06 Jan
Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions by James Blood Ulmer
Saturday, 06 January 2001
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Guitarist/bandleader James Blood Ulmer first came to the attention of the music world via his sessions with Ornette Coleman and Rashied Ali. Since the early 80s, he’s been …
03 Jan
Bluebone - Live @ Cape May by Bluebone
Wednesday, 03 January 2001
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
As advertised on the Bluebone website, their music is burnin’ blues and smokin’ boogie. There is proof positive found on the 2000 studio release Bluebone and more ev…
Steve Lott Band Serves Up Seconds of Texan SpiceSteve Lott played in power blues bands for years in his native Texas. He moved to Australia in the 1990s af…
The once ultra rare South American blues-rock LP "Dias de Blues," originally released in 1972 in Argentina on the Discos De La Planta label, is a slice of electric blues La…
16 Oct
Tryin To Get Home by Blind Willie McTell
Monday, 16 October 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
TRYING TO GET HOME is the complete 1940 Library of Congress recordings in chronological order of Blind Willie McTell. These are his blues song compositions and arrangements…
15 Oct
The Best of Blind Blake by Blind Blake
Sunday, 15 October 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
History has plenty of characters that flash upon the cultural landscape like the proverbial shooting star - a bright, unforgettable flash, then gone, leaving only an afterg…
01 Oct
Kay Kay and the Rays featuring Abner Burnett by Kay Kay and the Rays
Sunday, 01 October 2000
Published in
Other - CD Reviews
Kay Kay Greenwade has her roots in gospel music and is a Texas native along with most of the band members. She was discovered while singing at a funeral by pianist/ guitari…
20 Sep
The Very Best of T-Bone Walker by T-Bone Walker
Wednesday, 20 September 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Here's a nice compilation of T-Bone Walker's 78s on various labels of the 1940s and 50s. Represented are the labels that make collectors drool. Consider Black & White, Rhum…
03 Sep
The Very Best of Lightnin Hopkins by Lightnin' Hopkins
Sunday, 03 September 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins (1912-1982) was born in Texas and picked up a guitar at the tender age of five. Several years later, he met the Dallas bluesman, Blind Lemon Jeffers…
26 Aug
Blues and Other Love Songs by Charles Brown
Saturday, 26 August 2000
Published in
Other - CD Reviews
Brown, who died last year at the age of 77, has long been touted in blues circles but is known primarily for a late-eighties rediscovery of his work thanks to progeny Bonni…
19 Aug
The Unsung Blues Legend Living Room Session by Lonnie Johnson
Saturday, 19 August 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Somewhere along the line, maybe because he refused to paint himself into a tidy genre corner and instead fueled his voracious creative appetite with Tin Pan Alley standards…
I’ll tell you right off the top that I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ann Rabson’s second solo CD for a while. It arrived at my door today; the same day it hit…
Modern electric blues usually bores me because -- like a lot of mainstream rock & roll and jazz -- it has become complacent and predictable. If you've listened to a lot of …
24 Jun
Earthquakes, Thunder and Smiling Lightning by Zola Moon
Saturday, 24 June 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Wow! This gal has a great set of powerful pipes. Zola kicks off the set with a candid blues titled "Meatgrinder" and the lyrics are anything but pretty but they certainly m…
25 May
The Very Best of Elmore James by Elmore James
Thursday, 25 May 2000
Published in
Other - CD Reviews
Elmore James (1918 - 1963) was a truly legendary Delta Blues figure. During his short life of 45 years, he rendered some of the most exciting traditional blues recordings e…
22 May
The Very Best of Jimmy Reed by Jimmy Reed
Monday, 22 May 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Rhino continues their Blues Masters Series with a great compilation of the music of the late Jimmy Reed (1925-1976). These sessions are from the period of 1953 through 1963…
29 Mar
Vu-Du Menz by Corey Harris & Henry Butler
Wednesday, 29 March 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Since 1995, Corey Harris has released three solo records on Chicago’s Alligator label which stand out both because they blend the Delta blues sound with more contemporary R…
16 Mar
The Very Best Of Rosco Gordon: Just A Little Bit by Rosco Gordon
