BM ISSUE 159 Mar 2026

A-20

TAKING CARE OF THE ORPHANS

GABE STILLMAN GARRET T WILLIE JJ BLAIR JONATHON BOOGIE LONG LAURA CHAVEZ LIL’ ED MICHAEL VAN MERWYK TERESA JAMES

MARCH 2026 159

25+ YEARS STRONG

PLUS

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

A STAR STUDDED TRIBUTE TO MATT LONG OF CATFISH

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4 ISSUE 159 : BLUESMATTERS.COM

ELCOME

Fancey Pansen - GA-20

THE MAN BEHIND

THE MUSIC

There are people who chase the spotlight and those who shape it. JJ Blair has always been

the latter. Over decades in blues, rock, soul and roots music, he has built a reputation not as

a scene-stealer but as someone who knows how to capture the truth of a performance. That

skill is nowhere clearer than in his final collaboration with the late Mike Finnigan. Blues Matters

caught up with Blair at his Hollywood Hills studio, Fox Force Five Recorder.

Colin Campbell

Tom Rapier

Blair’s path began with a moment of revelation. Hearing

Davy Johnstone’s explosive guitar intro on Elton John’s

Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, he knew what he

wanted. “I remember thinking, I want to make whatever

that noise is coming out of the speakers,” he says. Guitar

came first, then bands and gigs, but he quickly tired of life

on the road. “Being in bands was so miserable,” he laughs,

“I decided I’d rather make records. That way I only have

to be in the band for the duration of the record.”

Curiosity about sound became obsession. Blair wanted to

understand not only what music felt like but how it was

constructed. After high school he pushed his way into

studios however he could, first via an advertising agency,

then through practical studio work. A short spell at the

University of Redlands gave him technical grounding, but

real education came from assisting engineer Alan Hirschberg.

“I learned basically everything from him,” Blair says.

It was an apprenticeship rooted in listening, discipline

and problem-solving.

His first production credit was modest. A band later

known as All Day Sucker needed extra songs to satisfy

a reluctant label. Blair offered to produce them for free.

The label showed little enthusiasm, but a film placement

salvaged the project. “That was my inauspicious beginning,”

he says.

Over time Blair came to recognise what makes sessions

special: ease. When everyone understands the music

instinctively, the room changes. Recording June Carter

Cash and Johnny Cash live in a log cabin remains a highlight.

“Technically it was chaos,” he recalls, “but musically

it was incredible.” That same spirit would later define his

work with Mike Finnigan.

A MENTOR, FRIEND AND BROTHER

“I met Mike when I was 20,” Blair says. “He became a mentor

and a friend.”

Their bond went beyond music. Having lost his father

at nine, Blair gravitated towards older men who carried

wisdom without ego. Finnigan filled that space. “He was

intelligent, funny, generous. Just a huge heart.”

Blair initially had no idea of Finnigan’s stature. “I thought

he was a dentist,” he laughs. “I didn’t realise he was the

guy from Rainy Day, Dream Away. I thought that was

a Black guy. There was no way a white guy played that

soulfully.”

Finnigan’s gift was feel. Singing and playing Hammond

organ simultaneously, he functioned as what Blair calls

“one complete organism.” For years Blair urged him to

make another record. Finnigan resisted, concerned that

age had taken the top off his vocal range. After a particularly

strong show, Blair made one final pitch: one day in

the studio, two songs. If Finnigan hated it, they would

walk away.


ISSUE 159 : BLUESMATTERS.COM 7

They began with Don’t Answer The Door. The band,

assembled musicians who had never played together, cut

it live. “We never beat the first take,” Blair says. “I knew it

was too good for him to hate.” Then came the diagnosis.

AN ALBUM INTERRUPTED

Before the album was finished, Finnigan was diagnosed

with liver cancer. COVID delays and treatment complications

halted progress. “He died from complications from

the treatment,” Blair says quietly.

Much of the record had been tracked, but some vocals

were incomplete. In places guest singers stepped in. In

others, Finnigan’s guide vocals proved irreplaceable. “His

scratch vocals were better than most people’s finished

vocals. If we had one, it stayed.”

What began as a simple project became a multi-year

labour. Joe Bonamassa offered early encouragement, but

as timelines stretched, Blair financed and completed the

album himself. Sessions at EastWest Studios allowed him

to refine arrangements while keeping one focus: presenting

Finnigan as one of America’s great blues voices.

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The record also honours blues history. 20 Years of B.B.

King, written by Curtis Salgado and Dave Duncan, celebrates

King’s centennial. Joe Bonamassa’s solo is measured

and conversational, reinforcing the live feel.

Smokey Robinson appears on The Way You Do The

Things You Do, reshaped with a gritty, early James Brown

groove anchored by drummer James Gadson. Though

Finnigan never completed a full vocal, his presence

threads through the track.

“His scratch vocals

were better than

most people’s finished

vocals”

Song choices were deliberate. Blair avoided filler and

leaned into material that suited Finnigan’s natural

church-and-juke-joint authority. Curtis Mayfield’s I’m

a Fool for You, Aretha Franklin’s It Ain’t Fair and Ray

Charles-inspired grooves gave space for phrasing and

feel.

Merle Haggard’s Sing Me Back Home became a six-eight

gospel waltz. “It always felt too peppy for a song about

death row,” Blair says. Reimagined, it carries the weight

the lyric deserves.

FAMILY, LEGACY AND FINAL WORDS

The album’s emotional centre arrives with Let That Liar

Alone, featuring Finnigan’s son, Kelly. Built from Mike’s

guide vocal and Kelly’s finished take, it may be their only

recorded duet. “Kelly understands soul music,” Blair says.

“It took time to do it right and respect the family’s grief,

but it was worth it.”

ONE COMPLETE ORGANISM

Blair is careful when discussing legacy. “Mike made

incredible records throughout his life,” he says, citing

Finnegan & Wood and his early solo work. “This is just the

record I always wanted him to make.”

For Blair, its strength lies in clarity. It distils Finnigan to

his essence: groove, restraint, soul and truth. “He had the

Ferrari,” Blair says, “and he knew how to drive it.”

Finnigan belonged to a generation who learned from

Fats Domino records, not textbooks. He understood the

guardrails of the blues and never strayed for the sake of

virtuosity.

“This record is Mike,” Blair says. “Captured as he was.

Singing, playing, telling stories. One complete organism.

And now, one lasting legacy.”

For further information visit:

www.jjblairrecording.com

The Mike Finnigan album is out now on Forty Below

Records: fortybelowrecords.com

EXPLORE


2026 COLLECTION

ONE LABEL PUSHING THE BLUES & BEYOND

GARRET T. WILLIE

BILL'S CAFE

GABE STILLMAN

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

MIKE ZITO

OUTSIDE OR THE EASTSIDE

JASON RICCI & THE BAD KIND

KELLI BAKER

13 HOURS MOTHER

ALBERT CASTIGLIA

GRITS & GLORY

KEVIN BURT

THIS TRIP

THE BONESHAKERS

PULL UP THE ROOTS

THE SHARPEEZ

AUTOMATIC MODE

PRE ORDER NOW AVAILABLE VIA

WWW.PROPERMUSIC.COM

WWW.PROPERMUSIC.COM

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MY VOICE

LAURA CHAVEZ

For guitarist Laura Chavez, music was never something discovered later in life. It was

always present. Some of her earliest memories are inseparable from sound, each moment

tied to a song playing somewhere in the background. “I can remember the songs that were

playing while things were happening in my life.

Colin Cambell

Tino Sieland & Austin Britt


EARLY MEMORIES

SET TO MUSIC

My parents always had music on in the car, and I’d

just home in on it and be mesmerised.” That constant

soundtrack shaped her long before she ever picked up

an instrument.

By the age of eight, Chavez knew she wanted to play

guitar. The sounds of classic rock filled her imagination,

although her first lessons failed to spark anything

lasting. “My first attempt at guitar didn’t go so well

because my teacher had other plans,” she says with a

laugh. It was not until she was 13 or 14, armed with

an electric guitar and a growing sense of independence,

that things clicked. She began teaching herself

the riffs and tones she had absorbed for years. “I was

playing everything I’d heard and wanted to learn, and

I became more and more obsessed with music. I was

supposed to go to medical school. Becoming a musician

wasn’t part of the long-term plan. This all kind of

happened by accident. The passion was real, but the

plan was not.”

STEPPING ONTO THE

BLUES STAGE

Her real introduction to performing came in the

summer after high school at a legendary blues club

in San Jose, directly across from the Guitar Center

she frequented, a venue once associated with John

Lee Hooker. Too young to enter alone, she would wait

outside until someone called her in for the jam session.

“The band kind of felt bad for me,” she recalls. Sympathy

soon turned into opportunity and before long

she was replacing the house guitarist. That chance

encounter became a turning point and led directly to

an eight-year collaboration with singer Laura Price.

Several albums followed and Chavez still regards that

partnership as the foundation of everything that came

next. “That’s how it all started.”

A PIVOTAL BREAK

A crucial door opened through blues guitarist Sue

Foley, who interviewed Chavez for her book Guitar

Woman. Foley was then signed to Ruf Records and

involved in the label’s Blues Caravan Tour. When Ruf

assembled a compilation titled Blues Guitar Women,

Foley recommended Chavez for inclusion. Later, when

Candye Kane needed a guitarist for Blues Caravan,

Foley again put Chavez’s name forward. What followed

was an eight-year run of touring, recording

and collaboration with Kane. Chavez co-wrote and

produced three albums and found herself immersed

in a level of professional growth she had not anticipated.

The call to join Blues Caravan was both exciting

and daunting. It meant stepping away from familiar

ground, but the opportunity was impossible to ignore.

“IT JUST SOUNDS

LIVE, AND THAT’S

WHAT I LOVE”


“I wanted to tour more, go to Europe, meet new people

and become a better guitar player.”

FINDING HER

OWN VOICE

Her album My Voice came together in fragments, captured

between tours, flights and borrowed studio time

in Germany. Rather than arriving with a rigid blueprint,

Chavez brought a collection of songs she believed would

translate well instrumentally. The decision to make a fully

instrumental record was not taken lightly. “I’ve always

seen myself as the foil to the front person. Everything

I did was in support of that.” Even without lyrics, she

wanted the music to feel like songs rather than extended

technical showcases. “My place in the music was still

more or less the same, even though I was out front with

the melody. I’m not a big fan of instrumental albums, especially

guitar instrumental music. I had to find my place

in that and showcase my strengths. Those aren’t about

wailing for five minutes.”

The recording process was deliberately organic. All four

musicians played together in one room, embracing the

bleed between instruments. “It just sounds live, and that’s

what I love. My favourite recordings are done that way.”

The result is an album that feels immediate and unforced,

rooted in groove rather than virtuosity.

ROOTS AND INFLUENCES

Chavez’s influences remain deeply rooted in American

music traditions. “My influences are pretty heavily

roots-oriented. I gravitate toward a cleaner sound, but I

also like to rock.” Early jazz, Latin music and the California

roots scene all feed into her approach. Bands such

as The Blasters, who seamlessly blended country, blues,

rockabilly and soul, loom large. That blend of tradition

and energy underpins much of My Voice, from high-octane

reworkings of familiar songs to darker, mood-driven

instrumentals.

LIFE ON THE ROAD

If there is one constant in Chavez’s life, it is motion.

“Sometimes I have three gigs in a day,” she says. Touring

across Europe and the United States, she thrives on the

connection forged with audiences. Whether in intimate

club settings or at major festivals, she approaches each

performance with the same grounded philosophy. “It’s

the crowd, meeting new people, playing in a new environment

every night. Even if something feels off, I never end

the night in a bad place. In a lot of ways, it’s all just about

the music.”

ONE GUITAR,

ONE IDENTITY

Ask Chavez about guitars and the answer comes without

hesitation. Her red Stratocaster has been her companion

for more than two decades. An early Custom Shop relic,

it has long since earned its wear honestly. “It’s the only

guitar I can play without thinking. I can make it work in

just about any situation.” Though it is in need of new frets,

replacing it is unthinkable. The instrument is inseparable

from her sound and identity, featured prominently across

the album artwork for good reason.

THE BLUES AS

FOUNDATION

For Chavez, the blues remains the bedrock of everything.

“It’s the foundation of almost everything we listen to in

America; jazz, rock and roll, all of it. Musically it’s simple,

but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. There’s not much to hide

behind. You have to be real and authentic or it won’t

work.” That belief guides both her playing and her advice

to younger musicians. “Stick to who you are. Don’t try too

hard to be what you think people want. Even if it takes

longer to get where you think you want to go, it’s worth it

in the end.”

LOOKING AHEAD

With European dates lined up alongside Nikki Hill,

Vanessa Collier and further Blues Caravan tours across

Scandinavia and mainland Europe, Chavez shows no sign

of slowing down. “I’ve got to get back to the UK; it’s been

too long.”

Reflecting on her journey, she remains grounded, grateful

and focused on growth. My Voice may mark a step

forward into the spotlight, but it does so without abandoning

the philosophy that shaped her career. Even as

bandleader, arranger and composer, the core remains the

same: groove first, ego last, and the blues at the heart of

it all.

EXPLORE


OUT NOW!

LAURA CHAVEZ - MY VOICE

CD, LP, DIGITAL

One of the most respected guitar voices in modern blues

stepping forward with a project that is both deeply personal

and musically expansive. The album is fully instrumental -

because for Laura Chavez, the guitar is her voice.

ELISE FRANK - I DIDN’T PAY FOR IT

CD, LP, DIGITAL

A mesmerizing performer who doesn‘t let up until the last

aching note is played now moves forward with her second

full-length solo album that shows she‘s

ready to take the music world by storm.

www.rufrecords.de

GOING

SLIDEWAYS

WITH LIL’ ED

Few blues artists deliver raw energy and joyful grit quite like Lil’ Ed Williams.

A true torchbearer of Chicago’s hard-driving tradition, Williams and his

band, The Blues Imperials, have spent decades turning juke-joint intensity

into a worldwide calling card.

Colin Campbell

As credited

With his blistering slide guitar, unstoppable grin and high-octane stage presence,

Lil’ Ed remains one of the most electrifying figures in modern blues. His

new album Slideways proves once again that the blues are at their best when

they are loud, loose and rooted in feeling.

SUNDAY MORNING GOSPEL, SUNDAY AFTERNOON BLUES

“I’d say it started when I was about ten or eleven,” he recalls. “I used to watch

my uncle play music at home, but really, it started in church.”

Music filled his early life. His uncles sang gospel in a quartet every Sunday,

harmonies echoing through church halls. Back home, the mood shifted. Uncle

J.B. Hutto, already a powerful presence on Chicago’s South Side, would trade

gospel for gritty electric blues. As a child, Lil’ Ed was not meant to witness the

grown folks’ gatherings. “We weren’t allowed in there when they were drinking

and having their little party, so we’d sneak by and peep in.”

One day, J.B. caught him watching. Instead of a reprimand, he offered an invitation.

“He called me into the room, sat me on his knee, and asked if I wanted

to learn guitar. I thought I was going to get a spanking. Instead, he changed my

whole life.”

LEARNING THE BLUES THE HARD WAY

At first, there were no lessons in theory or history, only feeling. “All I knew was

that it sounded good. When I saw my aunties clapping and dancing, I knew that

was a good thing.”


“I WON’T RETIRE,

BUT I MIGHT EASE

UP A LITTLE”

Michel Philippe


Paul Natkin

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Before guitar came drums. J.B. insisted he learn to keep

time. “He wanted me to understand the beat first.”

When the guitar lessons followed, they were grounded

in rhythm, not slide. “I wanted to play slide right away.

I didn’t care about rhythm. But he knew what he was

doing.”

rhythm guitarist named Dave Weld. “He said this guy

would make a good rhythm player.” Once Weld joined, the

band locked into place. With Louis Henderson on drums,

the foundation was set for a group that would carry Chicago

blues across the globe.

Perhaps the most important lesson was not technical at

all. “He told me, don’t try to play what I play. Play what

you play.” At the time, Lil’ Ed did not fully grasp the advice.

Years later, he understood. The influence of J.B. Hutto

remains clear in his sound, but filtered through his own

fire and personality. “It’s still J.B., but it’s coming out of Lil’

Ed Williams.”

THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED

His first real stage appearance came in South Bend,

Indiana, at a club called Vegetable Buddies. Nerves ran

high. “We were terrified. We’d never been on a big stage

before.” Once the music started, instinct took over.

Mid-set, something unexpected happened. “We looked

around and Uncle J.B. was gone. We could hear him, but

we couldn’t see him.” J.B. had leapt off the stage and was

walking across tables while still playing. “That’s when I

knew I wanted to form a band.”

BUILDING THE BLUES IMPERIALS

The Blues Imperials began simply, Lil’ Ed, his brother

Pookie and a drummer. J.B. encouraged him to meet a

CHICAGO ROOTS AND HARD LESSONS

Chicago in those days was alive with competition. “Bobby

Bland and B.B. King were hot. Tyrone Davis, Johnnie

Taylor, all those cats.” On the West Side, the sounds of

Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf dominated.

Lil’ Ed absorbed it all, eventually crossing paths with

legends including Sunnyland Slim. At one fish market

gig, Slim leapt on stage mid-song after recognising a J.B.

Hutto number. “He pushed the piano player off and start-


ed playing with me,” Lil’ Ed laughs. Encounters like that

confirmed he was walking the right path.

STRANGE NIGHTS AND DISCO LIGHTS

Not every gig felt traditional. One club owner with a cigar

and sharp suit booked them into what felt more like a

disco than a blues joint, mirrors, mist and swirling lights.

“We’d play and nobody would clap. They just sat there

talking.” The owner promised tuxedos and big plans. “We

never got nothing,” he laughs. It was another lesson in the

unpredictable life of a bluesman.

FORTY YEARS OF MOTIVATION

After more than four decades, what keeps him going?

“The people. My fans. It still feels good seeing people get

happy.”

On stage, he is part musician, part entertainer. “I keep

everybody laughing. I say funny stuff, I do funny things. If

I’m having a good time, they have a good time.”

Even at 71, retirement is not on the cards, though he admits

to slowing down. “I like being home with my wife and

the grandkids. We’re closer now than ever. I won’t retire,

but I might ease up a little.”

THE MAKING OF SLIDEWAYS

The new album stays true to his philosophy. “We went

in the studio and laid tracks down. Hardly any overdubs.

We keep it live.” That immediacy gives Slideways its

punch. The record feels like the band could step straight

from the studio into a club without changing a note.

EXPLORE

is life. It’s happiness, it’s sadness. You can be happy one

minute and sad the next.” That philosophy runs throughout

Slideways. Even when the lyrics grow heavy, the music

lifts. “Yeah, we get hurt. But there’s happy days ahead.”

NO SETLISTS, NO SAFETY NET

Live shows remain spontaneous. “I don’t have time for

setlists. My mind is bouncing everywhere on stage.”

The band has learned to trust his instincts. Songs shift

mid-set, arrangements stretch, and tomorrow is another

chance to play what got missed tonight.

