterpiece. 




 

the face of the earth in the early 1960s. 

This album opened with Muddy Waters, 

it ends with, Coming Home, by Elmore 

James. What a fitting end to an amazing 

collection of Blues songs. Congratulations 

to messers, Bentley and Rowe. 

EARLY JAMES 

MEDIUM RAW 

Independent 


This album was recorded in Buddy’s 

house, “Honky Chateau” in Nashville, 

Tennesee. That is as much as I know 

about the recording of the album. To be 

honest, I don’t need to know much more. 

All of the songs were written by Early 

James, who plays guitar and also sings 

on all of the tracks, not so much a oneman 

band because he does have a little 

help from his friends, Jeffery Clemens 

(Drums) Adrian (Bass) and Sam (Percussion). 

So, the album, it’s an all-acoustic 

stripped-back, and yes, medium raw 

kind of album. Steely Knives is the first 

offering, and it did put me in mind ever 

so slightly of Steve Earle. Now, there is 

nothing wrong with that, and I don’t for 

one moment think that James had Earle 

in mind when he wrote the song, it just 

resonated with me in that way of thinking. 

Tinfoil Hat, which was released as a 

single, has a dark, morose feel, the lyrics 

dragging the guitar down and then, suddenly 

back up again, in a topsy-turvy tale 

of darkness. On the other hand, Gravy 

Train has a more lighthearted, upbeat 

approach. The guitar has the sound of a 

train roaring down the tracks, and the 

lyrics once again prove that James is 

adept as a songwriter. I Could Just Die 

Right Now is as dark and morose as life 

gets. This is not a song about someone 

wanting to die, but more about the 

moods we can all find ourselves in from 

time to time. It is very cleverly done, Earl 

James is telling a story more than he is 

singing a song, a different interpretation 

of one’s feelings. This album succeeds in 

many ways, lyrically, and thought-provokingly, 

and it can also come across as 

a storybook, not just an album of fine 

tunes. Early James has produced a gem 

of an album. Tune in, relax, and be prepared 

to be taken somewhere you’ve not 

been before. 




EDDIE 9V 

SARATOGA 

Ruf Records 

US-based bluesman Eddie 9V returns 

with his new album Saratoga. The Ruf 

Records release covers a vast sonic 

landscape which takes the listener on 

a musical journey across the album’s 

twelve amazing tracks.The title track and 

opening song of the album is perhaps the 

author’s favourite song of recent times. 

Saratoga has received frequent radio 

airplay and it’s easy to understand why. 

The track’s captivating chorus draws 

the listener in. The song is an earworm 

of the highest calibre, once you hear 

it the song will stay with you for days. 

Recent single Halo follows. The song has 

a sweet, soulful, finger-picking groove. 

The addition of horns adds a wonderful 

texture, whilst Eddie’s voice and vocal 

delivery, particularly on the high notes is 

on point Songs such as Cry Like A River 

transport the listener to the 60s. The 

song is almost like a time machine, harkening 

back to the glory days of artists like 

Otis Redding. Subsequently, the funky 

groove, tight beat and wonderful backing 

vocals of Love Moves Slow make it one of 

the many stand-out songs on the release. 

And although songs like Cry Like A River 

may have more of a retro feel, it’s tracks 

like Delta and Red River which bring the 

album up to date with a more contemporary 

soulful blues sound. Wasp 

Weather is reminiscent 

in places of peers like 

The Black Keys. 

And the song’s 

foot-stomping 

beat and fuzzy 

DOM MARTIN 

BURIED ALIVE 

Forty Below Records 

Having recently seen this powerhouse 

trio at Edinburgh Blues Club, I was eagerly 

awaiting this double album release, 

this is intrinsically better played on vinyl this 

is just an observation of listening to these sixteen tracks. Capturing the 

raw energy and soul of his live performances, this record serves as both a 

testament to his undeniable talent and a gift to his rapidly growing fanbase. 

