Eric Bibb is one of a small number of elite blues musicians of his generation that define contemporary blues music. Along with Keb’ Mo’, Otis Taylor, Guy Davis, Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood and a handful of others, Bibb has assumed the mantle from the great Mississippi Delta artists of the early 20th century and the post-World […]
Jonathan Fox Band – 20 Something Runaway
The subtitle for the new Jonathan Fox Band record, 20 Something Runaway, could easily be “A Young Man And His Guitar”. Â Although he’s recorded solo efforts before and made a choice to put more emphasis on the band this time, the songs are really about Fox and his guitar. Fortunately Fox got a lot of […]
Markus James – Head For The Hills
Markus James has travelled to Timbuktu to unlock the secrets of the blues and found a connection between what he heard in the deserts of Mali to the fife and drum music of northern Mississippi. Like Corey Harris and the Dickinson brothers, James” preoccupation with exploring the drum-based blues of North Mississippi has led to […]
Sean Costello – In The Magic Shop
Sean Costello was a great talent who left us too soon. After taking the blues world by storm, Costello was found dead of an apparent overdose in his Atlanta hotel room on April 15, 2008, the day before his 29th birthday. After his death, his family confirmed that the troubled artist had suffered from bipolar […]
E.G. Kight – A New Day
E.G. Kight’s is a unique voice in contemporary music. Her heartfelt, gospel and country-tinged blues blend American traditions into a toe-tapping good time. Her latest album, A New Day, demonstrates what her dedicated following has known since the late 90s – that she is a special talent. Though Georgia native Kight grew up listening to old time country music like […]
Rob Stone – Gotta Keep Rollin’
Rob Stone plays good, honest blues. A Boston native, harpist Stone followed a straight-forward style in the Chicago electric blues tradition on Gotta Keep Rollin’. Stone’s tight band his has put together a first-class selection of rollicking tunes that is sure to enhance their growing reputation in the blues world. Stone has been leading his […]
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones – Living Tear to Tear
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones have added an entertaining gem to their long list of album releases with Living Tear to Tear.  From the first notes blown through Sugar Ray Norcia’s harmonica on “Rat Trap,” the album is a pleasure to hear. It’s not surprising that harpist Sugar Ray Norcia, a former member of Roomful […]
Mayer’s Playlist for July 2014, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Resolution Road, by Easton Stagger Phillips I don’t like to draw direct comparisons between artists but it’s hard not to do so with the latest release from Tim Easton, Leeroy Stagger and Evan Phillips. This talented trio of singer-songwriters conjure up the finer moments of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Resolution Road […]
Corb Lund – Counterfeit Blues
Corb Lund built a time machine. Â He took his long-time band, The Hurtin’ Albertans, down to Memphis and recorded a number of his live show staples and made them sound more original and rootsy than when they first laid down the tracks 8 – 10 years ago. Â Retransmitting the ambience of the famed Sun Studios, […]
Monday Morning Video: Johnny Winter (1944-2014)
We lost Johnny Winter last week. Johnny, known for his blistering fast guitar playing, burst onto the national scene as a solo act in the late 1960s. A guitar prodigy, Johnny and younger brother Edgar – both albino – had formed a band as they were growing up in Beaumont, Texas, and had a single released when Johnny […]