It is that unpredictability, that unfiltered joy, which keeps

Lil’ Ed Williams charging forward. With Slideways, he

reminds us that Chicago blues is not a museum piece. It

is alive, smiling, spinning and still moving sideways at full

speed.

For further information visit: www.liledblues.com

One of the album’s strongest tracks, Homeless Blues,

grew from an old acoustic recording he once heard. “It

stuck with me. This is happening right now. People are

suffering.” Another, What Kind of World Is This?, reflects

on the weight of modern life. “Sometimes you just have to

stop and think about what’s really going on.”

A PARTNERSHIP AT THE CORE

Many of the album’s songs were written with his wife,

whose lyrics often come first. “We write the words, then

I put the music to it.”

Some tracks are playful, like One Foot on the Brake

(One on the Gas) and The Flirt in the Car Wash

Skirt, inspired by their early days together. Others

are deeply personal. If I Should Lose Your Love

stands as one of the record’s emotional centres.

“When I sing it, I’m talking to her. When she

wrote it, she was talking to me.”

WHAT THE BLUES MEANS

For Lil’ Ed, the blues is not simply a genre. “Blues

Paul Natkin



Courage in the

Jonathon “Boogie” Long

From nursing homes in Louisiana to sharing stages with giants, Jonathon

“Boogie” Long’s story is one of instinct, grit, and devotion to the craft. Speaking

from Hammond, Louisiana — nestled between Baton Rouge and New Orleans,

Long reflects on a life steeped in music, shaped by gospel roots, sharpened on

the road, and anchored in the blues.

Colin Campbell

Arnie Goodman

Gospel Beginnings

and an Early Calling

“My grandfather played guitar and my parents sang

gospel; we would always have people over singing music.

I used to go out and perform as a young kid with my

grandfather at nursing homes.” It wasn’t long before

others recognised something special. At just 11 years old,

he was discovered by local Louisiana artist Dixie Rose

while taking lessons at a music store. She handed him

his first proper gig and brought him into her band. Rose

introduced him to the local blues jam circuit, where Long

began rubbing shoulders with Louisiana heavyweights

including Kenny Neal, Larry Garner, and other regional

legends. By his early teens, blues wasn’t just a genre, it

was a language he spoke fluently. At 14, he left school and

hit the road with a reggae band. Other projects followed

including a hip-hop funk outfit and, significantly, a long

tenure in Luther Kent’s 12-piece big band, where he

spent nearly two decades. Today, Long sings with Kent’s

band, a full-circle moment in a journey already rich with

chapters. “It’s been a crazy, crazy journey,” he smiles.

Why the Blues?

“It’s the soul, the realness of it, everything else seemed so

polished and overproduced. The blues was more about

the feeling, the story, the intent. The more imperfect it

was, the better. It gave me an avenue for my nature, I

kind of space out and go into my own zone. Blues gave me

somewhere for that.”

Heroes

Long’s guitar heroes might surprise some traditionalists.

While firmly rooted in blues, his technical influences

stretch into fusion territory, including players like

Guthrie Govan and Jimmy Herring. In 2013, Long toured

with B.B. King, performing 15 shows alongside one of

the music’s true icons, an experience that left an indelible

mark. Another pivotal moment came when, at 14, he

picked up a copy of I Smell Smoke by Michael Burks at a

blues competition in Ponchatoula. It was a random grab

from a stack of giveaway CDs, but it changed everything.

“What a record. What a special record.” Burks remains

one of Long’s biggest inspirations. So too does the late

Sean Costello, whose soulful authenticity left a deep

impression. “You could just tell it was real, if he was still

here, he’d be huge.”

Sharing the Stage

Over the years, Long has collaborated with and opened

for an enviable list of artists: Joe Bonamassa, Robert

Randolph, Gregg Allman, Jimmie Vaughan, and Robert

Cray among them.

“I don’t listen to as much music as I did when I was a kid,

I’m always thinking about writing, riffs, songs, ideas, it

floods my brain. Everybody can play, what’s special is

writing a song that moves a whole room of people.”

Courage in the Chaos

Long’s latest release, Courage In The Chaos, represents


that evolution. The album was produced by Jim

Odom, founder of PreSonus, who approached Long

after hearing he was self-producing material. “We

had lunch several times, and next thing you know,

it came together.” Recording sessions took place

in Mandeville and New Orleans, featuring an allstar

Louisiana cast including David Ellis, Terrence

Higgins, Doug Belote, and others. Mixing duties

were handled by Darrell Thorp, known for his work

with the Foo Fighters adding further polish without

sacrificing grit. The album blends carefully crafted

songs developed over years with spontaneous

creations written to shape the record’s dynamics.

“Some songs took a long time to finish, others we

wrote because we needed something fast, or something

with a certain feel.”

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Songs from the Edge

Standout tracks include the driving Fool Can See,

the ZZ Top-flavoured Hell Or High Water, and the

deeply personal Insanity.

Insanity: Written late one night in a friend’s bedroom,

it weaves imagery of Humpty Dumpty and

fractured hearts into a meditation on repetition

and emotional turmoil. “It just feels like insanity, it

explains the things that feel like insanity.”

The writing process varies, sometimes a groove

sparks a hook, sometimes lyrics emerge alongside

melody. There’s no fixed formula.

“Not every song has a deep meaning, some happen

in five or ten minutes. That’s just how it goes.”

The album also pays tribute to his influences with a

powerful take on Michael Burks’ Empty Promises a

staple of Long’s live show and a version of Can’t You

See by The Marshall Tucker Band. Empty Promises

is always a special moment, that music is really

special to me.”

Writing From Where

His Head Is

Songwriting, for Long, isn’t a calculated exercise.

It’s not about reverse-engineering radio singles or

carefully sculpting emotional narratives. It’s more

instinctive than that — sometimes even chaotic.

When asked about the emotional weight behind

Drinking Through he’s quick to clarify one thing:

he’s not much of a drinker himself. “I was just thinking

about the gut-wrenching struggle of dealing

with that in a relationship, I’ve had to deal with

alcoholics before. I guess that’s where that song

came from. I don’t really think about it that way. I’m

just a songwriter; I just start writing. Sometimes

there’s no rhyme or reason for it. I’m just doing

it because I need to write. My crazy brain, that’s

where it was at that time. When you start produc-


“Some songs

took a long

time to

finish”


ing that melody, the groove writes itself. But the groove

can’t be complete without the lyrics being complete it all

goes hand in hand. It’s not easy to write the blues, you’ve

still got to have the experience and the know-how. But

arrangement-wise, it’s simpler than, say, an Americana

song. I’m going to play the blues. That’s what I know better

than anything else. It’s like breathing air to me.”

The video for Baby I’m Through, took an unexpected

turn. Long showed up without a grand concept in mind,

just a white wall and videographer Daniel Boone calling

the shots. “I had no idea what to expect. We showed up,

and there’s this white wall. Daniel just started going crazy,

telling us what to do. In a world where everything’s so

serious, sometimes it’s good to have a little light-heartedness.”

Tomorrow and the

Showman’s Instinct

“I wrote the song, Tomorrow as a show intro, it’s got such

a vibe. It’s exciting. It’s a lot of fun to play.” The breakdowns,

the build, the energy — it’s engineered for a live

audience. Yet even here, Long shrugs off attempts to pin

down lyrical meaning. “I start 25 or 30 songs a month at

least. I’m starting a song a day, whether I finish it or not.

It’s hard to keep up with everything.”

Reflections on the

finished album

“I’ve got a little something for almost everybody, I won’t

say I’ve got my heavy metal people or my hip hop people

covered that’s not my style. But everything else, somebody

can find some joy in at least one of the songs.” It’s a

strategic awareness of the streaming era. Entire albums

rarely land intact on playlists anymore. Individual songs

do. “If there’s an R&B person wanting to add some indie

artists, maybe they’ll find a Boogie Long R&B song for

their list. It’s all going to have a blues or roots feel. It’s all

rooted in what I grew up in, blues and gospel.”

Cigar Boxes and

Big Intentions

Fresh from the Cigar Box Festival in New Orleans, Long

is still buzzing. “It was a great time, we had Jason Ricci as

a special guest, one of the best blues harmonica players

out there.” The full-band show was recorded, and clips

are already being rolled out online part of the broader

push to expand his reach. “My goal is just to get out there

in front of as many people as humanly possible. If you get

your numbers up, then you can really start getting out

there. That’s what we’re focusing on. It’s hard enough

to be different in a world where everything’s been done

already. I guess I’m trying to be an enigma.”

Advice

Ask Long what advice has shaped him musically, and he

doesn’t hesitate. “Just be true to yourself. Don’t ever let

the industry change you. Don’t ever put your career in


“I’m

starting

a song a

day...

...whether

I finish it

or not”


“It’s not about

being the best”


EXPLORE

the hands of somebody else,” he explains. “No matter how much you

think they have your best interest in mind, they don’t always do. You

have to put the work in yourself. Watch your back. Keep up with your

business.” Long is candid about one aspect in particular: social media.

“I don’t like it, it’s time-consuming and I really can’t stand it. I don’t

like playing to a screen and talking to people through a phone. I just

want people to know I’m here. I’m an option. That’s it. I just want to

be one of the options.”

At Home on the Stage

“The fact that I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing, with

all my heart and my soul that’s what keeps me motivated,” he says.

“Without music, without my guitar, without the ability to put it all

out there and leave it on stage, I don’t know where I would be.” On

stage is where he feels most comfortable in his own skin. But is he

the same person off stage? “Yes,” he says, smiling, “but I’m definitely

more energetic on stage. I look like I’ve had a lot of coffee.” For Long,

improvisation isn’t a technique, it’s instinct. “Getting lost is what it’s

about. Losing yourself is what it’s all about. Then you’ve got to snap

back when it’s time to sing so you don’t mess up the verses.”

Festivals: Raw,

Unpredictable, Electric

“I love festivals, there’s something about showing up, throwing all

your stuff on stage, having 15 minutes to get ready and then it’s on.

It’s raw, it takes the production out of it. It’s different every night.

There’s a certain excitement to that. I don’t even write a set list, I’ll

tell the band the first few songs, but once we’re in it, we’re in it. You

have to feel it out, you have to be versatile. Improv is what I’m good

at, being on the cusp.” In a festival setting where even the band may

not know exactly what’s coming next, everyone shares the same edge

of anticipation. “If we’re as clueless as the audience,” he grins, “then it

makes everybody on the same page.”

Redefining Success

“Being able to pay my bills, being debt free one day. I’m close, I’m getting

there. I’ve done my Louis Vuitton, trying-to-have-a-Rolex days.

None of those matters, no material thing matters. Having a song that

makes people feel positive and changes people that’s success. It’s not

about being the best. Not about taking anybody else’s light. I don’t

want to be on a festival that somebody else isn’t. I just want to be one

of the options.”

Looking Ahead

Long continues to expand his reach, including performances with the

band De Soto Tigers Testimony alongside Damon Fowler and Jason

Ricci. Festival dates and theatre shows are building momentum.

There’s also a new collaboration quietly in the works contingent, he

says, on writing “a really good song” to seal the deal. Details remain

under wraps, but his excitement is clear. “We’re going to keep throwing

stuff at the wall until something sticks, and when it does, hopefully

we can keep adding to it.” Jonathon Boogie Long isn’t chasing

dominance. He isn’t chasing excess. He isn’t even chasing validation,

he’s chasing presence.

For further information see website: www.boogielong.com


BAD GOOD

T E R E S A J A M E S A N D T E R R Y W I L S O N

AT BEING

For more than a decade, Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps have been a

reliable home for deep-groove blues, soul-soaked vocals and road-tested

musicianship. At the centre are vocalist and keyboardist Teresa James and

bassist Terry Wilson, whose partnership is built on feel, trust and a shared

respect for the traditions that shaped them.

Colin Campbell

Supplied

Whether they are leaning into Memphis soul, Texas

blues or late-night R and B, the aim stays the same:

serve the song. In this interview, they talk about the

new album Bad At Being Good, their musical beginnings

and the working method that keeps their catalogue

strong.

BACKGROUND

“I somehow knew as a very small child that my favourite

thing in the world was to sing,” Teresa says from Los

Angeles as rain taps the windows. “When I sing, you

know I’m happy.” Music was constant in her childhood.

Piano lessons began around age five after she watched

her brother practise, and her father taught her guitar

soon after. Teresa still laughs about her mother finding

an old school handwriting assignment that read: I love

to sing. When I sing, I’m happy. “It’s funny how early that

stuff shows up. I guess I’m lucky that the thing I love to

do most is something people like to hear.”

FINDING THE SPOTLIGHT

Her first real taste of performance came at eight, when

she and her father entered a local talent show with guitars.

“We won, then we went on to the big talent show,

huge stage, big spotlight. I was scared to death, but at

the same time I thought, ‘This is the coolest thing I’ve

ever done.’” She sang and played whenever she could,

building confidence alongside discipline. Though she

studied classical piano through high school, curiosity

pulled her towards folk, rock and then the blues. “Then

I heard Big Mama Thornton, and I thought, that’s the

coolest thing I’ve ever heard. And that was it.”

A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON TRUST

Central to Teresa James’ output is her long-running

partnership with Wilson. Their process is simple and

direct. “Terry is extremely prolific,” she says. “He’ll come

out of his studio and say, ‘Hey, come check out this new

tune.’ Then we just start working.” Wilson brings the

structure and James shapes it to fit her voice and emotional

range. “I’ll say, ‘This bridge needs to lift,’ or ‘That

lyric doesn’t feel right.’ He’s the impetus and I help make

sure it’s something I can really sell.” They are honest

about what suits her and what does not. “There are

great songs he’s written that I just know aren’t right for

me. Luckily, he writes a lot.”

Their method also reflects how modern records often

come together. “It’s not like when we were growing

up,” Wilson says. “Now the drummer might be in one

home studio, the B3 player somewhere else.” They have

not abandoned the old-school approach, though. Their

Grammy-nominated Here In Babylon was cut live in


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three days. “That really is the best way,” Wilson admits,

“but it’s not always feasible.”

WRITING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY

During the pandemic, with Los Angeles venues shut for

more than a year, the studio became a refuge. “Terry

spent every day writing,” Teresa says. “By the time

we decided it was time to make a new record, we had

almost forty songs.” For her, singing is not optional.

“When I don’t sing for a couple of weeks, I feel it. It’s like

the breath of life.” Out of curiosity, she even took opera

lessons on Zoom. “I just wanted to know how they really

do that. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”

BAD AT BEING GOOD

The album Bad At Being Good finds James confident,

playful and rooted in groove. “I love the title track,” she

says. “It’s got a fun attitude.” Jon Cleary joins on piano

and gives the song extra lift. “His musicianship is ridiculous.

He just brought the track to life.” Elsewhere, Say

What You Will nods to Spooner Oldham, Aretha Franklin

and Muscle Shoals soul. “It was scary high at first,”

she admits. “I could sing it, but it didn’t feel right until

we reworked it.” I Got This Thing leans into raw Texas

blues, while All About the Benjamins and Trouble In

Paradise balance social commentary with musical uplift.

“You want to reflect what’s going on, but not be dogmatic,”

she says. “How many people do you really want

to piss off?”

TURNING THE GIVE-A-SHITTER OFF

A line from the sessions became both lyric and mantra.

“Turn your give-a-shitter off,” Teresa says, laughing.

“Especially when I’m singing or playing piano. Just go for

it.” For her, the danger is thinking instead of feeling. “The

minute you get in your head, you’ve lost the spirit,” she

says. “Every time I sing, it’s about finding a way to not

even be present. Just relax and let the music take you.

Does the song want me to sing quiet or loud, one long

note? If you sell the song, you make a connection and

then you’re selling yourself without even trying.”

HOLDING THE GROOVE TOGETHER

James’ years of teaching performance classes in Los Angeles

sharpened her view of rhythm sections. “I always

tell my singer students that the bass player drives the

bus. If the bass player knows the songs, you’re probably

going to sound great.” She has worked with some of

LA’s strongest drummers, including Tony Braunagel and

Herman Matthews, and that foundation remains central

to the band’s live energy.

THE BLUES AND WHAT MATTERS

“I love singing blues because the format is so simple,”

Teresa says. “And because of that,

you have so much freedom.” That

simplicity also puts responsibility

on the singer. “You can come in

early or late, go up or down, leave

words out, add words in. Blues is

the most fluid and engaging medium

for singers.” She discouraged

students from memorising melodies.

“You don’t want the melody. You

want it to become yours.”

Despite demo work for Burt Bacharach,

Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil,

and Dolly Parton, James still describes

herself as a “blue-collar singer.” If someone

calls with a song, she says yes first

and figures it out from there. “I love the

puzzle of figuring out what a song wants

to be.”

When a record finally comes out, the

feeling can be oddly flat. “You’ve lived with

it so long,” she says. “All you hear are the

things you’d change. Eventually, you let go.

When you come back later,” she laughs, “you

go, ‘Yeah… that’s pretty cool.’”

The advice she returns to is plain. Stop chasing

trends and lean into truth. “Make your

music and find the people who like it. When

I hear music, I only ask one thing: do I believe

you? Anybody can sing a song correctly. But if

you sell it, I’ll buy it.”

For further information see website:

teresajames.com

EXPLORE


“All you

hear are the

things you’d

change”


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NEW ORLEANS

CALLING

GABE STILLMAN

Gabe Stillman is speaking from New Orleans. Even over a slightly makeshift phone

connection, he sounds grounded and energised. The Pennsylvania guitarist and singer

has recently relocated to Louisiana, is preparing to release his first new record

in five years, and has joined Gulf Coast Records, a label that has become a natural

home for modern blues artists who value feel over fuss.

Stephen Harrison

Marc Pagani

What becomes clear very quickly is that Stillman sees

blues as a living, breathing form. He can talk gear and

grooves, but he always comes back to the same things:

songs that tell the truth, bands that serve the performance,

and records that capture a moment honestly.

A FRESH START IN NEW ORLEANS

Stillman moved to New Orleans at the beginning of

October, leaving Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It was

a musical decision as much as a personal one. He

speaks warmly about North Central Pennsylvania,

calling it a beautiful part of the world and

Williamsport a cool pocket of culture, but

he wanted daily immersion in a stronger

creative environment.

He had already been visiting New Orleans for a couple of

years and felt the pull immediately. The musical mix, the

depth of jazz and brass traditions, and the sheer density

of working musicians made an impression. “The first

time I came here,” he says, “I knew this could be where I

belong.”

FROM SAXOPHONE TO BLUES GUITAR

His first instrument was not guitar but saxophone, which

he picked up in third grade. Guitar followed around the

age of ten. He studied at the Uptown Music Collective in

his hometown and, like many of his generation, his early

obsession was rock. AC/DC, Metallica and Led Zeppelin

dominated his teenage imagination. He wanted to be

Angus Young.

A teacher eventually pointed out that those heroes were

essentially playing blues, just louder and heavier. At first,

Stillman struggled to make the instrument sound


like music. Then came a few simple, three-note blues

ideas. Suddenly the guitar began to speak. That moment

of connection pushed him deeper into the blues and onto

the stage.

