Blues Music Review

Roadhouse 2021 Blues Rock Album of the Year – Beggars Soul by J. Lee and the Hoodoo Skulls

The Roadhouse 2021 Blues Rock Album of the Year is by a British group from Surrey, England…. J. Lee and the Hoodoo Skulls. The recording, Beggars Soul, is a vibrant energetic collection of tunes that are brash and edgy. Drawing from the same musical well as Chuck Berry, Larkin Poe, the Black Keys and the Record Company, this 4 piece band cranks out songs that will get ya pumped and wanting to gather once again with friends at a rowdy roadhouse or pub for some good times.

The band is composed of J. Lee (vocals), Harun Kotch (Lead Guitar/ Writer), Wayne Riches (Drums) and Mike Hartnett (Bass). The album was recorded at an old church chapel which gives the songs a cool texture that just enhances the aura of the music. Just give the title cut, Beggars Soul, a listen……you will hear what I mean.

I also just love tunes that capture the magic of the era when Muddy Water’s famously said that the blues had a baby and it was called rock & roll. The song Baby Can’t Sing the Blues is an absolute time capsule of a roadhouse blues tune that perfectly illustrates Muddy’s statement.

Every recording on this album is worth a listen, particularly if you are feeling dreary or depressed and need a musical “pick me up”. So…..go to your favorite music download site….get your own copy of Beggars Soul as your endorsement of the very best badass Roadhouse blues rock of 2021!

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB

The Big Easy Sound of Ricci/Krown on City Country City

Any album that starts with a Hammond B3 organ intro has my attention. One that then integrates some Big Easy style harmonica is just plain badass.The new Jason Ricci and Joe Krown collaboration, City Country City on Gulf Coast Records, starts just that way with the title cut and is infused throughout with the rhythms of a bluesy fall day in the French Quarter roamin’ down Royal Street and then perhaps eating beignets out by the mighty Mississippi in New Orleans.

Jason has long been considered one of the premier harmonica players of the blues genre and Joe Krown, an established piano and organ player in New Orleans, is also a member of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. Together with monster drummer Doug Belote, they lay down a sound that reflects the city in which they all reside. In parts funky and soul infused, the recording is a very enjoyable listen.

Besides the title cut, I also enjoyed the instrumentals Down n’ Dirty, My Mama Told Me So, It Starts with Me, and Upshot. I was particularly impressed with their reinterpretation of the Bobby Gentry classic Ode to Billy Joe as a blues funk instrumental. Jason’s work on the harmonica on the song takes the tune to a whole new level.

On Badger the Witness, Jason and Joe channel Doctor John to perfection. Feel Good Funk is just that and my favorite song on the album is Down At the Juke. It’s just a perfect “down the bayou” tune reflective of some places I used to frequent while growing up and working in southern Louisiana. If you enjoy the low down blues, you won’t find much better than the trio’s rendition of Charles Brown’s Drifting Blues with Joe’s haunting organ setting just the right vibe and counterpoint to some sweet harmonica playing. Listening to Jason on this song will help you to understand why blues music lovers rave about his talent. I also enjoyed their cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s Just a Playboy with Joe pounding those ivories.

The textures and rhythms of this album embody the city of New Orleans and are reflective of the powerhouse talents of Jason, Joe, and Doug. Though they all have busy schedules with other bands, it is my hope that they will carve out some time to tour a bit together. I think people world wide would enjoy some of their Big Easy blues.

Ricci Krown – City Country City (Gulf Coast Records 2021)

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB

Soul Blues Chillin’ with Zac Harmon

For those of you who haven’t heard of Zac Harmon, he is an award winning bluesman who comfortably resides in the Robert Cray wing of the contemporary blues. In 2006, he won the Blues Music Foundation award for Best New Artist for his album The Blues According To Zacariah. In the years since six more albums have followed including the new recording Long As I Got My Guitar.

Zac has a voice and a guitar style that can best be described as ‘chillin with the soul blues’. His songs on the new album are in parts upbeat, funky, pensive, spiritual, and socially aware. He even ventures “down the bayou” a bit with the delightful accordion accompanied Crying Shame. Zac was born in Jackson Mississippi to parents who schooled him in music. His mother played piano and his father, the first black pharmacist in Mississippi, played harmonica. His dad tended to the needs of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Albert King, Ike & Tina Turner, and Little Milton at times and all those combined influences have made Zac Harmon one of the great blues & soul men of the roadhouse blues.