He deserves the plaudits and awards as his musicality is hypnotising, 

mesmerising just a unique artist. This outstanding live release offers an 

intimate yet electrifying experience. These songs showcase his knack for 

storytelling, with stripped-down acoustic renditions that let his intricate 

a must-listen; a triumph that 

cements Dom Martin’s place 

fingerpicking and gravelly, impassioned vocals take centre stage, like the 

opener, Daylight I Will Find You. Tracks like Howlin’, Belfast Blues and the 

broody, Buried In The Hail are drenched in emotional depth, their melodies 

weaving stories of longing and resilience. Unhinged, brings a rocky 

groove and riff of its own, bass player Ben Graham and drummer Aaron 

McLaughlin are 

the perfect rhythm 

section, and they 

all have that intrinsic 

chemistry on 

stage that connects 

with the audience 

making these live 

events special. They 

unleash scorching 

electric blues 

swagger on numbers 

like, Lefty 2 Guns 

and 12 Gauge, that 

draw Dom to be 

compared to legends like Rory Gallagher and Stevie Ray Vaughan. For 

blues aficionados and newcomers alike, this live release is a must-listen; 

a triumph that cements Dom Martin’s place as one of the most exciting 

contemporary artists in Blues music today. 




 

Jim Heal 



OLLEE OWENS 

NOWHERE TO HIDE 

Independent 

Canadian singer-songwriter Ollee 

Owens, raised in the heart of the 

Prairies, has always been surrounded 

by music. Inspired by 

legends like Elvis, Mavis Staples, and Bob Dylan, 

she began writing songs as a way of processing life’s chaos and give 

voice to her emotions. After taking a 15-year break to raise her family, 

Owens never fully left music behind, continuing to write, perform, and 

work as a volunteer music therapist. Encouraged by friends and mentors 

like the late Bill Dowey, she decided to pursue music professionally. In 

2022, she released her debut album Cannot Be Unheard, and now returns 

her vocals are astounding, 

this is a powerful release 

with this her sophomore release. Produced by drummer Bobby Blazier 

and recorded in Nashville, the album opens with the title track, showcasing 

Owens’ soulful vocals and the guitar work of Will McFarlane and Phil 

Hughley. Tracks like Solid Ground and Roots explore themes of resilience, 

with Owens’ lyrics reminding us that no storm can bring us down. Her 

songwriting 

shines through 

on Some Days, 

a blues-infused 

track about life’s 

ups and downs, 

while Shivers 

and Butterflies, 

reveals a tender, 

romantic side. 

The release 

closes with a 

powerful cover 

of Bob Dylan’s 

Lord Protect 

My Child, where 

Owens’ personal connection to the song, influenced by her experience 

raising a daughter with a cognitive disability, adds depth and emotion. 

These eleven well-crafted songs are full of heart, celebrating love, resilience, 

and the beauty of life’s journey and her vocals are astounding, this 

is a powerful release, highly recommended. 

guitar riffs perfectly capture the mood of 

the song title. Truckee is perhaps one of 

the most unique songs on the album. It’s 

more of a traditional acoustic number, 

which conjures up images of legends 

like Crosby, Stills and Nash. Towards the 

end of the album, Chamber of Reflection 

illustrates the funkier side of Eddie 9V’s 

repertoire. Whilst album closer, The 

Road to Nowhere shows that the artist 

can croon with the best of them. Saratoga 

continues to showcase Eddie 9V’s 

musical evolution. Holding his own with 

the great and good of the contemporary 

blues/rock scene. Exciting times beckon 

for the soulful blues artist. 