LEARNING THE JOB

The Uptown Music Collective gave him performance

experience while he was still in high school. After that he

attended Berklee College of Music, completing his degree

in two and a half years by taking summer semesters.

He returned home, formed his own band, and has worked

professionally ever since.

Now 30, Stillman describes the past decade as a real education.

School gave him tools, but the road taught him the

job. “There’s no way to know how it’s done until you go

and do it,” he says. Those early years were about building

a regional following and learning how to lead a band.

THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE

In 2019, Stillman and his band reached the finals of the

International Blues Challenge. He also won the Gibson

Award for Best Guitarist, though he plays that down

quickly. What the recognition did was expand his reach

beyond Central Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

He was teaching at the Uptown Music Collective at the

time, but by early 2020 he left, expecting to tour more

heavily. Then the pandemic arrived. In hindsight, he sees

it as a strange gift. With touring paused, he wrote and

recorded Just Say The Word, released in 2021 and later

nominated for a Blues Music Award. He has toured that

material steadily, but the follow-up took longer than

planned. Now, five years on, the new record is finally

ready.

artists on the label and had heard nothing but positive

stories. Billy Price, Jason Ricci, Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia

were all names he respected and had encountered

on the road.

He had sent the new record to Mike Zito for feedback. At

the Blues Music Awards last year he met Ollie Overton,

the label’s organiser, who saw him perform in Memphis. A

proper conversation followed weeks later. Overton liked

the record and things moved quickly.

Stillman appreciates having experienced people handling

the business side so he can focus on writing and playing.

That said, he knows artists today cannot ignore the industry

entirely. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he says. He is

still learning.

A SNAPSHOT IN TIME

The album was tracked almost three years ago. Stillman

is still proud of it. The songs reflect exactly where he was

at that moment. For him, blues is about honesty: falling

in love, falling out of love, self-doubt, loss and grief. “It’s

the expression of humanity,” he says. The goal is always

to move people, because that is what the music he loves

does for him.

The record was produced by Anson Funderburgh, who

also handled his debut. The experience had been so positive

the first time that he saw no reason to change course.

He credits the band for capturing the material properly.

He admits that, with time, he might sing or phrase certain

lines differently. But that is part of the process. A record

is a snapshot. Songs continue to evolve on stage. He

points to artists like The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton

as examples of how material grows over decades without

losing its core identity.

INFLUENCES AND WRITERS

Stillman’s influences stretch across blues, soul and

Americana. Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon loom large,

particularly Dixon’s writing with its layered meanings and

sharp imagery. He cites B.B., Albert and Freddie King, and

names Sean Costello as a significant influence.

A NATURAL FIT WITH GULF COAST RECORDS

The new album arrives via Gulf Coast Records, and the

partnership grew organically. Stillman already knew

Vocally, Ray Charles and Otis Redding are reference

points. He also speaks highly of touring with John

Németh, calling him singular and honest. Greg Izor, The

Nighthawks and Mark Wenner all played roles in broadening

his horizons beyond his hometown.

Songwriting became central through artists like The

Band, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits. If he could

approach even half of their storytelling ability, he says, he

would consider it a success.


REWORKING A CLASSIC

One of the album’s surprises is a version of Gentle On My

Mind, written by John Hartford and famously recorded

by Glen Campbell. Stillman calls it one of his favourite

songs ever written. He believes a truly great song can

withstand reinterpretation because the structure is so

strong.

In the studio, the band found a groove that felt natural,

and he brought in saxophonist Kaz Kazanov to add a new

texture. The aim was not to reinvent the song beyond

recognition, but to inhabit it honestly.

LINE-UPS CHANGE

The musicians on the record were his touring band at

the time, though the line-up has evolved since. Drummer

Ray Hangen is now playing with Albert Castiglia and the

Blood Brothers, while bassist Colin is working with other

artists. Stillman speaks warmly of that group and seems

genuinely pleased to see them busy.

BACK ON THE ROAD AND ONTO VINYL

The album releases at the end of March, and Stillman is

already touring. Dates include the Lancaster Roots and

Blues Festival, followed by a run through Massachusetts,

Maine and upstate New York. He is also planning a hometown

release show in Williamsport.

For collectors, the album will also be available on vinyl,

his first time releasing in the format. Gulf Coast

made it possible, and he embraced it immediately.

He enjoys the physicality of vinyl: reading

credits, studying who played what, understanding

the full story of a record. It makes

listening feel more deliberate.

LOOKING OUTWARD

Stillman wants to play everywhere. Travel is part

of the reward. He hopes to reach the UK and Europe

for the first time, and with a new record and

label support, that feels increasingly realistic.

By the end of the conversation, he returns to the

same theme: write songs that matter, play them

honestly, and let the rest unfold. The rest, as he says,

you learn by doing.

EXPLORE


RESTORING THE

LEGACY OF IDA COX

THE SONGWRITING MATRIARCHS OF THE BLUES

Gina Coleman

Jane Feldman

Ma Rainey, Memphis Minnie and Victoria Spivey are

names that echo through the halls of music history. For

many contemporary blues musicians, these women are

more than historical figures. They were architects of the

craft. In the early 1920s they were not simply vocalists,

a word that can imply a passive role. They were prolific

songwriters and creative forces. They wrote about the

human condition with an honesty that challenged the

social limits of their time.

As I deepened my own exploration of the genre, I realised

that another equally prolific songwriter and performer

was missing from the modern conversation. Ida

Cox, often called the Uncrowned Queen of the Blues,

was a pioneering force whose influence runs as deep as

the Delta. Yet she has not received the same level of recognition

among modern audiences as some of her peers.

THE RISE OF THE

UNCROWNED QUEEN

Born in 1896 in Toccoa, Georgia, Ida Cox began

her journey in the demanding world of minstrel

shows. By the time she reached national fame

in the 1920s, recording 78 titles for Paramount

Records, she had developed a style that was

unmistakably her own.

What set Ida apart was her agency. Unlike many

performers of the era who were given material

by label executives or vaudeville writers, she

wrote the vast majority of her own songs. Her

enduring hit “Wild Women Don’t Have the

Blues” became an anthem of independence,

reflecting a spirit she embodied in her daily

life. She was a sharp and independent businesswoman

at a time when Black female autonomy

was routinely suppressed. She managed her

own career and produced major touring revues

including Raisin’ Cain and Darktown Scandals.

THE HAMMOND

CONNECTION AND

THE LONG SILENCE

Ida’s career had a remarkable second act. In 1939,


producer John Hammond recognised her significance

and invited her to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of his

From Spirituals to Swing concert. The event was designed

to present the evolution of African American music to a

broader, integrated audience and has since been recognised

as a landmark moment in music history.

Eventually Ida stepped away from the spotlight and

entered a retirement that lasted nearly two decades.

In 1959, determined to preserve the roots of the blues,

Hammond placed an advertisement in Variety magazine

in an effort to find her. He succeeded, arranging her final

comeback recording in 1961, Blues for Rampart Street,

where she was accompanied by the Coleman Hawkins

Quintet.

Ida Cox passed away six years later in Knoxville, Tennessee,

leaving behind a catalogue ready for rediscovery.

A PERSONAL CONNECTION

ACROSS GENERATIONS

I began my own career as a blues singer and songwriter

nearly 40 years after Ida’s final recording. As the leader

of my band Misty Blues for the past 27 years, I have

always felt a connection with the foundational women of

this genre. Like Ida, I have written more than 100 songs

and navigated the realities of independently managing a

band and career.

It was not until I launched my Queens of the Blues podcast

in 2022 that I fully grasped Ida’s story. The podcast is

dedicated to exploring the women who shaped recorded

blues music. Through this research I felt an immediate

connection to Ida, alongside a growing awareness of how

frequently she has been overlooked.

THE INSPIRATION FOR

UNCROWNED

In recent years I have watched with admiration as fellow

musicians honoured other pioneers. Charlie Apicella

received a Masterwork Art grant to celebrate Ma Rainey.

In 2023 Candice Ivory released When The Levee Breaks:

Music of Memphis Minnie. In 2025 Maria Muldaur released

her Grammy nominated tribute to Victoria Spivey,

One Hour Mama.

These tributes highlighted a clear absence. Ida Cox’s

body of work had not yet received a full album celebration.

On May 29, I will release Uncrowned: A Tribute To

Ida Cox, a complete album devoted to her songs. This is

my second solo album and a deeply personal project that

pairs her lyrical craft with my own musical interpretation.

“A COMPOSER,

A BUSINESS-

WOMAN AND

A PIONEER”

BRINGING THE MUSIC HOME

To honour Ida fully, I will perform this tribute in her

hometown. On July 10, 2026, I will present a live performance

and celebration at the Historic Ritz Theater in

Toccoa, Georgia. Hosted by the City of Toccoa as part of

their annual Ida Cox Music Series, the concert will serve

as a homecoming for her music.

My hope is that through this album and its performances,

Ida Cox will move closer to the recognition she deserves.

She was not simply a singer. She was a composer, a businesswoman

and a pioneer. It is time her name is spoken

with the respect it has always warranted.

UNCROWNED:

A TRIBUTE TO IDA COX

Executive Producer: Gina Coleman

Producers: Diego Mongue, Ronan Chris Murphy

Recording Engineer: Diego Mongue

Mixing and Mastering Engineer: Ronan Chris Murphy

Label: Guitar One Records

Featured Artists: Gaye Adegbaloa, Jontavious Willis

Gina Coleman: Vocals

Diego Mongue: Bass

Seth Fleischmann: Guitar

Rob Tatten: Drums

Aaron Dean: Clarinet

Jeff Dudziak: Banjo

David Vittone: Keys

www.ginacolemanmusic.com


BACK IN BLACKPOOL

The final weekend of January saw blues fans descend on Blackpool for the third Solid Entertainments

Rock and Blues Weekend, once again held at the Winter Gardens. Forty six acts performed

across four stages. The Main Stage was complemented by an Acoustic Stage, an Introducing Stage

and, for the first time, a dedicated Rock Stage.

Taf Rock

Dubbel Xposure Photography, Paul May, Eloise Harris

I spent Friday afternoon at the Acoustic Stage. Getting

there was a task in itself, navigating twisting corridors

reminiscent of the backstage search scene from Spinal

Tap. Jake Dixon, previously a member of North Manchester

band Hiding Magpies, opened proceedings with

a captivating set that included Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back

Down. Blackpool’s own John Carroll followed, performing

ragtime style blues and weaving through the audience

as he delivered a few pointed remarks aimed at the

current US president.

Matt Woosey thrilled the growing crowd with an exceptional

rendition of Out On The Western Plain, the Lead

Belly song famously covered by Rory Gallagher. His original

Cruel Disposition preceded The Rolling Stones’ Little

Red Rooster, during which audience participation was

enthusiastically encouraged. Woosey also showcased

some tasteful lap steel slide guitar. The final performance

of the afternoon came from Adam Norsworthy of The

Milkmen, whose set featured originals including Eating

Off The Floor, Lost In The Cinema and the emotionally

charged My Father’s Books.

Over on the Introducing Stage, Justin Light and The Midnighters,

Get Loose, Gus Glynn and audience vote winner

Andy Taylor performed to a lively and enthusiastic crowd.

The evening session saw the Introducing Stage transform

into the Rock Stage. Burnt Out Wreck, fronted by former

Heavy Pettin drummer Gary Moat delivering Bon Scott


style vocals, performed originals from their three albums,

including the anthemic Flames and the protest song

Swallow from their 2017 debut.

On the Main Stage, Thomas Heppell opened proceedings.

At one point the full band sat on the lip of the stage,

urging the packed audience to join in a singalong of

Victim Of Circumstance before finishing with a glorious

instrumental version of Little Wing. A swift turnaround

brought one of the UK’s finest blues guitarists, Mississippi

Macdonald, to the stage. Oliver’s soulful vocals stirred

the audience while his electrifying guitar work raised

the bar on Do Right, Say Right and Steppin’ In. My Bad

Attitude, Heavy State Lovin’ Blues and Ain’t Nobody’s

Business brought an exhilarating set to a close, with Oliver

declaring it a privilege to play for such an audience.

Deborah Bonham closed the

Main Stage, bringing back

memories of two years

ago when Robert Plant

appeared as an injury

replacement on the

Blues Matters

Stage. My own

evening ended

at the Rock

Stage where

Troy Redfern

and drummer

Nicky Waters

delivered an

energetic set

featuring Fire

Cosmic’s Waiting

For Your Love,

Sanctify and a

fiery take on

John The Revelator,

complete with guest harmonica from Get Loose

harpist Paul Ashby.

Saturday began in the early afternoon with Mississippi

Macdonald opening the Acoustic Stage once again, while

Birmingham’s Big Wolf Band took to the Main Stage.

Amba Tremain, awarded a Main Stage slot following her

victory on 2025’s Introducing Stage, seized the opportunity.

Her powerful, soulful voice captivated the audience,

leaving many visibly impressed. Despite a

long journey from the South Coast, the

band delivered an energetic performance

with strong stage presence,

highlighted by How You Gonna Feel

from her 2024 debut EP. The crowd

joined in to wish guitarist Ben Corner

a happy birthday before drummer

Col Lewis brought the set to a thunderous

conclusion.

A short hop downstairs led to the Introducing

Stage for Burning Rope,

formed from the ashes of Catfish

and featuring former Catfish

bassist Adam Pyke and vocalist

and keyboardist Paul Long

alongside guitarist Alex Voysey

and drummer Mitch Weaving.

They performed songs from

their debut album, including

the slow burning Before The

Landslide and the driving Something’s

Got To Change. Pyke

took the mic for a punk edged

version of Soft Cell’s Tainted Love,

emerging from behind the bass


with newfound swagger. Despite their strong showing,

Burning Rope were narrowly beaten to the stage win by

The Blue Lena. Cross Cut Saw and Lynsey Dolan Band

completed the Introducing Stage line up.

Back on the Acoustic Stage, Mark Harrison delivered

one of the weekend’s most memorable performances.

Recently struck down by a virus that cost him his voice,

Harrison opted to perform instrumental versions of

his songs. His trademark dry wit remained firmly intact

between numbers. The decision to focus purely on

instrumentation allowed the audience to appreciate his

exceptional guitar work on Fox Chase, Hard Work and

the superb 5000 Days.

Saturday evening opened on the Main Stage with Demi

Marriner. Although unwell and forced to cancel her

earlier Acoustic Stage appearance, she battled through

with a remarkable performance including Need To Know

and a strikingly reworked version of Sins from her debut

album The Things We Didn’t Say. Joe Coombs provided

a standout extended electric intro to Repeat Refrain

before Marriner unveiled a lively new track, Think Of Me,

from her forthcoming third album.

Greyfox Growl then summoned the faithful to the Rock

Stage before Greyfox Conspiracy delivered a commanding

set featuring tracks from their debut album Preacherman.

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis closed the day on the Main

Stage, surprising some with their seamless instrument

swapping and vibrant multi genre set.

Sunday began with technical issues delaying Kriss Riviera

and The Delta Du Bruit on the Main Stage. They eventually

performed a shortened set to warm applause. On the

Introducing Stage, McHale’s Permanent Brew delivered

a stunning performance that earned them day three winners.

Highlights included Cafe Bar A Go Go, Dead Magpie

and an ambitious All Along The Watchtower featuring a

mid song Close To The Edge rap section.

Brave Rival returned to the Acoustic Stage and drew the

largest acoustic crowd of the weekend. Poison, Secrets,

Wild Child and an impassioned Control sat alongside

the emotional For The Ones, which moved many in the

audience. Donna Peters alternated between drums and

acoustic guitar throughout an accomplished set.

On the Main Stage, James Oliver was joined on bass by

Norman Watt Roy. The trio mixed humour with first rate


musicianship, including four Dr Feelgood numbers: I Can

Tell, She Does It Right, Down By The Jetty and Roxette.

Seeing Watt Roy revisit the Wilko Johnson material was a

genuine highlight.

The final session opened with harmonica powerhouse

Will Wilde. Backed by Kev Hickman on drums and Greg

Coulson on keys, the band delivered a high energy set

including Hoochie Coochie Man and I Believe I’m In Love

Again.

Brave Rival returned to the Main Stage for a second

blistering performance. Lindsey commanded attention

as the band powered through Let Me Rock n Roll, Bad

Choices, Poison, Stars Upon My Scars and the explosive

Heavy. Ed Clarke impressed with slide work during Try

Again, exchanging playful on stage moments with Lindsey

throughout.

After such intensity, Andy Fairweather Low provided a

welcome shift in mood. Celebrating 60 years of gigging,

he began with a solo performance of Amen Corner’s number

one hit Half As Nice before The Low Riders joined

him for a run through including Route 66.

Meanwhile, on the Rock Stage, The Darker My Horizon

delivered a hard hitting set of Metallica inspired rock,

allowing festival goers to end the weekend in whichever

style suited them best.


MOVE ON

DOWN

THE LINE

Michael Van Merwyk

Colin Campbell

As credited

Michael van Merwyk is a blues artist who plays with purpose. Rooted in tradition

but driven by personal expression, his music reflects years of dedication to the

craft. With his new release, Move On Down The Line, van Merwyk delivers a set

of songs that speak of resilience, reflection, and the long road that defines the

blues. In this interview, he shares insights into his musical journey, the making of

the album, and the stories behind the songs.


Klaus Joswig


Introduction

When you speak with Michael van Merwyk, one thing becomes

immediately clear: categories don’t interest him. Genres, rules,

expectations, none of them matter as much as the story being

told. Whether it’s punk, blues, folk, or a Hank Williams lament,

van Merwyk’s music exists in the space where honesty overrides

labels. Calling in from Rheda-Wiedenbrück, a small town

in Nordrhein-Westfalen tucked between Dortmund and Hanover,

van Merwyk sounds exactly like his records feel; warm,

thoughtful, and refreshingly unpretentious.

From Punk Knees

to Pub Stools

Van Merwyk’s musical awakening didn’t come from a record

collection or a family tradition. It came from a moment. At

fifteen, he watched a guitarist from the German punk band

Die Straßenjungs spend an entire concert on his knees, playing

guitar and kissing a girl at the edge of the stage. “That’s when I

decided,” he laughs. “I want to do exactly this.” Like many teenagers

of his era, the guitar wasn’t just an instrument, it was a

passport. Inspired by punk bands like The Clash and Sex Pistols,

van Merwyk began teaching himself guitar, fumbling through

songs in G and C. Formal lessons didn’t last long. One teacher

famously told him to give it up altogether. Luckily, a group of

British expatriates living nearby had different ideas. “They took

me under their wing,” he says. “Long-haired guys, pub musicians.

They introduced me to blues, folk and everything.” Half

a year later, he was on stage, called up whenever a song stayed

safely within the keys he knew. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was

real.

Genres Are

Overrated

That early education left a permanent mark. Van Merwyk never

learned to respect musical boundaries and he’s happy about

that. “If it’s a good song, it’s a good song,” he shrugs. “I might

play a David Bowie song right after Muddy Waters, then something

I wrote myself. Genres were invented by record companies,

why limit yourself?” That philosophy carries into every

performance. Blues isn’t a museum piece for van Merwyk; it’s a

living language, meant to be spoken in your own accent.

