New Blues Review 8-6-24
By Jack Roy
Colin James – Chasing The Sun (Stony Plain)
Bio – “From the prairies of Saskatchewan to sharing the stage with arguably the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time, Colin James still remembers those words of advice given to him by the late, great, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Colin James has taken those words to heart. His career has spanned over 30 years, with a track record that includes 20 studio albums, 8 Juno Awards, 30 Maple Blues Awards and multi-platinum record sales. His latest 2021 release, Open Road, for which he won a 2022 Juno Award for best Blues Album and was nominated for Blues Foundation 2023 best Blues Rock Album, is a celebration of personal connections. It includes original tunes written with long time collaborators such as Colin Linden, Craig Northey and Tom Wilson and reinterpretations of covers by a diverse group of songwriters including Bob Dylan, Albert King, Tony Joe White and others. His 2018 album Miles To Go garnered worldwide attention, debuting on the Billboard Blues Charts and holding a position on the RMR Blues Chart for 24 weeks, 14 weeks in the top 10. He continues to sell out shows across Canada with over 100,000 tickets sold on tours over the past 3 years. Colin was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2013. Looking back over Colin’s career, it’s a timeline rich in highlights. His 1988 self-titled debut, featuring his two self-penned hits “Voodoo Thing” and “Five Long Years,” was the fastest-selling album in Canadian history. It won him his first Juno and an opening spot on tour with Keith Richards. His second album, Sudden Stop, featured his hit “Just Came Back,” which reached #3 on the U.S. radio charts and earned him the Juno Award for “Single of the Year.” Colin was next credited with launching the swing revival, thanks to his wildly popular Little Big Band, which has released four successful albums to date. However, it wasn’t until 2016’s Blue Highways that James found himself on a blues chart: the album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. It also landed him one of his biggest hits: “Riding in the Moonlight,” a Willie Dixon song that garnered millions of streams on Spotify.”
Review – This, surprisingly, is a very nice group of Blues/Singer Song Writer tunes. Colin has a very soft and smooth voice and his lyrics are well put together. No guitar shredding here, or even fast paced songs. Lots of Ballads, that really suit Colin’s voice. Colin Linden must be James’ side kick as he is featured on every tune and the two of them wrote many of the songs on this CD and produced and arranged the album. Linden is a very good guitar player. James does a great job with the Paul Butterfield Tune “In My Own Dream”. Two of the songs, “Devilment” and “Come To Find Out” has the amazing Charlie Musslewhite killing it on harmonica. I think my favorite on this CD is “Protection”, Written and guest vocals by Lucinda Williams, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Chicago Blues Lifters – Blues Scouts (Big Eye Records)
Bio – “Based out of Chicago, this group joined together for one purpose: to offer unmatched expertise and an effortless, Blues experience for its audiences. The authenticity of this prestigious Blues band is of the highest value in Chicago. The Chicago Blues Lifters features Grammy and Blues Music Award winning artists that have had the honor of recording, performing, and supporting other notable artists and blues legends, such as Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Rogers, Keith Richards, Junior Wells, and many more! The Chicago Blues Lifters is a multi-talented Blues band that illustrates the true meaning of the Chicago Blues. Within this all-star group exists the genre’s past, present, and future. The Chicago Blues Lifters offers an unparalleled, authentic Chicago Blues Experience that is wowing audiences across the globe. Their performance makes it feel tangible, transporting its listeners into a Blues trance and delivering pure and rare Blues magic.”
Review – What an album, such a great ensemble of Blues Musicians. Wonderful singers including Michael Avery, Billy Flynn, Joey J. Saye, Bob Stroger, and Willie Oshawny but Kimberly Johnson takes the prize in vocals to me. Every song is a winner in my book, standouts include “Stick A Fork In Me”, “You Hurt me Baby”, and “Too Little Too Late” but all are gold. I think my favorite on this CD is “Window Pane”, it’s hard not picking the best song with Kimberly Johnson singing, but this is Joey J. Saye playing acoustic guitar and singing, it is just perfect to these ears, listen here. I will give this a 10+ on Blues Content and a 10++ on Music Content.
Zac Harmon – Floreada’s Boy (Catfood Records)
Bio – “Zac Harmon is an award-winning guitarist, singer, and songwriter whose distinctive style continues the lineage of American Blues music. America’s classical music. Blues Revue called Harmon “a masterful musician and performer of the blues.” Blues journalist Don Wilcock referred to his “Bobby Blue Bland uptown sophistication with a touch of Freddie King guitar.” And JazzReview said, “With his big blues sound from Mississippi, Harmon can go toe to toe with some of the best blues men in the business. Please don’t be shy, go ahead and mention Harmon’s name in the same sentence with Bobby “Blue” Bland, Albert King and Bobby Rush—just to name a few.” Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Zac Harmon is a true embodiment of the music that emanated from the city’s historic Farish Street district, home of blues legend Elmore James. Given that Zac was exposed to a lot of music in his home, neighborhood, and local culture, it’s not surprising that he turned out a blues musician. His mom played piano, and his dad, the city’s first state registered black pharmacist, played harmonica and tended to the needs of artists such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, Albert King, and Little Milton.