ADAM KENNEDY 

ERIC STREET BAND; THE 

WORD ON THE STREET 

THE WORD ON THE 

STREET 

Independent 

Here’s a sad story which no doubt 

affected many bands during the great 




 

Gregory Crowe 



Covid blight 2021-22. The Eric Street 

Band, comprising Dennis Siggery, vocals, 

Gordon Vaughan, guitars and keyboards, 

Henry Smitson, bass and drummer Adam 

J. Perry are joined here by an impressive 

Dave Raphael on harmonica. Just 

as Covid’s Grim Reaper started waving 

his scythe around the band had scored 

a hit and even charted in the USA with 

The Eye Of the Storm, the band were 

silenced. What followed was the cancellation 

of recording this the new set 

of compositions, problems with gear 

going down and the inevitable separation 

from one another during the pandemic 

took their toll. Thankfully, all that’s 

behind them and there’s no doubt here 

that hardships have one benefit – they 

truly tighten up blues music. Track 4, 

The Truth Hurts, is a sturdy, heart-felt 

slow blues with some stirring guitar 

from Gordon Vaughan behind Dennis 

Siggery’s always well-delivered vocals. 

Having a superfan contact in the USA 

willing to devote their time to a British 

band is always a bonus. Sadly, The Eric 

Street Band lost their great transatlantic 

support, Diana Swens, to illness in 2023. 

None the less, Diana’s support would 

LIONS IN 

THE STREET 

MOVING ALONG 

Interior Castle Music 

I have to admit that this is my first encounter 

with this band, I’ll apologize now. The band can list many influences 

and meetings with people who were around at the end of the ‘60s and 

early ‘70s, when you hear the album, you’ll understand why. Don’t be fooled 

into thinking that Lions In The Street is some sort of caricature of days gone 

by, these guys have taken Blues/Rock, and ‘60s and ‘70s rock, and brandished 

it into their own make-up. The title track, Moving Along, opens the album, 

when I say opens it, it kicks the doors off. Chris Kiinon on lead vocals drives 

the album track after track, forging a pathway as if his life depended on it. 

a must-listen; a triumph that 

cements Dom Martin’s place 

Raspy raw, and full of conviction, Chris Kinnon pounds his way through the 

lyrics without seeming to take a breath. It’s a high-octane juggernaut of an 

album that takes no prisoners and turns your mind a hundred different ways, 

allowing you trips down the musical memory lane. Mine Ain’t Yours starts 

with a riff Not a Million Miles Away from The Faces, Stay With Me, and having 

such a gravelly 

vocal, Rod Stewart 

also pos up in the 

memory bank. You 

get that feel, that 

energy that bands 

such as The Faces 

had in their armory. 

Lady Blue does allow 

the band to take 

their foot off the gas 

pedal slightly, but 

you can feel that the 

song could suddenly 

combust at any given 

moment. Hey Hey, Arlene has Chuck Berry written all over it, from the opening 

riff to the jumping beat and rhythm that almost threatens to bring back 

Chuck from the other side. I have to say, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this album 

from start to finish, I can only imagine how good this band is in a live setting. 

Hopefully, I’ll find out before too long. 




 


REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS DECEMBER2024 REVIEWS 

have doubled had she heard this album. 

Solid, honest blues all written by Siggery 

and Vaughan – trust The Word on The 

Street – it’s rarely wrong. 

ROY BAINTON 

JEREMIE ALBINO 

OUR TIME IN THE SUN 

Easy Eye Sound 

On last year’s release, Tears You Hide, 

Toronto singer-songwriter Jeremie Albino 

proved himself a talent to watch, with 

a powerful, versatile voice that moved 

seamlessly through rock, soul, blues, 

and folk. His latest album, Our Time 

In The Sun, builds on that foundation, 

highlighting a new level of intensity and 

ambition under the sharp production of 

Dan Auerbach. Albino’s voice, alternately 

soulful and gritty, shines through each of 

these twelve well-crafted tracks, marking 

him as a true rising star. The lead single, 

Rolling Down the 405, captures the 

spirit of classic open-road anthems with 

a bluesy swagger reminiscent of early 

Rolling Stones. It’s a perfect summer 

tune, practically begging to be blasted 

on a long drive with the windows down. 