The Long Road

(and Knowing

When to Stop)

For decades, van Merwyk lived the road-dog life—playing

pubs, festivals, and clubs across Europe. He toured relentlessly,

sometimes clocking 130 to 140 shows a year. But when family

came into the picture, priorities shifted. “I preferred raising a

family to chasing every gig,” he says simply. Still, the road never

fully released him. One familiar bus always had room: the tour

vehicle of Larry Garner. “Every time he was in Europe, he’d call

me,” van Merwyk recalls. “I’d jump on the bus for a week or

two, then get dropped back home.” Those years also brought

awards, recognition, and eventually a trip to Memphis, where

van Merwyk became part of the first European band to place

second at the International Blues Challenge, an important moment

for a musician who never chased trophies.


“Genres were

invented by record

companies, why

limit yourself?”

Katrin Biller


Klaus Joswig

“If there’s a

mistake, who

cares?”


Acoustic Truths

and Living-Room Blues

These days, distance matters more than destinations. Van Merwyk

prefers gigs close to home, good coffee or PG Tips tea and his own bed,

especially since hotel beds rarely accommodate someone standing

over six feet. More importantly, intimacy has become the goal. “I love

living-room concerts,” he says. “No microphones. No electricity. Twenty-five

people sitting right in front of you, no distance.” One recent show

took place in his own home. He cooked a large pot of gumbo, poured

drinks, and played songs as if sharing stories with friends rather than

performing for an audience. “The closer the people are, the more I like

it,” he says. “I want them to be part of the music.”

Cooking, Collaboration,

and Community

Food, like music, is about sharing. Van Merwyk remains close with Larry

Garner, though their conversations now revolve more around recipes

than setlists. Southern gumbo meets German Grünkohl. Louisiana spices

adapt to European tastes. Turkey necks, he admits, don’t always go over

well in Germany! “I just love cooking,” he says. “Italian, French, curries,

it’s all the same idea. Ingredients coming together.” That same philosophy

applies to songwriting.

Stories First, Always

Van Merwyk doesn’t start with riffs or melodies. He starts with stories

and lyrics, some lived, some overheard, some imagined. “I keep the story

in mind, then I build around it.” Ideas are captured on his phone, stitched

together later, shaped by instinct rather than method. Every song is different,

but the narrative always leads. That approach defined his latest

album, recorded not in a studio, but in a resonator guitar shop.

One Take, One Room,

One Feeling

The album, Move On Down The Line, was recorded in a single day, inside

a shop specialising in vintage resonator guitars, Mainwood Guitars in

the Netherlands. Armed with one or two microphones, van Merwyk

recorded 28 songs, each in a single take. “If there’s a mistake, who cares?

If the groove is right, it’s right.” Borrowing priceless instruments, a 1930

square-neck National tricone among them he played as if performing a

private concert. “It felt like a tiny live show, three people listening. That’s

perfect.”

Track Talk

The album opens with Watch Out: “At my concerts, everyone is welcome.

No matter who you are. “In a world that feels increasingly divided,

the song felt necessary again.

Cover songs, for van Merwyk, are never about imitation. They’re about

connection. His version of The Singing Waterfall by Hank Williams is

deeply personal, reminding him of his late second wife. “When I cover a

song, I have to find my own way, otherwise it doesn’t work.”

Smile And Walk: “That’s what you do in life, you make plans, and life

shows another direction and kicks you in the ass. In the end you can

weep and moan, or you just put a smile on your face, even if you feel like

crying inside and you walk on.”

That philosophy runs through much of his songwriting. There’s no denial


of pain, but there’s also no indulgence in it. The song isn’t

about pretending everything’s fine; it’s about resilience.

About movement. About choosing life over stagnation.

Not all of his songs come from grief or introspection.

Liquor Store Blues, lives firmly on the lighter side. “That

one’s just a fun song, I always introduce it as a drinking

song. I like to make people laugh and enjoy themselves,

that’s part of entertaining.”

One of the few songs on the album not written by van

Merwyk is Only I Got What The Other Guy Wants,

originally by Norman Beaker. “That’s my friend, we

toured together when he backed up Larry Garner.” The

song immediately resonated with him not just musically,

but personally. Though he reshaped it slightly in his own

style, he’s quick to credit its creator.

One of the most emotionally charged moments in the interview

comes when the conversation turns to Will Love

Find Me Again. “That was after my second wife passed

away, it was a big love”. In the aftermath of that loss, one

question haunted him. “Will love find me again? Will I

ever get another chance? I was lucky, I found my now

wife. People come up to me after gigs and say they’re in

the same situation,” he explains. “That’s why I write songs

not only for me, but for the people. What more can you

ask for as a songwriter?”

When the conversation shifts to Liars and Fools, the tone

sharpens. “Well, just turn on the news. There are a lot

of places where the wrong people are in charge. People

producing food who don’t know anything about food.

Politicians looking straight into the camera and telling lies

and not even being ashamed. I sit in front of the news and

think, ‘What did they just show me?’ I don’t get it.” That

disbelief became the song’s emotional core, a reflection

of a world that feels increasingly detached from truth.

Influence Without

Borders

His influences stretch wide: punk, metal, blues, folk,

country, chanson, even Greek rebetiko music. A latenight

blues radio show introduced him to Howlin’ Wolf,

changing everything. “That hit me like lightning,” he recalls.

From there came Charlie Patton, Lightnin’ Hopkins,

John Martyn, and eventually Johnny Cash, Iggy Pop, and

beyond. “To me, it’s always about the song, if it has soul, I

like it.”

Six Strings,

One Purpose

In the end, Michael van Merwyk doesn’t see guitars as

sacred objects or tools of identity. Electric or acoustic,

resonator or solid body, it’s all the same. “Six strings,

that’s all I need to tell my stories.”

Guitars, Resonators, and Letting the Instrument Speak

The album features an impressive range of guitars, eight

or nine different instruments, chosen largely by producer

Peter, whom van Merwyk trusted completely. “I

recorded the songs on my iPhone and sent them to him,

I said, ‘You choose the right resonator.’” From tricones to

single-cones, baritone resonators to well-travelled stage

guitars, each instrument was selected for its voice rather

than its pedigree.

A Voice Without

Training, Full of

Truth

Despite his distinctive vocal presence, van Merwyk has

no formal vocal training and never wanted any. “My music

teacher always told me, ‘Don’t sing, you’re too loud,’” he

laughs. “But I didn’t care. I just open my mouth and tell

the story the best way I can.” That approach, imperfect,

unpolished, deeply human fits perfectly with his philosophy

of music.

What the Blues

Really Mean

When asked what the blues mean to him, he draws an important

distinction. “There’s a difference between blues

and blues music,” he says. “The blues themselves hardship,

loss, trouble are things you’d rather live without.

Blues music, on the other hand, is essential. Influences for

him stretch far beyond genre boundaries, from Lightnin’

Hopkins to John Martyn, traditional Irish songs to David

Bowie’s Heroes.

“Music is like coffee in the morning, Guinness at night.

You eat, breathe, and you play.”

Looking Ahead: New

Projects and Old

Values

Van Merwyk shows no sign of slowing down. Recent

and upcoming projects include a raw electric live album

with German blues veteran Abi Wallenstein, a vinyl-only

collaboration with Bad Temper Joe, and a piano-focused

project featuring players like boogie woogie pianist Axel

Zwingenberger. It’s a fitting summary of his approach.

“If you’ve got nothing to say,” he shrugs, “keep it short.”

In a musical world increasingly obsessed with speed and

volume, Michael van Merwyk remains committed to

something simpler and far more difficult, telling the truth

and smiling as he walks on.

For further information see website: www.bluesoul.de

EXPLORE


“hardship, loss,

trouble are

things you’d

rather live

without”

Maik Reishaus


THE 44TH LEGENDARY

RHYTHM AND BLUES

CRUISE

Late night fun at Chuk Barber’s

Soul Lounge

Where else could you not only listen to fantastic blues music, but also hear everyone’s

favorite storyteller, Doug MacLeod, relate the story of how he and his bandmates

managed to discreetly hand off Big Joe Turner’s false teeth to him while he

was performing, without the audience ever noticing?

Anita Schlank

Laura Carbone

Only on Roger Naber’s Legendary Rhythm and Blues

Cruise! The 44th Blues Cruise left Fort Lauderdale

last January, headed to the Bahamas, St. John and St.

Maarten with impressive performances by 37 bands/

duos/solo artists, as well as fascinating interviews, panel

discussions, and a fun and informative lecture on the evolution

of Blues, Boogie-Woogie and Rock-n-Roll by “Klan

Whisperer” Daryl Davis.

As always, the cruise has the perfect combination of

favorite “regulars” (such as Taj Mahal, Kenny Wayne

Shepherd, Tommy Castro and the Rev. Billy C. Wirtz),

returning favorites, (such as Danielle Nicole, Ronnie Baker

Brooks, Southern Avenue, and Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk),

and up-and- coming artists that might be

previously unfamiliar to some of the audience members

(such as winner of the IBC-Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal,

former winner of the IBC-Keeshea Pratt, Belgian native

turned New Orleans resident-Ghalia Volt, Stephen Hull,

Sean “Mack” McDonald, and Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport).

One wonderful surprise was getting to see Mikey

Junior on the ship, joining Victor Wainwright, Vaness


Collier and many others.

While the LRBC has always been known for impromptu

collaborations and unique pairings of artists during jam

sessions, there appeared to be an extra-special emphasis

on artists supporting each other during this cruise, which

was an attitude very much welcomed during this time of

heightened tension and division in the world. There was

a panel discussion led by Blues Music Magazine’s editor,

Art Tipaldi, during which Billy Branch, Vanessa Collier,

Nick Moss, Dennis Gruenling and Harrell “Young Rell”

Davenport discussed those who mentored, supported

and/or influenced their careers. Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s

trumpeter, Doug Woolverton, raced all over the

boat, joining Vanessa Collier for a beautiful rendition of

one of her original songs, before perching on the pool’s

edge, facing off with the brass section of his former

band (Victor Wainwright and the Train) for the quirky

but catchy Jungle Book song. The signature animal print

clothing and vampire-like presence of the exceptional

harmonica player, Dennis Gruenling (sometimes referred

to as “Count Chromatic), could also be seen running to

assist “Monster” Mike Welch and others when he was

not playing with the Nick Moss Band. And Dylan Tripplett

invited many guests to share the stage on his shows.

Also, Kenny Wayne Shepherd continued his tradition of

calling multiple guests for his final show of the cruise,

including Mathias Lattin, Ronnie Baker Brooks and

Danielle Nicole. Mr. Sipp did the same for his Gospel

Show, generously allowing Sean “Mack’ MacDonald, (who

seemed filled with the Holy Spirit), to take over the stage

at one point. (Mack later explained that he had missed

church for a few weeks and greatly needed that moment

of expression.) And Christone “Kingfish” Ingram invited

so many guests to join him during his Red Zero jam that

by the end, when they all joined at once, some wondered

if the stage might collapse.

Cruisers witnessed some wonderfully unexpected mo-

Sean McDoanald with Castro

Coleman (Mr. Sipp)

Danielle Nicole

Musicians and Fans

Mix Together


ments in the piano bar too. For example, the supremely

talented (and very stylish) Brazilian-born bass player

from the Nick Moss Band, Rodrigo Montavani, sounded

amazing playing a somewhat primitive-looking washtub

bass that he had brought, when he joined Jontavious

Willis, Sean “Mack” MacDonald and Stephen Hull at the

piano bar. Rodrigo noted that he was very happy for the

opportunity to “play with the young guys”. He pointed out

that there were few traditional blues jams to be found,

and he appreciated that he could show his passion for the

washtub bass. He explained, “In the 40’s there were a lot

of famous recordings using the washtub bass. I loved it so

much I started collecting those recordings and now have

about 100 albums that use it. It’s a cool part of history

that is kind of disappearing, so I’m trying to help bring it

back.”

Vanessa Collier

with Mikey Jr

Artists weren’t the only ones racing from stage to stage.

Cruisers also ran between stages, monitoring who was

joining the Pro-Jam on the back deck, trying to catch

when Ivan Neville and members of Dumpstaphunk might

show up at Chuk Barber’s late night Soul Lounge, and

trying to catch all the one-time only collaborations that

might occur at any moment during the late-night hours

at the piano bar or up in Mr. Sipp’s Sugar Shack inside the

Crow’s Nest.

The sense of collaboration, support and joy was perhaps

best described by Doug Woolverton. “On the blues

cruise, it’s the best of the best of blues musicians, and we

get to show our love for each other through music. We

all love each other, and we all respect each other, and

hopefully that comes out in the music. That’s the magic of

the blues cruise!”

Isn’t it time to see the magic for yourself? Come find out

why Roger Naber declares that his cruises are “occasionally

imitated but never replicated”.

Visit www.bluescruise.com

Kenny Wayne Shepard with

Ronnie Baker Brooks

Taj Mahal the Maestro

of the cruise

Young Rell Davenport


Christone Kingfish Ingram

Dylan Triplett with

Sean McDonald

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

with Mathias Lattin

Doug Woolverton


CARRYING

THE FLAME

There are interviews you conduct, and then there are conversations you sit

with. Talking to Fiona and Paul Long about their son Matt is the latter. There

is honesty, pride, humour, heartbreak - and above all, love.

Michael Nunn

As credited

Matt Long was the driving force behind Catfish. He was guitarist, songwriter,

frontman and emotional core. Since his passing, his parents have carried his

legacy with quiet determination, completing his final recordings, launching a

tribute album and ensuring his music does not fade into silence. This is their story.

“That’s what I want to do for a living.”

Fiona can pinpoint the exact moment music stopped being a hobby for Matt.

Joe Bonamassa had just played the Royal Albert Hall. Matt was fourteen or fifteen,

buzzing with adrenaline. When the lights came up, he turned and said, “That’s what

I want to do for a living.”

He meant it.

Within a year he was studying at the Academy of Contemporary Music in

Guildford, having left school at sixteen. There he found what Fiona calls his tribe,

musicians who would become lifelong friends, including Adam Pyke, later Catfish’s

bassist, and Adrienne Cowan, now of Avantasia.

The foundations had been laid earlier. Matt grew up with blues in the house, but

his influences widened dramatically at college. Alongside traditional blues came

symphonic metal and bands like Alter Bridge. Catfish would reflect that blend.

“Catfish took inspiration from the blues and then ramped it up a bit,” Fiona

explains. “Matt’s songs were unapologetically blues rock, but always with their

f eet in the blues.”

The lyrics were deeply personal.

Marco van Rooijen


“He played

with such

intensity”


“We gave them complete

creative freedom, and

I’m so glad we did”

Tony Cole

“This keeps

Matt in

people’s

minds”

“All his original songs were written about his own

experiences. He felt that way he could connect more

with the song and the lyrics.”

Passion and doubt

Matt’s defining trait as a musician was passion.

“He played with such intensity,” Fiona says.

“He loved playing from an early age and

became almost obsessive.”

Yet alongside the fire was doubt. Even after

being named Instrumentalist of the Year

two years running by the UK Blues Forum,

he questioned himself. Anxiety and depression

shadowed him, themes he addressed

openly in songs such as Exile.

It is part of why fans connected so strongly. “People

told us they connected with the lyrics, especially where

he bared his soul.”

But it was not just the songs.

Matt was, in Fiona’s words, a gentle giant. He gave time

to fans after every show, even if it meant delaying the

band’s pack-down. He talked, listened and laughed.

Accessibility was part of Catfish’s identity.

The night Skegness fell silent

For Fiona and Paul, one defining moment came at the

British Blues Festival in Skegness around 2016. Catfish

closed with their epic slow blues Make It Rain.

The final note rang out. Silence.

Then the room erupted.

“Half the audience were in tears,” Fiona recalls. “As was

Matt.” People still approach them to say that was the

moment they first understood what Catfish were about.

When the music was too much

After Matt’s passing, music became complicated.

Chris Griffiths

“At first it was too hard to listen,” Fiona admits.

“The sense of loss was overwhelming.”

Eventually, live performance footage brought comfort.

Seeing him play brought him back, briefly. Backstage


clips, the playful unguarded Matt, are still harder.

The final Catfish album, Time To Fly, carries particular

weight. Some tracks had been partially recorded. Others

existed as voice notes or near-complete demos on Matt’s

phone and computer. Several were written during his

cancer journey.

Paul, a former BBC sound engineer and live music

producer, painstakingly reconstructed the material using

Matt’s original audio files. The band completed them.

“There are still songs I can’t listen to without tears,” Fiona

says. “But it is also reassuring to hear his voice.” Completing

that album felt essential. A way of honouring his final

work.

From one solo to a double album

The tribute album With A Little Help From My Friends

began with a simple idea. Family friend Dudley Ross

suggested approaching Josh Smith to see whether Joe

Bonamassa might contribute a guitar solo to one of

Matt’s songs. Fiona and Paul already knew Joe

through Paul’s BBC work and were deeply touched

when he agreed.

That single track sparked something bigger.

The summer of 2024 had seen an outpouring of

benefit gigs from the UK blues community to

raise funds for Matt’s treatment. Fiona decided

to ask those same artists if they would reinterpret

Matt’s songs.

Every one said yes.

Walter Trout. Zac Schulze. Will Wilde. Elles Bailey.

Dom Martin. Brave Rival. Many more.

What began as a single collaboration became a

double album featuring artists from both the UK

and the US.

“We gave them complete creative freedom,”

Fiona says. “And I’m so glad we did.”

Elles Bailey transformed Better Days with The

Cinelli Brothers and a horn section.

Dom Martin stripped one of

Matt’s heavier tracks back

to voice and acoustic guitar,

revealing the strength of the

songwriting. Brave Rival and

Alice Armstrong created

videos incorporating

footage of Matt,

including moments

Fiona had not

seen before from

tours and the Joe Bonamassa Blues Cruise in 2023. “It

was emotional,” she says. “But lovely at the same time.”

More than a tribute

The album feels less like a project and more like a

gathering. “The blues and blues rock community has

always been supportive,” Fiona says. “We’re very lucky to

be part of such a friendly and inclusive genre.”

Some contributors were close personal friends. Others

had crossed paths at festivals. All wanted to honour him.

There is also a wider purpose. All profits go to the Royal

Surrey County Hospital, where Matt received treatment.

Funding additional equipment for the ward brings some

sense that good may come from loss.

“It doesn’t take the grief away,” Fiona says. “Nothing will

ever make things quite right again. But this keeps Matt in

people’s minds. It keeps his songs alive.”

Play it loud

How would Matt have reacted to the album? “He

would have been overwhelmed,” Fiona says. “And

very humbled.”

He never took his fanbase for granted. Every

ticket, every album, mattered. Since his passing,

the messages have meant everything. Stories

of favourite songs, unforgettable gigs and first

encounters with the band.

If Matt’s music leaves one message behind, Fiona

believes it is this: speak about what you are feeling.

His strongest songs addressed anxiety

and depression directly.

“Don’t try and deal with it alone,”

she says. “It’s nothing to be

ashamed of.”

And beyond that, find

your own joy in his music.

Everyone has their favourite

track. So play it loud.

Remember him.