Thursday, 16 March 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Pianist/singer/songwriter Rosco Gordon is one of those figures in Blues and Rhythm & Blues history that has fallen through the cracks of history. In the 1950s - from whence…
If you like blues with vocals and guitars, Acoustic Blues-Duo's CD release, 5TH STREET is bound to hit a happy chord in your imagination! This CD contains 50:30 minutes of …
25 Jan
The Unsung Blues Legend by Lonnie Johnson
Tuesday, 25 January 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
New Orleans-bred guitarist/singer Lonnie Johnson is a seminal figure in American music. Johnson played both blues and jazz (brilliantly), and was one of the first recorded …
25 Jan
The Unsung Blues Legend by Lonnie Johnson
Tuesday, 25 January 2000
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
The NYC-based Music Magnet Media launches its new CD label, "Blues Magnet" this week with the release of this previously unissued privately recorded session from 1965.Lo…
23 Sep
The Very Best Of Albert King by Albert King
Thursday, 23 September 1999
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
A darn near perfect greatest hits collection. Great for someone who says, "Yeah, I like blues, B.B.'s cool." Because after hearing this, their life won't be quite the same.…
10 Aug
Have A Little (More) Faith by Rev. Gary Davis
Tuesday, 10 August 1999
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
The story of blues singer Reverend Gary Davis is the stuff of which indie documentaries are made. Born in South Carolina in 1896, Davis - who lost his sight as a child - mi…
Although placed in the blues style, this recording really defies categorization. It spans jazz, ballads, blues, gospel and boogie. This Arizona pianist & vocalist is a trul…
For those who like their blues rich & creamy, warm, mellow,sensitive, sweet,and wildly innovative, please take a listen to the new winning cd of 14 selections by Katherine …
08 Mar
Blues Is My Wailin Wall by Mighty Mo Rodgers
Monday, 08 March 1999
Published in
Other - CD Reviews
Mighty Mo Rodgers is a native of Indiana and obtained his introduction to the blues early when he sneaked into the notorious Chickenshack in nearby Gary with his pal "Willi…
Lucky Peterson is a gifted musician indeed. Born in Buffalo, NY, he was a child star of some note having appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and What's My Li…
Here's Joe Louis Walker, an extraordinary bluesman with a respect for his roots. His singing is rough and ready; his guitar keeps the listener's attention as there are no o…
28 Feb
Blues In a Red Dress by Fred Walker and the Mystic Voyage Band
Sunday, 28 February 1999
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Fred Walker is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and has been active with The Mystic Voyage Band since the early 1980's. The group is well known on the local club scene and t…
28 Feb
Living Country Blues by Various Artists
Sunday, 28 February 1999
Published in
Other - CD Reviews
In 1980, German blues enthusiasts Axel Kustner and Siegfried Christmann traveled throughout the southern U.S. documenting the songs of country blues performers, many of who…
13 Jan
Straight Blues by Lightnin' Hopkins
Wednesday, 13 January 1999
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Cobbled together from three sessions, these sides have nothing in common - nothing but Lightnin' and a mighty hard blues. He can sound weary, but not here: the strings bite…
02 Sep
West Texas Refugee by Steve Lott
Wednesday, 02 September 1998
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Steve Lott Serves Up a Spicy Solo DebutThough bluesman Steve Lott is a native Texan, West Texas Refugee was produced while he resided in Aust…
For those who enjoy the harmonica in a jazz, swing, or blues setting, this is a great introduction to Charlie Musselwhite through these sixteen selections such as "Stingare…
03 Jan
Delta Blues: The Original Library of Congress Sessions from Field Recordings, 1941-1942 by Son House
Thursday, 03 January 1991
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
The ‘Sixties folk boom brought a lot of surprises - while new performers grew famous, old figures (bluesmen, etc.) were "rediscovered" and returned to the stage. The bigges…
08 Jan
I'm So Glad: The Complete 1931 Paramount Recordings by Skip James
Monday, 08 January 1990
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
I have always enjoyed blues music, especially the early sounds that lay the groundwork for later musical innovations. As a former pianist, I still love the musical sounds o…