Now based in Texas, Zac worked with the renown music producer, Jim Gaines, who most notably produced Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, and Journey, to create the soulful music magic on this recording. Backing Zac on most of the tracks are the Rays consisting of Bob Trenchard (bass), Richy Puga (drums), Johnny McGhee (guitars), Dan Ferguson (keyboards and accordion) and backing vocals by SueAnn Carwell and Corey Lacey.

My favorite recording on the album is the title cut, Long As I Got My Guitar. Over the years, I have heard guitar players time and again talk about having survived their days payin’ their blues dues and facing the brutal choice of pawning their guitar for money to pay bills. Zac captures that melancholy experience with some exquisite guitar licks and real world lyrics. I also loved the guitar work on the socially conscious Waiting to Be Free. Another favorite of mine on the recording is People Been Talking which is soul blues at its very finest.

Over the last 18 months all of us have dealt with enforced periods of isolation as a result of the pandemic. It has given most of us a new appreciation of family and friends and, in Zac’s case, he says it gave him the realization that “as long as I have my guitar, all is good with my soul”. All I can add to that is that just listening to Zac sing and play on this new recording had a nice calming effect on my soul best exemplified by his song, Soul Land. Give it and the rest of the songs on this album a listen as you chill to some mighty fine soul blues.

Zac Harmon – Long As I Have My Guitar (2021 Catfood Records)

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB

Roadhouse Blues News – ALBUM RELEASES

It is officially fall and there are a whole lotta great roadhouse blues albums hitting the market in the coming days and months!

Out Now

Samantha Fish – Faster

She is arguably the most popular female contemporary blues rock artist on the planet…..the lady can rock it!!

Robert Jon & the Wreck – Shine On Me Brother

On tour now in Europe, the Euro fans are in for a fabulous treat from these Southern California based southern rock & blues rockers!

Altered Five Blues Band – Holler If You Hear Me

This album merits album of the year consideration. See my review from last week here on this blog.

Colin Linden – bLOW

Colin is a Canadian that has been based in Nashville for a long time. I listened to the promo copy I received this weekend and the album just enhances his reputation as both an artist and songwriter.

Tony Holiday – Porch Sessions Vol. 2

A literal who’s who of the blues join Tony on this badazz recording!

Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps – Rose-Colored Glasses

What a voice! Teresa is one of the great talents of contemporary blues!

DUE THIS WEEK

Avey Grouws Band – Tell Tale Heart

I received a promo copy of the album today…..can’t wait to give it a spin!

DUE IN OCTOBER

The Doobie Brothers – Liberte

Zac Harmon – Long As I Got My Guitar

Sue Foley – Dallas Man

DUE IN NOVEMBER

Colin James – Open Road

This is the first video released for the forthcoming album.

Joanne Shaw Taylor – The Blues Album

Produced by Joe Bonamassa, this promo single brings Joanne’s awesome R&B voice to the fore!

Dion – Stomping Ground

Dion is in his eighties and still just so damn cool!!

Gov’t Mule – Heavy Load Blues

The new album is supposed to be straight up blues….can’t wait to hear it all!

Eric Clapton – The Lady in the Balcony – Lockdown Sessions

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raise the Roof

They pick up right where they left off with an excellent cover of the Lucinda Williams tune!

Tour Worth Noting

Allman Family Revival (November 27 to December 19)

Duane Allman will be joined by the Allman Betts Band, Samantha Fish, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Eric Gales, Jimmy Hall, Robert Randolph and several others to celebrate the songs and memory of his father Gregg. Tour starts in St. Louis and winds across the United States and then ends in San Francisco!

A Baker’s Dozen of Badass Blues – The New Altered Five Blues Band album HOLLER IF YOU HEAR ME

The new Altered Five Blues Band album HOLLER IF YOU HEAR ME is out today and it is a baker’s dozen of badass blues. One of the stellar groups of the contemporary blues, this five member band out of Milwaukee cranks out 13 infectious tunes with a rhythm that drags you to the dance floor. Led by the barrel chested voice of Jeff Taylor, this musical ensemble, with the help of Grammy award winning producer Tom Hambridge, have created a sure fire 2021 album of the year nominee.