Rob Blackham


“Orphans is made up of

songs that never quite

had a home on past or

future albums”

Matthew Stubbs, GA-20

Elizabeth Ellenwood

A-

piece playing hard edged Chicago blues similar in style to Hound Dog Taylor

TAKING CARE OF

THE ORPHANS AND

PUSHING ON

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

AS CREDITED

Matthew Stubbs is the founder and driving force behind Boston based

GA-20. He decided to create the band in early 2018, partly out of necessity

and partly out of wanting to play the type of music he loves.

Matt had made a big impression on blues audiences playing guitar for

legendary harp man Charlie Musselwhite so it was something of a blow

when Charlie decided to spend a year touring with Ben Harper to promote

a project they had worked together on. Faced with a situation of potentially

a year of earning very little Matt put together GA-20 as a hard driving three

& The Houserockers blended with a garage rock attitude. By the end of that

first year the band were signed to Colemine Records and the journey had

begun in earnest.

With a couple of new band members on board (Cody Nilsen on guitar and

vocals, Josh Kiggans, drums) and the release of Orphans, a collection

of covers that over time have become live favourites, now seemed

a good time to catch up with Matt again to get the lowdown on

what’s happening in the world of GA-20. We had arranged to

link up via zoom when the band were in Denver as part of

their current tour but due to severe traffic hold ups when

we did connect Matt had parked up in a Walmart car park

in the middle of nowhere between Kansas and Denver.

Luckily the signal was good!

I started by asking Matt how the tour was going.

‘Great, it’s going well. This one’s not too long, just like

two weeks. We’re a little over halfway done. We’ve

just got four shows in Colorado, and then we drive all

the way home. We’re home for two weeks and then

we head over to Europe for a couple of weeks playing

in France, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.’

I wondered if another UK trip was on the cards.

The band have built up a strong fan base here from

previous tours.

64

ISSUE 159 : BLUESMATTERS.COM

20

Elizabeth Ellenwood



Fancey Pansen

‘We’re working on it. I was hoping it was going to be

confirmed for this interview, but I’m still waiting to

hear from our booking agent about all the details, but

we’re trying to come over in the fall. We’re shooting for

October so hopefully that happens.’

New release Orphans brings together eight tracks of

blues and blues influenced covers, some that were

previous singles or live favourites, into one release. It

reminded me of when the band released the Hound

Dog Taylor covers album ahead of their original material

recording even though that was ready in the wings. I

asked Matt if this was a similar situation.

“Just traditional

blues that we love

and kind of getting

back a little

bit to our first record”

‘Yeah, so we do to answer your question. We do have

a studio album done that will be coming out.; it’s not

announced yet, but later this year. So, we have like

another whole album. Orphans was, you kind of nailed

it; it was when the new singer Cody Nilsson came in,

we wanted to have some music out there with him on

it, so you know, so people could get to know him and

hear what he sounds like. So originally, we recorded an

EP earlier in 2025 when he was coming in. It was called

Volume Two, and it was four songs. And as soon as we

started touring, I mean, we just printed it on CDs, and it

would come out on digital streaming. Right away people

were asking for it on vinyl, but it didn’t make a lot of

sense to do a four song LP so we decided to go back in

and record a B side to that EP. So, Orphans came about.

The whole concept of the name came from songs that

we’ve either played live or recorded or wanted to

record that didn’t really have a place on past albums or

maybe even future albums. Just traditional blues that

we love and kind of getting back a little bit to our first

record Lonely Soul or the Hound Dog record where

it was traditional Chicago blues for the most part. I’m

excited and a little surprised how much people like it

because it was something I’d thought about doing for a

few years.’

The song choices on Orphans are all very good, interesting

songs and artists to cover, avoiding the obvious

ones that everybody does. I told Matt I was a bit surprised

to see a James Brown song included.

‘Some of them I’ve known for a long time. I tried to pick

ones that showcased Cody and Josh but also wanted

to sound like a GA-20 record. Cody’s a great guitar

player and singer but he’s also able to play lap steel and

pedal steel. That’s why we picked Hold On I’m Coming

which was originally a soul song but Earl Hooker in the

60’s recorded that with Freddie Roulette on lap steel.

I’ve always loved that track but I don’t play lap steel so

that’s why we picked that one and just went into the

studio and cut it, we’ve never played it live because we

don’t have a bass player and there’s bass and organ on

that.

The James Brown song, I Don’t Mind was originally recorded

by him but we’re doing the version I’ve always


loved by The Who from My Generation. Their version

is a little like a garage rock approach which GA-20 have

always gravitated towards. Kind of raw torn up blues but

I’m a big fan of Garage rock and soul music. It’s a song

we’ve played live for a while but never recorded but with

Cody being such a good singer he was able to nail that.’

Cody Nilsen is a very impressive vocalist, I’m sure GA-20

fans are going to love seeing and hearing him live. He has

a great range and has plenty of swagger. Both Cody and

Josh have previously played together in the band Ward

Hayden & The Outliers, a Boston based band that were

more Americana in style. Interestingly Josh wasn’t the

main vocalist and only got to sing occasionally.

‘This is just the start of it. On the next record he pushes

it even further. With his previous band he was the guitarist

and I think he got to sing one song a night. He did

put out a couple of solo records where he sings but as far

as fronting a band all the time this is new to him.’

I wanted to know from Matt if he expected to find someone

to replace Pat Faherty on guitar who would also be

able to take on the vocals in such a way or was that a

bonus.

Elizabeth Ellenwood

‘When it was clear I needed to get a new guy to come

in I knew it was a tough role to fill. They needed to be a

singer, be able to play blues and then also able to play

bass, even though we don’t have a bass guitar player

because we trade who’s playing bass lines on guitar.

Which is a whole different approach. It’s one thing to

be a lead player in a band but if you have to be able to

weave and play bass lines on certain songs and switch to

leads and chords, and then on top of that be able to sing,

it’s a tall order. So, I had a couple of names in mind that I

thought could fit and Cody was first choice and he nailed

it. What’s even better is he only lives about a mile from

my house which makes things a lot easier too.’

Picking up on Matts comments about interweaving the

guitar parts I wondered if covering songs that were originally

recorded by harp players lent more into the GA-20

style. On Orphans there are covers of Billy Boy Arnolds

‘Cryin’ N Pleadin’, and Little Walters ‘My Baby Sweeter’

for instance. And of course, Matt has toured extensively

with Charlie Musselwhite.

‘With Chicago blues harmonica was on so many records

and lots of the singers also played harp. I toured with

Charlie for between seventeen and eighteen years so

that certainly rubbed off on me. But really, I just like

those records. With the Billy Boy song it was one of the

first we picked when Cody camo on board, it was like ‘we

got to do this one’. I got to play with Billy Boy once and

it was a lot of fun. He sat in with Charlies band; it was

really cool. There were so many harp players on those

records it’s hard not to do a Little Walter or Junior Wells

song.’


Knowing that the band had already recorded a new originals album

and were in the studio working on new stuff I wanted to know how

much Cody has contributed and if the bands sound would stray very far

away from previous GA-20 albums. Could we expect maybe an organic

growth.

‘Absolutely. The record that we have coming out later this year is a blues

album, straight ahead traditional Chicago blues. We’re working so that

one’s done and now we’re writing for the one to follow up that. That

one has some other influences coming in. It’s still very much GA-20 but

like past albums, for instance Crackdown had some other influences, a

little country came in there, some garage rock, some soul. The newer

stuff we’re writing which will be two records down from now definitely

touches on some other stuff. It’s fun pushing the boundaries but trying

to stay using the vocabulary that we’ve always used, guitars and the way

we record, stuff like that. Cody has spent a large portion of his career

playing traditional country on electric guitar, lap and pedal steel so he’s

got a wide range when it comes to it. His dad plays a little blues harmonica

and loves blues music, so Cody grew up in a house with blues all

around. When he first learned guitar, he went through a blues phrase

like most guitar players. He’s able to play slide and really get that Elmore

James and Hound Dog Taylor sound but he’s also able to clean it up and

do more articulate melodic stuff which is pretty exciting.’

With European and hopefully UK tour dates to come I wondered what

fans could expect to hear. Would some of the older favourites still be in

the set.

‘We’re at the one-year point now touring with Cody and set consists of

a bit of everything. We play songs from all out records and then we play

some new covers and some new originals. So, if someone’s seen Ga-20

before I think they’ll still love it. They will still get the things that they

liked and then they’re going to get some new stuff. We still do some

Hound Dog tunes because everyone wants to hear that. We’re pretty

active on social media putting up live footage videos so people can find

that.’

Fancey Pansen

EXPLORE



“THE BLUES

WEREN’T

ACADEMIC. I

RECOGNISED

THEM”

GARRET T. WILLIE

Taylor Burk


BILL’S CAFE AND

THE LONG ROAD

TO NASHVILLE

Garret T. Willie is not in any rush to pretend his rise has been

neat or linear. The Canadian guitarist and singer talks the way he

plays, direct, grounded, and with a sense of lived-in honesty that

sits comfortably inside the blues.

Stephen Harrison

As credited

We caught up to talk about his second album, Bill’s Cafe,

how a chance meeting at a Buddy Guy show led to writing

sessions in Nashville with Tom Hambridge, and how a jam

on Joe Bonamassa’s Blues Cruise helped open the door to

a new label home at Gulf Coast Records.

MAKING BILL’S CAFE

Bill’s Cafe did not arrive on a tight schedule. After his

first record, Same Pain, Garret expected to roll straight

into the next release. Real life had other ideas. Funding

took time, shows slowed, and the project was pushed

back while he kept writing. Some of that early work was

done with Parker Bosley, who produced the debut and

remained a key creative sounding board while Garret

bounced between home and the road.

The turning point came through his manager, and an

unexpected suggestion from an agent who had been

offering small opportunities for years. If Garret wanted

to take the next step with a new record, he was told to

connect with Tom Hambridge. That name carries weight

in modern blues. Hambridge has a long track record as a

writer and producer, including extensive work with Buddy

Guy, and a reputation for getting strong performances

onto tape without sanding the edges off.

A GREEN ROOM

HANDSHAKE WITH

TOM HAMBRIDGE

The first face-to-face meeting happened in Toronto, backstage

at Massey Hall after a Buddy Guy show. The detail

that makes Garret laugh now is the distance involved.

Toronto was not a short hop for him. It was a major trip

across Canada, but his manager booked flights anyway

and treated it like a simple weekend job. Garret went,

watched Buddy Guy deliver what he calls an incredible

show, then met Hambridge afterwards.

In the green room, Hambridge kept it simple. Do you

want to make a record? Garret’s answer was immediate.

Yes. Ready now. A handshake followed, and the idea

became a plan.

WRITING IN NASHVILLE

Not long after, Garret headed to Nashville for writing

sessions at Hambridge’s place. He arrived with riffs, lyric

ideas, and half-built songs. Hambridge and writer Rich-


SPOTIFY

LISTEN

TO THIS INTERVIEW

Sydney Woodward


74 Sydney ISSUE 159 Woodward : BLUESMATTERS.COM

ard Fleming helped shape the material, fitting pieces

together and tightening the language where needed.

Garret describes it like puzzle work, with Hambridge

acting as the instructor on how to build a song that

lands cleanly.

From there, the process moved quickly. Sessions were

booked with top-level players, tracks were cut, and then

the album went straight into mixing. The bigger delay

had been getting to the starting line. Once it began, it

rolled.

WHY IS IT CALLED

BILL’S CAFÉ?

The album title almost went in a very different direction.

Garret originally planned to call the record Liquid

Courage, a nod to his uncle Tyler’s band from Alert Bay,

the group that helped give him his first real push. In

2010, Garret opened a local music festival playing AC/

DC songs backed by his uncle’s band. For a kid in a small

town, that mattered.

In the end, he and his team felt they could find a title

with deeper meaning. Garret’s thoughts went to his

grandfather, Bill Cranmer, and the town landmark he

ran. People called it the pool hall, but it was really a

restaurant with a few tables, the first place you saw

when you got off the boat in Alert Bay. It later burned

down, was partially rebuilt, and became a big empty

space where Garret was allowed to practise. He would

set up a small stereo, an amp, and play AC/DC for hours

while the town passed the windows. Sometimes people

stopped to listen. Sometimes he played outside on the

deck in the sun.

That memory carried the right kind of weight. Bill’s

Cafe clicked, not as a marketing move, but as a personal

marker for where the music started.

“IT WAS

WHERE

THE MUSIC

STARTED”

FROM AC/DC TO

THE BLUES

Garret’s first obsession was not blues; it was AC/DC. He

remembers being seven or eight and watching an old

VHS of AC/DC live at Donington. Angus Young running

wild across the stage, Brian Johnson going full tilt. It lit

something up. Even one specific song intro stayed with

him, and looking back, he realises it was essentially a

12-bar blues feel. At the time, he only knew it felt right.

As he got older, the blues came through records at

home. His stepfather, Lauren Stadnik, had shelves of

music, multiple copies, deep catalogues: Elvis, Muddy

Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams

Sr., Jerry Lee Lewis, along with plenty of Rolling Stones.

Garret spent weekends digging through it all, listening

hard, relating to the emotion more than the detail. He

talks openly about difficult times at home, heavy drinking

around him, and the way those old records matched

what he was feeling. The blues were not an academic


discovery. It was something he recognised.

A small town scene and learning what moves people

Alert Bay did not have a big formal blues circuit. Garret

remembers his uncle’s band playing, plus a few other

local names who carried older rock and roll, Chuck Berry,

Stones tunes, bits of blues, and party music that travelled

through the town.

Some of his earliest education came from being handed

control of the stereo during gatherings of his stepfather’s

fisherman friends. He was the de facto DJ, watching what

people reacted to, learning in real time what made a room

lean in, what made them ask for the volume, and what

made them tell you to put something else on. It was informal,

but it was training.

SELF-TAUGHT,

STUBBORN, AND

BETTER FOR IT

Garret largely taught himself. A would-be guitar teacher

told him to go away, learn all the chords, and come back.

Garret did not. He took it personally, went home, and

proved he could make progress without permission. He

learned by watching live videos and putting his fingers

where he saw Angus or Stevie Ray Vaughan place theirs.

Years later, the same man points him out proudly in town

and calls him a friend. They have jammed together and

even played free shows at the local Legion just to bring

the community out. It is a neat circular ending, but Garret’s

version of the story keeps the edge. The motivation

mattered.

WRITING SPLIT

AND HAMBRIDGE’S

INFLUENCE

On Bill’s Cafe, the writing is shared. Garret calls it roughly

fifty-fifty. Some tracks were written primarily by Hambridge

and Fleming. Others came from Garret alone, or

from earlier sessions with Parker Bosley. Garret points

to songs like Hypnotist as his own and Small Town People

as a co-write with Bosley. Even when he was not the main

writer, he contributed riffs, solos, and arrangement ideas,

often leaning into the harder rock side that sits naturally

in his playing.

Meeting Hambridge in person added a sense of scale. At

Hambridge’s house in Nashville, Garret saw walls filled

with the history of those with whom Hambridge had

worked with. Buddy Guy, of course, but also names that

shaped Garret as a kid, including George Thorogood.

Standing there, he could not quite square it: a young player

from the Bay, in a Nashville basement, about to make a

record with someone whose credits cover so much of the

genre.

The Blues Cruise moment and joining Gulf Coast Records

Sydney Woodward


Garret’s route into Gulf Coast Records began in the floating

pressure cooker of Joe Bonamassa’s Blues Cruise. He

boarded with scheduled sets, but found himself in the artist

lounge watching an acoustic jam. He did not even know

who Jimmy Vivino was at the time. Vivino invited him to

sit down, grab a guitar, and call a tune. Garret suggested a

blues in A and launched into a B.B. King-style lick.

Vivino stopped him almost immediately and said, “You’re

in.”

Garret thought it meant the lounge jam. It did not. He

arrived later at the Stardust Theatre, the main room on

the ship, to find he had been pulled into a B.B. King 100th

birthday set with a stacked line-up. Joe Bonamassa, Sue

Foley, Marcus King, Larry McCray, Joanne Shaw Taylor,

and others. Garret describes it as bigger than he thought it

was going to be, then shrugs in the way working musicians

do when the only option is to play.

After the cruise, he noticed Gulf Coast Records following

him on Instagram and engaging with his posts. Rather than

wait, Garret sent a blunt message: when are you going to

sign me? The response came back quickly. Done. The label

spoke with his manager and moved ahead. Garret laughs

at how simple it felt after years of waiting for doors to

open.

VINYL, TOURING, AND

WHAT COMES NEXT

Garret is a vinyl person. He collects it, he values it, and he

likes the idea of the album existing as a physical object.

Bill’s Cafe is part of a busy stretch ahead, with touring

plans that include dates in Ontario and shows closer to

home, plus a UK run with Ally Venables later in the year.

He also mentions work in progress for dates in the Czech

Republic, possible travel down to San Diego, and a hope

that George Thorogood might one day pull the trigger on

taking them out on the road.

Garret saw Thorogood live as a teenager, dressed like him,

and remembers Thorogood pointing him out mid-song. It

is the kind of small moment that sticks with you for years,

not because it proves anything, but because it fuels the

idea that you might belong on those stages one day.

For now, Bill’s Cafe stands as the clearest statement of

who Garret T. Willie is. A hard-edged blues-rock player

shaped by small-town rooms, family spaces, old records,

and a stubborn refusal to wait for permission.

EXPLORE

x3 Shelanne Justice Photography


SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC NEAR YOU

BLUES IN A

STATE OF MIND


HOW BLUES LEGEND BOBBY

RUSH BECAME THE APPLE OF

NEW YORK CITY’S EYE

Abbe Sparks

Arnie Goodman

Ninety-three-year-old Blues legend Bobby Rush has

made 439 records of his own recording, has performed

all over the world, garnered 3 GRAMMY® Awards, six

GRAMMY nominations, 18 Blues Music Awards, broken

barriers, is a Blues Hall of Famer and has remained

current in today’s music scene.

He has frequented New York City and the tri-state area

for well over fifty years and while he has captured the

hearts of its residents, it wasn’t always so. At 93 years

young, the legendary bluesman shares his impressions

of performing in the Big Apple, from the early days up

until last month at The Iridium.

WHY DO YOU LIKE NEW

YORK, BOBBY?

I like New York because it’s so cold-blooded. I say

cold-blooded ‘cause you wouldn’t be luke warm in New

York. You’re either hot or cold. They either like you or

they hate you, there’s no in-between. You can understand

that, right? If your friends don’t tell you the truth,

who will?

DO YOU REMEMBER THE

FIRST TIME YOU CAME AND

PLAYED IN NEW YORK?

No, but I do remember the first time my heart got

broken. (he chuckles). It was 1973 or 1974, something

like that. I don’t remember the name of the place I was

playing, but this big reggae guy, Bob Marley was headlining.

I did not know Bob Marley, I just heard about

him. I didn’t know he was a big superstar. I was to go on

after him. The place we were playing had….must have

been ten thousand people there to see him. They had

me come on after him. The people were on there way

out. No one knew who I was back then in these parts.

