BM ISSUE 141 Sept

BLUES

MADISON GALLOWAY | CAITLIN KRISKO | CHRISTOPHER WYZE | BETTE SMITH | JIMMY CARPENTER

MATTERS!

| KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD | SHEMEKIA COPELAND | STEVE LOUW | JACK CASADY | 11 GUYS QUARTET | ELLES BAILEY | MIKE ZITO

SEPTEMBER 2024 ISSUE 141

BY THE FANS - FOR THE FANS 25+ YEARS STRONG

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4 ISSUE 141 : BLUESMATTERS.COM

ELCOME

MADISON GALLOWAY

CAITLIN KRISKO & THE BROADCAST

CHRISTOPHER WYZE

BETTE SMITH

JIMMY CARPENTER

ALASTAIR GREENE

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD

SHEMEKIA COPELAND

STEVE LOUW

JACK CASADY

ELLES BAILEY

11 GUYS QUARTET

MIKE ZITO

MADISON

GALLOWAY

COMMON PEOPLE

Madison Galloway recently returned from a UK tour with her

fellow countrymen The Commoners. And judging by the response

the Canadian blues rocker received on this side of the

pond, the artist is certainly a name to watch out for.

Adam Kennedy

Supplied & Chris Logan

Madison released her eponymous debut album over the

summer. “It’s been a great 2024. We got to go to the UK

for the first time. So that made this year pretty awesome.

I put out my new record, which was also really exciting.

So, it’s been a pretty cool year; lots of big things have

happened. I’m really happy with how the year went.”

The artist was already acquainted with The Commoners

before their touring endeavours together. Ross Hayes

Citrullo from the group had worked with Madison in a

producer capacity. “Opening for The Commoners was a

really cool experience. I love The Commoners and I’ve

known Ross for years,” says Madison.

It can be a daunting experience going out on the road as a

support act, especially on your first visit to a new overseas

market. “You don’t know how people are going to

react to an opening band,” declares Galloway. “But I think

that the people were really great in the UK. There were

always tons of people there for our set and I think the

reaction from the people who came out was better than

we could have expected.”

Madison did make some observations about her UK run.

“The music scene seems so different than Ontario, it

seems a bit more thriving, I guess, at least in this genre of

blues rock.” The artist also has a soft spot for some of the

places she visited on tour. “Driving up to Edinburgh was

gorgeous,” she says. “I just loved being in London, which I

thought was interesting, because I was not that into the

city kind of thing. I live in a really small town, and we don’t

even have a bus. In my town, there are no busses.” Perhaps

a change of scenery is on the agenda at some point

in the future. “I thought it was really cool being in London

though. I definitely want to go back and live in London for

that.”

Madison became acquainted with Ross Hayes Citrullo

from The Commoners whilst working on her debut

album. “I’ve known Ross since I was 18. I met him

when I was looking for a producer to help me

with my first full-length album, Moon and

Mercury. And I had put out a post in our

Toronto musicians’ group. I said, hey, I’m

looking for a producer, I like Zeppelin. And

I had a whole bunch of people message or

comment back, and they said: Hey, if you

like Zeppelin talk to Ross,” recalls Madison.

“And so, I talked to Ross, and it was

great, because Ross was excited about

the music that I had brought to him, and

I guess he believed in it. And I was really

excited when I showed him, so that was

really cool. We didn’t end up working

together on that record,” confirms Madison.

“And then we did work together on

this most recent record.”

But what does Ross bring to the table

as a producer? “Working with Ross is

really cool. He is a very talented producer,

engineer and mixing engineer. He mixed

the whole album as well. And then the first two songs

that we did, he was the sole engineer and producer and

mixer on those,” explains Madison. “His artistic instinct is

really cool, I think. And so, I’m really happy with how the

two tunes turned out. The first one that we put out is I

guess my biggest song on Spotify. It ended up getting on a

Spotify editorial playlist. And I think it’s got over 150,000

streams.” Madison adds: “Ross is kind of like a big brother

to me. So yeah, it’s fun working with him.”

Madison was honoured with the title of “Southern Rock

Artist of the Year” (2023) at the prestigious Josie Music

Awards (Nashville, TN). Speaking about the experience,

Madison said: “I think getting an award for the music

that you’re making is a really special experience,” said

Madison. “Every time somebody comes up to me after the

show or messages me or leaves a comment on Facebook

saying that the music that I’ve written means something

to them is the highest compliment you can get as a musician.

The music that you’ve written has impacted somebody

and made them feel something or mean something

to them or help them. It is a really beautiful gift and a

compliment as a musician. And so, getting an award for

what you’re doing is really special.”

Madison’s latest eponymous long player is the second

album from the gifted

Canadian. But would

she agree with the old

analogy that the second

album is the hardest

record for a musician?

Perhaps it’s down to

the amount of time

you have to write your

follow-up record. “It’s an

interesting point about

having your whole life to

basically write your first

album, and then with

your next one you’ve

only got a window to

write it,” said Madison.

“Now I did have a little

bit of a longer window

than what I’m thinking is

going to be the case with my third album. Because I had

put out Moon and Mercury in 2019 and this one, I put out

Open Your Eyes and The River in 2022 and then I kept

rolling singles out in 2023 and then the record just came

out this year in 2024. So, I did have those couple years of

the pandemic.”

One of the approaches Madison embraced on her new

album is co-writing songs. “I did a lot of co-writing, so

that was something that was new for this record was

having most of the songs on there be co-writes, whereas

on Moon and Mercury, there was only one song that I

had co-written with somebody, and it was Ron Hawkins,

who co-produced the record with me as well. And then

we co-wrote it, and then it was also a duet. So, he played

and sang on it,” said Madison. “On this record, I did a lot

of co-writing, which I think before I was a bit standoffish

too. And I think I just wasn’t ready to co-write. I maybe

had some fears around it, because you have to be very

open with whoever you’re writing with. And writing

is very personal. So, I think that was maybe a sort of

subconscious fear like there was something that held me

back from it.” Galloway adds: “So it was cool to have a bit

more collaboration on that side of it. And I think we came

up with some cool tunes.”

With her new album out in the big wide world, Madison

is already thinking about what comes next. “I think the

third album will be interesting, because I’ve been writing

a whole bunch of stuff recently, since getting back

from the UK, and because now the record is out and now

and we’re back from the tour, I feel like I just have more

mental capacity to write and come up with songs. So, I’ve

been writing more, and I made a demo of a song that I

wrote the other day, and I’m excited,” proclaims Madison.

“I’m excited about doing another record. I feel like, when

you first put out the record, as soon as you think about

putting out another one after that, it’s like - oh my gosh.

That’s so much - I can’t even think about doing that right

now. You’re still recovering, but now that it’s been out

for a couple of months, and we did the tour, and I’m back

I think I could do

another record. I’m

feeling more excited

and hopeful about it.”

The artist believes

that each album represents

a timestamp

in a performer’s life.

“You have your whole

life to write your first

album. Every album

after that is sort of a

bit more of a stamp

of the period of your

life, of that time,”

explains Madison.

“I was listening to

the Graham Nash

album that he did in

1971 and a lot of the tunes on there about Joni Mitchell

because that was that period.

Each record is sort of a stamp of what that person’s life

was like at that time.”

Galloway’s interest in the blues was peaked at a young

age. “When I was maybe 18, I worked at a radio station

for a little bit. I had done a high school co-op there for a

bit, and then I worked there for a little bit,” recalls Madison.

“The production manager had kind of given me the

role of some of the production stuff. So, there’s a blues

show that happened on Sunday nights, and it was like, ten

to midnight or something like that. And so, when we got

the show, we put it into the system, and then my job was

to check the system, I guess, to see if it was short of the


LISTEN STATION

OPEN YOUR EYES

FREEDOM

LOVE LIKE YOURS

hour or not. And if it was, I had to just pick some tunes to put

into the show, just to fill the hours.”

This role resulted in Madison doing a deep dive into the

station’s blues archives. “I would go through the blues

catalogue and listen to all the music that we had saved in

there. And it wasn’t a huge catalogue that the station had,

but there were a couple of tunes that were my go-to songs,

I guess. But there was one song I pretty much played every

week at midnight. I thought it was really clever about this

pick, but it’s not that humorous, but I thought I was clever

- I liked it. I don’t know if anybody listened to the blues

show at midnight, but if they did, what they would hear was

Sundown by Son House. And I thought that was such a cool

song. I really like Son House’s music.”

With her sophomore album in the bag, and a UK tour done

and dusted, what does the rest of the year look like for Madison

Galloway? “The rest of the year is going to be booking

things for the summer, and I think I might get into the studio

as well to do a couple of songs, even if it’s just better demos

that I can make.” Madison concludes: “I definitely hope to

be back in the UK soon. I don’t have any hard plans yet, but

I’d like to make some for next year. But it’s not a plan yet. It

is a bit more of a dream at this point. But over the fall, I’ll be

working on booking my summer, so I think that is going to be

something that I will try and do. But we’ll see what happens.

But I would love to be back next year for sure.”

ISSUE 141 : BLUESMATTERS.COM 9


As Caitlin Krisco’s gorgeous speaking voice comes down the line to me from

their current tour location in Berlin, I realise that she sounds identical to Roz

Doyle from the legendary TV comedy show Frasier, and that’s a compliment

indeed. Caitlin is thrilled to confirm to Blues Matters how much she and the

band are looking forward to their upcoming UK shows.

Andy Hughes

Arnie Goodman

“We can’t wait to be back with our friends in the UK, and

we plan to be travelling to tour there pretty consistently

for the foreseeable future. We had such a wonderful tour

last autumn, and we’ve been counting down the weeks,

months, and days until we can return. It will be a major

highlight for us.”

Early Beginnings and Musical Inspirations

Time to recap on the beginning of Ms Krisco’s rise to the

front of one of the most exciting blues-rock bands coming

out of the U.S. right now.

“I grew up in the music scene of New York City, enjoying

all the vast variety of clubs and venues that city has to

offer. I was singing on stages and in clubs, and pretty

early on, I discovered that I had a passion for singing soul

music, Motown songs. Something about that particular

style of music really reached me. I love emoting when I

am singing; it’s an emotional experience for me, and so

that genre of music was very natural for me to gravitate

towards. I just heard people like Aretha Franklin and Stevie

Wonder and wanted to make music like that. It woke

something up in me that will never go to sleep again.”

A Modern Sound for a New Era

If you listen to the band’s new EP – and you should – you

will notice that songs like “Operator” have a complex

and lush arrangement, with production propelling those

soul vocals out of your speakers. It’s different from the

standard stripped-back style of a lot of blues-rock bands.

Caitlin explains the reasoning.

“We love a stripped-back arrangement as a band. But

it’s 2024, and recording has come such a long way, and

there are so many exciting things you can explore as a

band in the studio, in engineering and recording music.

We wanted to make sure that our sound was modern. We

didn’t want someone hearing our music and wondering if

it was from 1966. But anyone listening to our music will

know that this is contemporary, this is modern. Bands are

history keepers; they capture things that are going on

in the moment, and we are doing the same. We are very

much capturing things that are going on right now.”

The Art of Songwriting

We move on to discussing the writing process, always a

fascinating area of discussion when songwriters are involved.

Caitlin is happy to share her take on that particular

art form.

“Being an artist means living life through a lens and

making sure that your ears and eyes are always open and

receptive to what is going on around you. There are songs

inspired by other people’s stories that we have heard.

There are songs written influenced by books I have read.

A lot of material is drawn from our own life experiences,

but the world is your oyster when it comes to songwriting.

The Beatles were such an example of that; they could

open up a box of truffles and write a song about it! I love

it when a song is personal to me, and it connects with

me because the writer has had a similar experience and

makes that connection.”

The Evolution of “Blueprints”

Currently receiving what the radio types call ‘heavy rotation’

on appropriately required listening radio stations

in the UK, the band’s Blueprints EP is gaining attention.

Taking a mass of songs and trying to choose the best ones

to reflect the band and encourage some sonic exploration

is not an easy task.

“Blueprints was an exploration for us,” Caitlin confirms.

“I think you will notice the different sounds and styles

happening on that record. ‘Haunted By You’ is quite different

from ‘Operator,’ for example. We really wanted to

explore the different styles of the music we love to make.

We wanted to give a sense of the direction we are going

to be heading in when we release our album. We have so

many songs written already; we have enough material for

two albums. We wanted to be really selective and make

sure we had the right impact. It took a long time, but we

managed to get it down to the six tracks that we believe

tap into the dynamics that we possess as a band.”

Bringing the Studio to the Stage

The aforementioned dynamics used in the arrangement

and production of the songs is one element that is going

to propel the band into a rosy future, but how about trying

to recreate that singularly identifiable atmosphere on

stage without the studio systems to assist?

“We are first and foremost a live band. That’s what we

do best; it’s our bread and butter, it’s what we love best. I


Chris Griffiths

LISTEN STATION

DEVIL ON YOUR SIDE

BLUE MONDAY

PIECE OF YOU

A Diverse and Passionate Audience

What about the audiences rocking up to enjoy the shows?

“It really varies, which is wonderful. We are a blues-rock

band, but we have this chameleon ability to move between

different areas of fans. In the south in America, you

have the Jam Rock scene, the Bluegrass scene, the Roots

Rock scene, and we’ve been very welcomed in all of those

different areas, across the board. The Rock scene loves

us, the Blues scene loves us. I am very active on social

media, and lately, we’ve been getting college girls to our

gigs, which is wonderful because they bring a real zest for

life with them. You could come to one of our shows and

find a sixteen-year-old girl there with her friends, and her

grandparents at the back having a beer, sitting at a table.”

always tell people, if you enjoy the records, you are going

to love the live show, because the show is where it’s at.”

The Power of Visuals

Alongside the musical output from Caitlin and the band

is a diverse and entertaining range of videos to illustrate

many of their tracks. Caitlin is a firm believer in the power

of the visual image when it comes to enhancing a great

song.

“Absolutely. Music is visual; you go to see a show. We live

in a visual world, and a lot of people enjoy visuals in consuming

what they enjoy. Music and video are art forms,

and they support each other. It’s about enhancing the

experience for people who want to enjoy it in different

ways. If you go to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in New

York, there are more outfits than instruments. It may be

because they are easier to source, but even so, the visual

presentation of music is a vital part of it in our modern

world.”

“The college girls have given me the unofficial title of ‘Big

Sis’. I’m like a big sister, and I love that. I’m not a teenager;

I am an adult woman, and I have the experience of being

an adult, and it’s great to share that with younger women.

It’s wonderful. We get young women coming to our

shows, and I get to perform an Aretha Franklin song from

her first album, and they will go home and check out what

they have heard, and maybe dig into the history of the

music they are enjoying now, and that’s really incredible.”

Caitlin’s Favourite Songs

Most singers have a particular favourite song in the set,

the one they look forward to singing, and Caitlin is no

exception.

“When it comes to cover versions, my current favourite

is ‘Can’t Find My Way Home’ by Blind Faith. I think Steve

Winwood is a genius, and the lyrics really speak to a

certain set of feelings, and the melody really plucks my

heartstrings. The lyrics speak to a level of grief that many

people feel, and the song gives them somewhere to put


it. From our catalogue, ‘Haunted By You’ is my current

favourite. It takes me to a place; I get lost in that one. It’s

spiritual for me sometimes. Something takes over and

makes it something a little bit different. This is such an

amazing way to make a living; it’s the coolest job of all

time!”

Looking Ahead to the UK Tour

And of course, Caitlin And The Broadcast are heading

our way, and they are really excited because of their last

experience playing here. Caitlin remembers it with great

fondness.

“Coming to the UK was really life-changing for us. To go

to a country where enjoying going out and being with

friends and having a pint at the pub was such a wonderful,

vibrant experience for us as a band. People were so

friendly to us, so kind and supportive. The shows were

incredible. We opened up for Robert Jon And The Wreck,

and they made us feel like we were the headline band!

We felt like everyone here gets us, and loves the style of

music we make. People like Joe Bonamassa and Samantha

Fish, and the amount of time they tour in the UK, let

us know that there is a real enthusiasm for this style of

music. So, to be able to come over and perform our music,

we really hope that the UK is going to be a major destination

for us.”

What’s Next?

“We have the American run of shows for our album

release, and then the band guitarist and I are doing an

acoustic tour, breaking down the music and doing it as a

duo. In January, we normally have a break, so this time,

Aaron and I are doing this tour on our own. Then the

American touring season comes round again, and hopefully

towards the end of next year, our album will be out.

The rodeo will continue, and we will be back to see you

guys at least once, hopefully twice.” You are commended

to see this band; you’ll be glad you did.

Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast’s “Blueprints” EP is available

from https://ffm.to/krisko

The band tour the UK from September 25th until October

4th. Tickets available from www.caitlinkriskoandthebroadcast.com.

Nick Hodgson


CHRISTOPHER

WYZE

& THE TELLERS

STUCK IN

THE MUD

As a former owner of an advertising company, Christopher Wyze

mastered the art of getting ahead in advertising. While building up his

successful career in the art of persuasion, he applied a similar credo to a

parallel creative headspace as a ‘one to watch’ blues performer.

Paul Davies

Arnie Goodman

Being a former owner of an advertising company, this

inveterate copywriter and publisher of five books on the

subject, has built up an enviable network of connections

in the blues scene. It’s a side passion that has become his

overwhelming main occupation. A stalwart of the blues

gigging scene, he fronted a versatile band playing blues

standards for two decades and more. Now, this Wyze

man, with his band, The Tellers, has released his debut

solo album, Stuck In The Mud, which has garnered considerable

praise and blues chart and radio accolades.

But the origins of this album go further back to over two

decades ago as he tells me: “I’ve been playing in a cover

band for a long time, almost twenty years singing the

blues and whatnot,” he relates. “I started picking up the

harmonica and fooling around with it, playing it on stage

and so forth and I decided I wanted to get good at it, so I

went to a harmonica workshop in Clarksdale, Mississippi,

where I met Ralph Carter. He used to play with Eddie

Money and recorded and toured with him,” he reveals.

“He’s a producer, musician, and also wrote and played

with Sugaray Rayford. He’s a great dude and I got to know

him there and he said to me, ‘Hey, you’ve got to start

writing music’. This was seven, eight years ago. And I’m

like, ‘man, what do I know about that?’ He adds: “I’m just

trying to learn harp and sing blues standards and stuff

like that.” Then an article that Wyze read caught his eye:

“About three years ago, I saw an article in a newspaper

about a new recording studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,

and it looked cool. You stay there for the week, and they

cook for you and treat you like you’re rock stars.” He

smiles at the memory: “I took a picture of it with my cell

phone, and I texted it to Ralph. I was just joking. I said,

‘Hey, here’s where we’re going to record our album that

you talked about’. A day or two later, I get a message from

him, and it says, ‘Yeah, okay, when are we doing it’? And

I’m like, holy cow! I think the guy thought I was serious.

Well, it turns out that he was. I had never written a song

at that point, so I started writing songs.”

Fast forward a little...”I would say six months later, I had

a pile of song lyrics written and I said, ‘Ralph, you’re in

Mississippi. I’m about eight hours away in Indiana. How

about I drive down there’? He was already there for

another workshop. He lives in Ventura, California, but he

does guitar workshops. I said, ‘I’ll meet you down there.

I’ll bring my pile of lyrics and let’s see if we can make

them into songs’. And we did.” He furthers: “We sat in

Clarksdale, Mississippi, at a picnic table at the Shack Up

Inn and we made songs out of them.” Keeping on top of

the momentum, they took the next step: “Then we were

recording in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with studio musi-


LISTEN

SPOTIFY


cians, and with Ralph Carter producing.” This greased the

wheels of commerce as he says: “Maybe a year forward, I

signed a record deal with Big Radio Records in Memphis,

Tennessee. It’s run by the Phillips family.

“That’s Sam Phillips of Sun Studios and Elvis and all that

stuff. And his nephew, Johnny, is the guy who signed me,

and he and his brother run it.” He continues: “At that

point, I began working with Betsy Brown and with Blind

Racoon, who’s a great promoter and publicist out here in

the blues world, and we decided to put a few more blues

songs on the album. So, we went back to Clarksdale,

Mississippi, and recorded three more songs that are very

blues-oriented, and I wrote one the morning of the recording

session, because I thought I’ve got all these guys

here, I’ve got a filmmaker here, I’ve got a recording crew.”

“The Mississippi Delta

just means everything

to the blues.

It’s ground zero”

“If we have time, I’d like to do another song and we did,

and I wrote a tune that me and my bass player had played

and never did anything with and that’s how the album

came to be.”

The authenticity of recording in Clarksdale, Mississippi

and Muscle Shoals is imbued in the fibre of Stuck In The

Mud. Wyze’s deep drawl adds a further gravitas while

interpreting these groovy tunes as he details his writing


Old tried and tested on-the-road band mates also

chipped in with their musical contributions: “Gerry

Murphy, my bass player, I’ve been playing with for almost

twenty years in bands around Indiana and the Midwest,

he came and recorded every song and he and I wrote a

couple of them. In fact, one of the songs, Back To Clarksdale,

became the number one song on the blues charts

over here,” he proudly confirms. As a blues artist, Wyze

is heavily inspired by the legendary almost mystical

blues atmosphere that permeates around the Clarksdale

area as he tells me more: “I wrote almost all the lyrics in

Clarksdale. The Mississippi Delta just means everything

to the blues. It’s ground zero. Every day of the week, you

walk down the streets, and half the people are from England

or from other parts of Europe. It’s such a culturally

and musically important place.”

process: “I’m a writer. I’ve been a writer my whole adult

life. I’ve been an advertising guy. And I wrote for a newspaper

and for a magazine. I’ve written books. I’ve got five

books in print - all non-fiction. Business stuff. But I’ve

always loved the blues,” he declares. “When it came to the

realisation that I wanted to write music, I’d already done

my work learning how to be a word guy. I’d had decades

of doing it and I wouldn’t say that I struggle trying to find

words”.