The album comes out of the gate with the title cut, Holler If You Hear Me. Come join the party….let’s ramble and roll…whole lotta shakin’ gonna move your soul….Raise your hands…move your feet…everybody now ….feel the beat. Those lyrics should be on the door mantle of every roadhouse blues joint from Copenhagen to Chicago to Adelaide!

Guilty of a Good Time is another genre defining tune which echoes my sentiments about the roadhouse blues; it’s about hand rolled cigars and a big bar tab among like minded friends! It also features some awesome guitar licks by Jeff Schroedl. If You Go Away (She Might Come Back), All Suit No Soul, and In the Name of No Good are all “pull your Baby to the dance floor” tunes. There are also a couple of belly rubbing tunes in Holding On with One Hand and Leave Before I Let You Down.

If there is one song on the album that kind of brings it all together….the voice of Jeff Taylor….the roadhouse beat….the talent of a tight band with Jeff Schroedl on guitar, Alan Arber on drums, Mark Solveson on bass, and Raymond Tevich on Keyboards, it is Full Moon, Half Crazy! Give it a listen!

The album ends with a heartfelt upbeat tribute to the men and women of the blues that laid the groundwork for all of us that perform, spin, and write about the blues today: Big Shout Out. It includes a literal who’s who of the blues and is a great list of artists for those new to blues to use to become acquainted with in this incredible musical genre.

To say I enjoyed listening to this album while writing this review would be an understatement. It is everything that you could hope for in a roadhouse blues recording; vibrant, upbeat, great musicians, and insightful, witty and thoughtful lyrics. And mark my words…if this recording doesn’t get an album of the year nomination then it is time for me to stop reviewing albums……and that ain’t gonna happen!!!

Altered Five Blues Band – Holler If You Hear Me (2021 Blind Pig Records)

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB

Roadhouse Blues News – Hot Blues In August

It’s a typically hot and humid August day here…….perfect time to be inside and letting you know about some even hotter roadhouse blues!

Roadhouse Blues Albums I am spinnin’ this summer that you will rock you (link to a single included)

Mike Zito – Resurrection I’ll Make Love To You

Mike is one of the contemporary roadhouse blues’ great singers, songwriters, guitar players, producers, and now co-owner of Gulf Coast Records who just keep rollin’ out awesome roadhouse tunes!

Billy F. Gibbons – Hardware She’s On Fire

Well into his seventies, Billy has lost none of his verve and the man can just crank it out!

Tedeschi Trucks Band – Layla Revisited (Live) Little Wing

They cover the 1970 Derek and the Dominos album live and it is awesome! Features Trey Anastasio (Phish) and Doyle Bramall II on guitars alongside the fabulous voice of Susan Tedeschi and slide guitar wizardry of Derek Trucks.

Sean Chambers – That’s What I’m Talkin’ About (Tribute to Hubert Sumlin) Rockin’ Daddy

One of blues rock’s great guitar players pays tribute to his mentor Hubert Sumlin and also dedicates the album to the memory of Ben Elliot, a legendary music producer, who died shortly after finishing the album with Sean.

Blues Traveler – Traveler’s Blues Roadhouse Blues

An awesome blues album by John Popper and company. They get help from Keb’ Mo, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Warren Haynes and crank out a great version of the signature tune for the Ben Vee Roadhouse Blues!!

Cactus – Tightrope Papa Was a Rolling Stone

Carmine Appice continues to pound the skins to perfection. I have been a big fan since his days with Vanilla Fudge back in the 1960’s. I love this cover of The Temptations number 1 hit from 1972.

Andy Lindquist – Stand.abide.endure The River Queen

Andy is a native of North Dakota and is now ensconced in the hot and humid climes of Florida. This album of one of the great blues rock releases of 2021.

The Brothers – March 10, 2020 Madison Square Garden (Live) Midnight Rider

Recorded live right before the pandemic closed down most of the world, the alumni of the Allman Brothers keep the jams flowin’ led by Warren Haynes.

Bishop Gun – Gypsy Cadillac Ain’t it a Shame

From Natchez, Mississippi, Bishop Gunn is one of my “break out” artists of 2021. The album is an incredible mixture of Rhythm & Blues and southern rock AND he has an incredible R&B voice as you will hear on this tune!

Bernie Marsden – Kings Me And My Guitar

He was a mainstay of Whitesnake back in the day and has evolved into a master bluesman with a touch on the guitar that few can rival!