(guess- it was one of NYC’s Piers, often used for concerts)

I saw the crowd leaving, and at that time, I felt I

had to get that crowd to come back some kind of way. I

didn’t know much about New York, but I knew I had to

do something. THE CROWD WAS LEAVING!

SO WHAT DID YOU DO?

So as Bob Marley was going off the stage, I had my band

go on real quick. I pulled everything off but my pants. I

had one shoe on, one off, and I had the crowd thinking ‘I

gotta go back and see that naked man on stage.” I had to

do that, because Bob Marley had everybody there, and

it worked! They knew me as Bobby “Naked” Rush. But I

had the crowd. They listened to me then.

CARE TO ELABORATE?

The crowd for Bob Marley was mostly white. White

folk really didn’t know me back then, especially in New

York City. So, I thank God for this. At the time, I was the

only man that could cross-over. Most of the guys who

did cross-over lost the black audience.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE

NYC CLUBS YOU PLAYED AT

THAT ARE NO LONGER THERE?

I used to play at a club called The Underground (17TH

and Broadway) and I did the grand opening of the B B

King Club in Times Square. New York still has great

clubs, there’s just not more of them now.

LARGER VENUES OR SMALL

CLUBS - DO YOU HAVE A

PREFERENCE?


I’m in a position at my name level that I can

still play these small clubs. There’s a few guys

that won’t do this. That means, I’m in this by

myself. I love playing small clubs. I like the

intimacy. I have no problem playing with my

band or by myself, just picking up the guitar

for an acoustic show. Playing the Iridium

tonight. This club has a heart.

YOUR PLAYING WITH

YOUR LONG TIME BAND

TONIGHT. HOW LONG

HAVE YOU BEEN TO-

GETHER?

Most of the band has been with me for over

40 years. Mizz Lowe has been with me 27

years. The Band: Arthur Cooper on Bass,

Bruce Howard, Drums. Kenny Knight, Guitar

THE IRIDIUM SHOW

Bobby Rush was the perfect antidote for a

cold night in New York City. He was in rare

form, playing his brand of blues over the

decades with his long time band and Mizz

Lowe in tow. He had the crowd mesmerized

by his charm, wit, energy and story telling

mixed with his songs and harp playing. This

proved to be the perfect intimate space he

still craves to wander through the audience

engaging with everyone.

This living legend seems to get younger with

each passing year. He has stayed true to his

roots while mixing it up with modern blues,

staying relevant for generations to enjoy him

and his music. It was the final frigid night in

NYC and a Monday, to boot, yet the crowd

came and packed the house that Les built.

And this time, Bobby Rush did not need to

remove his clothes!

Blues In New York During

February

It was a record-freezing month in New York

City and the surrounding tri-state area, yet

there was plenty of Blues to be had in a New

York State of Mind. Billy Gibbons and The

BFG Band (Chris Layton and Mike Flanigin)

were in town at City Winery on the west

side, Solomon Hicks and Eliza Neal were in

New Jersey at the South Orange Center for

the Performing Arts; Mavis Staples and Allison

Russell were on the upper west side at

the Beacon Theater and the Iridium was host

to Jeff Pitchell and Nathan East.



BIG BLUES

REVIEWS

REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH

GA-20

ORPHANS

Colemine Records

Orphans is an eight-track collection

of covers bringing together some

previous single releases, live favourites

and tracks the band have wanted

to record that didn’t fit on earlier

albums. It also serves as an opportunity

to introduce new band members

Cody Nilsen (Vocals/guitar) and Josh

Kiggans (drums) to the bands growing

fanbase. Both make very favourable

impressions, Cody in particular

sounds like he was born to front

GA-20. His range is stunning and

he brings just the right amount of

swagger, added to which he has the

blues chops on guitar to interweave

“Cody in particular

sounds like he was

born to front GA-20”

with founder/band leader Matt

Stubbs in the twin guitar, no bass

outfit. The song choices are inspired,

digging deep into mostly Chicago

blues roots, avoiding the obvious

overplayed standards. Harp legend

Billy Boy Arnold’s Cryin’ N’ Pleadin’

kicks things off and the blues is raw,

authentic and sweeps you off your

feet. I Love You, I Need You (Lazy

Lester) slows it down, the vintage

recording techniques giving the track

an invigorating freshness. James

Brown original I Don’t Mind owes more

here to the version The Who recorded

on My Generation, almost garage

rock. My personal favourite is Stranger

Blues (Elmore James), Cody impressing

both vocally and on jangly guitar

interweaving with Matt. Instrumental,

Hold On, I’m Coming is given full treatment

with bass and organ in the studio

replicating the Earl Hooker version.

Any collection of Chicago blues needs

a Little Walter track, and this one has

My Baby Sweeter. Josh pushes the intro

along and Cody giving real emotion

to the vocal, everything locked together

at the perfect tempo. Things shift up

a gear tempo-wise on the Ike Turner

track, Just One More Time, a great

slab of swinging rhythm n blues with

a real 60’s feel permeating through.

Instrumental Chicken Pickin’ drives

us home in style leaving us gasping for

more. This compact, 22-minute taster

is superb and should ease any worries

that the line up changes would detract

from the GA-20 mission statement.

With new original material in the pipeline,

I for one am excited about what to

expect in the future from this unit.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

EXPLORE

84 BLUES MATTERS! ISSUE 159

2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIE

LAURA CHAVEZ

MY VOICE

Ruf Records

Laura Chavez wastes no time declaring her purpose on My Voice, a tentrack

instrumental statement that lets the guitar do all the talking. With

no vocals to lean on, Chavez leans into tone, phrasing, and feel, crafting

a record that’s as personal as it is assured. This is blues storytelling in its

purest form, strings, touch, and intention. She kicks the door open with a

bold reworking of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Born On The Bayou,

injecting new muscle into a song that’s lived a long life in the American

songbook. A gritty organ and a locked-in rhythm section push the groove

forward while Chavez digs in hard, delivering a fiery take that feels less

like a cover and more like a reclamation. Mind Your Step, swings with

easy confidence, revealing Chavez’s command of groove and dynamics,

while Mamba Negra plays out like a lost 1960s crime-film theme dark,

simmering, and deliberate, building towards an expansive solo that

this is a disciplined, confident

release that holds your attention

speaks volumes without ever shouting. El Cascabel carries a sun-baked

edge, its rhythms evoking the heat and dust of northern Mexico. Then, So

Long Baby, Goodbye flips the script with a cool, reverb-soaked surf feel

straight out of the California coast. Chavez draws deeply from Texas grit

and Chicago muscle, seasoning the mix with soul and R&B along the way.

Tracks like Wanderer, Shot-Zee, and the ethereal La Llorona underline just

how wide her musical vocabulary runs, each track adding another shade

to an already rich palette. This is an instrumental album that understands

restraint as well as fire. Chavez knows when to dig in and when to pull

back, keeping every track lean, focused, and purposeful. In a genre where

excess can sometimes creep in, this is a disciplined, confident release that

holds your attention from the first note to the last and leaves you wanting

to spin it again.

COLIN CAMPBELL

WATCH

ON YOUTUBE

LISTEN

ON SPOTIFY

VISIT

THEIR WEBSITE

ISSUE 159 BLUES MATTERS! 85

REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS

BEN BRANDT

SOLID GROUND

Katalex Records

Ben Brandt’s new release is not simply a debut

solo outing, but is a defining statement of artistic intent, the sound of

a songwriter stepping fully into his own light. Recorded live at Nashville’s

Greasy Time Studio alongside producer J.D. Simo and a band that plays

with road-tested instinct, the album hums with the unvarnished electricity

of classic ’70s rock and blues, filtered through a contemporary, soulful

lens. The opening track, Solid Ground sets the tone: tense and sinewy, it

pairs Brandt’s weathered, lived-in vocal with guitar lines that coil and

release, echoing the push-and-pull of chasing stability in uncertain times.

There’s muscle here, but also restraint. On Fine Line, a loose-limbed funk

groove gives Brandt room to stretch, revealing an artist comfortable in

the pocket and unafraid to lean into feel over flash. What makes this release

resonate is its dynamic balance. Little Something, shimmers with an

These eleven tracks don’t just announce

his arrival, it plants a flag

easy optimism, bright, melodic, and radio-ready with a resounding hook.

Meanwhile, there is Parasite Blues, this digs in with teeth bared, a gritty

rebuke to the emotional freeloaders we’ve all encountered. It’s this interplay

between light and shadow that gives the record its depth. Brandt

has long walked the tightrope between indie introspection and bluesrock

bite, but here the intersection feels effortless. Vintage tones and a

no-frills recording ethos lend warmth and immediacy, as if the listener is

perched on a studio couch watching sparks fly. These eleven tracks don’t

just announce his arrival, it plants a flag.

COLIN CAMPBELL

ALEX LOPEZ AND THE

XPRESS

RETRO REVIVAL

Maremil Music

Thanks to the Internet it would appear

that Alex has released, at the very least,

eight previous albums before getting

to this point with Retro Revival. This is

power trio music at it’s very best. Loads

and loads of energy has Alex ably supported

by Steve Roberts on bass with

the really solid underpinning of drummer

Kana Leimbach. Together they

create a joyous cacophony covering

the gamut of our Blues bringing these

ears much joy. Eleven tracks, really well

defined as far as the production values

are concerned. Alex who is responsible

for the writing either as an individual

or collaboratively handles all vocals.

However when you wrap your ears

around this album it is very clearly a

trio outing such are the musical contributions

form Kana and Steve. Opening

in almost acoustic fashion with One

More Time as the song allows us to

view the pleading of the singer begging

for another chance at love. So it

continues, this guys is really not having

much luck with his choice of partners,

in Your Lovin’. Great throat rasping

vocal from Alex here. Things slow down

a bit with When I Sing The Blues but

yet again Alex has been kicked to the

side of the road with his faltering love

life. Where would we be without the

ups and downs of relationships going

down the pan. Oh dear how sad but

really Alex get a grip man. Here I Am

rocks along nicely but the lyrics are not

the most positive as Alex bemoans the

way everything costs etc. So it goes on

through the album…lots of doom and

gloom all delivered with a good dollop

of Blues-Rock passion. Just don’t get

dragged down by the lyrics though.

GRAEME SCOTT

CHARLES TINER

GOOD SOUL

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Independent

Charles Tiner is a new name to me – I

missed his debut album N’Treble in

2021, though it was well-received.

Chicago-born but based in Springfield,

Illinois, and the son of a Baptist


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pastor, he is of course from a church

background – honing his musical skills

in church as well as backing such big

Gospel names as Walter Hawkins. He

is a talented piano and organ player, a

very fine, soulful singer and an excellent

song-writer – try his autobiographical

blues, Blue Moon, where all these

factors are in force; he also appreciates

some fine Albert King styled guitar to

judge from this set where players like

John Virgin, Clipton Smith and Travis

Aldridge all make impressive contributions.

Don’t Bau Me Nun makes for a

change of pace, with acoustic guitar by

“Steady” Eddie Smith and Chris Camp

on down-home blues harp and washboard,

in contrast to the smooth groove

of Night Rider and the big arrangement

and dramatic vocal of Peace By The

River, with its huge-sounding sax intro

by Theodore “Theo” Fisher – there are

echoes of contemporary gospel on this

one. Stick Around is a sophisticatedsounding

slow blues, with lyrics about

Charles’ feelings for the music, whilst

She Made A Move On Me is a slightly

jazzy number – and Charles shows

off his jazz licks on the piano break.

It’s back to the straight slow blues for

Two Wrongs Don’t Make It Right with

another strong guitar break by Eddie

Smith, and Don’t Be A Fool Too Long

is a modern soul-inflected blues with

Charles preaching strongly. Reverend

Oris Mays’ 1968 hit Don’t Let The Devil

Ride is remade here as a busy, funky

blues with wonderful vocals, and this

intriguing and very interesting release

come to a fine close with the relaxed,

good-time feel of Put Your Money On

Me - rather wise advice given Charles’

undoubted talent and feel for the blues.

NORMAN DARWEN

ED ALSTROM

THIS IDEA OF HUMANITY

Haywire

Imagine, if you will, a cross between Georgie Fame,

Jon Cleary, Ray Charles and Dr John with accents of baseball and

cocktail lounges. If you could blend those elements, you might have Ed Alstrom.

He has a degree in Classical Organ playing, he has been the organist

at the New York Yankees games since 2004, he has played with Leonard

Bernstein, Bette Midler, Chuck Berry, Herbie Hancock and Odetta and he

is in the semi-finals of the 2026 International Blues Challenge! His debut

album, Flee Though None Pursue, was released in 2025, and this collection

of 14 tracks is his sophomore release – and very enjoyable it is too. The album

takes the listener on a journey of musical styles from Blues and Gospel,

New Orleans Jazz & boogie to rock & roll, R&B and disco lounge. He is

nothing if not flexible. Now, this may seem flippant, but I’m not flip at all –

Ed Alstrom is a serious talent and his organ playing, piano and songwriting

full of music that is well

worth the listen

have him in the top tier of current Blues musicians. His vocal style is clean

and there is a New Jersey accent in there (he attended Westminster Choir

College in Princeton NJ). As a songwriter he is rich in theme and style – he

touches on many areas of the human condition and there is a wry look at

humanity that crops up from time to time. Put all of this together – and we

still haven’t touched on his abilities with almost anything with a keyboard

as well as bass guitar, drums and percussion – and you get an album that

has about everything, except one thing you can point to and say “that is

the essence of Ed Alstrom”. The downside of all this experience and talent

is that sometimes it has a lack of focus. But if you forgive that, the album is

a fine listen, full of music that is well worth the listen and bears repeated

experiences.

ANDY SNIPPER

CHARLIE BARATH

ISSAQUENA GETAWAY

Independent

What a lovely set this is! Singer,

harmonica player, bandleader and

song-writer Charlie Barath is based in

Pittsburgh PA but recorded this album

down in Clarksdale, Mississippi and he

certainly tapped into that blues roots

sound. Just take a listen to the first

couple of tracks here, I Gets Around

and The Weekend Song and see if Little

Walter does not come to mind. It is not

just Charlie either – as he sings on that

first track, “I take Johnny Burgin every-

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GABE STILLMAN

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Gulf Coast Records

This is the first time that I have come

across this guy; he’s just been signed to

Gulf Coast, and what an astute thing it was

to get him onto the label. As soon as I started

listening to the album, my immediate thoughts were, this guy must

have been recording forever, how have I missed him? A bit of research,

I found out that, in fact, he hasn’t been doing this forever. What he has

been doing is honing his craft here, there, and everywhere for the last ten

years. Executive producers Guy Hale, Mike Zito, and Oli Overton have

helped to produce a wonderful collection of songs that highlight exactly

what this guy is all about. The title track opens proceedings. Stillman has

a silky-smooth, soulful vocal on this, a brilliant introduction. The Man

I’m Supposed To Be Really is straight out of Blues heaven. Great guitar,

we are going to be hearing

a lot from this guy

where I go”, to which Johnny takes a

beautiful fifties-styled guitar break, and

the rest of the band gets those skipping

Aces styled rhythms spot-on too.

There is a slight change of approach on

Waitin’ For The Queen, a more-or-less

spoken number ostensibly about a card

game, with a lovely rhythm backing

and just a slight shade of Slim Harpo.

The bright-sounding instrumental

Cuban Getaway is originally from Ike

Turner – the set’s only other borrowed

tune among the fourteen tracks, is also

an instrumental, a very fine piece of

raunchy vocals, this is the result of ten years of hard graft. Joining forces

with Anson Funderburgh on Shame Shame, Stillman shows that he also

has a rockier edge with a hint of funk about him. The musicians that are on

the album are second to none, a tight band, obviously well-versed in the

art of Blues, Soul, and Funk. What I was not expecting was the final song,

Gentle On My Mind. As good as the song is, after all, Glen Campbell was a

wonderful writer; it wasn’t what I would have imagined from Stillman. But

that only makes me like the album even more. I predict that we are going

to be hearing a lot from this guy in the not-too-distant future. I, for one,

can’t wait.

STEPHEN HARRISON

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soul-jazz from the late Pittsburgh-born

saxman Stanley Turrentine entitled

‘Sugar’ (and should anyone wonder,

Turrentine had solid blues credentials,

having toured and recorded with

Lowell Fulson in the early 1950s).So,

the album grooves along throughout

and the whole set is nicely upbeat.

Charlie’s voice is warm and engaging,

and tracks like I Might Fall In Love bring

Little Walter to mind again, but this

never comes across as mere imitating.

The songs are unfailingly interesting

and varied – from Brass Monkey, about

a rather cold-hearted woman, via a

Coasters-like That Wasn’t Me and

the funky I’m Gonna Let You to the

closing Honey I Got No Money, a jazzy

duet with Pittsburgh chanteuse Shari

Richards. As you may have gathered, I

enjoyed this set a lot!

NORMAN DARWEN

JONATHON BOOGIE LONG

COURAGE IN THE CHAOS

Myrical Media

With his newest release, Jonathon “Boogie” Long delivers what may well

be the most fully realised statement of his career to date. This is a collection

steeped in hard-earned wisdom, where every note feels wrung from

experience and every lyric carries the weight of miles travelled. Across

twelve tracks, he moves beyond the tag of guitar slinger and settles firmly

into the role of storyteller. Yes, the chops are there; sharp, economical,

and delivered with authority but flash is never the point. Instead,

it’s about feel. It’s about touch. It’s about knowing when to let a phrase

breathe. A Fool Can See, struts in with a confident, shoulder-rolling

swagger, grounded in the earthy pulse of Baton Rouge blues and Southern

roots rock. Long’s guitar speaks in clipped retorts and sly bends, answering

his vocal lines. By contrast, Baby, I’m Through trades bravado for weary

reflection, its restrained arrangement allowing space for resignation

What makes this release so

striking is its maturity

to settle in. Elsewhere, Hell or High Water and The World Is a Prison find

Long staring down struggle without blinking. There’s grit here, but there’s

also grace. In the quieter passages, a gospel-tinged phrasing creeps into

his delivery, brushed with soul and shaped by silence as much as sound.

It’s in those moments when the band pulls back and Long leans into the

lyric that the album reveals its deepest truths. What makes this release so

striking is its maturity. Long, trusts the groove, most importantly he trusts

the song. The solos never outstay their welcome; the licks serve the narrative

rather than eclipse it. He is reaffirming the blues genre’s purpose, reminding

us that the blues has always been about telling the truth; plainly,

powerfully, and with just enough grit under the fingernails to make it real.

COLIN CAMPBELL

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DAVEY JONES

BALL CAP BLUES

Independent

Staying true to the Mississippi Blues

roots that he is known for, this album of

nine songs is Davey Jones way of honouring

those Blues legends that have

gone before him. As he says himself

“honour those legends that paved the

way for artist like myself” but, stamping

those original Blues styles with his own

take on the music that surrounded him

growing up. Remarkably, playing all

the instruments on every track of this

nine-track album, Ball Cap Blues brings

upbeat funk influences and laid-back

grooves modernising the original blues

beats of old. Davey’s own style of

driving piano and guitar rhythms weave

multiple genres into his own distinctive

style - its all his own! Delta Blues,

Southern Rock and Country styles

all present in the songs on this album

Davey Jones has thoroughly captured

the essence of the history of the music

he loves and layered his own true Blues

talent throughout each track.