“The real trick for me is coming up with a story and once

I get a story, I know how to use words.” This is evident

throughout Stuck In The Mud in which he translates

everyday observations with a wry wit. He continues:

“Once I get a good story, then that’s where all the work

is. I write all the lyrics and there’s no question that I

collaborate with guys like Ralph Carter, and he may have

some suggestions for the lyrics, of course. I may say, ‘Hey,

I’m hearing something like Howlin’ Wolf or Jimmy Reed,

and I kind of dig that groove. He’ll grab his guitar, start

playing and maybe an hour later we’ve got a little quick

demo and I turn on the cell phone and record it.” From

these improvised beginnings, the songs get more serious:

“A few months later, we’re in the studio making it happen.

He’s written charts for the musicians, and he’s there

directing the sessions.” It’s abundantly obvious that Chris

is a collaborative team player as he shares: “I also wrote

songs with Cary Hudson, who wrote the single Stuck

In The Mud with me. It was a song that Ralph and I had

fooled around with, and I had the lyrics, and it just wasn’t

working. One year later, I met Cary and I said, ‘Hey, would

you be willing to work with me on this song’? Within ten

minutes we had it worked out and he recorded a little

demo, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on my phone and helped

me adjust the lyrics. He’s just playing, and I worked out

the melody. Then we recorded a demo three days later

and a couple months later, we recorded the song right

back there, in Clarksdale.”

Given the blues provenance of Clarksdale and Muscle

Shoals, I ask Christopher if recording and soaking up the

historical ambience in both places helped due to them

being epicentres of blues music? “It goes back to that

newspaper article and I’m not sure I even thought about

it much. I knew Muscle Shoals and saw this cool studio,

and the guy in the article, Michael Wright, who’s the

studio owner and engineer; he engineered and mixed

the entire album. He said, ‘we’re open for business and

people need to come’, and a couple of weeks later I’m

on the phone with him and we’re booking the recording

session and I don’t even have the songs done yet. But

playing and loving the blues for many years and being a

writer, I just can’t tell myself anything other than I can do

this. So, we did it at Muscle Shoals.” He continues: “The

reason we also went to Clarksdale is because my co-writer

and producer of the entire album, Ralph Carter, three

or four times a year, travels to Clarksdale, Mississippi and

spends a week doing guitar camps, harmonica camps and

songwriting camps. I said, ‘Hey, Ralph, I’ve got three more

songs I want to do. You’re going to be in Clarksdale, this

week. I could drive down there and bring Gerry our bass

player. I know you work with a drummer out of Memphis,

and I know Cary Hudson and he’s over in Mississippi’.

We’re all so close it made sense for me and Jerry Murphy

to drive there. We set up a recording studio in the Juke

Joint Chapel and we recorded live in this big music hall

where Kingfish recorded and filmed his 662 video.”

LISTEN STATION

MONEY SPENT BLUES

CAUTION TO THE WIND

LOOKING FOR MY BABY


“The real trick for me

is coming up with a

story and once I get a

story, I know how to

use words.”

Fronting blues standard bands for decades, whilst

running a successful parallel business, I enquire

which blues covers he played to prepare him for

the success of his debut album? “Stuff like Big

Boss Man (which is what he was in real life), They

Call Me The Breeze, Green Onions, songs by The

Doors and Savoy Brown and other kinds of rock

and blues stuff and one-hit wonders for mature

audiences. We played cool songs most people

wouldn’t play. We’d play These Boots Are Made

For Walking and turn it into a blues song. They

weren’t just straight-up covers and we put our

own spin on them. And, of course, I found myself

able to write words. So, it all came together.”

With Stuck In The Mud undergoing heavy rotation

on American Blues Radio stations, Christopher

Wyze And The Tellers has undoubtedly put a

unique spin on the blues.



BE

YOURSELF

IN THE VIBRANT WORLD OF CONTEMPORARY SOUL

AND BLUES, FEW VOICES RESONATE AS POWERFULLY

AND AUTHENTICALLY AS THAT OF BETTE SMITH

Colin Campbell

Shervin Lainez

Hailing from the storied streets of Brooklyn,

Smith channels the raw, emotive spirit of her

roots into every note, creating a sound that is

both timeless and fiercely modern. With a career

that has seen her transcend the boundaries

of genre, her music encapsulates the struggles,

joys, and triumphs of her journey. Blues Matters

delved into the stories behind her newest

release, Goodthing, the influences that have

shaped her unique sound, and the vision she

holds for her ever-evolving musical path. Welcome

to an intimate conversation with Bette

Smith, where soul meets story.

BACKGROUND STORY

Reflecting on her roots, she recalls, “My father,

a choir director, got me interested in music by

having me sing on holidays and in church.” From

the ages of five to nine, they shared “beautiful

times, vibing in the church”. As a “little black girl

from the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood,

Brooklyn,” she was immersed in the sounds of

the Apollo Theatre, where artists like James

Brown and Gladys Knight performed. “I was like

a bowl of hot, boiling, steaming water, steeped

in the rich blend of church music and soul.” This

dual influence, from her father and icons like

Aretha Franklin, formed her musical foundation.

Her career choice was driven by an “inherent

love of music that makes me happy and keeps

me happy.” Growing up, she was captivated by

soul legends such as Otis Redding, Diana Ross,

and The Temptations. Singing in the choir at

age five, backed by the choir, was “a beautiful

spiritual experience” that ignited her

lifelong passion.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR

MUSICAL STYLE?

“My style of music is based on gospel and soul.

Blues is also integral because ‘even the president’s

got the blues.’ I consider myself an essence

of blues singer and love singing sad songs,

which I communicate effectively and authentically.

Someone once told me I have a knack for

singing the blues. In British Columbia, I wanted

to sing Tracy Chapman songs but was told I had

to perform 12-bar blues to get on stage. So, I

taught myself and became adept at it, finding

the blues beautiful, evocative, and poetic.

MUSIC SCENE IN BROOKLYN

“The blues scene in Brooklyn was intense,” she

recalls, necessitating trips over the Brooklyn

Bridge to Harlem, where everything was happening.

Harlem’s fierce competition was a “great

playground for creativity,” where performers

faced boos if they didn’t meet the high standards.

Nights at the Apollo were particularly

influential for her. Growing up, she was steeped

in both this vibrant scene and the rich harmonies

of church music—baritone, bass, soprano,

tenor, everything. This blend of influences

deeply shaped her. “I just started humming and

singing to myself at every opportunity,” she says.

Whether cleaning the house or riding the train

from Brooklyn to Washington Heights, singing

became her constant companion. In high school,

she joined the choir, performing every Friday.

These experiences sent “incredible waves” to

her left brain, fuelling her constant flow of lyrics

and collaborations with classmates. “My father

would fall asleep with the radio on. My bedroom


was right across from his. I heard constant musical waves—

not algorithms, but constant waves of music influencing my

psyche. It’s spilling out now that I’m singing professionally

all over the world!”

FIRST STAGE SHOW AND

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

Bette first took to the stage at five years old. At this point

in the interview, she sang some lyrics of that song: “Beautiful

flowers, bright with morning dew... and beautiful flowers,

beautiful flowers. We should be like you.” She explains,

“They taught us all these beautiful songs. It just constantly

keeps playing in the back of my mind. Going to school, I’m

humming; coming home from school, I’m humming and

singing, and now it soothes me. When I feel down, I listen

to church music, and even some soul music too, like Sam

Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come.’ I love that tune.” These

songs are based on gospel and soul music, highlighting a

connection often overlooked. “When you listen to Sam

Cooke, he was a gospel singer with a band.” Her experiences

reinforce this link, noting that Al Green, now a minister,

“went back to his roots, his gospel roots.” She emphasises

the importance of acknowledging origins: “Gospel music

was the mother of soul music, and soul was the mother of

rock and roll.” This deep respect for gospel’s foundational

role underscores her musical journey and influences.

WHAT ABOUT HER FIRST BAND?

“I got my first band together right before the World Trade

Centre tragedy,” she recalls, pulling musicians from local

spots like the Red Lion in the West Village. “We’d collaborate,

and it was just great to stand up and sing.” This tradition

continues as she still frequents Greenwich Village in

Manhattan. To form her first band, she placed an advert in

the local newspaper and held auditions, resulting in lifelong

connections. Austin, the drummer, helped organise and

find other musicians. Initially, stage fright was a significant

hurdle. “I had terrible stage fright,” she admits, but gradually

overcame it by focusing on the audience. “I think about

the audience that came to see me. They want a good time,

and I’m just going to run out and put myself out there.”

Drawing inspiration from icons like Tina Turner and Aretha

Franklin, she invokes their spirits for courage. “I take the

spirits of Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin. They help me

spiritually.” Despite the challenges, including fatigue from

travel, she finds energy in these rituals. “Even though I

might be tired from flying across the ocean, I get a surge

of energy.” Summoning the “good energy” of past legends,

she delivers a powerful performance, believing their “fairy

dust” aids her onstage.

LEARNING STAGECRAFT

“This is a story I’ve never told anybody before,” she begins.

In 2000, she travelled to Vancouver, British Columbia,

where she was “adopted” by local musicians. Staying at The

Yale Hotel, she performed in various clubs and speakeasies.

Her friend, Thedda Marie Gourley, taught her essential

stagecraft: “focus on the audience and project myself,

breaking down the wall between the audience and the

performer.” Gourley emphasised being a “true entertainer,”

engaging the audience to sing along and not remaining

“locked in your head.” Embracing this, she learned to “say

yes to everything” and always perform, regardless of

circumstances, fostering a conversational connection with

her audience.

GOODTHING, THE NEWEST RELEASE

We went on to discuss Bette’s new release, Goodthing.

“The album is a collaboration with about 13 different

artists. The Scottish gentleman, Jimmy Hogarth, produced

this. He’s a brilliant guy. Sometimes I just think, wow, this

man’s a genius because he took five of my original songs,

and he didn’t rewrite them. He didn’t tinker with them. He

just found a way to bring out the essence of what I was

trying to emote in the song when I first wrote it.” Bette

wrote Darkest Hour when she was about 16, but it evolved

over time. Although inspired by various tragedies, like

9/11, George Floyd’s murder, and Hurricane Sandy, it was

completed during the pandemic. “The song became bigger

than me, reflecting the importance of connections. ‘In your

darkest hour, stay free, keep yourself well, keep holding it

together.’ I wrote five original songs on the album, with the

rest being collaborations, some pre-produced in London by

Jimmy. We locked ourselves into the studio for about seven

hours. We did stop for a lunch break and recharged with

carrot juice, which I thought was very cute, but he helped

me finesse the songs that I had written. He’s very easy to

work with, a taskmaster too, because he wanted to make

sure that the songs were perfect. Originally, my co-manager

in the UK sent my material to him. He fell in love with

it, like he told me, and he sent for me. I came to the UK to

work in this beautifully decorated studio in London.” The

album’s theme is about resilience: “I will survive, I will overcome.”

It reflects the journey of a “strong black woman”

determined to “overcome all obstacles.” The message is

one of persistence: “I will succeed... never stop trying until

I reach my goals.” Ultimately, it’s a “very human theme” of

overcoming challenges.

MUSICAL TRAINING

“I studied creative arts therapy to compromise with my

parents, who wanted me to be a nurse. The course was

‘very beautiful’ and my ‘favourite time there,’ though it’s

no longer offered, which I find ‘so sad.’ The most valuable

lesson was about connection; we sat in a circle of 15-20

people, playing instruments in drum circles and ad-libbing


interpretations of music. I inherited my father’s ‘velvet vocal

cords’ and trained with famous voice teachers like Seth

Riggs and Filippo De Stefano. Riggs, known for coaching

Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, provided foundational

lessons that were transformative. Filippo described

my vocals as ‘not sweet, not salt, not pepper, not sugar, but

spice. You have a spicy voice. You’re like cinnamon, nutmeg,

and cloves.’ He said to focus on artists that have that

sound, that contralto sound, like Tina Turner, Pearl Bailey,

and Eartha Kitt—people who have these unconventional

voices and tones.”

Spontaneously, Bette gave an example of her vocal talents

and sang Amazing Grace. What an astounding voice she

has! “My voice is an instrument. I warm up quite frequently

in the morning when I walk my labradoodle

to the park. I sing, hum, and do vocal exercises,

both recorded and memorised. It’s very important

for a singer to sing, and if not singing, you

should be humming all day—it’s very good

exercise. My voice is resilient. I try not to yell. I

learned techniques in my vocal classes so that

if I must yell, there’s a technical way to do so

without overextending and damaging your voice,

preventing the development of vocal nodules,

which a lot of singers suffer from.”

BEING ON THE ROAD

“Travelling makes me so happy because I

get to learn and enjoy the flavours and the

cultures. I also try to learn to say ‘I love you’

in every language. I believe it’s the most

important phrase in any language.”

FINAL WORDS FOR THE

BLUES MATTERS READERS

“Keep loving the blues, keep loving the blues!

Keep supporting blues artists around the

world. Bette Smith is here for you, loving the

blues. I’m coming over to play in London in

October—see you there!”

For further information visit:

www.bettesmith.com

LISTEN STATION

GOODTHING

HAPPINESS

M.O.N.E.Y.


JUST

GOT

STARTED


Colin Campbell

Supplied

Jimmy Carpenter is a highly respected saxophonist,

singer-songwriter, and bandleader known for

his dynamic performances and soulful approach to

blues, rock, and R&B. With a career spanning several

decades, Jimmy has earned a reputation as one of

the most versatile and passionate musicians in the

industry.

His work has taken him across the globe, both

as a solo artist and as a collaborator with some

of the biggest names in blues music. Beyond his

instrumental prowess, Jimmy’s deep connection

to the music and his ability to convey emotion

through his playing and singing have made him

a beloved figure among fans and peers alike.

I recently caught up with Jimmy to discuss

his new release, Just Got Started, and

other topics. Here’s how it went…

BACKGROUND STORY

From an early age, the allure of his father’s big

band records was undeniable. “I was enamoured

with my dad’s big band records,” Jimmy

recalls, particularly admiring a Dave Brubeck

album featuring the smooth saxophone tones

of Paul Desmond. At just ten, a summer school

opportunity allowed him to explore music, and “I immediately

said, sax.” By twelve, his passion had solidified:

“Yeah, this is what I’m going to do.” While life brought

some detours, his commitment to the saxophone never

wavered: “For the most part, that’s what I’ve done, what

I’ve always wanted to do, and what I’m going to keep

doing.”

WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?

Doing well! It’s really about the exciting, fun, and challenging

projects that come my way. Unlike a routine job,

it’s never about just punching the clock. Each project is

unique and always more demanding than I expect, which

leaves me with a constant drive to keep going. I’m never

finished,” he admits. “That just keeps pushing me, and I try

to rise to the challenge.”

JUST GOT STARTED

We dove straight into discussing his new release, which

features a big band sound, funk, blues, and eclectic music

styles. “I’m super excited about this one,” Jimmy explains.

When Mike Zito, co-owner of Gulf Coast Records and a

longtime friend, proposed collaborating with the legendary

producer Kid Andersen, there was no hesitation:

“I was like, yes.” Walking into Greaseland Studios in San

Jose, he was greeted by a stellar lineup: Jerry Jemmott

on bass, Derrick D’Mar Martin on drums, Jim Pugh on

keys, and Kid Andersen on guitar. “This is going to be all

right,” he thought. Despite initial nerves about material

readiness, advice from Albert Castiglia to “just trust

Kid” proved true. The result was an amazing experience,

with songs crafted with care and innovation. “It’s not

a straight-up blues record by any stretch. I like getting

funky; there’s blues, an Otis Rush tune, and what I think is

a killer cover of My Babe. I’m thinking that’s an attention


grabber. I have a deep love for the R&B soul side of things

and a passion for songs that truly resonate. It has a kind

of ‘70s funk vibe overall, capturing the essence we were

aiming for.”

Notably, Jimmy’s vocals are more prominent on this release.

He explains, “I really put in the work,” recalling how

the Louisiana record marked the first time he demoed

songs at home, repeatedly singing, recording, and refining

them. This process “really improved things for me,”

not just for those songs but overall. With this project, he

applied the same dedication, noting, “I’ve really tried to

train my ear and improve my vocal performance. Working

with Kid Andersen was fun; we recorded 7 or 8 takes

of each song, mostly live, with whole takes kept. The

Louisiana record wasn’t really produced,” he explains,

recalling how they recorded everything live with no overdubs,

except for fixing some solos. “We just did it until

I got it right.” This time, with Kid Andersen, “we added

horns, effects,” but it “comes across pretty much straight

ahead.” He believes “this one’s got just the right amount

of production on it—it’s not too much.”

GAMBLING

We discussed gambling, and Jimmy reflected on one occasion:

“It’s funny, when I first came to Vegas with Tinsley

Ellis in 1998, we drove up from L.A. We stopped at the

first gas station in Nevada, and there were slot machines

everywhere. I went in there while they were messing

around, and I won like 60 bucks. Then we came to the

casino where we were playing, and that night I won 300,

and I’ve never won again. So, I always say it’d be quicker

just to wad up a 20 and throw it on the floor and leave!”

YOU GOT A CHANCE TO DO A COUPLE OF KING

CURTIS SONGS AS WELL?

“I’m kind of surprised I’ve never done that before,” Jimmy

reflects, considering his long-standing admiration for

King Curtis since he was 17. Playing alongside Jerry Jemmott,

who worked with Curtis, was “like a big circle and

left me just giddy watching him.” Curtis was perhaps his

biggest influence, alongside Junior Walker, Sonny Rollins,

and Dexter Gordon. Curtis’ percussive, aggressive style

shaped modern music, and he believes that had Curtis


“TO ME, SUCCESS WOULD BE

LEARNING HOW TO HANDLE ALL

THE THINGS I’M DOING WITHOUT

STRESSING ABOUT IT”



“I JUST ROLL WITH WHATEVER

COMES TO MIND. SOMETIMES

IT WORKS, SOMETIMES

IT DOESN’T”

lived, “pop music saxophone would have been much

different.”

BEST MUSICAL ADVICE?

Recalling a studio session with Dr. John, Jimmy shares, “I

was standing there with my horn, and he says, ‘Are you

going to play that thing or just hold it?’” When Jimmy

admitted he wasn’t really a jazz player, Dr. John replied,

“You don’t ever tell somebody you don’t know how to do

something. You say, ‘Hell yeah, I can do this.’” Since then,

he’s tried to live by that advice, overcoming doubts by

embracing confidence.

STAGECRAFT

“I used to always co-lead things,” Jimmy recalls, sharing

how in previous bands, “I did some songs, the harp player

would do some, the guitar player would do some.” Reflecting

on his current approach, he admits, “I think about

it,” but finds that overthinking doesn’t help. He sometimes

makes notes to remind himself of who to thank, but

mostly, “I just roll with whatever comes to mind. Sometimes

it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

TOURING LIFE

“After all these years, I still love to tour. Despite the physical

challenges of ageing, I can still do it, but rising costs

make it difficult. I sort of have to be in this state of denial

about the financial side because my passion drives me

to continue. For the upcoming UK run, the band lineup

has changed, but with new members like Mike Hellier,

Roger Innis, and Stevie Watts, this will be just fine. We’ll

be meeting again at the Orkney Blues Festival in September.

I’m looking forward to it; it looks wonderful, very

interesting, and isolated! With a busy September ahead,

including two festivals in Vegas, I’m debating whether

to ride in the van for 12 hours or just fly up to meet the

band. In Orkney, I get to hang out with Ian Siegal and Kyla

Brox! I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re going to do

a special Jimmy Carpenter and Friends show on Saturday—I’m

not exactly sure what we’re going to do, but it’ll

be cool.”

ORGANISING THE BIG BLUES BENDER

“With the festival just four weeks away, I’m deeply

immersed in preparations. It’s barrelling towards me

at a terrifying rate. The special show, One for the Soul,

will honour soul music’s impact on American and global

culture. We’re enhancing the Bender Brass Band with

strings, extra horns, and background singers. While navigating

the challenge of writing string arrangements, it’s

been a learning curve, but I’m getting better. Featuring

artists like Beth Hart, Los Lobos, and Trombone Shorty,

working on this festival has changed my life and provided

financial security and creative freedom.”

WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN IN YOUR LIFE?

“I think most of us, when we do well, don’t think we’re

doing well enough. Conversely, when we do badly, we’re


just crushed. To me, success would be learning how to

handle all the things I’m doing without stressing about it.

Being able to juggle all these balls calmly and well would

be my ultimate goal.”

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE?

“In the short term, I aim to release this record and get it

off the ground! I’m hoping for a Song of the Year nomination

and successful sales. Having signed a new deal

with Intrepid Artists, I’m focused on building resources

and plan to be out there more in Europe and the UK next

year. I don’t even really have a six-month plan, but right

now, I just want to keep making records and getting better

at all this stuff!”

WHAT’S THE BLUES SCENE LIKE IN LAS VEGAS?

Though not traditionally known as a blues town, the

Blues Society has been making strides for the past 7-8

years. With nearly 500 members, they host four monthly

jams in various settings, from late-night rockers to

daytime gentler sessions. They also book touring acts like

Nick Moss, Mark Hummel, and Carolyn Wonderland. The

scene, once dormant, is now vibrant and growing, thanks

to the dedicated efforts of the Blues Society board and

members. Despite the challenges of juggling multiple

responsibilities, there’s excitement about the progress,

with a special nod to the Sand Dollar, a blues bar in Vegas

since 1976, where “they never tell me what to do.”