Jimmy Barnes – Flesh & Blood This Is the Truth

Jimmy is simply one of the great voices of his generation. Just kick back and drift way as ya listen!

New Tunes to be released in the next couple of months

Doobie Brothers – Liberte

I heard the first single, Oh Mexico, the other day. Can’t wait to get my hand on the album when released in October. If the single is any indication, it will be a great roadhouse release.

Altered Five Blues Band – Holler If You Hear Me

Jeff Taylor is another of my favorite blues singers. The band is allowing us to spin the album now on BMFR. It will officially be released in early September.

In Remembrance

Dusty Hill – He was out on tour with ZZ Top this past month and wasn’t feeling well so he went home to recuperate. Dusty passed away in his sleep on July 28, 2021. Rest in peace brother…..you brought us all some damn fine times and that insistent bass that was a signature of the little band from Texas! La Grange

You will find all these tunes in rotation on my 24 hour roadhouse blues stream at WRHB. They will also be featured during my upcoming roadhouse blues shows on BluesMusicFanRadio from 12-2 pm EDT on Tuesdays and from 3-5 pm EDT on Thursdays.

That’s What I’m Talkin’ About – Sean Chambers pays tribute to Hubert Sumlin

I was late gettin’ on the Sean Chambers blues train which has been rollin’ along since his first recording back in 1998. It was his 2017 album, Trouble and Whiskey, that grabbed my attention with a blistering guitar style that reflects what he learned playing with Hubert Sumlin for over 4 years and puts him in the company of guitar virtuosos Gary Moore and Alvin Lee. Sean also has just the right amount of gruff in his voice and conveys an honesty that makes him a natural born bluesman.

As a special tribute to Hubert Sumlin, long time band member for Howlin’ Wolf and one of the most influential blues electric guitar players of all time. Sean records 10 songs that he regularly performed with Hubert as part of the band from 1998 to 2002 and contributes one original about his life and times with the great bluesman, Hubert’s Song. The title for the recording, That’s What I Am Talkin’ About, reflects a phrase that Hubert loved to use according to Sean.

The tune on the album that best epitomizes why some organizations have rated Sean as one of the top contemporary guitar players on the planet is Rockin’ Daddy. He attacks this blues standard by Chester Burnett with gusto and the guitar solo right near the end is incredible. As many of you know, I love music with a beat you can dance to and Do The Do and Hidden Charms fill the bill nicely. Sean can also get into the lowdown and dirty blues as he did on Goin’ Down Slow. I have to believe that Hubert hearing Sean wear out the guitar on this song back in 1998 helped get him the permanent gig with Sumlin.

Also included on the album is a great version of the Roosevelt Sykes song, Forty Four, that was a mainstay of Howlin’ Wolf’s performances with Hubert back in the 1950’s. The martial cadence of the snare drum on this classic song is the perfect backdrop for Sean’s vocals and features some sweet guitar playing. Seans cranks out some badass roadhouse blues on the tracks Taildragger and Sitting on Top of the World. And Sean has the perfect voice to pull off a rousing version of the Howlin’ Wolf classic, Howlin’ for my Darling.

Throughout the recording, there are delightful performances on the Hammond B3 Organ by Bruce Katz and a favorite keyboard player of mine, John Ginty. John contributed to Sean’s last album and now is a mainstay of the Allman Betts Band. Drums and percussion are handled by Andrei Koribanics. And the insistent bass is played by Antar Goodwin.

The album closes with another Chester Burnett song that was a featured song for Hubert Sumlin’s shows, Louise. (The suggestion to include the song along with Taildragger came from none other than Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown!) From the first song on the album, an instrumental entitled Chunky, to the last one Sean provides an intense and artful rendering of tunes that are truly classic blues music that should please both blues purists and blues rock and roadhouse blues fans.

On a sad note, the producer of the album, Ben Elliot, passed away sometime after its recording in the spring of 2020. It was the last production by one of the greats of the blues rock genre. Ben had recorded or produced songs and albums by Leslie West, Rory Gallagher, Savoy Brown, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and…..Hubert Sumlin.

Sean dedicates the album to the memory of Hubert Sumlin and Ben Elliot. It will serve as a lasting tribute and is certainly one of the finest roadhouse blues albums released in 2021.