If you like your Blues with a pure Southern

vibe - this one is for you.

GREG COULSON

LIVE AT PEGGY’S

SKYLIGHT

INDEPENDENT

JEAN KNAPPITT

The talented keyboard player and

singer has bought an action-packed

set, and some talented musicians to

play on his latest album release, Live

at Peggy’s Skylight. The Nottingham

venue has provided a lively audience,

and some excellent acoustics during

this recording, which captures Coulson,

and his talented band of guitarist Mat

Day on guitar, bassist John Thompson

and drummer Sam Round as they tackle

their own music, and covers of songs

made famous by such players as Bonnie

Raitt and Steely Dan. Their jazz sound

provides excellent backing to Coulson’s

exuberance, as set opener Stitch Me Up

gravitates from the ambient sounds of

its opening to a funkier middle section,

and a fast coda, that shows from the

start that the ensemble has a seriously

high level of musicianship. The set

takes in elements of rock. Blues and

gospel, and during the second song

Someone to Be There with its shuffle

rhythm, and exciting Hammond Organ

solo, the energy level doesn’t drop at

all. Why Don’t You do right? Is the first

slow blues of the evening and allows

for some telling dialogue between

guitar and keyboard, with some strong

dynamic development through the

whole piece. Will Wilde’s 38 is given a

fast funk treatment, and Bonnie Raitt’s

Nick of Time provides a fine showcase

for Greg Coulson’s vocal and keyboard,

and a fine melodically well-developed

coda. The encore of Kid Charlemagne

by Steely Dan is a fine ending to this

exciting, and well produced record of

an excellent evening of music.

BEN MACNAIR

LISTEN TO THE BLUES MATTERS

PODCAST

Listen to some amazing interviews with

the artists we’ve been lucky enough to speak

to for the magazine. NOW ON YOUTUBE!

LEILANI KILGORE

Nashville-based guitarist and singer Leilani Kilgore joins Blues

Matters’ Colin Campbell to talk about her debut album, her journey

from blues prodigy to fiery rock artist, and more...

HAYES CARLL

Blues Matters sits down with Nashville-based singer songwriter

Hayes Carll to talk origins, craft, and his deeply personal new

album We’re Only Human.

KINGFISH

Join Stephen Harrison from Blues Matters Magazine as he chats

with Grammy-winning blues sensation Christone “Kingfish”

Ingram.


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LIL ‘ED & THE

IMPERIALS

SLIDEWAYS

Alligator Records

Chicago’s own slide guitar legend cuts deep and wide on Slideways, the

incendiary new album from Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials. With this, their

10th record for the venerable label, Lil’ Ed Williams and his long-running

band stake a bold claim to one of the most vital Chicago blues albums in

years, blending raw roots with a restless urgency. From the opening roar

of Bad All By Myself; a foot-stomping cut filled with swagger and grit, to

the bone-deep lament of Homeless Blues, These thirteen tracks highlight

Williams’s masterful slide work and rugged, soulful voice at peak form.

His playing here is both a tribute to the slide masters he grew up around

and a statement all his own; jagged bends, snarling runs and an unfiltered

invites seasoned fans in

and greets newcomers

emotional edge that sears through every measure. The Imperials, bassist

James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton,

lock in with the kind of telepathic groove only decades on the road

can forge. The addition of Ben Levin’s deep, old-school keyboard lines

on many tracks adds heft and colour, grounding the high-octane boogies

13th Street And Trouble and the sly humour of Flirt In The Car Wash Skirt

with a bedrock blues feel. Produced alongside label founder Bruce Iglauer,

Slideways is both a celebration of Chicago’s blues lineage and evidence

that this band still pushes the form forward with fire and heart. It’s an album

that invites seasoned fans in and greets newcomers with irresistible

grit and groove.

COLIN CAMPBELL

JOHN HOLLIER & THE

REVERIE

RAINMAKER

Thirty Tigers

John Hollier & The Rêverie return with

an album that plays less like a studio exercise

and more like a road-worn journal,

its pages creased by miles, missed

exits, and hard-earned clarity. Across

twelve songs, the Louisiana-born songwriter

stretches comfortably into new

terrain, blending roots rock, heartland

drive, and Southern country soul into

a sound that feels both familiar and

deeply personal. It’s music shaped

by motion and memory, delivered

with a confidence that comes from

experience rather than ambition. The

release opens on a high note with the

anthemic Gonna Love You, immediately

establishing the record’s emotional

directness and narrative pull. By the

time Hollier reaches the evocative title

track, Rainmaker, he’s clearly operating

in his wheelhouse, trusting the songs

to do the heavy lifting. His voice carries

a lived-in grit, whether he’s exploring

longing and connection on the propulsive

If She’s Lonely or tracing the

delicate fault lines of love on Holding

Too Tight. Nothing feels overworked;

these are stories told plainly, with

conviction and care. Somewhere Down

the Road stands out for its atmosphere,

with harmonica, acoustic guitar, and

slide work stretching out to mirror the

ache in the lyrics. The band’s chemistry

feels natural and unforced, the result

of shared time and a common musical

language honed onstage. Production

leans toward immediacy over sheen,

preserving the grit and warmth of

a live performance. In the end, the

album marks a clear step forward;

Springsteen-scale storytelling filtered

through bayou-soaked authenticity. It’s

an honest, resonant listen that rewards

anyone drawn to roots music built on

heart, grit, and truth.

COLIN CAMPBELL

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JOHN TOWNLEY

ROUND SWAMP ROAD

Lollipoppe Shoppe

John Townley has a wonderful musical

history, starting in 1965 when he was


THE BIG BLUES CHART

THE TOP 50 BLUES ALBUMS

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POS ARTIST ALBUM LABEL

#1 TINSLEY ELLIS LABOR OF LOVE ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#2 KIM WILSON SLOW BURN M.C. RECORDS

#3 ALTERED FIVE BLUES BAND HAMMER & CHISEL BLIND PIG RECORDS

#4 BUDDY GUY AIN’T DONE WITH THE BLUES RCA SILVERTONE

#5 ROOMFUL OF BLUES STEPPIN’ OUT ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#6 SEAN MCDONALD HAVE MERCY LITTLE VILLAGE

#7 DUWAYNE BURNSIDE RED ROOSTER LUCKY 13

#8 MISSISSIPPI HEAT DON’T LOOK BACK DELMARK RECORDS

#9 BILLY BRANCH & THE SONS OF BLUES THE BLUES IS MY BIOGRAPY ROZA’S LOUNGE RECORDS

#10 KYLE ROWLAND NOT HOLDING BACK LITTLE VILLAGE

#11 ROBBIN KAPSALIS THE BLUES IN THE HOUSE BLUES HOUSE PRODUCTIONS

#12 MUD MORGANFIELD DEEP MUD NOLA BLUE RECORDS

#13 TERESA JAMES & THE RHYTHM TRAMPS BAD AT BEING GOOD MOMOJO RECORDS

#14 CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM HARD ROAD RED ZERO RECORDS

#15 JOE BONAMASSA B.B. KINGS BLUES SUMMIT 100 KTBA RECORDS

#16 CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE LOOK OUT HIGHWAY FORTY BELOW RECORDS

#17 BOBBY RUSH & KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD YOUNG FASHIONED WAYS DEEP RUSH

#18 GREG NAGY JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME SELF

#19 THE LUCKY LOSERS ARRIVAL MOMOJO RECORDS

#20 CANDICE IVORY NEW SOUTHERN VINTAGE NOLA BLUE RECORDS

#21 D.K. HARRELL TALKIN’ HEAVY ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#22 RECKLESS AND BLUE SEVEN DEADLY GINS SPEAKEASY BLUES

#23 MIKE BOURNE BAND KANSAS CITY O’CLOCK OVERTON MUSIC

#24 BOB CORRITORE EARLY BLUES SESSIONS VIZZTONE

#25 CHARLES TINER GOOD SOUL S R

#26 MARIA MULDAUR ONE HOUR MAMA NOLA BLUE RECORDS

#27 MIKE ZITO & ALBERT CASTIGLIA HELP YOURSELF GULF COAST

#28 MISS EMILY THE MEDICINE GYPSY SOUL RECORDS

#29 KIRK FLETCHER KEEP ON PUSHING VIZZTONE

#30 TAJ MAHAL & KEB MO ROOM ON THE PORCH CONCORD RECORDS

#31 GA-20 ORPHANS COLEMINE DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

#32 DAVE KEYES TWO TRAINS MOMOJO RECORDS

#33 DEVON ALLMAN THE BLUES SUMMIT RUF RECORDS

#34 SOUTHERN AVENUE FAMILY ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#35 TOM HAMBRIDGE DOWN THE HATCH QUARTO VALLEY RECORDS

#36 BLUE MOON MARQUEE & NORTHERN CREE GET YOUR FEATHERS READY S R

#37 JOHNNIE JOHNSON I’M JUST JOHNNIE MISSOURI MORNING RECORDS

#38 TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS CLOSER TO THE BONE ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#39 LARRY MCCRAY HEARTBREAK CITY KTBA

#40 MAVIS STAPLES SAD AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD ANTI

#41 RORY BLOCK HEAVY ON THE BLUES M.C. PRODUCTIONS

#42 THE ALEXIS P. SUTER BAND JUST STAY HIGH NOLA BLUE RECORDS

#43 MONSTER MIKE WELCH KEEP LIVING TIL I DIE S R

#44 PIPER AND THE HARD TIMES GOOD COMPANY HARD TIMES RECORDS

#45 ROBERT TOP THOMAS ONE MORNING SOON S R

#46 BONESHAKERS LIVE TO BE THIS GULF COAST RECORDS

#47 MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD SLIM PICKIN’ APM RECORDS

#48 JIMMY BURNS & SOUL MESSAGE BAND FULL CIRCLE DELMARK

#49 JANIVA MAGNESS BACK FOR ME BLUE ELAN RECORDS LLC

#50 TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND & LEON RUSSELL MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN REVISITED FANTASY RECORDS


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MARCH2026 REVIEWS

WITH A LITTLE HELP

FROM MY FRIENDS

A TRIBUTE TO MATT LONG

Independent

There are tribute albums that feel like respectful

gestures, and then there are those

that feel like something deeper, almost

necessary. With A Little Help From My

Friends belongs firmly in the second category.

This is not simply a retrospective of songs

associated with Matt Long. It is a document

of connection. It is a record built not just

from admiration, but from lived friendships,

shared stages, long drives, backstage conversations

and mutual support.

“All profits from

the album will be

donated to the

Royal Surrey

County Hospital

cancer ward”

Matt’s musical journey famously began with

a moment of inspiration at the Royal Albert

Hall in 2009, watching Joe Bonamassa and

deciding, with youthful certainty, “that’s

what I want to do.” It is therefore beautifully

fitting that Bonamassa opens this collection

with Broken Man. The performance is

commanding, but there is restraint in it too.

It feels less like a showcase and more like a

salute. The solo carries weight, not flash. It is

the sound of one generation acknowledging

another.

From there, the album unfolds as a map of

Matt’s musical life, spanning material from

his time with The Revenant Ones, Catfish

and beyond. But what elevates this record

beyond strong performances is the depth of

feeling behind them.

Archangel, performed by Alice Armstrong,

is perhaps the emotional centrepiece. Alice

first met Matt in 2018. She remembers being

new to the scene and slightly nervous. Matt

was already well regarded, both for his musicianship

and his warmth. That nervousness

did not last long.

“It was absolutely an instant thing,” she

recalls. Backstage at that first show they

discovered a shared sense of humour, a love

of 80s rock and a mutual enthusiasm for nerd

culture. That initial conversation grew into

something far more meaningful. Matt invited

her to guest with Catfish, and she provided

Chris Griffiths



backing vocals on Burning Bridges, which

featured the original version of Archangel.

Over time they became close friends,

co-writers and collaborators. They even

formed an acoustic act together, covering

unusual songs they loved from television,

film and video games.

“In the devastating sadness of Matt’s

illness and passing, there has also

been something incredibly powerful

in the way it has brought people

together. Fans, artists, and musicians

alike have all rallied around

his music and his memory, creating

this real sense of unity and a need to

celebrate him”

- Elles Bailey

Alice is clear about the role Matt played

in her early solo career. He co-wrote her

first material and was the first guitarist

in her band. His name and reputation

gave her project credibility at a crucial

stage. “I will always be grateful to him for

that,” she says. The personal memories

are vivid: days on the road across Europe,

in-jokes, silly voices, Tenacious D blasting

through the speakers, and the Lord of the

Rings soundtrack filling the van. Those

are the moments she says she will remember

most.

“It was an

immediate,

resounding yes”

Rob Blackham

“Matt and I first met in 2018. He was a

dear friend and mentor to my talented

musical partner at the time, Marcus

Praestgaard, who invited Matt to be our

special guest at a show of ours in September

that year. I was still very new to the

community and had heard so much about

Matt and his incredible musicianship, so I

was a bit nervous!”

- Alice Armstrong

Jackie Dorsey

Chris Griffiths

Archangel itself was written by Matt

as a tribute to his grandmother. That

fact shaped how Alice approached the

recording. She did not want to alter the

core of the song out of respect. Only

subtle adjustments were made to suit

her voice, keeping the performance

raw. The recording session was sombre

but supportive. Every musician present

had their own connection to Matt. Alice

describes the vocal take as an emotional

challenge unlike anything she had experienced

before, requiring both gentleness

and strength while processing lyrics that

so devastatingly capture loss. There were

quiet tears in the studio that day. What

emerges on record is not simply a cover,

but a continuation of something shared

between them.

If Archangel brings intimacy and vulnerability,

Better Days offers uplift without

losing sincerity. Elles Bailey did not hesitate

when approached about contributing.

“I didn’t have to think twice,” she says.

“It was an immediate, resounding yes.”

When Fiona shared a selection of songs

for consideration, Better Days stood out



MARCH2026 REVIEWS

instantly. Elles knew it was the one

she wanted to sing.

She also immediately felt it would

work as a collaboration with The

Cinelli Brothers. Marco was contacted

and quickly agreed. The result is

a version that balances soulfulness

with drive. There is warmth in Elles’

vocal, and a celebratory groove that

feels appropriate.

Elles speaks powerfully about what

the album represents beyond the

music. In the devastating sadness

surrounding Matt’s illness and

passing, she has been struck by how

the blues community has rallied.

Fans, artists and musicians alike

have come together in a way that

feels both organic and profound.

There has been an outpouring of

love from every corner of the scene.

She describes a real sense of unity, a

shared need not only to grieve, but

to celebrate. That spirit is woven

throughout the album. Better Days

“This is more

than a tribute”

captures that feeling perhaps more

than any other track. It acknowledges

pain, but leans toward hope.

Will Wilde’s Break Me Down injects

a different kind of energy. He first

met Matt before Catfish were

widely recognised, after one of his

own shows. Matt approached him

to talk about the music, and their

paths crossed again in later years at

festivals and shared bills. Will chose

Break Me Down because of its fast

pace and strong 60s vibe. He felt it

had a rawness that suited his band’s

style. There is a slight Hendrix-esque

edge to it, and Wilde leans into

that without overpowering the song.

Will also reflects on the tribute night

itself. It was bittersweet. The room

was full of musicians and fans who

genuinely cared. The energy was

high, but the context was heavy. One

of his strongest memories is Matt

joining the performers on stage for

With A Little Help From My Friends.

He played with everything he had.

That image lingers.

There is also a quieter story that

reveals Matt’s character. During his

illness, while Catfish had stopped

gigging, Will invited their bass player

Adam to play some shows with him.

Matt later took Will aside and told

him how pleased he was. He had

been worried that Adam might be

left without work. That concern for

his bandmate, even while dealing

with his own health struggles, speaks

volumes.

Elsewhere on the album, there is

strength in variety. Chantel McGregor’s

Forever More And Again is

richly textured. Adrienne Cowan’s

The Root Of All Evil carries intensity

and drama. When Rivers Meet deliver

a powerful Soul Breaker, while Brave

Rival bring grit to Up In Smoke. Dom

Martin’s stripped-back version of So

is breathtaking in its restraint, laying

the song bare and allowing every

word to land.

All I Ask Of You benefits from the

blending of voices and guitar work in

a way that feels symbolic. Technology

allows Matt to share space once more

with one of his heroes. It is a reminder

that music has a way of collapsing

time and absence.

And then there is the closing track.

With A Little Help From My Friends,

recorded live at The Stables in Milton

Keynes, was Matt’s final performance.

Surrounded by many of the

artists featured on this album, he

plays with urgency and joy. It is not

pristine. It is human. The sense of love

in the room is unmistakable. It feels

less like a finale and more like a gathering

of hands on shoulders.

With A Little Help From My Friends

succeeds because it never feels calculated.

Every performance carries context.

Every voice carries memory. The

musicians are not simply interpreting

songs. They are honouring a friend.

Matt Long’s absence is deeply felt.

But through these fifteen tracks,

what comes through even more

strongly is presence. Presence in the

notes. Presence in the shared stories.

Presence in the way the community

has chosen to respond, not with

silence, but with sound.

This is more than a tribute. It is a

testament.

STEPHEN HARRISON

“It was a bitter sweet night, it was

amazing to see so many musicians

and fans from the blues scene come

together to support Matt, there was

an incredible energy in the room.

The highlight for me was when Matt

joined us at the end of With A Little

Help From My Friends, he played his

heart out. As it happened, the next

time I stood on that stage was with

Walter Trout on the day of Matt’s

funeral, it was very sad and quite

surreal, I was playing for Matt that

night.”

- Will Wilde

Rob Blackham



Album Vinyl Tracklist:

Side 1

BROKEN MAN – Matt Long ft. Joe Bonamassa

HAVE MY SAY – Zac Schulze Gang

ARCHANGEL – Alice Armstrong

BETTER DAYS – Elles Bailey

Side 2

UP IN SMOKE – Brave Rival

SO – Dom Martin

ROOT OF ALL EVIL

– Adrienne Cowan (Vocalist of Avantasia)

ALL I ASK OF YOU – Matt Long feat.

Walter Trout

Side 3

EXILE – Sean Webster

TAKE IT ALL – Blue Nation

SOULBREAKER – When Rivers Meet

CHANGE MY WAYS – Katie Bradley

& Dudley Ross

Side 4

BREAK ME DOWN – Will Wilde

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING – The Cinelli

Brothers

FOREVERMORE AND AGAIN

– Chantel McGregor

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

With A Little Help From My Friends Presale

The Matt Long tribute album With

A Little Help From My Friends is

on presale now but stocks are low

so don’t delay - the launch date

is Friday 20 March. Fittingly, the

project continues to unite the blues

community in celebration of his

music and legacy.

The release will be available as a

double coloured vinyl and double

CD edition, featuring 16 tracks.

