Any year that you get a new Janiva Magness CD is guaranteed to be a good one, so tighten your wigs and crank up the stereo because on June 24th, 2014 the award-winning singer and songwriter will release her new album, titled Original , on her own indie Fathead Records label. ... Read Full Post ...
It's been a good year for blues guitarist Ronnie Earl. In the spring of 2013, Earl and his long-running band the Broadcasters celebrated their 25th anniversary with the release of Just For Today , a red-hot live set recorded in his home state of Massachusetts. This spring saw Earl walk away with a Blues Music Award as "Best Instrumentalist - Guitar" as chosen by members of The Blues Foundation. ......
Many of you have been writing and asking me about Walter Trout's current condition. To be honest, it's not great - he's struggling every day with the disease while waiting for an organ donor - but he's hanging in there and staying upbeat in spite of the maddening uncertainty. His wife Marie has posted a video on YouTube that says more than I ever could about Walter and organ donation, and she's released...
Award-winning roots 'n' blues lifers the Nighthawks have announced a June 17th, 2014 release date for their new album, 444 , which will appear on the EllerSoul Records label. 444 was produced by the band and recorded at Montrose Studio in Richmond, Virginia. Featuring thirteen new songs infused with the band's trademark fusion of blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll, 444 is the follow-up to the Nighthawks'...
What a week for the blues! The blues chart for the week ending May 24, 2014 features not one, but three liver-quivering dynamite debuts, not the least the coup that awarded the top spot to the Gregg Allman tribute album, All My Friends . Released by Rounder Records, All My Friends: Celebrating the Songs & Voice of Gregg Allman is a three-disc (2 CD/1 DVD) set that includes contributions from...
For blues fans, Stony Plain Records has come to represent a certain quality in roots 'n' blues music. Founded in 1976 by Holger Petersen, the Canadian label has since released music from an impressive line-up of talent, from Ronnie Earl and Duke Robillard to Rory Block, Eric Bibb, and MonkeyJunk, among many others. ... Read Full Post ...
Back in December 2012 we reported on the medical condition of legendary blues singer Finis Tasby, who had suffered a stroke and had been hospitalized. Mr. Tasby's friend and caregiver Angie Jackson-Steward got in touch and let us know about a fundraiser that has been launched on YouCaring.com to raise money to help Tasby with his medical and living expenses. ... Read Full Post ...
You guys have just a week or so to make your plans to spend Memorial Day weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. From Friday, May 23rd through Sunday, May 25th, 2014 the good folks behind The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise will be hosting their annual "Cruiser Reunion Show" at the world-famous Knuckleheads club. ... Read Full Post ...
After a couple of exhilarating weeks, it's forward into the past with the blues chart for the week ending May 17, 2014. Keb' Mo' still holds down the number one spot, Robert Cray is at number two, and the latest collaboration between Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa sits comfortably at number three. Kudos to JJ Thames, who has been hanging tough on the charts with everybody these past few weeks, her Tell...
The Blues Foundation held its annual Blues Music Awards ceremony on Thursday night, May 8th, 2014 and like usual, reports are that the event was a real blast! A bunch of great people got on stage and performed, dozens of talented people had been nominated, and a handful of those were honored for their work. ... Read Full Post ...
Tighten up your wigs, fellow fiends, because we're about to be blessed with The Life of Riley ! I'm talking about Mr. King, y'all, and the acclaimed documentary film made of the blues guitar legend's storied life and career. On May 21st, 2014 you'll be able to watch The Life of Riley , the B.B. King documentary, in theaters nationwide. The film will be made available through "view on demand" services...
Blues-rock guitarist Eli Cook has mostly flown under the radar these past few years, but hardcore blues fans have become quite familiar with the young artist's talent. Cook's fifth album, titled Primitive Son , was quietly released last week by Cleopatra Records, a California-based label better known for Goth rock, heavy metal, and modern psychedelic-rock than for blues music. But as Cleopatra continues...
There's something wonky going on with the blues chart for the week ending May 10, 2014...no, not Keb' Mo' debuting at number one with his Bluesamericana album; that was kind of expected. Even Paul Rogers disappearing from the Top Ten isn't really that odd...but you'll notice that Texas blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. is missing from the chart after, well, lots of weeks. And not just disappeared, he...
There is certainly no shortage of well-written books available on British blues-rock legends the Rolling Stones . You could fill a small but fascinating library with copies of tomes like Stanley Booth's excellent The Adventures of the Rolling Stones or former member Bill Wyman's Rolling With The Stones . Hardcore fans will love Andy Babiuk and Greg Prevost's Rolling Stones Gear , which we'll be covering...
Odd thing, this blues chart for the week ending May 3, 2014...Record Store Day a couple weeks ago definitely had an impact on the rankings, with two unlikely debuts coming straight from the RSD ranks. The first of these, debuting at number eight, is a four-song EP from roots 'n' blues lifers Dave and Phil Alvin. The brothers are best known for their 1980s-era roots-rock band the Blasters, but Dave...
You had to know that this was coming...due to popular demand, on May 19th, 2014 blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa will release his acclaimed Tour de Force concerts as four separate two-disc CD sets through his independent J&R Adventures label. The Tour de Force - Live In London concerts were originally released on DVD and Blu-ray disc back in October 2013, both separately and as part of a super...
Not much change on the blues chart for the week ending April 26, 2014 save for the unlikely debut, at number seven, of singer JJ Thames' Tell You What I Know album. Thames bills herself as the "Mississippi Blues Diva" and her soul-blues hybrid does remind of greats like Etta James and Tina Turner. Released back in January by the independent DeChamp Records label and distributed through CD Baby and...
Kenny Wayne Shepherd has never been accused of being overly prolific in the recording studio, the guitarist releasing but two studio albums over the past decade. He's been busy honing his craft, touring with blues legends like Pinetop Perkins, Henry Townsend, and Hubert Sumlin and delving deeper into the blues than your average young blues-rock fretburner. Then there was last year's collaboration...
Well, who would have expected the upset we're seeing on the blues chart for the week ending April 19, 2014? Robert Cray's In My Soul album made its big debut this week, knocking Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa out of the top spot and claiming number one for his own bad self! Although I guessed that Cray's latest would perform well, it looks like quite a few fans (myself included) pre-ordered the album,...
What are you doing next month...specifically Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th, 2014? Might I suggest that if you're anywhere in Southern California, you plan on spending the weekend in lovely Dana Point, roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego? That's the date of this year's Doheny Blues Festival, to be held at the 62-acre Doheny State Beach park; the event a raucous affair that includes...