Elsewhere, Albino’s more soulful side 

emerges in tracks like Baby Ain’t It Cold 

Outside, Our Time in the Sun, and I Don’t 

Mind Waiting. With backing from the 

likes of former Dap-Kings bassist Thomas 

Brenneck and drummer Malcolm Catto, 

Albino’s sound nods to Otis Redding 

and Irma Thomas while keeping things 

fresh and vibrant. His ability to stretch 

within genre conventions is a highlight, 

as with Dinner Bell, a swampy blues 

number bursting with loose, infectious 

energy. Give It To Me One Last Time 

starts as a soulful ballad before erupting 

into a chorus and guitar solo that evoke 

a psychedelic rock finish. The final song 

is Hold Tight, a stripped-down, acoustic 

love song, a fitting, intimate ending to a 

record brimming with heart and promise. 


KENNY “BLUES BOSS” 

WAYNE 

OOH YEAH 

Stony Plain Records 

At 80, legendary singer, songwriter, 

and piano firebrand Kenny “Blues Boss” 

Wayne continues to redefine aging in 

music. The U.S.-born, Canadian based 

musician, Wayne remains as prolific as 

ever, with his newest release. This marks 

his fifth album in eight years, and this is 

a showcase of Wayne’s ever widening 

musical palette. Wayne opens with the 

lively, boogie-woogie of the title track 

Ooh Yeah, a jolt of energy that sets the 

tone for both this release and his live 

shows. He navigates the blues with a 

mix of styles, from the Latino inflected, 

Sailing with the Sunset, a nod to New 

Orleans and Professor Longhair, to the 

soulful, Temptations inspired, It’s Pouring 

Down, where rain reflects his emotional 

depths. Wayne’s prowess as a producer 

shine throughout, especially on tracks 

like Baby, I’m Your Man, which features a 

punchy horn section that enhances rather 

than overpowers. On the thumping 

Blacklist, Wayne combines his sharp funk 

groove with raw lyrics about romantic 

frustration, underscored by electric 

piano shades reminiscent of Ray Charles. 

One of the releases most surprising moments 

is Try It Out, featuring bluegrass 

banjo by Jimmy Bowskill, injecting a 

unique fusion of funk, gospel, and country. 

Less effective, yet poignant, is the 

LISTEN TO THE BLUES MATTERS 

PODCAST 

Listen to some amazing interviews with 

the artists we’ve been lucky enough to speak 

to for the magazine. NOW ON YOUTUBE! 

 

 

 

 

SAMANTHA FISH 

In this exciting episode, Adam Kennedy sits down with blues 

sensation Samantha Fish, known for her electrifying guitar skills, 

powerful vocals, and genre-defying sound. 

CHRISTOPHER WYZE 

In this episode of the Blues Matters podcast, host Paul Davies sits 

down with Christopher Wyze, a man who has mastered both the 

art of advertising and the art of the blues. 

TERRY MARSHALL 

In this episode, Steve Harrison sits down with Terry Marshall, 

founder of Marshall Records, to discuss the release of his highly 

anticipated new album. 

Kaelan Barowsky 



sentimental ballad I Wish Things Were 

Different, but Wayne’s core blues sensibility 

triumphs with tracks like Honey, 

Honey, Honey. With Ooh Yeah, Wayne’s 

voice and energy remain vibrant, defying 

his years with the spirit of an artist just 

hitting his prime. 

MARY COUGHLAN 

REPEAT REWIND 

Hail Mary Records 


Mary Coughlan has been writing, recording, 

and performing for forty years. This 

brand-new album sees a further continuation 

of her career as a singer/songwriter. 

Most of the songs contained on the 

album have been written by Coughlan, 

with a couple of covers thrown in for 

good measure. Repeat Rewind opens the 

album which is not the norm for albums 

to have the title track as an opener. I 

digress, the song is a lovely, relaxing 

ballad, easing the listener in gently. Mary 

Coughlan has gained fans throughout 

the world in the realms of Folk and 

Americana music, which this album has in 

spades, but there are also a few Jazzytype 

numbers as well. Marital Bliss is 

one of these Jazz tunes, in fact, it’s also a 

duet with guest vocalist, Dave Browne. 