FINALLY, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TELL THE

BLUES MATTERS MAGAZINE READERS?

“The Blues Matters public has been enormously supportive

of me, and I very much appreciate it. The UK

is a beautiful place to play. There’s such a diverse vibe

everywhere that I go; it’s a little bit different. It’s English,

or it’s Scottish, or it’s whatever it is, but it’s different! You

know, Edinburgh is different from anywhere else, and I

love that town, by the way!”

For further information, visit jimmycarpenter.net

LISTEN STATION

I ONLY GAMBLE WITH MY HEART

I HEAR YOU KNOCKING

SOMETHING YOU GOT



Featuring the singles

Giants Walk the Land (with JimMoginie)

Cruel Hand of Fate (feat. Joe Bonamassa)

Produced by Kevin Shirley

www.stevelouw.com

ALASTAIR GREEN

STANDING OUT LOUD

RUF 1310 CD

RUF 2096 LP

www.rufrecords.de

www.ampeddistribution.com

+++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++

A selfconfident Bluesrock sttement.

Guitar virtuoso Alastair Greene has artfully managed a dynamic solo career

while contributing to the music of notable artists such as Grammy-winner

Alan Parsons and soul-blues Grammy nominee Sugaray Rayford. Greene‘s

latest release, Standing Out Loud, is a commanding declaration poised to

solidify his position as a seasoned veteran in the blues rock world. With

a strong batch of original songs rooted in blues and southern rock traditions,

it builds upon the momentum created by his critically acclaimed

solo releases of recent years.

HITTING

THE ROAD

ALASTAIR

GREENE


As the morning sun crept over the Wasatch

Mountains, bathing Salt Lake City in a warm

glow, I found myself on a video call with one of

the most electrifying blues-rock guitarists on

the scene today - Alastair Greene. Our conversation

came at the tail end of a well-deserved

break for Greene after a blistering run of shows.

But this road warrior’s respite would be shortlived,

as he eagerly looked ahead to his next adventure

- the highly anticipated Durango Blues

Train Festival.

Stephen Harrison

Supploed

“It’s an actual train that they’ve got,” Greene

explained with a hint of awe. “It’s like this kind of

little mini-festival, and it’s three days, and we’re

playing all three days on a train.” This unique event,

which sells out within an hour of tickets going on

sale each year, will have Greene and his band performing

high-octane blues rock while the locomotive

chugs through the scenic Colorado wilderness.

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH LONDON

It’s exactly the type of one-of-a-kind experience

that fuels Greene’s passion for life on the road.

Despite being a touring machine who has crisscrossed

the globe many times over, he still marvels

at the iconic imagery of places like London, where

he’s scheduled to return in October. “As an American,

you can’t help but want to take a selfie every

time you see one of those old red phone booths,”

he chuckled.

Of course, Greene’s love for the UK runs far deeper

than just its photogenic landmarks. It’s a place

that has embraced his fiery fretwork with open

arms, with raucous sold-out shows at legendary

venues like the Slaughtered Lamb under his belt.

“It was packed, a nice small funky club underneath

the restaurant, and we had a fantastic time,” he

reminisced about that particular London gig.



HONOURING THE HALLOWED STAGES

His forthcoming return to England in the fall will

include a stop at the 229 Club, as well as a revisiting

of the hallowed 100 Club stage where he previously

shared the bill with blues harmonica master

Sugar Ray Rayford back in 2019. For a musician

so steeped in blues tradition, playing in the same

rooms as his heroes is the ultimate honour.

“STANDING OUT LOUD” -

A MASTERFUL HOMAGE

Greene’s latest album, the critically acclaimed

“Standing Out Loud,” is a masterful homage to

those very blues rock pioneers that shaped his

signature sound. “My mission statement for this

record was, I want to try and create an album that

sounds like a lot of the music that inspired me to

get into blues,” he explained.

Tracks like the electrifying album-closer “Bullfrog

Blues” are a tip of the cap to guitar gods like Rory

Gallagher, whose primal slide work left an indelible

mark on Greene’s playing. “Rory was one of these

guys that kind of sparked that fire,” he said of Gallagher’s

profound influence. “When I heard him, I

resonated with how he approached things.”

CAPTURING THE 70S SOUND

To capture that classic 70s vibe, Greene headed

to the musical meccas of Nashville and Austin to

record “Standing Out Loud” using vintage gear and

techniques from that hallowed era. “I wanted it to

sound sonically like an older record, like something

that would have been put out in the early 70s,” he

explained.

While most of the album came together at Nashville’s

famed Simo Sound with producer JD Simo,

Greene made sure to imbue it with Austin’s distinct

flavor as well by finishing a few tracks at that

city’s legendary studios. He dreams of potentially

recording future efforts in blues hotbeds like Chicago,

New Orleans, and Memphis to incorporate

even more regional flair.

EMBRACING LOCAL CULTURE

For Greene, connecting with the rich cultural fabric

of each town is just as important as laying down

scorching licks in the studio. “I try to make a point

to get out and see some things, especially if I’m in

Europe or the UK,” he said. “As much as finances

mean something to me, so does experiencing some

culture.”

However, the relentless touring grind makes it

extremely difficult to go beyond just hitting the

stage night after night. “Unless you’ve got days

off, you’re pretty much hotel, venue, maybe grab

a bite across the street before the show,” Greene

lamented. He cherishes any opportunity to extend

his stay like he plans to do in London this fall to go

deeper than just the tourist traps.

A CULINARY LOVE AFFAIR WITH LONDON

One experience he’s particularly eager to soak in is

London’s iconic food scene, having already developed

an affinity for local delicacies like mushy

peas during previous tours. “I have never had a

bad meal in London,” Greene raved. “What are you

guys talking about?”

While he may struggle with the polarizing Marmite,

a staple spread that he describes as “you either

love it or hate it,” Greene has fully embraced

England’s rich culinary traditions. After all, he’s a

man who savours absorbing the authentic flavors

of the countless cities and towns he’s visited over

his globetrotting career.

CAPTURING THE LIVE LIGHTNING

That pursuit of keeping things authentic and raw

extends to Greene’s live performances, which have

fans clamoring for a new live album to relive the

blistering shows. “Some people want to go ‘If you

have anything live that you’ve released,’ because

I think it makes them feel closer to the show,” he

explained of that persistent request.


“I WANT TO TRY AND

CREATE AN ALBUM THAT

SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF THE

MUSIC THAT INSPIRED ME

TO GET INTO BLUES”


A live record could be the perfect way to bottle the lightning

that Greene and his band have been conjuring on stage

every night. It would certainly be a fitting follow-up to

“Standing Out Loud,” which has already cemented Greene’s

status as a torchbearer for the blues rock tradition.

THE ACOUSTIC MUSE

While he’s already achieved incredible success at a relatively

young age, Greene remains driven to constantly explore

new creative avenues. One possibility that intrigues him

is recording an acoustic blues album, which would be a

full-circle moment of sorts.

“I’ve written a lot of songs on acoustic guitar, and there’s

a wealth of amazing acoustic music out there,” Greene

explained. “I do love that music, and it influenced how I play

electric guitar with my fingers and whatnot.”

An acoustic effort could allow Greene to pay homage to the

seminal blues artists that inspired his musical awakening as

an upstart guitarist. It would also give him a chance to reinterpret

his catalog and the classics through a rawboned,

stripped-down lens.

THE NEVER-ENDING JOURNEY

No matter which direction his insatiable artistic curiosity

takes him, one thing is certain - Alastair Greene’s passion

for blues and blues rock burns as bright as his incendiary

fretwork. With the Durango Blues Train and a triumphant

return to London on the horizon, this is shaping up to be

another landmark year in the career of one of the genre’s

most electrifying performers.

As our conversation wrapped up, Greene made it clear he

was just getting started on this journey. “Thank you for

doing this,” he said graciously. “I’m really grateful.”

His appreciation for the opportunity to connect through

an in-depth feature mirrored my excitement to shed light

on such a vital voice in modern blues rock. While Alastair

Greene’s next destination may be cloaked in mystery, one

thing is assured - the road will forever be his inspiration.

LISTEN STATION

SLOW BURN

RUSTY DAGGER

YOU CAN’T FOOL ME

“THERE’S A WEALTH OF AMAZING

ACOUSTIC MUSIC OUT THERE”



KENNY WAYNE

SHEPHERD

Kenny Wayne Shepherd, celebrated for his electrifying guitar

skills and soulful blues vocals, has become a major figure in the

modern blues-rock scene. With over two decades of experience,

Shepherd has mesmerized audiences worldwide by blending

classic blues with a modern edge.

Colin Campbell

Mark Selinger

In this interview, we explore the inspirations behind

his latest album, Dirt On My Diamonds Volume 2, his

journey as a self-taught musician, and his views on the

evolution of the blues genre. Speaking with him via

Zoom from his home in Tennessee, here’s what he had

to say...

HOW DID YOUR RECENT U.S. TOUR GO?

We intentionally had a slow summer after working

hard over the past two years, which allowed for some

family time with my wife and kids. Despite the break,

our recent shows were fantastic, with packed and excited

crowds. We had a great time, and we’ll be back on

the road next weekend for about ten days. I think we’ve

struck a good balance between touring and family time.

I’ve learned that five weeks is the maximum I can be

away before needing to reconnect with the family. We

generally keep tours to 2-3 weeks, maybe four, followed

by a break to spend time at home before heading

out again.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND

My dad worked in radio, so I grew up in that environment.

He was the programme director and on-air

personality at the hottest station in town, which meant

I was exposed to music 24/7. I attended every concert

with his tickets and backstage passes, meeting lots of

musicians and seeing behind the scenes of the touring

industry. My first concert was Muddy Waters and John

Lee Hooker when I was just three years old, which

sparked my love for the blues. I was exposed to all kinds

of genres—country, rock, blues, funk. At four, I got my

first toy guitar, but seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan and

Double Trouble at seven was life-changing. It inspired

me to play guitar with the same passion and intensity

as Stevie. I got my first electric guitar at seven, played

for hours every day, performed on stage at 13, recorded

my first demo at 14, formed a band at 15, signed a

record deal at 16, and recorded my first album at 17.

After graduating high school at 18, I hit the road, and

the rest is history!

WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED AFTER 30 YEARS IN

THE BUSINESS?

I love making music and entertaining people. Recording

and writing are passions, but the real goal for me is

being on stage and performing for people. That’s what

drives me. We’ve built a fan base over 30 years,

and many have been with us the whole time. At

shows, I often ask how many in the audience

have seen us before—usually about half the

room—and how many are seeing us for

the first time. That’s usually the other

half, so we’re still reaching new people

every night! That’s another thing

that keeps me motivated—we’re

constantly reaching new ears.

We wouldn’t be here without the

people who keep coming back,

but it’s always amazing to meet

new fans.

WHERE DID YOU LEARN YOUR

STAGECRAFT?

I learned by watching all those bands as

a kid and absorbing their performances.

Initially, I was really shy, hiding behind

my long blonde hair and focusing only

on the guitar—there wasn’t much

showmanship. But as my confidence

grew, I became more comfortable

on stage and started


LISTEN STATION

I GOT A WOMAN

NEVER MADE IT TO MEMPHIS

DIRT ON MY DIAMONDS

to entertain more. Influences include legends like James

Brown, one of the greatest entertainers of all time, the

Rolling Stones, and videos of Jimi Hendrix and all the wild

things he’d do on stage. These experiences shaped how I

work the stage and perform for the audience.

YOU’RE KNOWN AS A GUITARIST—WHEN DID YOU GAIN

THE CONFIDENCE TO SING AS WELL?

I sang one song, Riverside, on my first album but was reluctant

because my voice didn’t match my guitar abilities.

When I sang, I sounded like a kid, unlike my guitar playing.

I had high standards for my music, and my voice didn’t

meet them. On later records, I sang background vocals,

easing into it. By my fourth album, I felt it was time to

give it a shot. Now, I sing 50% of the lead vocals, alongside

Noah Hunt, whose different voice gives us a broader

range of material to perform.

WHAT’S THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

Stevie Ray Vaughan signed my first Stratocaster when

I was thirteen. He wrote on it: “Kenny, just play it with

all your heart.” That’s what I strive to do in all my shows.

Another hero, Hubert Sumlin, said, “If I’m feeling it, then

you have to feel it!”

YOU WERE ONCE THE NEW BREED OF BLUES MUSI-

CIANS—ARE YOU NOW A BLUES LEGEND CARRYING THE

GENRE FORWARD?

The reality is, if you’re lucky enough to live long enough,

you inevitably become the older generation. It’s better

than the alternative! Joe Bonamassa and I recently talked

about how we’ve gone from being the young guys to

becoming the older generation. It’s exciting to watch the

next young generation come up, like Christone Ingram

and DK Harrell. Now I understand why people like B.B.

King were welcoming to us—they were happy to see

young people contributing to the genre. I feel the same

way now. It’s weird, though, as I used to be the youngest

guy in my band, but now the horn players are younger

than I am! I’ve used horns on a few songs over the years,

but it really started on a more permanent basis with The

Traveler album in 2019. It added a new dynamic to the

stage and for the fans. We did the Trouble Is 25th anniversary

tour with horns for part of it, and now I’ve included

a lot of horns on the Dirt On My Diamonds albums.

HOW DID IT FEEL RE-RECORDING TROUBLE IS FOR ITS

25TH ANNIVERSARY?

It was a trip down memory lane, bringing back so many

memories for everyone, as we had almost the entire

original group back together, except for Tommy Shannon.

Everyone who played on that record played on the

new version. I felt a deep sense of gratitude because we

accomplished so much with that album. Songs like Blue

on Black were incredibly important to so many people.

Reflecting on it, I was 19 when it all happened—it’s incredible,

and I’m truly grateful to have been a part of it.

HOW HAS YOUR MUSIC EVOLVED?

We experiment with all kinds of things, taking the music

in many directions. But the blues is always the foundation

of everything we do, and it always will be. If we stray too

far from that, we inevitably come back and make a traditional

blues album for those who want to hear us play just

the blues. Blues rock seems to be the style that’s stuck,

which makes sense as my early success was at rock radio.

My first single reached number five on the mainstream

rock charts, and Blue on Black set records for most weeks

at number one on the mainstream rock chart. My inclination

is to mix blues with rock, as they are directly related.

Recent music shows a lot of different influences, including

country, funk, and R&B. This diversity reflects all the

music I grew up listening to and keeps things interesting. I

aim for each record to surprise fans so they don’t feel like

they already know what it’s going to sound like. Reflecting

on the industry, I feel torn because I got in right at the

end of what I think was the golden age of making records

and the radio industry. It was an exciting time. Now, it’s

hard to quantify success with the complicated math of

today’s music industry!

WHAT WAS THE PROCESS BEHIND MAKING DIRT ON MY

DIAMONDS VOLUME 2?

I had written a lot of songs and started recording, realising

two different albums were taking shape. Instead

of releasing them as two completely separate albums, I

thought it would be more compelling to make them companion

pieces and release them as Volume 1 and Volume

2 within 12 months. This approach is about doing something

different and engaging the fans in new and different

ways. Nowadays, it’s all about providing your fans with

more content on a more regular basis, often with singles.

However, I believe in making albums that take people on

a musical journey. Releasing singles feels like releasing

one chapter at a time from a book, or one scene at a time

from a movie. Despite the trend, I like albums and hope

listeners will listen to the record from beginning to end.

My songwriting process varies with every song, but 90%

of the time it starts with the music, whether it’s a guitar

riff or a groove. Then we’ll sit down with the people

I write with and start honing in on the lyrics and vocal

melody. But most of the time, I’ll just walk in the room

and start playing, “Hey, what do you guys think of this?” If

everyone digs it, we start working on that.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TRACKS ON THE ALBUM


I Got A Woman: My recent songs focus more on praising

women rather than the typical blues theme of relationship

troubles. I wanted to glorify her and highlight all

the great things about her, leaning towards the positive

side to affect people in a positive way. Music should be

about making people feel good. I’m a fan of connecting

dots from previous records. Lyrics from different albums

often reference each other, like Dirt on My Diamonds

tying back to Diamonds and Gold. I Got a Woman connects

to Woman Like You. This creates a narrative where

the same guy has now found his woman who “stops

everything in a room.”

She Loves My Automobile: I love Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top,

and cars. Billy and I share a passion for automobiles, and

this is one of my favourite ZZ Top songs because he does

such a good job of combining music and his love for cars.

It just seemed appropriate to include it.

Watch You Go: This is a typical tongue-in-cheek, fun

blues song—something to make you laugh and have

a little fun. You can figure that one out by reading

the lyrics.

HOW DO YOU MAKE THE BLUES GENRE AC-

CESSIBLE TO A YOUNGER AUDIENCE?

Young people were curious because I was

their age, making my music relatable and

fresh. Now, they discover blues through

my story, seeing that a young person

became successful. My music still

feels energetic, fresh, and unexpected,

offering a young, fresh approach

to the blues genre.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?

I’m working on four different albums

right now, so there’s no shortage of

material and new music. I’ll keep making

new music, starting another record as

soon as I finish one. I’m in a great creative

headspace and collaborating with an incredible

bluesman named Bobby Rush.

LASTLY, DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR BLUES

MATTERS MAGAZINE READERS?

I know a lot of your readers have been with me for a

long time. People who read your publication are true fans

of blues music. I don’t like the idea that blues music is on

life support—it’s continuing to flourish. It’s been around

for over 100 years and it’s not going anywhere. But it is

important to continue supporting the artists who make

this kind of music and turn our friends onto it to make

new fans. That’s the only way anything grows. So we

appreciate all the hard work and support from fans of

your publication and people like you, who help us thrive

in what we do.

For more information, visit: kennywayneshepherd.net.



BLAME IT ON EVE

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND

Shemekia Copeland is a powerhouse vocalist and a defining voice in contemporary

blues. With her dynamic stage presence and soulful delivery, she has

captivated audiences since the late 1990s. Born into a musical family as the

daughter of Texas blues legend Johnny Copeland, Shemekia has carved out

her own path, blending traditional blues with rock, soul, and Americana.

Colin Campbell

Supplied

Over the years, she has earned numerous accolades,

including multiple Blues Music Awards and Grammy

nominations, solidifying her status as a leading light in

the genre. As her artistry evolves, Shemekia Copeland

remains a vital and inspiring force in modern music. We

discussed her musical journey, her

newest release, Blame It On Eve,

and more. She was in New York at

the time.

SHEMEKIA’S MUSICAL

JOURNEY

“I grew up around music, with my

dad sitting around the house playing

songs on his Ovation guitar—

Jimmy Reed, Hank Williams, T-Bone

Walker, and of course, Johnny Copeland

songs. I listened to him write music and play,

even when he was just in his underwear. That

was my first introduction to music. At three years old, I

started to sing along with him, and I loved it. Although I

didn’t realize it at the time, watching my father’s career

shaped my life. Ironically, I always thought I’d never want

to do this; it seemed crazy to travel all over the world and

stand on stage in front of so many people. But years later,

I became that crazy person who loves it! I started going

out with my dad when I was about nine or ten, just sitting

in and singing a song with him. Although I was nervous at

first, I grew to love it. As I’ve aged, being on stage has become

more comfortable because the more secure you are

in yourself, the better it feels. When I go on stage now, I

give it 200% and try to be the best Shemekia I can be!”

BEST MUSICAL ADVICE YOU’VE HAD?

“My father always had it right. He would go on stage and

give it everything he had. He also advised me never to

read the press. He said, if you read the good stuff, you

become cocky and arrogant, and if you read the bad, you

become bitter and angry. I truly believe this advice helps

keep you humble. You have to remember that your career

could be here today and gone tomorrow, so enjoy the

moment.”

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

“My dad, for sure—I thought he had one of the best voices

ever. My mom also had a beautiful voice, though she was

never a professional singer. I admired Koko Taylor, Ruth

Brown, and gospel singers, especially the male quartets.

As a kid, I wanted to sound like a man! That’s why I loved

Koko’s voice, which was rough and raw, like Tina Turner’s

or Big Maybelle’s. Howlin’ Wolf had a cool voice too. I

pride myself on being unique—when I sing, I want people

to instantly recognize me as Shemekia.”

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MUSICIANS

“I’d say don’t get into the business if you don’t really love

it because the music business sucks. We do this because

we get to perform, travel, and meet amazing people.

That’s the best part. But the business itself is pretty

terrible.”

DO YOU STILL ENJOY TOURING LIFE?

“I don’t really love touring anymore. For me, touring

means being on the road for a very long time, and that’s

not something I want to do now that I have a little one at

home. I love being at home, so I prefer to go out, do my

shows, meet the people, and then come back home. Being

out on the road for weeks at a time is no longer for me.”

LAST TIME WE SPOKE, YOU HAD JUST


PLAYED THE OPEN AIR BLUES FESTIVAL IN

BREZOI. HOW WAS IT?

“I loved it! It was my second time in Romania and my

first time at that festival. The audience was awesome.

Even though it was more of a rock crowd, they loved and

accepted what I was doing.”

DOES BLUES MUSIC MATTER TO A YOUNGER

GENERATION?

“I think so. When I see young African American kids like

Kingfish, D.K. Harrell, Jontavious Willis, Stephen Hull,

and Mathias Latin playing blues, it makes me happy.

They’re studying, loving the music, and getting it.”

