Join us for a mix of the contemporary blues during my roadhouse blues nooner today on BMFR starting at High Noon EST. Got some new 24 Pesos, the Altered Five Blues Band, and a fantastic version of Amazing Grace/House of the Rising Sun by Guy Forsyth & Jeska Bailey…ya gotta hear it!
Well we have reached the middle of a hot summer……anyone looking forward to fall already?? I invite you to kick back with a cold one and enjoy some Roadhouse Blues today at 3 pm EST on BMFR. You can tune in at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com. There is also a chat app on the homepage so you can join me to request or comment on the songs!
Here is the intended playlist:
ARTIST
TITLE
J.P. Soars
Across The Desert
Brandon Isaak
Right Around The Corner
Anders Osborne
Escape
Brother Yusef, The Fattback Bluesman
Hey There Blues
Blue Attitude
Traveller
Andrea Cubeddu
Something I Can’t Have
Bob Corritore and Friends
Trying To Make A Living (feat. Sugaray Rayford & Junior Watson)
Time for the Tuesday Roadhouse Blues Nooner with Ben Vee on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com! It starts today (July 30th) at High Noon EST and will feature tunes that are related to each other by some measure.
Below is the intended playlist. See if you can pick out why I related the tunes!
The summer is blowin’ by and here are some of the albums that I am listening to (song links to Spotify or Youtube are in blue):
The Kokomo Kings – Fighting Fire with Gasoline(2019)
The Kokomo Kings new album Fighting Fire with Gasoline heralds the return of the era when rock & roll and the blues were essentially the same genre. Upbeat and fun, I really enjoyed EVERY tune on this recording done by a mix of band members from Sweden and Denmark. I don’t know if it is somethin’ in the water, but there are a number of great new bands coming out of Copenhagen and Stockholm and the Kokomo Kings are one of the best. The band features Martin Abrahamsson (vocals and guitar), Magnus Lanshammar (bass and guitar), Ronni Boysen (guitar), and Daniel Winerö (drums).
The album is packed with great rockin’ boogie blues tunes that will get your hips and feet movin’ including A Big Pile of Fish, Fighting Fire With Gasoline, Fooled by the City Lights, I Thought I was a Patient Man, If I was an Alien, Tornadohead, and The Fish Won’t Bite. Really lovedHeatwavewhich has a Fabulous Thunderbirds feel to it. And my personal favorite is Tied to the Tracks that has some nice guitar riffs and a Mississippi Hill Country sound.
The influence of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry pervades the album and I know both are in blues heaven smilin’ down on this fantastic recording. Now…if only I can persuade them to send me a t-shirt with the album cover on it…my summer will be complete!!!
Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind – My Chops Are Rolling (Ellersoul Records 2019)
Since releasing his first recording in 1995, Jason Ricci has earned a reputation as one of the best harmonica players in the music business with two awards (2010 & 2018) from the prestigious Blues Music Foundation for his talent on the instrument. On his second release for Ellersoul Records, My Chops Are Rolling, Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind again lay down some badass roadhouse blues.
I was captivated by the tune The Way That I Hurt Myselfthat has echoes of Led Zeppelin in the performance. The song highlights Jason’s voice as well as some badass harpin’ and also shines the musical spotlight on the incredible guitar playing of John Lisi.
Additionally, Jason does a stellar instrumental cover of Led Zepp’s Going to California on the album. I also enjoyed Break In the Rain and a song he recorded with his wife, Kaitlin Dibble, entitled If You Should Lose Me. It is a great cover of a song originally performed by Barbara Lynn back in the late 1960’s.
Jason & I share a love for the New Orleans Saints and he put his admiration into words and music on Who Dat Nation! All you Saints fan should give it a listen! And Atlanta Falcon fans might want to avoid the explicit version he also includes 😛
Blue Moon Marquee – Bare Knuckles & Brawn(Factor Canada 2019)
Harkening back to the era of the blues cabaret, Blue Moon Marquee modernizes the sound on their new CD, Bare Knuckles & Brawn. A.W. Cardinal makes it work with gritty vocals and guitar playing and Jasmine Collette lays down some badass upright bass riffs as well as vocals. They are the core of a band that features guest appearances by Darcy Phillips (keyboards), Jerry Cook (Tenor & Bari Sax, Clarinet), Jimmy “Hollywood” Badger (Drums), Jack Garton (trumpet), and Paul Pigat (guitar).