Their respective voices combine so well 

together proving that Mary Coghlan is 

not just a one-trick pony. Or two tricks 

if you count Folk and Americana individually. 

Freefalling is another slight 

deviation from the norm, an up-tempo 

tune that allows Coughlan to stretch her 

vocals a tad more. God Only Knows, originally 

performed by The Beach Boys is a 

wonderfully delivered tune, a lot slower 

than the original, but still retaining its 

lyrical majesty. Coughlan has done a 

great version here, almost as good as the 

original. More Like Brigid is the last song 

on what has been a wonderful album. An 

album full of great songs, and an album 

that reminds us who Mary Coughlan is, a 

brilliant artist. 


MOJO MAN 

LOVE & REVOLUTION 

Continental Record Services 

Gregory Crowe 

Mojo Man is a high-octane, 10-piece 

juggernaut of blues, rock, and soul, 

FREEWORLD 

MORE LOVE 

SwirlDisc 

For over thirty-seven years, FreeWorld 

has been a cornerstone of the Memphis 

music scene, embodying the city’s rich 

tapestry of sound. Drawing inspiration from 

legends like Booker T. & the M.G.’s, John Coltrane, The Meters, and Bob 

Marley, this multicultural ensemble fuses rock, soul, funk, jazz, gospel, 

and reggae into a vibrant, ever-evolving groove. This is their eighth studio 

album, and was recorded with Grammy-nominated engineers Kevin 

Houston, Ari Morris, and Brad Blackwood. These tracks stand out as a 

testament to their creative vitality and enduring legacy. The release pays 

homage to FreeWorld’s late founding father, saxophonist Dr. Herman 

FreeWorld cements their place in the 

pantheon of eclectic timeless music 

Green, with heartfelt tributes like the eloquent instrumental Red Moon, 

featuring Green’s reflective spoken words. The title track, More Love is a 

gospel-tinged anthem sung by Jerome Chism, asking listeners to “spread 

your love to those around you.” Tracks like Give Until You Live, with its 

New Orleans second-line rhythm, and the reggae-infused Heart On The 

Table highlight the 

band’s stylistic 

breadth. Instrumentals 

such as 

Rush Hour and Who 

Knew? spotlight 

their stellar horn 

section, including 

Peter Climie on 

tenor sax, Alex 

Schuetrumpf on 

trumpet, Frank Paladino 

on baritone 

sax, and Freedman 

Steorts on trombone. 

The release crescendos with D-Up (Here’s To Diversity), a poignant 

bonus track celebrating unity with contributions from over three dozen 

Memphis artists. This release has the feel of an open love letter to Memphis, 

a call for harmony, and a triumph of collective artistry. With this release, 

FreeWorld cements their place in the pantheon of eclectic timeless 

music. 




 



packing a punch that only a seasoned 

band with a razor-sharp brass section 

and powerhouse rhythm can deliver. 

The Mojo Horns: Reinier Zervaas, Henk 

Brüggeman, Emiel van der Heide, Robin 

Bogert, and Marco Muusz, lay down 

the explosive brass lines that define the 

band’s rich, retro-infused sound. They’re 

anchored by a rhythm section that’s as 

tight as it is soulful: Mark Eshuis, Dennis 

Hemstra, Patrick Cuyvers, and Bas van 

der Wal groove together seamlessly. 

Out front, Marcel Duprix commands 

the stage with raw charisma, delivering 

vocals and guitar work that tap deep 

into the spirit of the 60s and 70s. Mojo 

Man’s sound is drenched in American 

rock ‘n’ roll swagger and unmistakable 

British soul vibes, blending influences 

into a vintage-inspired yet electrifying 

live experience. Jealousy, dives deep 

into the psyche of a man haunted by the 

image of his wife with another, spiralling 

from a mere glimpse into a consuming 

obsession. This lyrical soul-baring track 

captures the precarious edge between 

suspicion and madness, a standout tune. 

The opener Love And Revolution, sets 

the tone a stomping rock and roll tune. 

Happiness is another up-tempo tune 

despite the emotional lyrics. Seventeen 

brings mellow tones on this soulful track, 

Marcel’s vocals never better on this 

reflective track. Before We Forget brings 

in a slide guitar driven tune with Big Pete 

guesting on harmonica very atmospheric 

and builds up well. Twelve well- crafted 

songs a wonderfully produced well 

balanced stylish release, highly recommended. 

THE DOOHICKEYS 

ALL HAT NO CATTLE 

Forty Below Records 


When this album dropped through my 

letterbox and I saw the name of the band, 

the title of the album, and indeed, the 

cover, I immediately had a vision of what 

kind of album this was going to be. You 

may have already formed an opinion 

on the name of the band and the title, 

but it’s not all Stetsons and Pitchforks. 

Granted, this is an album leaning toward 

Americana and Country, but it also 

throws up the odd Rockabilly guitar and 

some Scotty Moore-inspired stuff. The 

opening track, Rein It In Cowboy, does 

have a certain Country twang, but as I 

said, It’s not all Stetsons and Pitchforks. 

What does appeal to me is the sense of 

humour that Hayley Spence Brown and 

Jack Hackett put into their lyrics, they 

make songs comedic which makes the 

album joyous and lighthearted. Mr. Fix 

It is one of the tracks that encompass 

the Scotty Moore-type guitar playing, 

early Elvis if you like. It’s a Rockabilly, 

foot-stomping shake-your-ass kind of 

tune, which puts a smile on my face. 

Please Tell Me You’re Sleepin’ is a song 

that I couldn’t quite believe what I was 

hearing. Let’s just put it this way, it’s a 

tale of walking in on someone who you 

think may be sleeping, then realizing that 

they are not alone, and you can’t quite 

get the thought out of your head. I’m not 

going to say anything else, except, well 

done to these guys for injecting so much 

fun into the lyrics. This is not a Blues 

album, it doesn’t pretend to be, It’s an 

album of great singing, great writing, and 

an album of fun. Highly recommended. 


THE HARPOONIST 

DID WE COME HERE TO 

DANCE- OR DID WE COME 

HERE TO DIE 

Tonic Records 

The Harpoonist, aka, Shawn Hall has 

released his first solo album after being 

with his musical partner, The Axe Murderer, 

yes, you read that correctly. Their 

partnership lasted for seventeen years, 

so maybe this is a time out for good behaviour. 

Shawn Hall originates from Canada, 

and lists among his influencers as, 

Sonny Terry and Aretha Franklin. So, that 

is what we know, now onto the album, 

which is something of a venture into 

the unknown. The album was recorded 

by Canadian Gordie Johnson who has 

worked previously with Big Sugar, a wellknown 

Canadian band. The album was 

recorded at the ranch owned by Johnson 

in Texas. Good People opens the album, 

which is also the lead single, and it has a 

great harmonica and a vibrant rhythm. 

I kept expecting the song to suddenly 

erupt, it had that feel of building slowly, 

but, surprisingly, it leveled out, that’s not 

to say that I didn’t enjoy, it because I did. 

I May Not Have It Together, takes a more 

direct route down the Blues trail, earthy, 

and more direct. Throughout the album, I 

tried to put my finger on what the album 

was all about and found that I couldn’t, 

but this is what makes the album so 

appealing, it makes you think outside 

of the box. Another thing that floats my 

boat about this record is the fact that you 

hear Jazz, Blues, African rhythms, and 

the odd spot of reggae, sometimes within 

the same song. I’m still not sure what this 

album is all about, but what I am sure 

about is this, It’s a great collection of 

songs, that make you sit up take notice, 

and see for yourself. 