BLAME IT ON EVE –

THE RECORDING PROCESS

“When I make an album, I want to listen to the songs in

order, like when I first listened to vinyl. Although there

are many ways to listen to music now, that’s important

to me. My last three records were serious, but this one is

a departure. It has a lighter feel, though I’m still dealing

with important issues—like women’s rights and climate

change, which are big for me. I even included an educational

song, ‘Tee Tot Payne,’ which makes me happy.”

TRACK TALK

Blame It On Eve:

“With all the rights being taken away from women in

America, I felt the need to address that in a way that people

could accept. This song does that.”

Tough Mother: “I’ve been through a lot, especially in recent

years. This song covers some of it, which is great.”

Broken High Heels: “This song addresses climate change

and deniers. We see the world changing, but nobody

seems to care.”

Down On Bended Knee:

“One of my dad’s songs—singing it makes me feel like he’s

wrapping a warm blanket around me.”

Heaven Help Us All:

“I wanted to break this song down, make it smaller, and

let the words speak for themselves. The lyric ‘heaven help

us all’ really resonates today.”

SONGWRITING PROCESS

“Lyrics always come first, then the music. John Hahn,

Will Kimbrough, and I are like a dream team—we’re so

like-minded that we can finish each other’s sentences.

Our relationship is pretty wonderful. Since making blues

records doesn’t involve a lot of money, we have many

conversations before entering the studio to ensure we’re

well-prepared. We don’t waste time or money on extra

songs that won’t make it on the album. I love being live

with the band in the studio—it’s more authentic.”

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SONG?

“The truth. That’s what makes a good song—the truth and

how it makes a person feel. I’m a blues singer at heart, but

I do American roots music. I pull from country, bluegrass,

gospel, soul—just all American roots music.”

WHAT DOES THE BLUES MEAN TO YOU?

“My daddy used to say, ‘If it wasn’t for the blues, I

wouldn’t weigh over ninety pounds.’ For me, it’s meant

everything—it’s a lifeline.”

“THE LYRIC

‘HEAVEN HELP

US ALL’ REALLY

RESONATES

TODAY”


WHAT WOULD YOU MEASURE AS SUCCESS

IN YOUR LIFE?

“Being a mom and doing what you love for a living—that’s

success for me. I think we all struggle with waking up

and choosing to be happy. But I choose to see the glass

as half full. If I weren’t a musician, I’d be a radio DJ, which

I’ve been doing for five years now on Sirius XM. I love it

because it’s another way to connect with people.”

FINALLY, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY TO

THE BLUES MATTERS READERSHIP?

“You’re lucky to have Blues Matters! It’s an amazing magazine

and outlet for real music fans. Be grateful you have

it because without it, you might not hear about artists like

Shemekia Copeland!”

For more information, visit shemekiacopeland.com.

LISTEN STATION

TOUGH MOTHER

BROKEN HIGH HEELS

TELL THE DEVIL


NEW ALBUM

“PURE ENERGY AND

ROOTSY-BLUES SASS”

-MusicOntario

OUT NOW

TELL MY FRIEND: SKIP JAMES

Despite his name being mentioned in one of the most

iconic Blues songs of all time and having played with such

luminaries as Son House and Skip James, while also being

a close confidant of Robert Johnson, little is known about

Willie Brown. The details of his birth are among the many

mysteries that have followed him throughout his musical

journey.

Depending on who you believe, he was born in either

1899 or 1900. What we do know is that he was born on

6th August in Shelby, Mississippi. Throughout his career,

Willie Brown always played guitar and occasionally sang.

Most of his time was spent as what can only be described

as a sideman, a sort of backup guitarist for other musicians.

Despite this, Willie Brown’s influence on Blues

music is far greater than one might imagine.

The details surrounding Willie Brown’s life are sketchy

at best. Rumour has it that he married Josie Mills, also a

Blues guitarist, at the tender age of 10 or 11. It’s hard to

imagine someone marrying so young, but this was well

over a century ago. It’s unclear when he began teaming

up with other musicians, but he played a significant role in

the musical development of Charley Patton, Son House,

and, slightly later, Robert Johnson.

Throughout his career, Willie Brown is reported to have

recorded only six tracks under his own name, which

equates to just three singles (a track on each side). This

seems almost unbelievable given that his career spanned

nearly four decades. These recordings were all made for

Paramount Records, but there are supposedly another

ten tracks that have never surfaced. What became of

them remains a mystery, and it’s a pity they may never

see the light of day.

Willie Brown lived in Robinsonville, Mississippi, for most

of his life, playing with various local musicians. Though

he didn’t earn much money, he made enough to scrape

a living. He disappeared from the music scene for many

years, but according to Alan Lomax, he made some more

recordings around 1942. Lomax insists that this was the

same Willie Brown who had recorded for Paramount all

those years earlier. Whether this is true, we may never

know, but it adds to the scepticism and intrigue surrounding

the Willie Brown myth.

The story goes that Son House and Willie Brown were

playing at a juke joint somewhere in Mississippi when

Robert Johnson, who had long admired both men, walked

in. According to legend—and this is where the legend of

both men was born—Johnson kept asking if he could sit in

and play while they were on a break. They obliged once,

but the reception from the audience did him no favours;

in fact, he was booed off the stage. Undeterred, Johnson

returned but was again poorly received, with Son House

saying, “You’re just noising the people.” Johnson then

disappeared for twelve months, setting the stage for

another legendary tale.

When Johnson returned some twelve months later, Willie

Brown was written into Blues folklore. Johnson blew

everyone away with his playing, leaving people speechless

at how he had surpassed both Brown and House

in such a short time. How could he have become that

good so quickly? This set the stage for Brown to become

immortalised.

The song in question, “Cross Road Blues,” contains the

immortal lines, “You can run, you can run, tell my friend

poor Willie Brown. You can run, tell my friend-boy Willie

Brown.” There is some mystery surrounding this lyric—

what was Robert Johnson talking about? Some believe

that Johnson instructed someone—though we’ll never

know who—that in the event of his death, Willie Brown

should be told immediately. But why only Willie Brown?

This suggests that Johnson and Brown were closer than

people imagined.

I have long believed that Johnson, in writing his 29

songs, was, in fact, writing his own obituary. But where

does Willie Brown fit into the story? Perhaps the fateful

night when Johnson wanted to join in with him and Son

House had a greater effect on both men than anyone has

realised. There is clearly much more to Willie Brown than

meets the eye. But why did he only record six tracks?

Why did he fall into relative obscurity for so many years?

And when Alan Lomax wanted to record him again, what

happened to those recordings?

W. C. Handy is well known as the grandfather of the

Blues. In fact, Brown and Handy crossed paths at the

very beginning of the Blues’ emergence around the turn

of the last century. According to Handy’s autobiography,

Father of the Blues, he remarked, “While sleeping on

the cobblestones in St. Louis, I heard shabby guitarists

picking a tune called ‘East St. Louis’. It had numerous

one-line verses that they would sing all night.” One of

those shabby guitarists was Willie Brown. If Handy is to

be believed—and there’s no reason to doubt him—Willie

Brown inadvertently helped to write the Handy classic,

“St. Louis Blues.”

Willie Brown passed away on 30th December 1952. His

grave is located at Shepherd’s Church, Prichard, Mississippi.

STEVE HARRISON


THE ALL-NEW

BLUES MATTERS

PODCAST

Listen to some amazing interviews with

the artists we’ve been lucky enough to

speak to for the magazine.

SUE FOLEY

Paul Davies sits down with acclaimed blues guitarist and singer-songwriter

Sue Foley. Join us as they discuss her latest album,

One Guitar Woman, and her experiences touring as a solo artist.

AMIGO THE DEVIL

This episode features a very special guest, Amigo The Devil, the

acclaimed dark folk singer-songwriter known for his haunting

melodies and compelling lyrics.

TROY REDFERN

In this exclusive interview, Paul Davies sits down with

Troy Redfern to explore the inspiration behind his electrifying

new album, Invocation.

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faversham

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coulsdon

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Roots Rock & Roll

on tour from the usa!

www.caitlinkriskoandthebroadcast.com

the 1865

the old brewery store

the cluny

night & day cafE

tuesday music club

the bodega

the grace

the louisiana

NOW IS THE TIME FOR

STEVELOUW

Steve Louw has been a prominent figure on the South African music scene for

well over four decades. Since his 2021 comeback album Headlight Dreams

and its follow-up Thunder And Rain, his reputation has started to go global.

His new double album, Between Time, will further cement Steve’s position as

a world-class songwriter and performer.

Steve Yourglivch

Jacqui van Staden

Along the way, he has paid his dues, leading successful

bands through the dark days of the 1980s in South

Africa and forming Big Sky, whose album Waiting For The

Dawn became a rock classic in South Africa. Steve also

played a significant part in the amazing Rodriguez story,

as documented in the award-winning film Searching For

Sugarman, and collaborated with Brian May and Dave

Stewart for the 46664 Aids Awareness project inspired

by Mandela.

FROM BIG SKY TO HEADLIGHT DREAMS: A LONG HIATUS

I started by asking Steve about the big gap between the

last Big Sky record in 2008 and the release of Headlight

Dreams.

“Yeah, the last Big Sky album was when I was signed to

Sony South Africa, but then the people there who championed

me left. After that, I basically didn’t have a record

deal, so I stopped making albums. Then Kevin Shirley

suggested we work together again. We had always kept

in touch, and he persuaded me to record again. The

record turned out well, and I managed to get another deal

through Sony. They liked what they heard, so I’m kinda

back in the business!”

A PROLIFIC RETURN TO MUSIC

It certainly seems that Steve is making up for lost time,

releasing two well-rounded albums over a two-year period

and then following that with a twenty-track

double studio album. I expressed my surprise

at him releasing a double.

“I’m surprised too!” he laughed. “Some songs

were before Headlight Dreams, others are

new. Now I know the band I’m working with, so

I kinda know how they are going to work out. We

made Headlight Dreams, and three days later, lockdown

happened, so I wrote a lot in 2020/21. When it came to

sequencing the album, we kept going back and forth, so I

felt if they didn’t get released now, they probably never

would. I’ve spent a long time sequencing the four vinyl

sides, and I’m really happy that we did.”

A LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH KEVIN SHIRLEY

Kevin Shirley has been a significant part of Steve’s musical

journey, and the two have known each other since the

early ‘80s, long before Kevin became the go-to producer

for Joe Bonamassa and other big names.

“I’ve actually known Kevin since 1980/81. Before he

was a producer, we were in bands together. He’s gone on

to have a phenomenal career. He produced The Killing

Floor, the second album of my band All Night Radio, and

the first Big Sky album Waiting For The Dawn.”

Kevin Shirley surrounded Steve with an amazingly talented

group of musicians, most of whom have worked on

albums with Kevin for other artists.



“You have to be well prepared. These guys are so good,

it’s unreal. Greg Morrow on drums, for instance, is like

a human metronome. It’s much easier now that they

understand the music, and that reflects too. You need to

catch the magic—it has to sound organic, not just session

players going through the motions. That’s why I play it

to them like a fully committed gig. If I’m not fully into my

music, why would they be?”

THE THEMES BEHIND THE TRACKS

There are a lot of wonderful tracks on this album, not

least the first single, Giants Walk The Land.

“There is some great guitar on that courtesy of Jim

Moginie, who was a founding member of Midnight Oil.

It’s a very spiritual track because it’s about the earth and

what we are doing to it as people. The environment is important

to me. I think the last 50 to 100 years have been

cataclysmic for the planet.”

DIVERSE SOUNDS, UNIFIED VISION

The songs that make up the entire album are diverse—

blues, rock, and Americana—but there’s no little skill

in getting them all to hang together. I wondered about

Steve’s writing process.

“Every song to me is a gift that comes from someplace.

The key to writing a song is to be open to what’s coming

into you and also to the music. Be a conduit for what the

universe is sending to you. The songs manifest themselves

to you, and then you can knock them into shape.

You need your fishing line in the water!”

THE MAKING OF HIGHWAY TO THE SUN AND KILLERS

I asked about the closing track Highway To The Sun and

the track Killers.

LISTEN STATION

STREETS OF RAIN

“THESE GUYS

ARE SO GOOD,

IT’S UNREAL”

“What’s interesting about that is it’s very much a band

song. It’s quite a simple song in parts, but it’s all feel.

They trust each other to play, and Kevin’s role is equally

important—capturing the magic, guiding it in a different

direction.”

“The lyric Killers from the East they came without names

was inspired by a piece in The New York Times about

intercepted communication during the early days of the

war in Kiev. It’s about how bad leaders dehumanise people,

which happens throughout history.”

THE RODRIGUEZ CONNECTION AND

SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN

Searching For Sugarman is one of the best music documentaries

ever made in my opinion, and Steve played his

part in the story of Rodriguez.

“It was great. My record company phoned me up and

asked if I wanted to be Rodriguez’s backing band. At that

point, he hadn’t played in over twenty years, and none of

the band could believe it when I told them. The first show

sold out with seven or eight thousand people crammed in.

It was electrifying to be part of such a wonderful experience.

The crazy thing was that it was really the movie

that made him famous, even though the tour happened

in 1997. The reason Rodriguez was so big in South Africa

was that his records were played underground by people

who were anti-apartheid.”

KILLERS

WIND IN YOUR HAIR

A MEMORABLE ENCOUNTER WITH JOE BONAMASSA

I found online a blog of yours—tell me about the first time

Joe Bonamassa met you and played on your track.

“Yes, Kevin had forgotten to record a solo for Royal Tea,

so Joe detoured his bus to stop by in Nashville to record

the missing solo. Kevin just said, ‘OK, play something on


this,’ and he pushed the record button on my song Wind In

Your Hair. Just one take. Joe plays on the new album, on Cruel

Hand Of Fate.”

PERSONAL TRAGEDY AND MUSICAL CATHARSIS

Steve has also suffered tragedy in his life, with his brother

Ardi losing his life at the time Steve was recording the breakthrough

Waiting For The Dawn album in London.

“That night, Kevin and I flew to London to record some parts

of the album with Robbie McIntosh and other musicians. My

brother was flying back to South Africa from Taiwan when the

plane exploded. I remember it as if it were yesterday—Kevin

walking with me, with his arm around me. The album was put

on hold until I could focus again. It was definitely a crossroads

in my life. I’ve found music very cathartic—it might have

focused me a bit more.”

REFLECTING ON A REMARKABLE JOURNEY

Steve Louw’s journey from the heart of South Africa’s turbulent

music scene to the global stage is a testament to his resilience,

talent, and unwavering passion for music. With a career

that spans decades and influences that have shaped both his

homeland and the world, Steve continues to evolve as an artist.

His recent work, marked by powerful collaborations and

a deep connection to his roots, showcases a musician at the

peak of his creative powers. As he looks to the future, Steve’s

music remains a beacon of hope, reflection, and timeless storytelling,

proving that his voice is as vital now as ever.



BASS LINES

AND MILESTONES

JACK CASADY

He’s the legendary presence felt beneath some of the most timeless psychedelic,

rock, and blues music ever recorded, and Jack Casady continues to live

a rare and storied life. His signature tone, feel, and rangy approach to playing

bass have provided him with a still in-demand career.

Paul Davies

Supplied

And with his fellow original Jefferson Airplane musician,

guitarist extraordinaire Jorma Kaukonen, with whom he

formed the Airplane offshoot band Hot Tuna, he has an

abundance of tour dates booked performing Acoustic

Tuna. Not bad for an 80-year-old veteran from the vanguard

of the modern music business whose enthusiasm

for his calling is as infectious as ever.

THE STORY BEHIND THE SIGNATURE

EPIPHONE BASS

Jack sits before me on our Zoom call from his Channel

Island home in Jersey, with his signature Epiphone bass

thrumming in his hands, passionately keen to tell me

its story: “I started out with Epiphone in 1997; the last

century,” he emphasises. “I approached Gibson through a

good friend of mine, Mike Lawson, who was working with

Gibson at the time. I discovered the Les Paul version of

this bass in 1983, and I hadn’t realised that there was a

nice F-hole arch-top semi-hollow body already out there

by Gibson.”

He considers, “I had played the short-scale version of

Guild in the late sixties, like the one I used at Woodstock

and around that era, because I really liked the openness

of the tone of the semi-hollow body.” Settling into his

comfort zone, Jack continues with his thoughts on his

creative obsession with the evolution of modern bass

guitars: “I started out playing guitar at age twelve and

moved to the bass at sixteen, with, of course, the Fender

bass, and started out playing the jazz bass, and that’s

what I used in the early part of my recording career. But

when I discovered the hollow body instruments, I really

liked that open sound. And I’ve kind of always chased the

stand-up bass player jazz guy sounds,” he confides.

A UNIQUE COLLABORATION

WITH EPIPHONE

“Mike Lawson was working with Gibson, and they weren’t

interested in reviving this short-lived Les Paul version.

They did a run of about a couple of hundred in the early

seventies, and they didn’t hit it off very well. But I loved it

when I rediscovered them, and I said I’d like to make it. I

like this bass and the way it’s set up. The neck style feels

so nice to me, as does the tone. But I said I want to work

on the pickups, but Gibson wasn’t interested. Instead,

they turned me on to the Epiphone division, and they

were. Jim Rosenberg, the president of Epiphone at the

time, gave me carte blanche. He said, ‘Jack, you can build

this instrument any way you want. You can put three

pickups on it, two pickups, one.’ I said, ‘what I really want

is one super top-of-the-line component pickup, and I’ll

place that in the sweet spot that I like.’”

MEMORIES OF CRAFTING AND

REDISCOVERING A STOLEN BASS

Talking about the technical aspect of his Epiphone

Signature Jack Casady bass also brings back a flood of

personal memories for Jack as he reveals to me: “We

tried different magnet combinations and different

strengths of magnets and different gauges of wire and all

that kind of stuff. I learned all that stuff from my father,

who was an audiophile. He was a dentist, a professional

man: doctors, dentists, and lawyers are all in my family,

and this was in the fifties. He loved electronics when he


graduated and went to school in the late twenties and

early thirties, and we built amplifiers together: Heathkit

amplifiers, which was my first amplifier, and he built

speaker cabinets and all that stuff. So, it was natural for

me to work with them.”

He adds, “I remember all that gang out in San Francisco,

Owsley Stanley, who did the first electronics on that

Guild bass that I had at Woodstock that was stolen and

then returned, luckily, recently. During that period of

time, up until the late nineties, I was playing a lot of solid

body instruments, but I discovered this Gibson version in

the Chelsea Music Store right next to the Chelsea Hotel

and West 23rd Street in New York City, a great little

store, where all the cool cats went into and where you

could still buy an instrument for a reasonable price.”

THE RETURN OF THE FAMED

STOLEN GUILD BASS

I ask Jack how he got his famed stolen Guild bass back

into his hands that are still picking out Epiphone bass

runs as we speak: “It’s a great story. A few years ago, I put

a little query out on Facebook. I said, ‘Gee, it’d really be

great to have...’ And I showed a picture of this instrument

that was stolen during a few shows that we did on a tour.

And there are several characters involved here, but it was

stolen after a show. I left it somewhere sitting down while

making a phone call. Notice it was in the days when to

make a phone call, you had to go to a phone booth,” he

heartily laughs.

“It got stolen in Seattle around ‘69. I got a phone call from

a gentleman up in Seattle who thought he knew where

the bass is. This gentleman was in a band with another

bass player, and they got back to me, and we became

great friends, and they returned the bass.” He continues,

“And the bass had been changed a little bit, but, essentially,

the only thing changed is I had a dark brown finish put

over the original finish that was sunburst. Somebody

stripped that off, and it went back to a natural finish. The

electronic package had been done by Owsley Stanley,

who was famous for other things as well as electronics,

and we put that bass together in 1967. It’s back, and it

plays wonderfully. I’m not playing a lot of short-scale

instruments these days, but it sounds superb, and I got it

back: wonderful.”

ACOUSTIC HOT TUNA:

THE CURRENT TOUR AND SETUP

Back to present-day happenings, Jack and Jorma are out

on tour with a rolling diary of Acoustic Hot Tuna dates:

“We’ve never not been acoustic. Here’s the difference.

Jorma doesn’t play acoustic guitar as a musician who’s

always played electric and now plays unplugged. He’s a

master of the acoustic instrument as it was meant to be.

He’s a finger picker: thumb and two fingers. When we

started what became Hot Tuna from playing that Guild

bass, with a little amplifier I had and, later on, a Versatone

amplifier that was basically a Hi-Fi amplifier, I was trying

to get a nice, natural jazz sound on that bass that worked

well with a flat top acoustic J-50 Gibson, and that’s how

we started out playing, and our first album was those two

instruments together.”

Jack further details the creative nuances of Hot Tuna’s

music: “What was unique at the time for us was me

playing bass with a finger-picking guitarist and singer—

that’s complete music within itself. And we started

working out how we would play that kind of music that

was heavily influenced by a lot of the guitarists and

singers that we admired at the time like Reverend Gary

Davis and several others. As Jorma developed his own

songwriting, we worked out a method because Jorma’s

playing with his thumbs, it would also free me up on the

bass, where I wouldn’t have to be just pinning the rhythm

section down with repetitive line licks in the bottom with

a single line on top like a difficult linear guitar player

would play. Then it formed, and we began what became

known as Hot Tuna and in that combination, we put out

our first album in 1970.”

A TRIBUTE TO HIS LATE WIFE AND THE

FUTURE OF HOT TUNA


As I mentioned, Jack is naturally a bass obsessive, as he

details his current acoustic setup: “Over the years, I’ve

had a couple of different approaches. Lately, luthier Tom

Ribbecke has made a series of true acoustic bass guitars

with a big body and a unique design. It’s called the Diana

Bass Series, after my late wife Diana who passed away in

2012. It has a deep body on it, but it’s an arch-top design.

What we’re doing now, since we stopped doing the louder

version of Hot Tuna, is playing the acoustic flat top rather

than going into the electric world.” He adds with a huge

smile: “We’re just dropping the electric because we

figured, well, I’m just turned eighty and Jorma is eightythree

going on eighty-four, and, maybe, we’ve got a shot

at another ten years if we don’t completely lose our

hearing, ha ha.”

THE BEGINNINGS OF HOT TUNA

Jack recalls the exact moment when the embryonic Hot

Tuna started: “We were fortunate because I think there

were a couple of concerts in New York where there was

some sort of technical problem, and Paul Kantner said,

‘Hey, why don’t you guys go out and play a couple of

things while we get this all fixed up’? So, we did. Luckily,

we had that format to slide into with an audience where

we could present some of this material that we loved.”

He says: “But in Jefferson Airplane, everybody wrote.

Everybody. There were a lot of different styles between

Grace Slick and her approach, Paul Kantner’s, Marty Balin

and Jorma, who later started doing more writing, but

there was a lot of territory to cover in only so much time

within the structure of any one concert. So, this was sort

of an intimate, almost like a small combo jazz approach to

the kind of music that we enjoyed, and as the months and

years built up, we started to expand that and see where it

would lead to as a kind of a new direction, while we were

doing the Jefferson Airplane at the same time. So, it’s

very natural. This came out of sitting in hotel rooms night

after night and playing.”

RECORDING WITH JIMI HENDRIX

This was a fertile and groundbreaking period in music,

which also found Jack playing on a famous recording

session with Jimi Hendrix at Electric Ladyland Studios as

he reveals the backstory to this milestone meeting: “Bill

Graham was our manager, and with Bill and all the

musicians of the San Francisco scene, we would talk

about who our influences were, and the kind of people we

admired. Bill Graham was unique in that he loved to put a

combination of musicians and influences from different

worlds and backgrounds on the same stage at the same

time during a show, and he put on wonderful shows.

In any case, Jimi Hendrix came through, and he jumped

over to England and got his start with his band, and he

came back to the United States and played these places.

We became friends through meeting at The Fillmore,” he

smilingly recalls. “We practised next door to each other

all the time. Mitch Mitchell was a good friend of mine. I

loved his drumming. I loved the way he approached the

drums in the Jimi Hendrix Experience. I think that’s what

made them unique. I don’t think it was ever like that again

once he was gone,” Jack asserts.

A JAM SESSION TO REMEMBER

“To jump ahead to your question. We (Jefferson Airplane)

were in New York. I think we’d done the Dick Cavett

Show, something like that, and Jimi was working on what

became his double album, and he had taken a break and

gone down to see Steve Winwood who was in Traffic. We

had also gone over to Steve Paul’s Scene club to see

Traffic play because we had just heard their debut record

release, and it was their first stateside tour. We all met

over there, listened to their set, and Jimi invited a whole

bunch of us back to his studio, along with about twenty

other people, and at about 06:30 in the morning, after

listening to him do some overdubs and whatnot during

the night, he said, ‘let’s play some blues’. So, we did, and it

was great.”

Jack tells me more: “Jimi and I and others had played

together before and jammed at rehearsal, so we weren’t

strangers to each other. I found him to be a nice fellow,

straightforward and wonderful to play with. He just

looked you straight in the eye, and you got down to

business and played. So, we did Voodoo Chile (Slight

Return) with Steve Winwood playing the Hammond B3,

Mitch Mitchell, myself, and Jimi. Then at about 07:30, we

had to pile into the LTD Station Wagon and drive down to

Washington, DC to do a gig that night. And that’s what

you can do when you’re twenty-something years old!”

A FINAL WORD ON GRACE SLICK

I can’t allow my conversation to finish with this lucid,

endearing, highly engaging, and generously affable

legend without asking about the only other surviving

member of Jefferson Airplane and one of the first

front-ladies of rock, the remarkable Grace Slick: “I talk to

her all the time. See, I live in Los Angeles as well as here in

St. Martin, Jersey, Channel Islands, and she lives out in

Malibu. It’s just Grace, Jorma, and Jack left out of the

original band, and she’s just as sharp, witty, and acerbic as

ever. She’s a wonderful painter and artist. She’s a good

person, and I love her. One of these days, you’ll have to do

an interview with her.” I’ll say Grace with a huge helping

of Hot Tuna to that.

LISTEN STATION

STAR TRACK - LIVE

COME BACK BABY - LIVE

ROCK ME BABY - LIVE


the

Porretta

Soul

Festival

Laura Carbone

“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” that there is a

picturesque town in northern Italy where the streets

are soaked in Soul, “Hold On, Get Ready” to take

the “Midnight Train” to Porretta Terme, Italy. This is

where every July, has become the heartbeat for soul

music enthusiasts from around the world. Since its

inception in 1988, the festival has grown into the

most anticipated European event dedicated to Soul

and Rhythm & Blues music.

The festival, a brainchild of the “Soul Man” Graziano

Uliani, a soul music aficionado, was conceived as a

tribute to the legendary Otis Redding. This idea took

root in 1987 after Graziano met with the Redding

Family in Macon, Georgia, where he pledged to hold

a festival in honor of “Big O’. Since then, the greatest

names and bands in Soul, both legendary and emerging,

have graced these streets, including Solomon

Burke, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Wilson Pickett. Booker

T. Jones, Mavis Staples, Isaac Hayes, Percy Sledge,

Irma Thomas, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, The Neville

Brothers, Chaka Khan, Swamp Dogg, Howard Tate,

Bobby Rush, the Memphis Horns, Eddie Hinton, Dan

Penn and James Carr.

Porretta is not just a beautiful Italian town with small

shops, thermal spas, and outdoor cafes its “Living For

The City” where the spirit of soul music is palpable

in every corner. Entire families make it a point to

visit this festival, where people are “Dancing In The

Streets,” and the walls are adorned with over a dozen

large murals dedicated to soul music. Imagine having

lunch in a quaint Italian Trattoria under a 60-foot

mural of Bobby Rush and Vasti Jackson looking down

at you. In Porretta, you’ll find Rufus Thomas Park (the




main event venue), Solomon Burke Bridge, an alley

dedicated to Sam Cooke, and another to the Queens

of Soul, and even Otis Redding Avenue. The Blues

Mobile with a large speaker on the roof rolls into

town. One street is dedicated just to food, offering

the Italian version of soul food with grilled octopus,

crispy calamari, perfect pasta, grilled sausages,

seafood paella, whole pie pizzas, frozen gelatos, and,

of course, a quick espresso. Main Street transforms

into a pop-up shoppers’ paradise with vendors selling

Italian silver, fashion-forward sunglasses, soft leather

goods, and the best collection of rare and never-tobe-found-in-the-US

soul vinyl LPs. There is a Soul

Museum that highlights past performances and displays

the prestigious Keeping The Blues Alive Award

that was given to this festival by the Blues Foundation

in 2017.

This year, the main act was the Memphis Hall of Fame

Band led by Kirk KC Clayton, which featured a group

of Memphis all-star musicians backing up the special

guests. These Memphis luminaries included Jerome

Chism, Jonathon Ellison, and Gerald Richardson. Billy

Vera is a legend, and his song, “At This Moment,” put

tears in all of our eyes. He was awarded the festival’s

Sweet Soul Music Award 2024. Female Soul

priestess Wendy Moten was the face and Voice of

the festival. Johnny Rawls got everyone doing the

funky soul dance, while Alabama Mike bought down

the house with his soul side. Chris Cain, one of the

truly great guitarists of this generation, featured

cuts from his new album “Good Intention Gone Bad”.

Mitch Woods is a crowd favorite, with his third time

back to this festival. Making this a genuinely international

festival, it included the Sweethearts, a 30-plus

band of Australian school girls and future stars that

grooved a tight set that would make Stax proud.

From Ireland, Anthony Strong, with his swaggering

vocals and high energy, is reminiscent of the cult film

The Commitments. During the day, regional bands

took to the street stages, marched up and down the

streets and a gospel choir lit up the churchyard on

Sunday morning.

“People Get Ready” The Porretta Soul Festival is

more than just a music event; it’s a place that reveres

this music and brings soul to Europe, and Europe just

gets it. So, “Get Offa That Thang”, “Move On Up”, and

plan to get Soul Soaked at the 2025 Porretta Soul

Festival.



BENEATH

THE NEON GLOW

ELLES BAILEY

Stephen Harrison

Morten Fog & Rob Blackham

The music industry is an ever-evolving beast,

with artists constantly striving to create something

that resonates with their audience while

staying true to their own artistic vision. Elles Bailey,

a name synonymous with raw emotion and

powerful vocals, has recently released her latest

album, “Beneath the Neon Glow”, to widespread

acclaim. The album has garnered praise from

critics and fans alike, further solidifying her place

in the modern blues and roots music scene.

In a recent conversation, Elles Bailey shared

insights into the creation of her new album, her

thoughts on the music industry, and the challenges

she faced during the recording process.

As we delved into the details, it became clear

that “Beneath the Neon Glow” is not just another

album; it is a deeply personal project that reflects

her growth as an artist.

THE JOURNEY TO THE ALBUM TITLE

One of the first topics we discussed was the

album’s title, “Beneath the Neon Glow”. Bailey

revealed that this was the first album she had

created without having a title in mind from the

outset, which added an element of stress to

the process. “When I wrote “Shining in the Half

Light”, I knew immediately that it was the title

for album three. The same happened with “Road

I Call Home” for album two,” she explained. But

with this new project, things were different. She

grappled with various potential titles, none of

which seemed to fit perfectly.

The title finally came from a line in the opening

track, “Ballad of Broken Dreams.” “The Bud Light

neon glows” caught her attention, inspiring

the eventual album title. Bailey was captivated

by the idea of the neon glow, which she feels

symbolizes the duality of an artist’s life—always

surrounded by lights and colours, yet often concealing

parts of themselves from the world and

even from themselves. “That’s what “Beneath the

Neon Glow” is about—the stuff we keep hidden,

even if we’re hiding it from ourselves,” she

reflected.

THE RECORDING PROCESS:

A BALANCING ACT

Bailey began writing songs for the album in

October 2023, a process she described as both

intense and rewarding. She typically writes

around 30 to 40 songs for each album, allowing

her to carefully select the ones that best convey

the album’s message. Pre-production started later

that month, and recording began in November,

wrapping up in mid-December.

Interestingly, the mixing process took longer

than the actual recording. Bailey found this

phase particularly challenging because, unlike

the focused environment of the recording sessions,

mixing was done amidst the distractions of

everyday life. “I did a lot of mixing via Audio Movers,

which meant I didn’t have to be in the room

with my producer. But it was tough, balancing the

demands of being an artist and a parent,” she admitted.

By the end of the mixing process, she was

relieved to put the album to bed, although she

occasionally second-guessed some decisions—

small details that no one else would notice, but

that she would mull over.

Despite these challenges, Bailey is proud of the

final product. “I love how the album sounds,” she

said, expressing satisfaction with the outcome.


A GLASTONBURY HIGHLIGHT

Bailey’s career reached a significant milestone when she

performed at Glastonbury for the first time. “It looks

“You can keep going forever, tweaking things, but at some

point, you have to say, ‘We’re done.’”

CONSISTENCY IN COLLABORATION

For “Beneath the Neon Glow”, Bailey worked with the

same team she had used for her previous album, “Shining

in the Half Light”. This included producer Dan Weller and

the same band, engineers, and even the assistant engineer.

However, despite the consistency in personnel, Bailey

was determined not to simply recreate her previous

work. “I didn’t want to make “Shining in the Half Light”

again. I wanted to show what we could do differently, and

I think we’ve done a great job with that,” she remarked.

One of the ways she achieved this was by expanding the

musical palette. For instance, Johnny, who has played

with her for eight years, was tasked with playing organ

and Wurlitzer instead of just the instruments he usually

played on stage. This allowed the album to explore new

sonic territories. When the band goes on tour, they will

incorporate these new elements into their live performances,

bringing a fresh energy to their shows.

great on a tour poster, but you never know if people are

going to show up,” she confessed. Fortunately, the crowd

did show up, and her performance on the Avalon Stage

was met with enthusiasm. “It was a lunchtime slot on a

Saturday, and I expected people to be tired and hungover,

but they were so lively singing along, shouting back. It

was brilliant.”

Reflecting on the experience, Bailey expressed her

surprise at the energy and engagement of the audience,

which made her first Glastonbury appearance truly

memorable. “It was the first time I’d ever been to Glastonbury,

and it was everything I hoped it would be,” she

said, clearly thrilled to have checked another item off her

bucket list.

BUCKET LIST ACHIEVEMENTS

Speaking of bucket lists, 2024 has been a year of significant

accomplishments for Bailey. In addition to Glastonbury,

she has performed at other bucket list venues and

festivals, including Cropredy and the Tønder Festival.

These achievements have prompted her to start thinking

about what comes next. “I’ve achieved so many things I

aspired to this year. I’m now going to have to think, ‘Alright,

cool, what’s next?’” she mused.

When asked where she would like to perform if she could

choose any venue in the world, Bailey mentioned Red

Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado as a dream location. “It’s

an incredible venue, and I’d love to play there,” she said.

She also expressed a desire to perform at the Byron Bay

Bluesfest in Australia, further indicating her readiness to

expand her horizons and take her music to new audiences

around the globe.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Elles Bailey’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. Over


the past few years, she has won ten awards, a testament

to her dedication and talent. When asked how she feels

about these accolades, Bailey responded with humility.

“It’s really nice to be recognized by your peers and the

people around you. I’ve worked really, really hard, and it

feels good to see that acknowledged,” she said.

However, she also emphasized the joy she feels when her

friends in the industry receive recognition. “I love watching

my friends win awards. It’s just as special as winning

LOOKING AHEAD

As she looks to the future, Bailey is determined to keep

pushing forward, both in her career and in expanding the

reach of her music. “I want the scene to continually grow,

and it can’t just grow here in the UK. We have to spread

our wings,” she said. Despite the difficulties posed by the

current economic climate, she is hopeful that artists like

herself can find a way to continue thriving and bringing

their music to audiences around the world.

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

Bailey’s musical journey was influenced by her father’s

eclectic record collection, which included a mix of blues,

rock and roll, and more. However, it was a chance encounter

with Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold on

Me” while writing her dissertation that truly ignited her

passion for music. “It just floored me,” she recalled. “That

song reminded me of all the music I had grown up with

and set me on the path to becoming a musician.”

CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF NOW

With “Beneath the Neon Glow”, Elles Bailey sought to

create an album that pays tribute to the musical influences

of her past while remaining firmly rooted in the

present. “I wanted to make an album that felt like it could

be released in 2024,” she explained. The result is a body

of work that not only reflects her journey as an artist

but also speaks to the experiences and emotions of her

listeners.

them myself,” she noted. One particularly memorable

moment was when she presented Alice Armstrong with

an award, an experience that was just as rewarding for

Bailey as receiving an award herself.

THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC

Like many artists, Bailey’s career trajectory was significantly

affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. When

asked if she is where she thought she would be when

she released her first album in 2017, she admitted that

the pandemic had thrown a wrench into her plans. “The

pandemic threw in such big hurdles,” she said, noting that

it often feels like she had to start over, particularly in

Europe.

The rising costs of touring post-pandemic have added

another layer of difficulty, with expenses soaring while

fees have remained stagnant. “Touring costs have gone

up so much more than I could ever have imagined, and

suddenly you’re trying to take that into Europe again,”

she explained. Despite these challenges, Bailey remains

grateful for the support she has received and the opportunities

she has had to continue growing as an artist.

As Bailey prepares for her upcoming UK tour, she is excited

to bring these new songs to life on stage and connect

with her fans in a live setting. “I’m really proud of what

we’ve created with this album, and I can’t wait to share it

with everyone,” she said.

For Elles Bailey, “Beneath the Neon Glow” is more than

just an album—it’s a testament to her resilience, creativity,

and unwavering commitment to her craft. As she

continues to evolve as an artist, there’s no doubt that she

will keep pushing boundaries and reaching new heights in

the years to come.

LISTEN STATION

ENJOY THE RIDE

LET IT BURN



A LIFETIME OF

BLUES AND

BROTHERHOOD

11 GUYS

QUARTET

Andy Hughes

Supplied

The 11 Guys Quartet don’t actually need to make

music, although they do—and it’s wonderful. They

could just turn up at a gig and talk about their

experiences as blues musicians and the long list

of legends they have backed and played with. But

they do still make music, and since the pandemic

and the relocation of drummer Chuck Purro to

Florida, their music production has been via the

wonders of technology. Richard (Rosie) Rosenblatt

explains:

THE BAND’S EVOLUTION AND

REMOTE COLLABORATION

“We have been playing together for a long time,

since the 1970s. We were originally a band called

The 11th Hour Band, and we regrouped about

fifteen years ago to record some instrumentals

with a view to releasing them as a record, and we

renamed the band The 11 Guys Quartet. Then

came the pandemic, and Chuck moved to Florida.

Now, all of our music has been produced remotely.

Paul (Lenart, guitarist) is the technical mastermind

who puts it all together for us. We create our

parts, and that’s why there are no videos of us actually

playing music together. There are videos of

us ‘together’, put together by our video wizard Bill

(Mather, bassist). So, Chuck plays the drums down

in Florida, and I play the harmonica in Boston, and

it all gets put together into individual videos with

a green screen, and Bill puts them all together—

and that’s what we do.”

Bill continues, “We found that when the pandemic

hit, and no one could work or play together, musicians

were starting to make videos and put them

out on social media. So, we thought that would

be a good idea. I bumped into a friend who works


in advertising, and he showed me how to use an app that

can make videos, and I started to do that, mainly just for

amusement. And it opened up a whole new audience for

us. We now have a global reach, which is amazing. The

great thing about YouTube is that you can hear all the

original material played and sung by original musicians,

and that’s wonderful for younger people now.”

THE REALITY OF TOURING IN LATER YEARS

So, is there any chance of the band actually getting out

on the road and playing some shows? Chuck shakes his

head sadly, “We’re too old to carry the equipment around

anymore! But we have all got a lot of history, and we have

played with a lot of great musicians over the years.”

Paul reflects on the band’s history: “I used to play in the

American Folk/Blues Festival back in the 70s, and all the

older musicians used to come out for that. Willie Dixon,

Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton— all

the original players would come out. I went on tour with

these players, and you learned a lot about people doing

that. They were from the deep South, and I was one of the

only white people on the tour, and they treated me exactly

like I was one of them, which of course, I was—one of

their own. This would be 1970, and that’s fifty-four years

ago, and they have all passed now. I worked with them

in Europe, so they got better treatment there than they

did back in the United States. One of the artists out there

was Memphis Slim, and he lived in Paris.

“He told me that he realised he couldn’t make money in

“WE HAVE ALL GOT A LOT

OF HISTORY, AND WE

HAVE PLAYED WITH A LOT

OF GREAT MUSICIANS”

the States, so he moved to Paris and they treated him like

a king. He bought a house just outside Paris, married a

French lady, and he said they treated him really well. He

would gig, just himself and a drummer, and he did that for

decades. They made some videos on those European gigs

as well—if you see the clip of Big Mama singing Hound

Dog, and the guitarist is wiggling his shoulders and has a

quiff, that’s Buddy Guy. Chuck played with Van Morrison

for a while, and I think we have all played with Hubert

Sumlin at one time or another.”

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY

AND MAINTAINING BONDS

So, the music rolls on, thanks to the miracle of technology,

and more importantly, to gentleman musicians of, shall


we say, an earlier vintage, embracing it and using it to get

their music out to a potential audience which stretches

around the world. They may not have been able to play

together physically, but the bonds that drew them together

all those years ago still hold strong today. Bill Mathers

considers the links that keep them connected: “We

probably last worked together in about 1973 or 1974,

and we had personnel changes a few times. Then Rosie

had a blues club night, and he invited us down to play

with him there and jam on Sunday nights. We became the

house band, and here we are, some fifty years later, still

together.”

Paul adds, “When we look back together, we realise that

we have become like a family—we are really close, and

that’s not always easy to do for musicians in bands. We

get along, and we tolerate each other—that’s the key. You

learn to accept each other and roll with the personalities

together.”

Rosie remembers, “We were working together in my

basement making albums, and I formed a record company

to be able to release them, and that went on for about

twenty years. Our biggest artist was Susan Tedeschi, and

the company probably put out about fifty albums.”

LABOURS OF LOVE AND THE

JOY OF MAKING MUSIC

There is no doubt that the band’s current efforts are

labours of love, which is just as well, because it’s not producing

them any real money! But as Paul confirms, money

was never the reason for any of this—not then, and not

now. “It actually costs us money to do this, but we’re

musicians, it’s what we do, so we are happy doing it. The

pandemic has opened up a massive audience for us that

we never had, worldwide. We’re big in Croatia now!”

For readers new to the band, they have two albums out,

and they are keen to talk about both of them. Rosie takes

up the story: “The first record, Small Grooves And Blues,

we made in a studio together, playing live—no overdubs,

just down-the-line playing like we always do. It got lots

of wonderful reviews. The second, 11 X 11, was made

remotely, as we have outlined, and it has far more production

and studio depth to it than the first one, thanks

to the amazing production that Paul has done with it. It’s

our video singles, which are all out there on YouTube, and

some new songs as well. That’s got a wonderful reception

as well, even though it was made in such a different way.”

LISTEN STATION

LONESOME HOTEL BLUES

LIGHTNING ROAD

STOMPIN’ BLUES

that’s a trick missed by the music business. Our generation

still listens, but they are not catered to. They should

be—our generation has disposable income now, houses

paid for, kids left home. We just need the crack to wiggle

through and find an audience we can work with.

“If someone who chooses music for TV and films saw one

of our videos, they may think we would be a fit for a film

or a TV episode—that would be really cool. Our audience

is growing and building. We have lines in the water, we

just need a bite on one of them. Here’s hoping. We are

not stopping, we do what we do, and it’s too late to stop

now!”

A LEGACY THAT ENDURES

The 11 Guys Quartet is a testament to the power of

music, technology, and enduring friendships. Despite

the challenges of age, distance, and a changing music

industry, they continue to create, innovate, and connect

with audiences around the world. Their journey isn’t just

about the music—it’s about the love of the craft, the joy

of collaboration, and the timeless bond that keeps them

playing, even fifty years on.

LOOKING FOR THAT ELUSIVE BREAK

Paul, meanwhile, is looking for that elusive break into the

major leagues, which may come through film or television.

“We are still doing the same music, and have the

same audience—older people. The media wants to push

stuff to younger people. There are a lot of people our age

who would like our music if they were exposed to it, and


HARD AT IT

MIKE ZITO

“ it’s a beautiful

feeling - to get to sing

about her and for her.”

Mike Zito is one of those names known to blues lovers globally. A guy

with a history and ability equalled by only a select few, Zito has mastered

guitar while battling with adversity, including personal tragedy,

to deliver what must surely be his finest release to date.

Iain Patience

Supplied

‘Life is Hard” is an album that features all of his wonderful

fret pyrotechnics together with some deeply significant

personal lyrics, memories and thoughts; in short an album

that must cement his position as a major bluesman and

international musical force. When I suggest this is his

best work so far, Mike smiles, nods and agrees:

“Thanks. Yea, I think it’s my best ever. In some ways it

was cathartic to work on it and I had the support of two

fabulous guitarists, Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith - they

produced the album following the success with my Blood

Brothers album with Albert Castiglia - who added their

own magic to it all,” he confirms, adding, ““Life Is Hard’ is

a complete work of art for me. I believe this is the best

album I’ve ever made in my life. My wife Laura and I

planned this idea of pouring my heart out in music after

her death from cancer. Joe, Josh and the incredible musicians

were fully aware of the task at hand. They brought

a lot of emotion to the music. I am so proud of this album

and I know Laura would be proud as well.” When you add

keys wizard Reese Wynans to the mix, you know you’re

looking at something genuinely out of the ordinary.

Never an easy guy to pin down, I ask how he finds the

energy to keep rolling:

“I’m out on the road and so busy with the album, touring

and with the label, Gulf Coast Records. And I’ve got five

kids! So always busy, I guess!”

With a fabulous and significant UK tour in the offing

and a special London gig at no less a venue than Sound,

The Cumberland Hotel, in mid-October, (together with

a bunch of dates across much of the country) Zito says

he’s excited at the prospect. As a huge Hendrix fan, he is

delighted to know that Jimi played the same venue many

years ago, and sees it as part of a journey!:

“Jimi had something that very few ever get near, so he’s a

huge influence on my playing!”

“I started in bars or for money when I was 18, that’s been

thirty-five years. I mean it was 1997when I had my first

album out on my own. So that’s about thirty years of

trying to do my own thing, put my music out and travel

and tour. I’ve been sober now twenty years and in those

twenty years I’ve easily done the most work,” he explains.

When I suggest the sobriety maybe made him a more

creative force, he instantly agrees:

“Oh, sure. Absolutely. I’m more likely to turn up for gigs

on time,’ he says with a laugh. “I’m more reliable and

dependable too. And I think I’m more consistent. Tomas

Ruf, owner of Ruf Records, years ago we were on a tour,

had been going non-stop. Everybody was late to the

lobby and I was on time but very tired and worn-out; he

said - ‘Well, Mike Zito, you have to watch out, sometimes

your dreams will come true!’ – I was not awake enough at

the time but now I get it and it makes a lot of sense! You

dream of being a musician, a professional musician, and

you don’t really know what that means.”

I remind Mike that he once wrote a regular column for

Blues Matters, a much admired guitar player feature

where he explained his approach and work in detail. “I did

briefly write a column for you guys! That’s right. I’d love

to do it again. I used to write a lot more.”

I ask what took him into running his own record label

with Gulf Coast, an additional job that has quickly taken

him off in another successful musical journey:

“I have a partner, Guy Hale, who lives just south of Birmingham.

We became friends when I was in the Royal

Southern Brotherhood. We just kind of hit it off. He had

an interest in the music, would come and see me play and

he was always very supportive so we became real good

friends. Guy always fancied himself as a writer, so we

were writing songs then slowly but surely he said he was

‘getting retired.’ But wanted to get involved in music so

asked about we could do. This was 2018 and initially it

just was like maybe we could do a little record label that

puts out a couple of records each year and we just help

struggling artists, to help with that very low, just-getstarted

stuff. And he agreed and said that sounded great,

so let’s do it! And we did it. A few months later Ruf Records,

we made a record for Albert Castiglia for Ruf. Then

when Ruf Records did not like the record, they didn’t like

the way it sounded or the way it was produced! They

wanted Albert to rerecord it and he said, ‘No!’ He came



of it all I just said to her one day, ‘I guess I’ll have to make

a record, write some songs and just do something!’ She

said, ‘Yea, you do! You’re always complaining you don’t

have anything to write about. Well now you have, you just

have to do this. That was very cathartic! The idea meant

I had something immediately to wrap my head around, to

be creative. I wrote the song ‘Forever My Love’ and I have

it with me every day. “

to me and asked if we could put it out on our label so we

bought it from Ruf Records and so suddenly we were in it,

we thought we really have to try to be a record label now,

cause this is a pretty big artist! It was a big kick in the

pants for us! We just rolled with it. And the label has been

really successful and I’m super-proud of it and what we’re

doing with it!”

Not the easiest of topics to broach, the passing of Zito’s

life-partner and wife, Laura, had a huge impact on the

guy on many levels. And while many might have shunned

discussion, he instead harnessed his love and emotions to

fulfil a promise he made to her as she neared the end of

the road.

Turning to the new album, I suggest it is a tribute to his

late wife in many ways:

“Absolutely. The idea came about because of her and with

her. The worst part is obviously that she’s gone. The really

hardest part was just having to watch her go over a year.

Just watching somebody that was really vibrant, really

strong, just deteriorate in front of you. I think for me,

that was the hardest part, and somewhere in the middle

LISTEN STATION

LONELY MAN

LIFE IS HARD

“There were times when I felt not too concerned about

making the record but at the back of my head I knew I

had this opportunity. So, in September last year when

she passed, we just went ahead and did it. It was the best

thing I could have done for myself; emotionally it was

difficult – I mean, who gets to do that kind of thing?! It

“sometimes

your dreams

will come

true!”

was such an outlet to get all my feelings in it, let them go.

People listen to it and they cry, or they come see us play

it and they cry! And they come and say to me, ‘I’m crying.

Well, you’re not crying.’ I tell them that I cried for all that

time looking after Laura, so it’s your time to cry maybe!

I made the record, I recorded it, I lived through it. I get

to sing it every night and it’s a beautiful feeling. To get to

sing about her and for her. It’s probably the best album

and best song I’ve ever written.”

As we close things down, Mike adds this rider, reflecting

on the entire recording process:

“Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith are not only friends and

great musicians but they were just so considerate and

sensitive to what we were doing. They knew what a big

deal it was and it was very serious.”

FOREVER MY LOVE



MIKE ZITO’S HEADING

EXCLUSIVELY TO SOUND,

LONDON, FOR ONE

NIGHT ONLY!

THE NO.1 BILLBOARD’S BLUES GUITARIST IS TOURING HIS NEW CHART-

TOPPING ALBUM “LIFE IS HARD”, PRODUCED BY JOE

BONAMASSA, ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL

GUITARISTS IN TODAY’S SCENE.

HE’LL BE PLAYING IN SOUND ON 19TH OCTOBER 2024,

AS HIS ONE AND ONLY LONDON SHOW.

THE BLUES PACKAGE - £49

THE “BLUES PACKAGE” IS AVAILABLE FOR £49,

WHICH INCLUDES 1 MAIN COURSE, 1 DESSERT AND 1 COCKTAIL OF YOUR

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THE BIG BLUES CHART

THE TOP 50 BLUES ALBUMS

POS ARTIST ALBUM LABEL

#1 CHRIS CAIN GOOD INTENTIONS GONE BAD ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#2 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS STRUCK DOWN STONY PLAIN RECORDS

#3 TORONZO CANNON SHUT UP AND PLAY! ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#4 RICK ESTRIN AND THE NIGHTCATS THE HITS KEEPS COMING ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#5 SUGARAY RAYFORD HUMAN DECENCY FORTY BELOW RECORDS

#6 CURTIS SALGADO FINE BY ME LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION

#7 KEVIN SONNY GULLAGE GO BE FREE GO BE FREE BLIND PIG RECORDS

#8 ALBERT CASTIGLIA BAND RIGHTEOUS SOULS GULF COAST RECORDS

#9 JOHNNY BURGIN RAMBLING COAST TO COAST STRAIGHT SHOOTER RECORDS

#10 BOBBY CHRISTINA’S CARAVAN TRUE BLUES BROTHER NOLA BLUE

#11 MARK HUMMEL TRUE BELIEVER ROCKINITIS RECORDS

#12 KID ANDERSEN/LISA ANDERSEN SPIRIT/SOUL LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION

#13 EDEN BRENT GETAWAY BLUES YELLOW DOG RECORDS

#14 DAMON FOWLER BARNYARD SMILE LANDSLIDE RECORDS

#15 DENNIS JONES ABOUT TIME BLUE ROCK RECORDS

#16 LARA PRICE HALF & HALF GULF COAST RECORDS

#17 SIERRA GREEN & THE GIANTS HERE WE ARE BIG RADIO RECORDS

#18 GERALD MCCLENDON DOWN AT THE JUKE JOINT DELTA ROOTS RECORDS

#19 BILLY PRICE PERSON OF INTEREST LITTLE VILLAGE

#20 CHRISTOPHER WYZE & THE TELLERS STUCK IN THE MUD BIG RADIO RECORDS

#21 LITTLE FEAT SAM’S PLACE HOT TOMATO PRODUCTIONS

#22 JOHNNY RAY JONES MYSTIC CHIEFS MOONDOGG RECORDS

#23 CANNED HEAT FINYL VINYL RUF RECORDS

#24 RORY BLOCK POSITIVELY 4TH STREET STONY PLAIN

#25 CEDRIC BURNSIDE HILL COUNTRY LOVE PROVOGUE

#26 DOUG DUFFY AND BADD AIN’T GOIN’ BACK SUMNER MUSIC

#27 SUE FOLEY ONE GUITAR WOMAN STONY PLAIN

#28 ANTHONY GERACI TEARS IN MY EYES BLUE HEART RECORDS

#29 ALASTAIR GREENE STANDING OUT LOUD RUF RECORDS

#30 BIG HARP GEORGE COOKING WITH GAS BLUES MOUNTAIN RECORDS

#31 JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS BLUES BREAKERS W.ERIC CLAPTON DECCA MUSIC GROUP LTD

#32 JP SOARS BRICK BY BRICK LITTLE VILLAGE

#33 CHRIS O’LEARY THE HARD LINE ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#34 THE TREVOR B. POWER BAND ARE WE EVER FREE FARM 189 RECORDS

#35 JOHN PRIMER & BOB CORRITORE CRAWLIN’ KINGSNAKE VIZZTONE LABEL GROUP

#36 ELIZA NEALS COLORCRIMES E-H RECORDS

#37 SAUCE BOSS THE SAUCE SWAMPSIDE RECORDS

#38 DEB RYDER LIVE AND HAVING FUN VIZZTONE

#39 MIKE ZITO LIFE IS HARD GULF COAST RECORDS

#40 BIG DAVE MCLEAN THIS OLD LIVE CORDOVA BAY RECORDS

#41 AMANDA FISH KINGDOM VIZZTONE

#42 JEFF PITCHELL BROWN EYED BLUES DEGUELLO RECORDS

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#44 CELSO SALIM & DARRYL CARRIERE ABOUT TIME WIDE TRACKS RECORDINGS

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#49 JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR HEAVY SOUL JOURNEYMAN RECORDS

#50 PONTCHARTRAIN SHAKERS PONTCHARTRAIN SHAKERS SOUTHLAND RECORDS

BIG BLUES

REVIEWS

ALASTAIR

GREENE

STANDING

OUT LOUD

Ruf Records

Alastair Greene has firmly cemented

himself at the heart of the ever-growing

Blues/Rock scene. This has in no

small way catapulted him to a new and

far wider audience. I’ve been a fan of

Greene for a few years now and had

the pleasure of interviewing him for

Blues Matters. Standing Out Loud is a

damn fine album, showcasing the vocal

and instrumental side of Greene, as

well as the songwriting side. You Can’t

Hold Me kicks off the album with

aplomb. The gravelly vocals combined

with the power chords on the guitar

let you know straight away what this

album is all about. The album

continues in much the same vane

with In Trouble, Am I To Blame,

and the title track, before it takes a

well-earned breather for the last

three songs. The album was recorded

in two sessions, the first in

Nashville, and the second

in Austin. Both sessions

were recorded as a trio,

you could be forgiven

for calling them a

power trio such is

the intensity of

the recordings.

The final three songs,

Temptation, Rusty Dagger,

and Bullfrog Bluews

bring out the Blues side

of Greene so well. Rusty

Dagger, in particular, is

without doubt the most

Blues orientated song on

the album, Greene surpasses

himself on vocals and playing,

enabling him to remind us all that

when done and said all, he’s a Blues

artist at heart. The final tune on the

album was not written by Alastair

Greene, but it is, and was a Blues classic,

Bullfrog Blues. I’ve always loved

Rory Gallagher and his rendition of

this is so good, I’m sure that he will be

looking down and smiling in admiration

for the way Greene goes about

this. A fitting end to what is a brilliant

album.

STEPHEN

HARRISON

REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SE

AL HUGHES

MADHOUSE

PROMENADE

Vaudioville

It is not an easy task reviewing a new

release by someone you know personally.

If it is good then might I stand the risk

of not being objective enough. What if it

is not good? There is the chance that the

words selected might prove hurtful to

the artist and make a long friendship difficult.

This is the predicament facing me

with this new album from Al. Ten tracks

in all, six originals and four covers. To say

that this album is basic is a bit of an understatement.

This is a Blues album that

could have been created in the early decades

of the 20th century. Stripped way

down to vocals plus guitar this is music

of the deep south of anywhere, let alone

Fife, and in fact it is also even beautifully

rendered in glorious Mono. Presented in

a simple card slip sleeve, Al’s gruff vocals

are redolent of all that past history. As

he sings, he imbues the songs with such

feeling and truth that you forget this

is 2024. His cover of Stephen Foster’s

Hard Times is a perfect example. We all

know examples of it applying to periods

of despair whether in The Depression or

the loss of work in the mines, steel or car

production and yet it sounds fresh here.

World’s In A Tangle could be applied to

any conflict and his own All We Can Do Is

Keep On sums up feelings of frustration

and impotence. The album title track

speaks to the passing fads of pleasures of

the coming weekend perhaps including

time wasted gambling whilst Chasing

The Money. In ways our Blues haven’t

moved on reflecting life, and lives, in

trouble and that is a sad. A fine album Al

well done!

CATFISH

LONDON CFO9

Independent

GRAEME SCOTT

This mini-album has been released to

coincide with the tenth anniversary of

the band being formed. It is a mixture

of new and old songs highlighting the

sheer brilliance that this band

has in spades. London, written

and sung by Paul Long has an

almost haunting way about

86

BLUES

PTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024

it, not in a horror type of way, more like

a philosophical type of way. His vocals

are fantastic during the whole of this,

the opening song which also allows Matt

Long to demonstrate the guitar genius

he has become. There are many great

guitarists in the world of the Blues and

Blues/Rock, but Matt Long can stand

shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone. Chocolate

Jesus, written by Tom Waits has

long been a Catfish audience favourite,

and it is easy to see why, great lyrics, a

wonderful backdrop from the rest of the

band, and, once again, Matt Long produces

stunning guitar to further compliment

the track. So Many Roads, has long been

a favourite track of mine, and there have

been many varying versions of this song,

but once again, Catfish pulls something

special out of the bag, leaving you to

meander along a never-ending freeway

of this musical journey. Days Long Gone

is a short, but wonderful piece of music,

just a piano and the vocals of Paul

Long, a beautiful track, oozing peace and

tranquility out of every musical pore. The

mini-album concludes with a ten-minute

instrumental written by Matt Long. At

ten minutes long, it ends the album perfectly,

climbing to a crescendo, and then

bringing you safely down to earth. The

tenth anniversary has been celebrated

in the best possible way, by producing an

album of brilliant songs.

STEPHEN HARRISON

CHRIS BERGSON BAND

COMFORTS OF HOME

Continental Blue Heaven

Chris Bergson, the New York-based

guitarist, and singer-songwriter, returns

with his eighth studio album, a soulful

blend of rock and blues that pulses with

the warmth of the deep South. Backed by

his seasoned band; Moses Patrou on keyboards

and vocals, bassist Matt Clohesy,

drummer Diego Voglino, and Jay Collins

arranging and playing horns. Bergson

crafts a deeply personal collection of

twelve well-crafted tunes. Co-written

with his partner Kate Ross and featuring

collaborations with soul singer Ellis

Hooks and multi-instrumentalist Craig

Dreyer, the album exudes a sincere

warmth and homegrown joy. Bergson’s

guitar work is a masterclass in subtlety

and sophistication, seamlessly complementing

the album’s soulful essence. The

THE HENRY

KIMBER BAND

FOREVER AND A DAY

Independent

This is the debut release from this four-piece band who mix blues with a

funky vibe and soul on all these ten well-crafted tunes. Members include

guitarist and vocalist Henry Kimber, Alberto Manuzzi on keyboards and

rhythm section, Tosca Tancredi on bass guitar and Felipe Drago on drums.

Don’t You Forget My Name sees the band as a solid unit, funky guitar riffs

meet intricate keys highlighting their undoubted skills in differing solos.

Around The World has a Bo Didley intro and catchy chorus, upbeat tune.

Baby, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me is full on rhythm and blues punctuated

by some funky guitar grooves. I’m Still Walking Out The Door has a

laid-back bluesy vibe, keyboard solo particularly infectious band jamming

a bit here, lyrics suitably emotional and emphatic. I Lost You slows the

tone on this bittersweet melancholic love song, this touches a nerve with

the narrator. The Hole Down In Your Soul has a funky beat. Clean Hands is

rhythm driven

with keyboards

underlying this

haunting tune.

Hollywood Man

has a soulful

vibe throughout,

a slow burner.

Everything Will

Be Alright is

an optimistic

up-tempo tune,

a rootsy tune.

Final song, The

World’s Most

Wanted Man

closes the release with some hard rocking blues tones. This is a release

that rewards repeated listens, revealing new layers with each spin, solidifying

their place as a band to watch out for. Good production, great sound,

highly recommended.

This is a release that rewards

repeated listens

DON’T YOU FORGET

OUT OF SIGHT

BUY MERCH

COLIN CAMPBELL

LISTEN

ISSUE 141 BLUES MATTERS! 87

REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPT

DIANA BRAITHWAITE

& CHRIS WHITELEY

FOREVER BLUES

G-Three

Every now and then an album comes along which simply just makes you

smile with pleasure. The music contained herein is a collection of six

Blues standards, treated with utmost respect, two left of field covers not

normally associated with our preferred genre. Also in the mix are a couple

new to me plus one original. Diana and Chris trade vocals with Chris

supplying guitar, harmonica, cornet and trumpet along with a band. The

Junior Wells cut Hoodoo Man Blues kicks the album off before heading

off towards Soul slightly with a Bluesy take on You’re The Boss (Leiber &

Stoller). Back on more traditional ground with Mean Ol’ Frisco, Moon Is

Rising and Trouble No More. I confess to actually doing the dishes when

I was listening to this album for the first time. It sure made that chore

pass quickly and with a lot of pleasure. Charlie Rich is, perhaps, not often

a name cropping up within Blues circles but Diana gets her vocal chops

around Don’t Put No

Headstone On My

Grave in a very tasty

way. Taken slowly

with a wonderful

piano tinkling away,

a fine guitar bridge

then an excellent

harp solo before the

vocals return again.

Perhaps this is my

favourite track on

the album. Don’t

Start Crying Now in

Jump style befitting

the Slim Harpo original precedes Aged And Mellow. Comparing her choice

of man to a style of whisky is genius The traditional song Prettiest Train

evokes its prison blues roots however why have they faded it here. Surely

it could have been resolved. Sounding like a Jazz standard comes the

original Somewhere Along The Line and we play out with They Raided The

Joint. Invest now, you won’t be disappointed.

Invest now, you won’t be disappointed

HOODOO MAN

NO HEADSTONE

BUY MERCH

LISTEN

GRAEME SCOTT

addition of fiery horns from trumpeter

Reggie Pittman and saxophonist Michael

Blake injects a vibrant Stax flavour,

creating a dynamic balance between

exuberant, horn-laden tracks and more

intimate moments. The album opens with

the upbeat Feeling Good Today, setting

a joyful tone that persists throughout.

Retribution, co-written with Clohesy,

shines with gospel-infused background

vocals and lively instrumentation. You

Lied, features legendary drummer Bernard

Purdie, driving a funky New Orleans

groove. Other standout tracks include

the swinging Laid Up With My Bad Leg

in Lenox with its searing guitar solo, and

Uptown Side, a relaxed ode to Bergson’s

New York home. Chloe’s Song is a beautiful

love song full of emotion. The album

closes with the atmospheric instrumental

Epilogue (Cycle 3 Descending), a final

showcase of Bergson’s exceptional guitar

skills, leaving listeners with a sense of

shared contentment.

COLIN CAMPBELL

DELICATE STEVE

DELICATE STEVE SINGS

Anti-Records

Steve Marion, also known as Delicate

Steve, has released his latest album. This

is not a departure into vocal performance

but rather an exploration of the unique

“voice” of his guitar. The album features

Steve’s guitar interpreting iconic voices

rather than mimicking them. Collaborating

with Jonathan Rado on bass, Kosta

Galanopolous on drums, Renata Zeiguer

for strings, and co-writer Elliot Bergman,

Steve delivers a setlist that blends

original compositions with reimagined

classics. The version of Donnie and Joe

Emerson’s tune, Baby is a masterclass in

capturing the delicate nuances of a classic

while making it undeniably his own.

This has a ghostly atmosphere, infusing

the song’s lead melody with a laidback

swagger. His guitar, the centrepiece of

the recording, takes on the lead role, effortlessly

singing the melody with a rich,

expressive tone. But there’s more, listen

closely, and you’ll catch Marion’s actual

voice woven into the ethereal choir that

floats in the background, adding a subtle

yet poignant layer to the harmony. Tracks

like I’ll Be There evoking the soulful quality

of a lost Bill Withers song, while Easy

for You hints at Elvis Presley without

directly covering him. Additionally, Steve

88

BLUES MATTERS! ISSUE 141

EMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024 REVIEWS SEPTEMBER 2024

reinterprets The Beatles’ Yesterday, Otis

Redding’s These Arms of Mine, and The

Emersons’ Baby, each rendered with his

signature touch. The result is an album

where the guitar takes on the role of

a singer, offering a smooth, bold, and

distinctly personal sound that remains

uniquely Delicate Steve. A compelling

atmospheric production highly recommended.

DUKE ROBILLARD

ROLL WITH ME

Stony Plain Records

COLIN CAMPBELL

Duke Robillard delivers a scorching

tribute to blues legends, showcasing

his deep reverence and mastery of the

genre. The release kicks off with a fiery

nod to Texas icon Clarence Gatemouth

Brown on You Got Money and the

instrumental Boogie Uproar, captures

Brown’s infectious energy. Duke pays

homage to legendary blues shouter Big

Joe Turner on the piano-driven, Boogie

Woogie Country Girl and similarly to

Fats Domino with the rumba-infused

Are You Going My Way. The release also

delves into Chicago blues with stellar

renditions of classics from Muddy

Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Eddie Boyd,

where Robillard’s vocals and razor-sharp

guitar work shine. Chris Cote steps in for

lead vocals on Look What You’ve Done

and You Got Money, adding his own flair

to the mix. Robillard has assembled a

powerhouse band to back him up. Pianist

Matt McCabe takes the reins on most

tracks, with Bruce Bears stepping in on

a couple. The rhythm section, featuring

bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Mark

Teixeira, keeps the grooves tight and

relentless. Saxophonists Doug James

and Rich Lataille add muscle, while Sugar

Ray Norcia’s harmonica work on Look

What You’ve Done injects extra soul. The

album slows down beautifully with Give

Me Back My Money, showcasing Robillard’s

elegant touch, but the title track

encapsulates the album’s energy. This

release, drives forward like a hard-charging

midnight train, fuelled by passion

and precision. Recorded in Rhode Island,

this album is a testament to Robillard’s

enduring impact on the blues.

COLIN CAMPBELL

THE BLUES BONES

UNCHAINED

Naked Records

Originating from Flanders, in Belgium, The Blues Bones have been making

great music since 2012. Unchained is their latest release, and what an

album it has turned out to be. I was lucky enough to catch the band in a

live environment at the Brezoi Blues Festival in Romania last month. Let

me tell you, this band is as hot as hell at the moment. The album opens

with Chain Gang, a brilliant lively tune that exposes the vocal talents of

frontman, Nico De Cock. Nico has a brilliant voice, both in the studio and

on stage. The album encompasses Blues, Soul, and Funk, and also leans

towards the Blues/Rock scene on a couple of tracks. But, the underlying

thread is that of the Blues. In the opening bars of, Changes, you get the

whole range of Funk, Blues, and Soul, it’s such a fun track, full of energy

and verve, with great lyrics and some wonderful guitar by way of Stef

Paglia. Talking To The Lord was not quite what I expected, I was expecting

a Gospel-type ballad, but this was not the case at all. It’s more of a

Blues/Rocker, with the lyrics that you would associate with a Gospel-type

ballad. A wonderful tune nonetheless. Moving On puts me in mind ever

so slightly of

Van Morrison.

It’s not that the

song is a copy

of what Van

Morrison would

sing as such, it

just made me

think that if

Van Morrison

had written and

recorded this

song everyone

would be

praising him for

another great

song, that’s

how good this tune is. The Tale Of Big Jim Brady can best be described as

something of an epic track, so much so, that I’ve run out of superlatives to

describe just how good it is. Unchained is a magnificent album, The Blues

Bones have done themselves proud.

Unchained is a magnificent album

CHAIN GANG

CHANGES

BUY MERCH

STEPHEN HARRISON

LISTEN



STEVE LOUW

BETWEEN TIME

BFD Records

Steve Louw is an iconic figure in South African music. In the 80s he led

the band All Night Radio to national recognition, from 1990 to 2008 he

had even greater success with Big Sky, his song Waiting For The Dawn

becoming something of a torch song for the anti-apartheid movement. His

band backed Rodriguez on those famous sell out shows documented on

the award-winning Searching For Sugarman and wrote the song Amandla

with Brian May and Dave Stewart for the 46664 Aids Awareness project

inspired by Nelson Mandela. After a 13-year hiatus Steve released the excellent

Headlight Dreams album in 2021, quickly followed by Thunder &

Rain. As with those on new release Between Time he is working with long

time friend and one time band mate Kevin Shirley who produces and has

surrounded Steve with the cream of Nashville musicians, most of whom

recorded the last Joanne Shaw Taylor album. In the spirit of his new prolific

songwriting, we have here a double studio album spread over four sides

of vinyl or two CDs giving us twenty top class tracks, no fillers, no rubbish.

Steves acoustic guitar and vocals are supported by Doug Lancio (guitar),

Kevin McKendree (keys), Rob McNelley (guitar), Alison Prestwood (bass)

and Greg Morrow (drums) so you know the level of musicianship is stratospheric.

Space prevents a track by track breakdown but highlights include

the epic Giants Walk The Land, co-written with and featuring wonderful

guitar work by Jim Moginie of Midnight Oil. It’s a vast menacing call to

arms to protect the environment powered along by the take-no-prisoners

rhythm section. Killers is a hard hitting song inspired by specifically by

the Russian invasion of Ukraine but defiant to oppression everywhere.

Streetjanes Dream starts softly but builds with crunchy rocky guitars to

give a warning of things to come. McKendree gets the chance to show

his piano skills on the bluesy Do Me Good (I can imagine John Lee Hooker

singing this) and the rock.n.roller Get Real Gone. Aussie Lachy Doley

provides stunning Hammond on the reflective Streets Of Rain, while Joe

Bonamassa adds distinctive guitar vibes to Cruel Hand Of Fate. The album

closes with the magnificent Highway To The Sun, an eight minute vibe fest

of guitar with the musicians blending and coercing each other to the finale.

Steve was right to release this as a double album, none of these songs

deserve to be left out, there’s great diversity of blues, rock and Americana

giving us an outstanding modern roots collection. Buy it!

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

none of these songs deserve

to be left out,

KILLERS

STREETS OF RAIN

BUY MERCH

LISTEN

MICHAEL MCDERMOTT

LIGHTHOUSE ON THE

SHORE/EAST JESUS

Pauper Sky Records

A fascinating double album from Michael

McDermott, one acoustic and one

electric. Destined for release on the

same day as companion pieces of work.

The two albums seem to fit with McDermott’s

own view of his songwriting - “I

guess it’s always been a bit of a balancing

act, my multiple personalities,” says

McDermott. “One of my personalities

grew up listening to early Dylan, Woody

Guthrie, Odetta, traditional Irish music,

and Tom Waits. The other one was raised

on The Stones, The Who, Van Morrison,

and U2. My songwriting varies wildly, to

sometimes great effect and other times

a seemingly incoherent array of songs

that never find homes on my albums. This

time I thought I’d lean into both, make a

quiet record and a loud one.” The Celtic

influences run hard in the acoustic album

Lighthouse On The Shore, as well as Tom

Waits and traces of the late lamented

Malcolm Holcombe. The music is deeply

passionate and complex – no simple

acoustic guitar here – as well as being

very accessible. The cast of musicians

include Heather Lynne Horton on fiddle

and vocals, Will Kimbrough on guitars,

banjo and mandola, Katie Burns on

Cello. Personal favourites are Bradbury

Daydream, a very Waits-like ode to love

at the end of our days and Gonna Rise Up

which is a reaffirmment to his sobriety

(McDermott is 10 years sober) and I

Am Not My Father, a gentle but strong

recognition of the influence our parents

have on us – whether we like it or not.

The electric album East Jesus is less

easy to fully access but worth the effort.

The whole piece stands as testament

to personal struggles with sobriety but

there is no preachy feel to it. In the main

the music is upbeat and almost triumphant,

probably best listened to as a

piece although there are a few standout

numbers such as Berlin At Night which

talks to the internal struggles and how

love is the antidote and protection from

them, Quicksand opens with a Buddhist

chant and looks to the difficulties of

avoiding the quicksand always trying to

pull us down. Two fine albums and each

worthy of a listen although my personal

favourite is Lighthouse and if I could only

have one, then that would be the one.

ANDY SNIPPER

90



ELLES BAILEY

BENEATH THE

NEON GLOW

Cooking Vinyl

Unless you have been living on the moon,

or in a cave, you would be aware of all the

plaudits that have been given not just to

Elles Bailey, but also to this new album.

It reached number12 in the UK album

charts and has received well over a million

streams. Now that is very impressive,

no matter which way you look at it. There

are many bands I’m sure would be very

happy with those statistics, and I’m talking

about huge bands from the UK and

America. So, to the album. Beneath The

Neon Glow is jam-packed with gem after

gem of amazing tunes. The album opens

with, Enjoy The Ride, now this could be

a metaphor for what you are about to

listen to, and if that is the case, then so

be it. The song contains great vocals,

which is something of an understatement,

and some superb slide guitar. This

more or less sets the tone for the rest

MIKE ZITO

LIFE IS HARD

Gulf Coast Records

Great band, excellent material played

with plenty of panache, grit and fury

Zito is a very experienced and highly regarded artist through his solo

works and his membership of Royal Southern Brotherhood and Blood

Brothers but considers this to be his best album to date. The album was

co-produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith who also contribute their

guitar skills. Opener Lonely Man is a cover of Little Milton’s scorcher with

fiery guitar licks, riffing horns, wailing organ and passionate vocals. This

album was planned by Zito and his beloved wife Laura before her untimely

death with pancreatic cancer and every ounce of his pain is poured into

the Fred James ballad Life Is Hard with heartfelt vocals and an incredible

guitar solo. Wow! The more upbeat cover of Stevie Wonder’s Have A Talk

With God aptly features gospel styled backing vocals. The lengthy original

blues ballad Forever My Love is an absolute standout track featuring

poignant lyrics, emotional vocals and a huge production job. A cover of

Lefty Frizzell’s country blues classic No One To Talk To (But The Blues)

rocks along nicely.

Great band,

excellent material

played with plenty

of panache, grit

and fury. The cover

of Tinsley Ellis’

Dying To Do Wrong

is a burning, angry

blues-rocker with

Zito spitting out

the vocals and it is

followed by Zito

putting a bluesy

feel to the Guess

Who’s pretty

ballad These Eyes which features strings and cooing backing vocals. A

sizzling cover of Tab Benoit’s song Darkness is followed by the atmospheric

pleading original Without Loving You. Walter Trout’s edgy song Nobody

Moves Me Like You Do is a crunching blues-rocker. This fine album closes

with the Rev Gary Davis spine-chilling classic Death Don’t Have No Mercy

which starts with Zito singing unaccompanied but builds into a tour-deforce

with gospel harmonies and a full orchestral workout. It’s a cracker

and a must have album for all blues-rock fans.

DAVE DRURY

LIFE IS HARD

THESE EYES

BUY MERCH

LISTEN



SHEMEKIA COPELAND

BLAME IT ON EVE

Alligator Records

In the heart of Nashville, Shemekia Copeland’s

latest masterpiece, Blame It On Eve, came to life

under the expert production of Will Kimbrough, marking their fourth

collaboration. This 12-track album dives deep into pressing issues like

women’s rights and climate change, while also carving out moments for

light-hearted escapades. The autobiographical blues boogie of Tough

Mother offers aa powerful bluesy punch, setting the tone for an album

that balances thanks with joy. The anthemic title track takes a spirited yet

earnest stand on reproductive self-determination, while Wine O’Clock invites

listeners to unwind and enjoy a cheerful respite. Jerry Douglas lends

his dobro to Tee Tot Payne, a captivating true tale of the bluesman who

mentored Hank Williams, adding historical depth. DaShawn Hickman’s

sacred steel infuses Tell The Devil with uplifting energy. Alejandro Escovedo

brings his roots-rock flair to the celestial Is There Anybody Up There,

a haunting question that echoes in the listener’s soul. The poignant Belle

Sorciere sees Copeland singing in French, its haunting melody crafted by

Pascal Danae of

blues rock band

Delgres, adding

an international

flavour to the

mix.

Copeland’s

raw, emotive

rendition of her

father Johnny

Copeland’s

Down On

Bended Knee

delivers a deep

blues sparkle,

leading into the

reflective finale, Heaven Help Us All, a classic reimagined with poignant

urgency. Passionate, charismatic, and unapologetically bold, this newest

release stands as a landmark in Copeland’s evolving career, poised to

garner acclaim as one of her most powerful releases yet.

poised to garner acclaim as one of her

most powerful releases yet

TOUGH MOTHER

EDIT

BUY MERCH

COLIN CAMPBELL

LISTEN

of the album. 1972 is the kind of song

that appeals to me, a story about bygone

years when the world was a much safer

and calmer place, the lyrics reminiscing

about the type of clothes that we used to

wear, carefree days all set to a wonderful

background of musicians producing

brilliant music. This is what makes the

album so good, not just the great lyrics,

and the vocal talents of Elles, but it’s also

the collection of amazing musicians all

at the top of their game. If This Is Love

has a sultry feel allowing Elles once again

to demonstrate her vocals, this time in a

rockier style, up-tempo, get off your ass

and move around. Love Yourself contains

one of the most uplifting lines in a song

that I’ve heard in a long time,” Take a look

in the mirror so you can see what we can

see” simply beautiful. The album concludes

with, Turn Off The News, so this is

not just a wonderful album, it’s also full

of good advice. Bravo Elles Bailey.

STEPHEN HARRISON

J.D. SIMO & LUTHER

DICKINSON

DO THE RUMP

FORTY BELOW RECORDS

Individually, JD Simo and Luther Dickinson

are building their own legacies as

solo artists, sidemen, songwriters and

guitar heroes. Together, they’re a creative

force to be reckoned with. On the

pair’s first collaborative album, Do The

Rump! the musicians trade blistering guitar

solos, taking turns at the microphone,

and turning their classic influences, into

something contemporary. reinterpreting

a number of their old school favourites

into eclectic electrifying anthems. The

eight songs were recorded at House of

Grease, Simo’s home studio in Nashville

during a series of live-in-the studio

performances, joined by drummer Adam

Abarashoff whose background in afro

beat and jazz helped push Do The Rump’s

music into unexpected directions. The

friends captured spontaneity in its purest

form, recording most of the songs during

a single take, allowing a natural combination

of grooves and guitars to lead

the way. The album opens in fine style

with their interpretation of the Bobby

Charles hit, Street People, a grooving

backbeat drives the song along with

raggedy Smokey vocals combining with

the grungy guitar riffs to good effect.

92



This is followed by JJ Cale’s Right Down

There, featuring more catchy rhythmic

drumming with smooth vocals and slide

guitar slipping in and out to good effect.

Two Junior Kimbrough covers feature,

Lonesome Road, is driven along with

a funky baseline and solid drumbeat,

with spiritual wails and grungy guitar

soloing. Title track, Do The Rump,

features another driving groove awash

with some wonderful slide and swampy

guitar playing. Two John Lee Hooker

covers also feature, Serves Me Right To

Suffer, this ballad is given a funkier afro

beat groove that works well, and Come

And Go With Me, which along with the

only original song Come On, sound to

me the same song (Come on Baby??)

The prior has a nice rhythm going with

some nice atmospheric punchy guitar

and vocals, the latter with a straighter

forward Hooker boogie beat. The album

closes with the nine minutes plus of RL

Burnside’s Peaches, starting off as a slide

infused shuffle turning into a jazz-fuelled

jam. Personally, I would have liked a little

more variety, but still interesting and

really enjoyable.

SHIRL

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD

DIRT ON MY DIAMONDS

VOLUME 2

Provogue Records

His latest release is only

eight tracks long but

full of pace, energy, and

classic blues notations

with Kenny’s trademark

on every tune. There’s

rock, soul, and blues in

this gumbo of stylistic

quality.

This is

JIMMY CARPENTER

JUST GOT STARTED

Gulf Coast Records

Jimmy Carpenter’s latest release is a spirited

journey through the realms of blues, soul, funk

and rock, showcasing his prowess as a saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter.

From the opening track a co-write with producer and guitarist

Kid Andersen, (Feels Like) I Just Got Started, Jimmy’s soulful saxophone

sets the tone, weaving through vibrant guitar riffs and tight rhythms,

it’s a scene setter, such an uplifting song. His vocals, rich and expressive,

complement the instrumental arrangements perfectly, adding depth and

emotion to each of the songs. The arrangement of Little Walter’s My Babe

is a true showstopper and showcases a stellar band including rhythm

section of Jerry Jemmott on bass guitar and Derrick D’Mar Martin on

This is a masterpiece of musicality

drums. Another original, I Only Gamble With My Heart is a song about

gambling but with a twist, a laid-back groove to this one. The instrumental,

Jimmy Shimmy is joyous, Jim Pugh punctuated keyboards pushing this

along. Shining Star is laden with soul and sax appeal. The reinterpretation

of Night People

is a funky romp

bringing in a touch

of a New Orleans

vibe to the fore.

Another original,

Live Again is a soul

ballad love song,

very atmospheric

and emotional.

He chose two

King Curtis

tunes, Soul

Theme and

the final track

Midnight Blue, both mesmerising and featuring Jerry on bass who

played in Curtis’s band. Another self-penned tune, Keep On Stepping

has a heavy 70s funky vibe, just superb. Another highlight is his take of

Otis Rush’s Working Man. Leap Of Faith is a feelgood number with

an infectious groove. The production is polished, allowing every

instrument to shine without overshadowing the raw emotion at

the heart of the music. This is a masterpiece of musicality.

COLIN CAMPBELL

I ONLY GAM-

MY BABE

BUY MERCH

LISTEN



JOHN PRIMER &

BOB CORRITORE

CRAWLIN’ KINGSNAKE

VIZZTONE/SWMAF

poised to garner acclaim as one of her

most powerful releases yet

Veteran guitarist and vocalist John Primer first appeared on my radar

screen with his 2015 centenary celebration Muddy Waters 100, which

came complete with lavish packaging and a guest list comprised of a Who’s

Who of contemporary blues stars. The dominant vibe on this latest offering,

on which Primer shares bandleader honours with harp merchant Bob

Corritore, is still very much McKinley Morganfield, stripped back to a simple

cardboard sleeve and a bunch of genre stalwart sidemen, including Bob

Stroger on bass and Anthony Geraci on piano. The spirit of 1950s Chess Records

unrepentantly lives on, lovingly reproduced in all its lo-fi glory. Many

of the songs are cover versions, including the John Lee Hooker-penned title

track as well as Down In The Bottom, Feel Like Going Home and Stuff You

Gotta Watch. You’ve heard ‘em many times before, but they’re done damn

well. The track here called Bow Down On Your Knees turns out to be a

remake of You

Got To Take

Sick And Die

Some Of These

Days, straight

off Muddy’s

legendary

Plantation Recordings.

Hiding

Place, one

of the few original

compositions,

fits in

perfectly stylistically,

while

the vaguely

funky feel of You’re The One is one of the few token concessions to the last

seven decades. There are also nods to Magic Slim and Jimmy Rogers. Very

much one for straight down the line Chicago 12-bar traditionalists, and a

fine piece of work.

TAKE A MESSAGE

YOU’RE THE ONE

BUY MERCH

LISTEN

DAVID OSLER

packed with vocal hooks that are impossible

to ignore. The opener, I Got A Woman,

opens with a powerful guitar riff and

sharp bursts of brass, all underpinned by

stellar vocals. The track bursts from the

speakers with an infectious groove that’s

impossible to resist. The inevitable guitar

solo, featuring a snarling neck-pickup

tone, delivers a series of classic licks

executed with flawless precision. The

Middle, grooves with Hammond organ,

brass, and choppy guitars, blending retro

charm with contemporary flair. A wahwah

saturated guitar solo in classic funky

blues style highlights the track. The ballad,

My Guitar Is Crying slows the pace,

featuring a clean smooth guitar tone and

soulful vocals dripping with emotion.

Long Way Down revs up with rock-infused

energy and powerful brass accents,

while Never Made It To Memphis drives

forward with chugging guitars and uplifting

female backing vocals. Pressure, has

a funky tone throughout and showcases

the brass section adding to a scintillating

drum and bass line. Final tune is the ZZ

Top number, She Loves My Automobile,

full of groove and style, a real live recording

feeling to this track and the entire

release. Play loud on repeat and just

enjoy a master craftsman at the top of his

game, incredible release.

MEMPHIS ROYAL

BROTHERS

MEMPHIS ROYAL

BROTHERS

Royal Record

COLIN CAMPBELL

Blues, Gospel and Rock are all on the

latest eponymous release from Memphis

Royal Brothers. Brass and groove

heavy, the album also features sterling

performances from lead guitarist Luther

Dickinson, Bobby Rush on vocals and

harmonica, Charlie Musselwhite on

harmonica and vocals, and a strong

house band of drummer Steve Whyte,

bass player Jackie Clarke, Lester Shell on

piano and keyboard and guitarist Michael

Toles. The nine originals range from the

bluesy opener, led by Bobby Rush, Good

God I Got The Blues, and Goin’ South

a slow, atmospheric blues shuffle with

tight brass, ghostly high pitched slide

guitar, and a loping vocal and sanctified

94 BLUES MATTERS! ISSUE 141


harmonica from Charlie Musselwhite.

The singer Wendy Moten makes a lasting

impression on the spirited country blues

of Brand New Heart which has shades of

Springsteen, and the waltz time gospel

of Ready to Rise, which has strong brass

accents, and a Motown, Guitar figure

throughout. Gimme Back the Keys to My

Cadillac is a story song with the vocals

of Marcus Scott putting a strong case.

The closing Fall to Pieces is a slower

tone poem, with an insistent piano motif

underneath a strong brass part, and

impassioned singing from Marcus Scott.

It raises throughout to an upbeat ending.

The album is a strong one, with plenty of

musical invention and talent on display. It

has shades of blues, jazz, and gospel with

something to appeal to all fans of these

genres.

MIA KELLY

TO BE CLEAR

Independent

BEN MACNAIR

When I read the blurb that accompanied

the album, I was led to believe that this

would be a full-on Folk album, nothing

wrong with that, says I. But upon settling

down to listen to the opening track,

Bonefish Boys, that’s not what I heard.

Indeed, what I heard was a brilliant Jazz/

Blues infusion tune that immediately put

me in a very good mood. Mia Kelly has all

the attributes of a Folk singer, but also all

the attributes to turn her musical hand to

many other genres. South Went The Bird

reverts to a more laid-back Folk type of

song, and it also highlights the versatility

of her vocals and songwriting skills, the

ability to mix things up a bit, not being

pushed into just one musical box. Mia

originates from Quebec, Canada, which,

if you are not aware is the large French/

Canadian province of the country. SI

J’etais Franche is performed in her native

French/Canadian tongue, once again

demonstrating that she does indeed

have more than one string to her bow. In

between these tunes are more delightful

relaxing tunes, the type that soothe any

anxiety that you may have, I’m learning

to relax along with the songs, certainly

not a bad thing. Lone Dog, takes us a bit

further toward the Blues, a raw gravelly

vocal with the kind of message that in

this song, Mia Kelly is a girl on a mission.

If you want a Folk album with a few

surprises, then this album is right up your

musical alley. Folk, and a dipped toe into

the Blues pond, a brilliant combination.

RAIE

RED BRICK ANGEL

Independent

STEPHEN HARRISON

Now we all know that over the last few

years, Americana has grown all over the

world, the genre has spread to so many

different countries, and introduced so

many new artists. This album is firmly

rooted in Americana and has a great

eclectic mix of acoustic and electric guitars,

great lyrics, and superb harmonies.

The majority of the tunes are written by

Rachel Bennett (Raie) and some of the

musicians that appear on the album. The

songs are short and zippy, with no long

overplaying or lengthy solos, just good,

enjoyable songs, sung with meaning

and feeling, not just blurted out for the

sake of it. Crystal Girl, The title track,

Red Brick Angel, and This Thing Called

Love, all fall into the Americana category,

but then Free Now comes at you from

a much harder place, almost a Blues/

Rock place. The guitar solo courtesy of,

Jon Klein is a joy to behold. This is what

makes this album so good, Americana

being delivered in the correct manner,

not with sugar and spice on top, and

being able to delve into another genre

at ease, highlighting just how good these

musicians are. Listening to Red Brick

Angel has put me in a very laid-back

kind of mood, at peace with the world. I

predict that we’ll hear and see a lot more

of Raie shortly. If you are looking for a

Blues album, this is not for you, however,

if you are looking for a fine example

of Americana, then this is right up your

musical alley.

STEPHEN HARRISON

RUNE ROBERT

FRIIS PRESENTS

BUILT FOR COMFORT,

VOL. 2

Independent

Aargh! The curse of the record hunter.

When I lived in London back in the late

70s and throughout the 80s, I had a regular

circuit of second-hand record shops

I’d investigate on my days off, looking for

blues releases. Inevitably, I would turn

up something labelled “Vol. 2”, usually a

really tasty album, and then spend a lot

of time wondering how good the first

volume was. Sometimes I might even

find and buy it, but sometimes not.The

feeling came back to me listening to this

rather classy set from Danish bass player,

song-writer and bandleader Rune Robert

Friis. Marking his fortieth birthday, he assembled

a fine collection of Nordic blues

musicians - I recall guitarist Kenn Lending

from his frequent appearances in

London with Champion Jack Dupree way

back but the remainder are new names

to me. Whatever, this is a very listenable

and accomplished blues and related

stuff release, with various styles, mostly

between 60s UK blues (names like John

Mayall and Brian Auger came to mind)

and Chicago styled songs, and a nod to

blues-rock with the powerful Boomer

Bends. Singer Sara Jana Westphal has a

voice ideally suited to the material (and

she channels her inner Joni Mitchell on

Annabelle and touches almost on country-soul

with set closer Keep Warm),

though with Rune himself taking the lead

on the modern-sounding, funky, One

Dimensional Man, and fellow bandleader

Chris Grey duets with Sara and spars

on guitar to wonderful effect with

Jesper Heinz on the aptly titled Gritty

Street. The instrumental Milkman has a

thoughtful, 60s experimental acoustic

feel. What’s on Vol. One? I’m gonna have

to track it down - but hang on. These

days I only need to click online…

NORMAN DARWEN

SEAN TAYLOR

END OF THE RAINBOW

Independent

Sean Taylor’s newest release is an evocative

exploration of hope intertwined

with despair, a reflection of the turbulent

times we live in. In an era marked by war,

deprivation, and division, Sean captures

the tension between the darkness that

surrounds us and the enduring light of

human resilience in these eleven songs.

Through each track, he weaves narra-



tives of terror, famine, and isolation, yet

reminds us of the power in solidarity and

the triumph of tenderness over cruelty.

The opener, Berlin, is a tribute to the

vibrant and inspiring city that has left an

indelible mark on him. Tracks like Eternal

Damnation, 2024, and The End delve

into the world’s bleakness, confronting

the inevitable struggles of life. Yet, the

releases overall message is clear: in the

face of despair, we must continue and

never stop asking for more. Invitation,

examines the complexities of love and

relationships, acknowledging our imperfections,

whilst Mary Jane offers a taste

of London-town Americana, complete

with mandolins and banjos. The haunting

DWP reflects his own individual experiences

with a broken welfare system,

a tribute to those pushed to the edge

by societal neglect. Searching For Skip

James recounts the rediscovery of the

blues legend in Mississippi, inspired by

the film Two Trains Running. Way Down

In Enniscorthy brings a boogie-woogie

flair to the lively Wexford town, and Only

Beauty Can Save The World echoes a

plea for universal human rights.

The release concludes with the hopeful

anthem Gaia, celebrating our connection

to Mother Earth. The End of the Rainbow

marks his second collaboration with

Brighton-based producer Ben Walker,

delivering a powerful testament to the

resilience of the human spirit. Quite simply,

Sean is one of the best wordsmiths

around.

COLIN CAMPBELL

SISTER SUZIE &

ANDY TWYMAN

NOTHING IN RAMBLING

Another Planet Music

Sister Suzie and Andy Twyman have

been touring the UK and Europe for

quite a while bringing their own take on

the 1920s Blues scene. This album was

recorded live on April 20th, 2024, at The

Bush Hall in London. It is a collection

of sometimes forgotten Blues tunes

performed as an acoustic duo. The result

is superb. Nothing In Rambling opens the

set, originally written and performed by

Lizzie Douglas, aka, Memphis Minnie. In

fact, there are five compositions from

Memphis Minnie on the album. Nothing

In Rambling, as I mentioned earlier has

somewhat been forgotten as a Memphis

Minnie tune, but it’s as good today as it

ever was. It’s easy to forget that Memphis

Minnie has far more in her back

catalogue than When The Levee Breaks.

I digress, Sister Suzie & Andy Twyman gel

so well together, simplicity itself, a wonderful

vocal, and an acoustic guitar, what

more could you ask for? An appreciative

audience, well this album completes a

musical hat-trick. Soul Of A Man, (Blind

Willie Johnson) is another track that I’ve

not heard in many a while. Listening to

this version with Suzie &Andy has given

me goosebumps. It is sheer heaven,

listening to such a fine rendition of such

a brilliant tune written many decades

ago by a Blues artist such as Johnson,

who had as much influence on the Blues

as the likes of Son House, Skip James,

and many others. 12 Gates To The City,

has always been a huge favourite Blues/

Gospel tune of mine. This song has been

covered by more than thirty different

artists since The Davies Sisters first

released it around 1938-39. Sonny Terry

and Brownie McGhee, The Rev, Gary

Davies, Mavis Staples, and Robert Plant

have all performed this tune. It oozes

peace and tranquillity, whilst also reminding

us of our spiritual assignations,

be they good or bad. I adore this album, it

has touched my soul, and it has reminded

me of so many great Blues tunes that we

sometimes overlook. Thank you, Suzie

and Andy, for taking me on this trip down

the Blues memory lane.

TAB BENOIT

I HEAR THUNDER

Whiskey Bayou Records

STEPHEN HARRISON

Tab Benoit returns after a 13-year studio

hiatus with a powerful release that reaffirms

his status as a blues torchbearer

while pushing the genre forward. The ten

tracks highlight Benoit’s distinctive style

and songwriting prowess, with co-writer

Anders Osborne adding his own guitar

finesse to each song, enhancing the

album’s depth and texture. The rhythm

section, featuring Benoit’s touring band

members Corey Duplechin on bass and

Terence Higgins on drums, delivers a

solid foundation throughout, with the

legendary George Porter Jr. from The

Meters guesting on several tracks. Recorded,

mixed, and mastered at Whiskey

Bayou Studios in Houma, Louisiana, this

captures the raw energy and spirit of

the Delta. The title track I Hear Thunder

sets the tone with Benoit’s haunting

lyrics, underscored by a driving beat.

The infectious The Ghost of Gatemouth

Brown channels a hand-jive type rhythm,

while the poignant ballad Still Gray sees

Benoit reflecting on lost love with soulful

guitar solos, an absolutely stunning track.

Benoit’s environmental advocacy shines

on Watching The Gators Roll In, blending

his artistic brilliance with a call to protect

his beloved bayou. Tracks like Overdue

and Why Why, tackle themes of love and

human connection, with Benoit’s guitar

work adding emotional weight to the lyrics.

On the last song, Bayou Man, he belts

out a love letter to his roots, with such

passion that embodies the spirit of the

blues. This isn’t just an album release; it’s

a bold statement about the future of the

blues and how to preserve it. No fillers

here just a terrific blues artist at his best.

THE COLD STARES

THE SOUTHERN

Mascot Record Label

COLIN CAMPBELL

Indiana’s powerhouse trio, The Cold

Stares, comprise of, singer and guitarist

Chris Tapp, bass player, Bryce

Klueh and drummer, Brian Mullins. This

eleven-track release is a masterclass in

Southern rock, blending raw authenticity

with a refined musical touch. From

the very first note of the opener Horse

to Water, the album grabs hold of the

listener and doesn’t let go until the final

track the stunning, Mortality Blues. The

Cold Stares have crafted a release that

balances accessibility with depth, delivering

melodies that linger and vocals that

resonate with a rare emotional intensity.

The tunes laid out are a journey through

the highs and lows of Southern rock,

filled with the kind of light and shade that

defines the genre at its best. The album’s

crunchy guitars and evocative lyrics

create a soundscape that is as soulful

as it is compelling, underscored by a

bittersweet melancholy that gives it a

96 BLUES MATTERS! ISSUE 141


unique edge. Seven Ways To Sundown is

a particular highlight that resonates with

anthemic tones, rhythm section particularly

lifts this. Giving It Up has a funky

groove and consummate bass line. Woman,

has a slow bluesy inflection and lets

loose at the bridge, a well-paced number.

This release stands as a testament to

the band’s skill, passion, and dedication

to their craft. It’s a quality album that

displays the band’s ability to infuse their

music with honesty and emotion. Highly

recommended for those who appreciate

music with depth and soul, not your

average rock trio,

COLIN CAMPBELL

THE ROBIN ROBERTSON

BLUES BAND

ELEMENTAL RHYTHM

Independent

The newest release from this Scottish

five-piece band is a refreshing dive into

the heart of blues, displaying a deep

understanding of the genre’s roots while

injecting it with a modern sensibility. The

band, led by the talented Robin Robertson,

offers a collection of tracks that are

both musically rich and emotionally resonant.

From the opening track, No Good

Man, the band establishes a powerful

presence with tight instrumentation,

sultry vocals from Annette Chapman and

Robin’s soulful guitar playing, which is

the driving force behind the album. His

ability to blend traditional blues riffs with

contemporary touches is impressive,

offering something familiar yet distinctly

original, especially on the instrumental,

Nocturne. The rhythm section provides

a solid backbone, with each song benefiting

from the strong, groove-driven

bass lines and dynamic drumming that

keep the energy flowing throughout the

album. Lyrically, tracks like, Same Old

War, Better Equipment is a blues rocking

tune, Annette’s vocals visceral on this

political tune. Another highlight is the

slow blues tune, I Should Have Raged,

which captures a haunting, melancholic

mood, underlying piano notes from Colin

Hutcheon particularly enthralling. Final

tune, Old Crimes And Dead Detectives

is a more upbeat number that highlights

the band’s versatility. Overall, this is a

well-crafted album with a lot of distinctive

styles and elements to the whole

concept. Robin Robertson and his band

have created a collection of songs that

are sure to resonate with both longtime

blues enthusiasts and new listeners alike.

COLIN CAMPBELL

VANEESE THOMAS

STORIES IN BLUE

Overton Music

This is the first album that Vaneese has

released on this label. Overton Music can

be very proud of the fact that her maiden

voyage so to speak, has given them, and

Vaneese, something that they could only

have dreamt about. All the songs were

written by Vaneese, and everyone is

a jewel worthy of sitting on top of any

crown. Add to that, she is the daughter of

Rufus Thomas, music is certainly etched

into her skin. The album opens with, Do

Y’All, a song brimming with craft, style,

and wonderful sentiment. From the getgo,

this album had me thinking, that I was

going to be transported to somewhere

musically magical. And I was not wrong,

far from it. When You Were My Man,

combines Soul and Blues that would sit

perfectly on any musical menu, with the

rest of the songs serving as entrees and

desserts. 1917 is a sentimental trip down

memory lane celebrating and trumpeting

the joys of the early 1920s Jazz

clubs, and the effect they had on people.

Incidentally, 1917 was also the year that

her father, Rufus was born. A very nice

up-tempo little ditty that is sure to put

a smile on your face. The Last Thing On

My Mind is a down-and-dirty Blues tune,

extolling the amazing range of vocals

the Vaneese possess, it’s a brilliant song,

hitting you square in the face. You may

think that Seven Songs is not quite a full

album, but you would be wrong because

the quality certainly makes up for the

quantity. The final track, End Of The

Road has a slightly somber storyline, but

it is delivered in such fine style, an acapella

Gospel tune that will leave you on

the edge of tears. I thoroughly enjoyed

this album, and I’m certain that will apply

to everyone who comes into contact with

it. Do yourself a favour, trust me, get a

copy, and savor every moment.

STEPHEN HARRISON

VARIOUS ARTISTS

SILVER PATRON SAINTS-

THE SONGS OF JESSE

MALIN

Glassnote Records

New York artist Jesse Malin has enlisted

an impressive lineup of musicians for

Silver Patron Saints, a tribute album that

celebrates his extensive discography.

The album features contributions from

legendary names such as Bruce Springsteen,

Spoon, The Hold Steady, Dinosaur

Jr., Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello,

The Wallflowers, Green Day’s Billie Joe

Armstrong, The Kills’ Alison Mosshart,

the late Wayne Kramer of MC5, Rage

Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Tommy

Stinson, Counting Crows, Susanna

Hoffs, and more. Each artist brings their

unique style to Malin’s songs, offering

fresh reinterpretations that honour

his work while adding new layers of

meaning. One of the many highlights is

Bleachers’ rendition of Prisoners of Paradise

from Malin’s Glitter In The Gutter

album. The track, like the others on this

stunning multi layered release captures

the spirit of Malin’s music; raw, emotional,

and deeply rooted in the rock and roll

tradition. The release came about after

Malin’s life took an unexpected turn last

year when he suffered a rare and sudden

spinal stroke, leaving him paralysed from

the waist down. The album’s proceeds

will go to his Sweet Relief fund, supporting

his ongoing recovery. The themes to

these twenty-seven songs are all here;

transcendence, positivity, and global

unity through music. These are a powerful

collective testament to that determination

and the enduring impact of his

music. Jesse is an artist who has forged

a deep connection with his fans, not just

through his undeniable talent and relentless

work ethic, but also through his

genuine, down-to-earth personality.

COLIN CAMPBELL


IBBA TOP 40

INDEPENDENT BLUES

BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION

www.bluesbroadcasters.co.uk

POS ARTIST ALBUM

1 GILES ROBSON SEVEN BLUES CLASSICS

2 CHRIS CAIN GOOD INTENTIONS GONE BAD

3 ERROL LINTON BREAK THE SEAL

4 ROBIN BIBI BIG BAND BLOWING A STORM

5 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS STRUCK DOWN

6 NEIL SADLER PAST TO PRESENT

7 TOM MANSI & THE ICEBREAKERS EYEBALL

8 THE ZAC SCHULZE GANG LIVE & LOUD

9 JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS WITH ERIC CLAPTON

10 ALICE ARMSTRONG LIVE AT AREA 88

11 BYWATER CALL SHEPHERD

12 DOUG DUFFEY & BADD AIN’T GOIN’ BACK

13 ALBERT CASTIGLIA RIGHTEOUS SOULS

14 THE BAD DAY THE IRISH GOODBYE

15 CONNOLLY HAYES REMEMBER ME

16 ROBERT JON & THE WRECK RED MOON RISING

17 CHRISTOPHER WYZE & THE TELLERS STUCK IN THE MUD

18 JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR HEAVY SOUL

19 WILLIE BUCK & THE DELMARK ALL-STARS LIVE AT BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS

20 MISTY BLUES I’M TOO OLD FOR GAMES: TRIBUTE TO ODETTA

21 RORY BLOCK POSITIVELY 4TH STREET

22 SEAN WEBSTER SUMMER HAS GONE

23 KELLY’S LOT THE BLUES REMIND ME

24 TREVOR B. POWER BAND ARE WE EVER FREE

25 ELIZA NEALS COLORCRIMES

26 ADAM SWEET LIVE AT CRESCENT RECORDS

27 JOE BONAMASSA LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL WITH ORCHESTRA

28 ANDRES ROOTS SOLO PIECES

29 THE MILK MEN HOLY COW!

30 AMANDA FISH KINGDOM

31 JAMES OLIVER BAND LESS IS MORE

32 THE COMMONERS RESTLESS

33 THE DIRT ROAD BAND RIGHTEOUS

34 DAMON T STAND MY GROUND VOL. II

35 THE CINELLI BROTHERS ALMOST EXACTLY…

36 DIANA BRAITHWAITE & CHRIS WHITELEY FOREVER BLUES

37 BEAUX GRIS GRIS & THE APOCALYPSE HOT NOSTALGIA RADIO

38 CEK & THE STOMPERS MR. RED

39 PHIL COYNE & THE WAYWARD ACES PHIL COYNE & THE WAYWARD ACES

40 JOHN MAYALL THE SUN IS SHINING DOWN

IBBA PRESENTER’S

PICKS OF

THE MONTH

SEPTEMBER 2024

BISON HIP

WELCOME TO THE

REST OF YOUR LIFE

BEAUX GRIS GRIS &

THE APOCALYPSE

HOT NOSTALGIA RADIO

ALASTAIR GREEN

STANDING OUT LOUD

RUF 1310 CD

RUF 2096 LP

www.rufrecords.de

www.ampeddistribution.com

+++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++

A selfconfident Bluesrock sttement.

Guitar virtuoso Alastair Greene has artfully managed a dynamic solo career

while contributing to the music of notable artists such as Grammy-winner

Alan Parsons and soul-blues Grammy nominee Sugaray Rayford. Greene‘s

latest release, Standing Out Loud, is a commanding declaration poised to

solidify his position as a seasoned veteran in the blues rock world. With

a strong batch of original songs rooted in blues and southern rock traditions,

it builds upon the momentum created by his critically acclaimed

solo releases of recent years.

BM ISSUE 141 Sept

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