All but one are interpretations of

Matt’s original songs, performed by

some of the most respected names

on the UK and US blues and rock

circuit. Among those contributing

are Elles Bailey, When Rivers Meet,

The Cinelli Brothers, Alice Armstrong,

Brave Rival, Dom Martin,

Sean Webster, Chantel McGregor,

Will Wilde, Zac Schulze, Blue

Nation, Katie Bradley with Dudley

Ross, Adrienne Cowan, and special

appearances from Joe Bonamassa

and Walter Trout.

There are also contributions from

two of Matt’s guitar tutors from the

Academy of Contemporary Music

in Guildford - Nic Meier (formerly

of the Jeff Beck band) and Nat

Martin (Toyah, Robert Fripp), and a

solo from blues legend Paul Jones.

All profits from the album will

be donated to the Royal Surrey

County Hospital cancer ward, the

team who cared for Matt during his

illness. It is a release that honours

not only his music, but also the

compassion and community that

surrounded him.

Preorder link: https://linktr.ee/

MattLongTributeAlbum

Jackie Dorsey



MARCH2026 REVIEWS

a member of the Psychedelic Rangers

in the Greenwich Village area. He then

founded the Apostolic Studios where

he recorded his first album called

Family of Apostolic before he started

producing other artists including Frank

Zappa. By the 1970’s he had started to

research and perform Maritime Folk

music. This album finds him in more

of a Folk/Blues vein. The album was

produced by John Kilgore who was the

first Apostolic Studio engineer thus

these guys go back over 50 years. This

shows in the recordings which are

seemingly improvised bringing in some

interesting lyrical content alongside

some superb musicianship from John

Townley who plays a variety of acoustic

string instruments, Harmonica and a

MXR effects pedal for the Bass parts.

The fifteen songs are very eclectic but

there are a couple of songs that do

fit into the Blues framework ,namely

Lou’s Blues which is a melancholy song

about John’s life long friendship with

the English Folk singer from Newcastle

Lou Killen, who emigrated to the USA

in the late 1960’s. The final spiritual

song Soon My Work Will All be Done

was written by the Rev. Gary Davis

who John worked and studied the

Guitar with. Specifically learning how

to play finger-picking style which he

uses to great effect on this song which

is sombre but at the same time an

uplifting tale of life ending. John is now

into his eighties and on the evidence of

this album he should continue recording

these eclectic type songs as he

has plenty to say about life in the 21st

Century, not an easy listen at times but

very rewarding album by this one-man

band.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

MISSISSIPPI HEAT

DON’T LOOK BACK

Delmark

Chicago collective Mississippi Heat’s

14th album Don’t Look Back sees band

leader harmonica ace Pierre Lacocque

and regular Heat players – guitarists

Giles Corey and Billy Flynn, keyboardists

Johnny Iguana and John Kattke,

drummer Kenny Smith and bassist

Brian Quinn – join 14 quality musicians

providing their expertise when it fits

each specific track. The result is a quality

set akin to a live performance which

celebrates the glory of Chicago Blues at

its finest. Ever present Lacocque showcases

incredible blues harp throughout.

The final song excepted, lead vocals

are supplied by four veritable blues

princesses – Sheryl Youngblood, Inetta

Visor, Daneshia Hamilton and Danielle

Nicole. Youngblood demands her pleas

are heard as You Ain’t The Only One

is unleashed in upbeat fashion, horns

accelerating the pace of a lively opener

whose soulful appeal is enhanced by a

choir of female backing vocals. Third

Wheel continues in a similar vein

Nicole proclaiming a partner’s wrongdoings.

Guitar, keys and harp joyfully

battle for our attention whilst demonstrating

perfect teamsmanship. Visor/

Hamilton duet on the rousing Quarter

To Three, the music hurrying them to

their destination. Stepped Out Of Line

flips the perspective as Youngblood admits

her falsehoods and apologises to

her man. Iguana’s piano amplifying the

sorrowfulness. The pace accelerates for

Can’t Take It before Moonshine Man

sees Omar Coleman butt heads with

Lacocque in a gleeful and exhilarating

harp duet as other band members display

their appreciation. Horns and keys

take the fore as we joyously celebrate

Love (It Makes You Do Most Anything).

Conversely Shiverin’ Blues tugs on the

heartstrings as it documents the last

moments of Pierre’s father Andre as he

battles and eventually succumbs to the

horrors of COVID-19. Each musician

in turn letting their instrument display

sorrow, Nicole expressing her emotions

with the darkest blues vocal. The Sock

Hop brings a much-needed lift as it

takes a nostalgic glance back to social

and shoeless dance hall days. The Latin

rhythms of I Ain’t Evil maintains the

pace with delightful guitar/drum interchanges.

Don’t Look Back finds time

to give advice on relationship issues

before Coleman takes to the mic for

Four Steel Walls prior to indulging in a

second harmonica duel with Lacocque,

bringing this all-original celebration of

modern-day Chicago Blues to a close.

Lovers of harmonica-led good time

blues heed my advice, grab yourselves a

copy of this album.

TAF ROCK

SANDY ATKINSON

THE BEST OF SANDY

ATKINSON

Guitar One Records

Sandy Atkinson doesn’t deal in nostalgia,

this best of compilation of twenty-one

tracks, isn’t some dusted-off

scrapbook of past glories. This is a

living, breathing statement from an

artist still pushing hard against the

grain. Sandy Atkinson maps out a

career that’s never stood still, sliding

from down-home blues grit to rootsy

Americana hues and into the flashpoint

of rock-infused blues without ever

losing her core musical values Right

from the start songs like, Have A Good

Time Tonight, strut in with a hip-shaking

confidence, while Tired of the Cryin’

drips with late-night smoke and hardearned

heartache. Atkinson’s voice

is the throughline, grainy, elastic, and

soaked in truth. She bends a phrase until

it confesses, then snaps it back with

a flash of defiance. There’s a storyteller’s

instinct in her delivery; every line

feels lived-in, every chorus earned. The

band rides shotgun with muscle and

finesse. Guitars snarl and sting, keys

roll like a riverboat gambler’s grin, and

the saxophones curl around the groove

with sultry intent. On Heart Stompin’

Blues and Cajun Man, the ensemble

locks into a swagger that feels both

tight and loose in all the right ways.

Meanwhile, Back To The Livin’ recorded

live, captures the sweat-and-spotlight

electricity that’s made Atkinson a force

onstage. What makes this collection

resonate is its flow. It doesn’t feel like

a random highlight reel, it plays like a

roadmap of evolution. For seasoned

followers, it’s affirmation. For the uninitiated,

it’s a hell of a place to start.

COLIN CAMPBELL

SARAH JANE MORRIS

AND TONY REMY

THE SISTERHOOD 2

Independent

Sarah Jane Morris was once a part of

The Communards, which is a far cry

from anything that she has been doing



since. These twelve songs are each

dedicated to a female artist, and not

just any artist. This project first saw the

light of day in 2024; this album is the

fruit of their labours. The artists who

have songs dedicated to them must

firstly be artists of excellence, they

must be writers as well as interpreters,

and finally, they must all have understood

that talent and success have given

them the chance to communicate on

subjects of conscience. So, no pressure

then. Longing To Be Free (For Peggy

Seeger) kicks off the album in mighty

fine style. I mentioned earlier that SJM

had indeed been a part of The Communards;

here, she has more licence

to allow her the freedom to showcase

her amazing Jazz/Blues vocals. Each

song tells a story of the artists that they

represent, their lifestyle, passion, and

contribution to music. The list of female

artists with dedications just so happens

to be some of my favourites, Bonnie

Raitt, Amy Winehouse, Etta James, to

name but a few. The Eagle Is Where

The Magic Is Found finds itself regaling

the life and times of Amy Winehouse,

unfortunately, another member of

the infamous 27 Club. SJM and Tony

Remy blend in perfect harmony on all

of the tunes, but for me, this one hits

the bullseye. This is a different take on

songs than the norm; it is a look at the

people behind the song rather than

the song itself. It’s so uplifting to have

something new like this, especially with

such talents as SJM and Tony Remy

at the helm. Each song is brilliant in

its own way, but for me, the standout

one is, Also Known As Etta James. A

wonderful insight into the artist, one

of the leading lights of the Blues and

Jazz, her story told so eloquently. The

Sisterhood 2 is a revelation in Jazz and

Blues. Highly recommended.

STEPHEN HARRISON

THE BIRD EXPERIENCE

SELF-TITLED

Suburban Records

The Bird Experience are a Dutch Rock/

Blues band led by Vocalist and Harmonica

player Mees Vullings who have

recorded nine studio tracks which will

form a debut album that is due to be

released during the coming summer.

The first track The Birds Boogie starts

with a screeching harmonica before the

rest of the band kick in and basically let

rip for the next seven minutes. Sinister

vocals accompany some intelligent

playing which help to create a breathtaking

and very promising start to the

album which has some “Radar Love”

elements included for good measure.

Over the next couple of tracks, I start

to form a real liking for the band who

introduce some complex arrangements

against their Blues based music. On the

track Blood For Bones, Mees delivers a

great vocal performance which is comparable

with the late great Alex Harvey

in the way he tells his lyrical story. He

also uses his harmonica to good effect

as an extension to his vocal. Besides

Mees Mullings, the other band members

are Pedro Croes-Organ, Redmer

Kamsma-Guitar, Dylan Van De Grift-

Bass, Lars Douma-Drums and Percussionist

Ishmerai Gill. Together they

take their music beyond the Blues with

large chunks of Progressive Rock and

Psychedelia influences. These can be

heard on my personal favourite track

Joe’s House which has a Tuba and Harmonica

intro which also includes some

whimsical elements. When this album is

released, I can envisage it turning some

heads, as it is such a unique collection

of songs that cuts across a variety of

styles that are performed superbly by

this group of young musicians who have

been given freedom to improvise and

do this to good effect. Mees Vullings

has written all the material on the

album and has highlighted what a great

talent he is.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

THE JAMES HUNTER SIX

OFF THE FENCE

Easy Eye Sound

The James Hunter Six is a R &B, Soul

band from Essex, England. Over the

years, they have built quite a following,

not just in Essex or London, but

all over the UK. As I began to listen to

the album, it put me in mind of the late

50s, early 60s, Soul and Doo-Wop. It

has that easy sound of early Dion, Sam

and Dave, etc. James Hunter leads the

band on vocals, guitar, and harmonica,

a sort of latter-day bandleader that is

sadly no longer the norm. The album

opens with, Two Birds, One Stone

which immediately puts me in mind

of the early Stax days, so soulful and

groovy. This is basically the premise

for the album, with great harmonies,

and the sound of the horns swaying as

though they were caught in a summer

breeze. Gun Shy has the ambience of

a small basement club, sweaty, but

full of swagger and grace. Ain’t That A

Trip sees the band joining forces with

none other than Van Morrison. We all

know that Soul and Blues music have

been the soundtrack to Van’s musical

career, and on this, it sounds like he has

found a set of disciples to play along

with. The combination of Hunter and

Morrison sharing the vocals is something

to behold. What has pleased me

the most about this collection of songs

is the orchestration and production

of the tracks. It all sounds so laid-back

and tranquil. I guess that R&B and Soul

music have that embedded within their

DNA. If that is the case, Off The Fence

can be called a modern-day Soul extravaganza.

If you want to feel mellow

whilst also feeling in the mood to swing,

then this is the perfect collection of

tunes for you. I predict bigger things for

these guys.

STEPHEN HARRISON

TODD ALBRIGHT

BLUES FOR DEXTER

LINWOOD

Misfortune Records

11 Tracks of glorious Mono. Albright

is a real throwback to the Bluesmen of

yore. Country Blues played with a smile

and a wink in his eye. This is his follow

up to Detroit Twelve String Blues &

Rags which garnered great attention

when it was released a couple of years

back. The Dexter Linwood of the title

is actually an area in Detroit Michigan,

hit by Detroit’s demise as the Motor

Industry collapsed, but now reawakening

as an example of Urban Farming

and the like. Albright plays a twelve

string and slide guitar – and that’s

it.However, Charlie Parr plays second

guitar on three tracks. His playing is

lively with a finger picking style, his

voice reminding me of Leon Redbone.

To my ear, this was recorded ‘live’ with

Jackie Dorsey


REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS DECEMBER REVIEWS M

little, or no overdubs and the result

is enormously fresh and listenable.

There are a number of covers, notably

traditional numbers such as Frankie

(Frankie & Johnny) and Death Of Ella

Speed, but also Leadbelly’s Fort Worth

& Dalla Texas Blues and Bumble Bee

Slim’s Meet Me In The Bottom (also

covered by Cream & The Stones), Blind

Willie McTell’s Drive Away Blues. Some

rare material in Maceo Pinkard’s Real

Kind Mama and Blind Lemon Jefferson’s

Stockin’ Feet Blues. From start to

finish, it is a throwback to the origins

of Country Blues and Mississippi Delta

Blues. He is paying homage to the guys

who originated the music and delivering

it to a new audience. This is one

worth investigating.

ANDY SNIPPER

VAN MORRISON

SOMEBODY TRIED TO

SELL ME A BRIDGE

Orangefield Records

Now in his eighties, Van Morrison

shows no signs of taking it easy or

slowing down a tad. Most artists release

albums that contain 9-12 songs;

this one contains twenty. He certainly

doesn’t do things by halves. Apart from

the title track, which was penned by

Morrison, there are two other tracks

written by Morrison, Social Climbing

Scene and Loving Memories. The rest

were written by the likes of Sonny

Terry/ Brownie McGhee, Eddie “Cleanhead”

Vinson, Junior Wells/ Buddy Guy,

and John Lee Hooker, to name but a

few. Van is also joined on some of the

tracks by Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, John

Allair, and Buddy Guy. So, before I even

start to listen, I instinctively know that

it’s going to be brilliant. Kidney Stew

Blues opens the album. I’ve not heard

this in such a long time. Morrison takes

me back many years, but oh boy, what

a trip. The sound of the musicians in

the band is captured perfectly, allowing

Van to do what he does best, sing the

Blues, and sprinkle it with a heavy dose

of Soul. Some may say that this is just

another mish-mash of other people’s

songs, but they are totally missing the

point. These songs are what the Blues

are all about, Ain’t That A Shame (Fats

Domino), I’m Ready ( Buddy Guy).

The list goes on and on. Van Morrison

is one of the greatest exponents of

Blues and Soul, don’t believe me? Get

a copy of this magnificent collection of

standards. I can’t recommend it highly

enough.

STEPHEN HARRISON

ZOE SCHWARZ, ROB

KORAL & FRIENDS

COLOURFUL HOUSE

RKUK

Ok let’s get the negative out of the

way first. This “new” album was in fact

recorded in March and released back

in October 2025, so I have no idea

why it has taken so long to reach our

ears. However here it is and it is a very

welcome arrival indeed. This is the

seventh album collaboration between

strong vocalist Zoe and guitarist Rob,

here augmented by the fine Hammond

of Pete Whittaker, bass of Anth Caplen

and Paddy Blight and drums Eddie

John. What a fine noise they all generate

and, with several cuts weighing in at

over the five-minute length, in no way

can they be accused of short-changing

us the listeners. However just because

a track is lengthy does not necessarily

mean good quality writing but, again on

that front, there are no problems here.

So, we have good writing, good lengths

to the cuts but how about quantity?

Well again we are well catered to there

as well as there are, in fact, fourteen

tracks and all of them written in-house.

As an old school broadcaster, I like

albums from acts which, whilst staying

roughly within a given genre, are also

not afraid to place a footprint elsewhere.

So, Zoe and her companions sit

very well within our beloved Blues but,

for certain, also present are shades of

Funk, Rock and perhaps even Pop. The

result is that your ears are exercised

from the get-go of Venus Ain’t So Far

Away and Your Love Hurts through

House Of Colours and on to the Joplin

inspired There’s A Cold Wind A Coming

and It Ain’t Easy. In a musical world

overrun with the bland this album

shines like a beacon of colour.

GRAEME SCOTT

BLUES MATTERS! ON


ARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS MARCH2026 REVIEWS DECEMBER REVIEWS MARCH2026 R

WWW.PROPERMUSIC.COM

Jackie Dorsey


IBBA TOP 40

bluesbroadcasters.co.uk

INDEPENDENT BLUES

BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION

Most Played Album Top 40 – January 2026

Collated from the playlists of the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association members

Position Artist Album

1 ELLES BAILEY CAN'T TAKE MY STORY AWAY

2 TINSLEY ELLIS LABOUR OF LOVE

3 SEAN TAYLOR FIRST LIGHT

4 KIM WILSON SLOW BURN

5 JOE BONAMASSA B.B. KING'S BLUES SUMMIT 100 VOL. IV EP

6 PAUL COWLEY LONG SHADOW

7 FRANKIE V & THE LONELY CLUB PLAY THE BLUES

8 THE BO'WEEVIL BROTHERS BLUES DONE DIFFERENT

9 MISSISSIPPI HEAT DON'T LOOK BACK

10 NEIL SADLER PAST TO PRESENT

11 ROSS HARDING THE BLOOD & THE BLUES

12 BURNING ROPE BURNING ROPE

13 DEL BROMHAM DEVIL'S HIGHWAY

14 STEF PAGLIA STEF PAGLIA LIVE

15 ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW THE INVISIBLE BLUESMAN

16 LIL' MAGIC SAM TIRED OUT

17 THE JAMES HUNTER SIX OFF THE FENCE

18 DUWAYNE BURNSIDE RED ROOSTER

19 RECKLESS & BLUE SEVEN DEADLY GINS

20 JOE BONAMASSA B.B. KING'S BLUES SUMMIT 100 VOL. V EP

21 SOUTHERN AVENUE FAMILY

22 ALTERED FIVE BLUES BAND HAMMER & CHISEL

23 CHRISTONE 'KINGFISH' INGRAM HARD ROAD

24 LARRY MCCRAY HEARTBREAK CITY

25 BROTHER STRUT ONE & DONE VOL. 1

26 ALEX LOPEZ RETRO REVIVAL

27 RUSTY COPPERTOP RUSTY COPPERTOP

28 ROOMFUL OF BLUES STEPPIN' OUT

29 DAVE ARCARI STILL FRIENDS

30 MISSISSIPPI SHAKEDOWN THE COST OF LIVING IS KILLING ME

31 MISS EMILY THE MEDICINE

32 ANDY COHEN/ELEANOR ELLIS/WILLIAM LEE ELLIS WHISTLIN' PAST THE GRAVEYARD

33 BRAVE RIVAL 5 TO 4 E.P.

34 EMMA WILSON A SPOONFUL OF WILLIE DIXON

35 BAD BOB BATES CAR TROUBLE

36 ZOE SCHWARZ ROB KORAL & FRIENDS COLOURFUL HOUSE

37 ALICE ARMSTRONG FURY & EUPHORIA EP

38 MIKE BOURNE BAND KANSAS CITY O'CLOCK

39 ERIN HARPE LET THE MERMAIDS FLIRT WITH ME: A TRIBUTE

TO MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT

40 JON HINES TRIO MEMPHIS SUN BLUES

JOE BONAMASSA

LIVE IN CONCERT

6-7 MAY 2026

LONDON

ROYAL ALBERT HALL

TICKETS AT JBONAMASSA.COM

BM ISSUE 159 Mar 2026

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