At this point, Tinsley Ellis is pretty much recognized as a blues master. Usually a hard blues-rocker of the Stevie Ray Vaughn school, now with The Naked Truth he has released his first all-acoustic blues album – and it’s fantastic. A native Georgian who spent much of his childhood in Florida, Ellis played in Atlanta […]
Emanuel Casablanca – Strung Out on Thrills
Emanuel Casablanca’s billing says he’s an “outlaw-bluesman.” Whether he’s an outlaw or not, he certainly has a knack for aggressive blues-rock. (Note to self: resist the temptation to include a reference to the movie Casablanca.} The Brooklyn-based Casablanca is a painter, actor, and singer-songwriter who released his debut album, Blood on My Hands, in August […]
Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia – Blood Brothers: Live in Canada
As reviewers, and volunteer reviewers at that, sometimes we miss things. More than a few times I’ve realized that some music I overlooked was actually pretty good, and I wanted to take a “Mulligan” by reviewing something well after its release. When Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia released their collaboration album, Blood Brothers, early this […]
Popa Chubby and the Beast Band – Live at G. Bluey’s Juke Joint NYC
Popa Chubby isn’t for everyone, but if you’re looking for a guitar slinger to liven up your night, he just might be the guy. Born Ted Horowitz in the Bronx during the final days of the Eisenhower administration, Popa Chubby devoured the rock music that surrounded him in the late 60s and early 70s, Chubby […]
William Lee Ellis – Ghost Hymns
William Lee Ellis plays roots music in its purest form. An acoustic master named after his godfather, legendary bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, Ellis plays bluegrass, folk and blues in a straightforward, intimate way. His music is a throwback to the days before computers, before television, even before radio, when music was always live and personal. […]
Joanna Connor – Best of Me
When I saw Joanna Connor tear it up at a blues festival awhile back I swore I would never neglect work her again. She’s great. Go see her and buy her music, including her new release, Best of Me. Connor is known for her commanding vocals and brazen guitar licks. Her mastery of the guitar […]
Michael Jerome Browne – Gettin’ Together
Canadian bluesman Michael Jerome Browne has been traveling the back roads of the music business for decades. A gifted guitarist, Browne showcases his talents with old time country blues on his excellent Gettin’ Together, the recording of which he describes as “therapeutic” after the isolation of the COVID pandemic. “It’s been a long three years,” […]
Taj Mahal – Savoy
At 80, Taj Mahal is more than an elder statesman for the blues. Like his namesake is to India, he is a national treasure. With the old-timey Savoy, Mahal revisits his youth while continuing his lifelong habit of never being pigeonholed in a particular style. After a run with Ry Cooder in an underrated band […]
Eric Bibb – Ridin’
Eric Bibb isn’t trying to impress anyone. As one of the world’s preeminent living bluesmen, he doesn’t have to. But he does want you to know what he thinks, what he values. And he does just that with Ridin’, the powerful follow-up to his open letter to all of us, Dear America, which was released […]
Savoy Brown – Blues All Around
Kim Simmonds, the founder and longtime frontman for Savoy Brown, lost his battle with colon cancer on December 13, 2022. That makes Blues All Around, released in February, likely the last offering from the British blues-rock legends. The band was originally formed in 1965. Savoy Brown’s first album dates back to 1967, and albums generally regarded […]