Overall, this is well produced album with a laid back ambiance and a jazzy feel that still maintains an adherence to the blues. I really enjoyed 52nd Street Strut, As I Lay Dying, and the sultry feel of Big Black Mamba. Big Smoke is a great blues tune and Fever Flickering Flame conjures up scenes of a packed dance floor at a 1920 speakeasy. The haunting use of the trumpet and sparse piano licks perfectly frame Jasmine’s voice on Hard Times Hit Parade. And I loved the western swing guitar playing of Paul on The Red Devil Himself.
This is the perfect album to share with friends, a fine cigar, and a dirty martini. Let me know when ya do!!!
Travellin’ Blue Kings – Wired Up(Donor Productions 2019)
A European band that helps defines what I term as the roadhouse blues, the Travellin’ Blue Kings kick out some solid tunes on their new album Wired Up. This four piece band consists of Stephan Hermsen (vocals, harp, guitar), Jimmy Hontelé (guitar), Winne Penninckx (bass), and Marc Gijbels (drums).
This is another album where I loved EVERY cut. Particular favorites are Get It Done, Ninety Minutes, Into the Night, Straight Eight, and The Way It Used to Be. The instrumental title cut Wired Up is also a badass tune featuring some awesome guitar playing.
They are also the first band that I have seen that identify themselves as being from Benelux, an economic union of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The Travellin’ Blue Kings are doing their part to promote Benelux with one of the best roadhouse blues albums of 2019!
As always, feel free to like my website (MUCH APPRECIATED) and/or leave a comment/reply below!
Tune in at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com at 3 pm EST today for some more badass roadhouse blues. Got new tunes by Tullie Brae, Samantha Fox, Eliza Neals & Popa Chubby, Albert Castiglia and the Allman Betts Band!
Below is the intended playlist.
ARTIST
TITLE
Roy Buchanan
Short Fuse
Tullie Brae
Price Of The Blues
Albert Castiglia
Heavy
Anna Scionti
This World
The Gordon Meier Blues Experience
Just Keep Ridin’
Eliza Neals
Living With Yo Mama (Feat. Popa Chubby & Dave Keyes)
Been listening to the blues and writing in the man cave in the sweltering summer heat…..just so YOU get to know some great female artists!! Grab a cold one, maybe a cigar, and read on……….
(links to songs in Youtube or Spotify are in light blue)
Eliza Neals – Sweet or Mean (2019 E-H Records LLC)
What is there not to love about the pairing of a great artist with a fantastic blues man and producer. Detroit based Eliza Neals launches it into the blues stratosphere on her new EP Sweet or Mean which is produced by the renown Popa Chubby. The new EP has a rock & roll edge and a gritty blues rhythm and beat…you don’t have to give up one to love em both!
Loved Bitten By the Blues and the roadhouse version of Pawn Shop Blues. Also, enjoyed Living With Yo Moma featurng some badass roadhouse bluzin’ guitars by Popa Chubby and Dave Keyes. Blackish Grey is some great blues and Knock Knock Knockin’ is acoustic blues that highlights Eliza’s voice.
Ida Bang & the Blue Tears – Good to Me (2019 Ida Bang Musik)
Based out of Sweden, Ida Bang has one heck of a voice and she is backed by a band that can lay down the groove. Good To Me is a snappy little tune and I also enjoyed the rhythm and beat of Not the Same featuring some stellar guitar work by Leo Henriksson and John Bergstrom, great bass playing by Patrik Engstrom and badass drums by Leo Sund. Shelter Me, Don’t You Worry. and You Can’t Have It Both Ways are also pretty tasty!
Anna Scionti – Orphan Blues(2019)
This Australian artist plays the guitar and sings the blues with an intensity that just draws you in. A blues rocker to the core, Anna Scionti reminds me of George Thorogood and Buddy Holly, particularly on the cut Never Let Her Go. Bury My Hurt and Too Much Drinkin’ are some crankin’ roadhouse blues. Also enjoyed You’re My Keeper. Overall Orphan Blues is a fantastic listen!!
Tullie Brae – Revelation(2019)
Tullie Brae has the looks of a superstar and a voice steeped in the blues. On her new album Revelation, she melds brash powerful vocals with songwriting that reflects on love, life, anger, and perseverance. Most of the tunes have a driving roadhouse rhythm that I absolutely loved.
Particularly enjoyed Break These Chainsfeaturing Brandon Santini on harmonica. The tunes Watch Her Move, Devil in Deville, and Price of the Blues are also all badass roadhouse blues.
She appeared at the Beale Street Cigar Festival last year during Labor Day weekend in Memphis. Dang…if I had only known!!!!!!
Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at ben@benveeblues.com. AND likes and shares are ALWAYS appreciated!!