Sean Chambers – That’s What I’m Talkin’ About (Tribute to Hubert Sumlin) (2021 Quatro Valley Records)

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB

Thursday Roadhouse Blues on BMFR 3-5 pm EDT

Got a bunch of great contemporary roadhouse blues for you today with tunes by Polly O’Keary & the Rhythm Method, Sean Chambers, Trainyard Blues Band, Mark Sutherland, Larkin Poe, Nathaniel Rateliff, and many more.

Here is the intended playlist:

ARTISTTITLEALBUM
Sean ChambersChunkyThat’s What I’m Talkin About – Tribute to Hubert Sumlin
Christone “Kingfish” IngramLong Distance Woman662
Billy F GibbonsStackin’ Bones (Feat. Larkin Poe)Hardware
Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm MethodI’m Not Guilty50
Sean ChambersGoin’ Down SlowThat’s What I’m Talkin About – Tribute to Hubert Sumlin
The Dirty Mojo Blues BandDirty DogIt Is What It Is
JD3 & The Jondo TrioRocks At The MoonSomething Good
Trainyard Blues BandDeep Down SouthLast Call To Memphis
The Black KeysPoor Boy A Long Way From HomeDelta Kream
Mark SutherlandNext To MeThe Good Fight
T & The TeasersOld Man Down The RoadWay Back Home
Larkin PoeFreedomPeach
Ida MaeDeep river (feat. Marcus King)Click click domino
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night SweatsYou Worry MeTearing at the Seams (Deluxe Edition)
New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom RockersShe’s About a Mover (feat. Alvin Youngblood Hart)New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers – Volume 2
The WildRoots634-5789WildRoots Sessions Volume 1
Steve Earle & The DukesChampagne CorollaJ.T.
Kiko And The Blues RefugeesAin’t Gone YetThreadbare
Veronica LewisPut Your Wig On MamaYou Ain’t Unlucky
Edgar BluesFeeling DownThe Next Step
Tullie BraeBreak These Chains (Feat. Brandon Santini)Revelation
Don and the MobstersI Don’t Need a ManFear of the Dark
Honey Island Swamp BandHead High Water BluesDemolition Day
Early Times & The High RollersOn The CornerThe Corner
Dave ThomasOne More Mile To GoOne More Mile
The BluesBonesCruisin’ (Censored)Live on stage
The Trashcan BanditsHere’s Mud in Yer Eye, Señor LogAshes to Ashes
Ghalia VoltReap What You SowOne Woman Band

Dave Kalz – The blues with rock RELISH on the side!

I absolutely love artists that play a mean guitar. And Dave Kalz does just that on his debut release for Gulf Coast Records, RELISH. The album is packed with original songs that celebrate the insistent tones of a guitar with blues rock gusto.

I suggest you listen to Route 666 first. It is a raucous upbeat tune with undertones of ZZ Top dripping from the music. You can just tell Dave is havin’ a blast as his fingers fly over the neck of the guitar. Next give She’s Got A Hemi a listen with it’s great rock and roll rhythm and those fabulous tones that bring back memories of LInk Wray. Up next focus your ears on a song about the bane of many musicians, the Taxman; it’s another blues rocker with a funky starting beat that shifts into some of the loud late night jammin’ that I have always associated with the Allman Brothers. It should be an audience pleaser when Dave hits the road to support the album which was officially released on June 25th.

Just these three tunes alone will help you understand why Dave’s long time friend, Mike Zito (they are both from St. Louis) signed him to a record deal for Mike’s label, Gulf Coast Records. Mike also sits in for one tune, Werewolf Blues. Dave just absolutely tears it up on another of my favorite cuts of the album, I Can’t Quit Ya Baby. It is a song he played with Devon Allman over two decades ago while Dave was a member of the Devon Allman’s Honeytribe and I am damn glad he included it on the album. I also enjoyed Playing the Blues (with some Jimi Hendrix riffs towards the end!), the title cut Relish, and Flying High.

For the recording, Dave has Kevin McDonald on drums, and Greg Hulub on bass and backing vocals; both of whom also attack the blues….forgive the impending pun…. with relish!! Tony Campanella sits in on guitar for Playing the Blues and Lewis Stephens provides the keyboards on the cut Mexico.

As a debut album, RELISH, is simply stellar. If you often love your blues loud and upbeat (and I do!), then you will enjoy this joyful celebration of the electric guitar.

Dave Kalz – RELISH (2021 Gulf Coast Records)

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB