If you’re looking for a prescription to help get by in these darkish times, perhaps some unbridled optimism to offset the rancor that is so prevalent today, then Southern Avenue’s new Family might be just what the doctor ordered. When blues guitarist Ori Naftaly left his native Israel to compete in the International Blues Challenge […]
Eric Bibb – In The Real World
Happy Halloween! All right, now that’s out of the way let me say that there are different kinds of blues musicians. There are blues rockers who make their reputations with searing guitar solos and there are blues bar bands who may be great musicians but whose focus is making sure you have a good time. […]
Guy Davis – The Legend of Sugarbelly
For Guy Davis, keeping the blues alive means keeping it alive even its most stripped-down form. The Legend of Sugarbelly is a throwback to the blues’ purest, simplest acoustic form, so reminiscent of Lead Belly and the earliest masters one almost expects to hear the crackle of an old 78-inch record. Davis is a great […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall/Winter 2023, Part 1
Toothache, Lydia Loveless (from the Bloodshot Records release Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again) Relationships are messy and few songwriters capture that fact better than Lydia Loveless. One need look no further than “Song About You”, the confessional ballad that opens their latest album. Against the backdrop that is mostly a lone electric guitar, […]
Robert Finley – Black Bayou
Robert Finley is releasing his fourth album “Black Bayou”, but still there are a lot of people unfamiliar with him and his unusual backstory. In fact, Finley didn’t even take up music full time until he was in his sixties. This on the face of it doesn’t seem like the most opportune time in his […]
Sandy Bailey Premiere – Daughter Of Abraham
There are plenty of musicians who were raised in a deeply religious environment, chose a different path, but maintained and built upon the musical foundation of the church. You can attribute that talent to all the time spent in choirs and gospel services–the 10,000 hour meme. Sometimes, though, you just sense it comes from somewhere […]
Ogden Heart – Ogden Heart
Throughout much of America, regional styles of music and the church are deeply intertwined. Whether it’s the sheer number of bluegrass interpretations of spiritual songs, or the influence of gospel music in the blues, spirit and soul are wound like a double helix. That relationship is displayed grandly in the new, self-titled album from rural […]
Rory Block – Ain’t Nobody Worried
Rory Block’s acoustic guitar chops are unmatched. Her recent series of tribute albums to country blues greats continues with Ain’t Nobody Worried, but this time with a twist. Instead of dedicating the whole album to a single blues artist, she mixes it up, covering iconic songs by iconic women. And the usually faithful blues master […]
Monday Morning Video – Eli Paperboy Reed
R&B master Eli Paperboy Reed and his band cram themselves onto a small stage and set fire to the folk gospel classic “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”.
Mayer’s Playlist for Feb/Mar 2022, Part 2
Not Ready Yet, Jamie McDell (from the ABC Music release Jamie McDell) I’ve been not so patiently awaiting the latest release from New Zealand’s Jamie McDell. Her 2019 EP was a tremendous introduction to her songwriting talent, especially the pull no punches “Botox” and the raw emotion of “Worst Crime”. Both songs are featured, alongside […]