THE TERRAPLANES 

BLUES BAND 

LIVE AT 

TEMPERANCE 

Independent 


Bristol’s own Terraplanes Blues Band 

ignited the stage at the Temperance in 

Leamington Spa, delivering a blistering 

set infused with British Rhythm & Blues, 

plus flavours of Louisiana and New 

Orleans. This live recording proves they 

are such a wonderful hard hitting groove 

laden blues band Their name nods to the 

Robert Johnson classic Terraplane Blues, 

and fittingly, they summon that same 

raw blues spirit. The lineup features Nick 

Scrase on guitar and vocals, Eduardo 

Allen on harmonica and backing vocals, 

Andy Hutt on drums, and Craig Shaw on 

bass. Having played together for over 

a decade, the band opened with two 

highlights from their Midnight Train EP. 

The title track, Midnight Train, set the 

tone with rich harmonies, while Voodoo 

Blues highlighted Eduardo’s captivating 

harmonica work alongside Nick’s slide 

guitar prowess. Of particular note is their 

rendition of Highway 61 a true stomping 

tune. Fans were treated to stomp-worthy 

renditions of Robert Johnson’s Walking 

Blues and the timeless CC Rider. Their 

original, Pick Myself Up, from their 

Stepping Stones album slowed the pace 

down. T Nick performed a haunting 

solo of Me & The Devil before Eduardo 

joined for Johnson’s Love in Vain. Their 

Rolling Stones reinterpretations, Spider 

& the Fly, and Little Red Rooster sparking 

the audience anew. They powered 

through with originals like, My Malaise 

and Night Bus, sealing the night with the 

rousing Rattlesnake Blues leaving the 

crowd whooping and wanting more. They 

delivered a gospel-infused encore, John 

the Revelator. A superb live release from 

a band on the rise, catch them when you 

can. 

Kaelan OLIN Barowsky CAMPBELL 



MISSISSIPPI 

MACDONALD 

I GOT WHAT 

YOU NEED 

I’ve been a fan of this guy and his music 

for over a decade. Each release just 

moves him further up the feeding chain 

and with I Got What You Need, a ninetrack 

offering, he again highlights his 

mastery of soulful blues and cool lyricism. 

This is MacDonald working hard, always 

with his own love of good soul music 

shining through. His personal favourites, 

like OV Wright, simmer and stew here 

while his vocal range is near-perfect for 

the material covered. Just give Hard 

Luck and Trouble a listen to catch a full 

flavour of this guy’s huge talent, then, 

maybe, follow up with one of his own 

compositions, Soul City One, to catch the 

real flavour on display.This is an album 

that simply delivers at every level, an 

excellent release from a UK blues-soul 

master, who consistently turns out top 

quality work with an eye and ear steeped 

in Memphis soul, 

IAIN PATIENCE 

JERRON PAXTON 

THINGS DONE 

CHANGED 

Jerron Paxton is a relative youngster but 

his depth of traditional blues knowledge 

and talent is already huge. Formerly 

calling himself Blind Boy Paxton, he has 

repeatedly shown himself to have an 

unerring ability to work the old, 1020s 

and 30s acoustic blues sound with astonishing 

ease. With this fabulous 12-trck 

release on US Folkways Records, he truly 

hits the blues nail on the head. Switching 

from acoustic guitar to fretless, fivestring 

banjo, bones and harp, Paxton has 

a total mastery of the music that first 

lured him in and kept his interest. This 

genuinely sounds like that ol’ acoustic 

blues from the early twentieth century, 

before the Chicago electric movement 

even took wings. Anyone and everyone 

who loves old school, acoustic blues 

music will absolutely adore this guy and 

this recording. An absolute must-have 

release for us all. 

IAIN PATIENCE 


IBBA TOP 40 

INDEPENDENT BLUES 

BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION 

bluesbroadcasters.co.uk

10/10 

“This year’s must have blues 

album.” – Powerplay 

5/5 

“An utterly desirable album.” 

– Liverpool Sound and Vision 

9.5/10 

“Steve Hill is a phenomenon.” 

– Maximum Volume Music 

“A massively impressive 

achievement.” – Blues in Britain 

AVAILABLE NOW ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS, CD & VINYl 

stevehillmusic.com

BM ISSUE 144 Dec 24

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