His next door neighbor was a music instructor who would host friends such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Harry Belafonte in her home. Another neighbor, Bill Farris, a blues scholar who worked with noted folklorist Alan Lomax and founded the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, recorded a number of Delta blues artists in his home, including Skip James. Zac started his professional career at age sixteen, playing guitar with Sam Myers, a friend of his father’s. Two years later he was playing with Dorothy Moore, Z.Z. Hill and other well-known blues artists who were passing through on regional tours. In the early eighties, at age 21, he moved to Los Angeles to take a real shot at the music business. He worked as a studio musician at first and eventually established a very successful career as a songwriter and producer. He worked on major films, television shows, and well-known national commercials, even being hired at one point by Michael Jackson as a staff writer for his publishing company, ATV Music. Harmon wrote songs for the likes of Troop, Karyn White, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Freddie Jackson, the Whispers, K-Ci & Jo Jo, and the O’Jays. He also wrote and produced songs for reggae band Black Uhuru’s Mystical Truth album, which received a Grammy nomination in 1994. ”
Review – Classic smooth singing Blues from one of the best in the business, Zac Harmon. Very much a soul singer but man can he play the blues!! His main musicians are Corey Lacy on Keys, Nate Robinson on Bass, Gino Iglehart on Drums and Kingston Livingston on Guitar, he has so many other musicians that come together to really make this recording special, over 27 of them including the horn sections of Texas Horns and LA Horns. Every tune is an adventure, some get away from the Blues Central and touch on Beach Music or Pop, but the full true Blues songs are incredible including “Babe and Ricky’s Inn, “Sugarman”, and “Never Have A Better Night” but I think my favorite on this CD is “Big Dog Blues”, Classic Blues Song with some Albert Collins like guitar licks, so good, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 10++ on Music Content.
Willie Buck & Delmark All-Stars – Live At Buddy Guy’s legends (Delmark)
Bio – “Wille Buck, now an octogenarian, is one the few remaining original Chicago bluesmen. One of eight children and hailing from Mississippi, he arrived in Chicago in 1953 as a teenager, in the formative years of the Chicago electric blues scene. Having been snuck in to see Muddy Waters changed Buck’s perspective on just about everything and he’s carried that traditional Chicago sound with him to this day, carving his own niche in the city’s south and west side clubs. He’s been leading his own bands n Chicago for 50 years now. We last heard a Buck on his 2012 recording, Cell Phone Man but his voice remains amazingly expressive, vibrant, and demonstrates a powerful upper range that belies his age.”
Review – The real deal, Willie Buck with an incredible backing band including Thaddeus Krolicki on Guitar, Billy Flynn on Guitar, Johnny Iguana on Keys, Scott Dirks on Harmonica, Melvin Smith on Bass and Willie “Touch” Hayes on Drums. Each one of these musicians have had an amazing career on their own, so this is the best of the best supporting Willie. Just a classic Blues CD that could have been recorded in the 50s, 60’s or 70’s but this one was recorded at Buddy Guy’s Legends. Standouts for me are “Jumpin”, “Rock Me”, “Walking and Swimming” but I think my favorite on this CD is “Snow”, nice classic Blues tune, listen here. I will give this a 10+ on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Memphis Royal Brothers – Self-Titled (Royal Records)
Bio – “Anyone who follows the history of American soul and blues is familiar with the role Memphis plays in its past. The home of Stax and Hi labels along with BB and Albert King, helped create a Southern sound that still feels fresh and continues to motivate younger musicians. That’s the concept behind Memphis Royal Brothers, released July 26. Listening to 70s Memphis music is inspirational, but occasionally it takes something else to peak an audience’s interest in the city’s substantial sonic historical contributions. For brothers Gary and Richard Bolan, 2014s documentary Take Me to the River provided motivation to get their creative juices flowing. The film, which connected aging, original Memphis-based talents with younger ones, was the spark. Richard reached out to Boo Mitchell, son of storied Stax producer Willie Mitchell, to helm a recording project emulating what that movie accomplished on screen, although with mostly original material. Boo corralled some older (Stax/Al Green mainstay organist Rev. Charles Hodges, legendary singer Bobby Rush, harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite—once known by the nickname Memphis Charlie) and younger talents to join on songs, many penned by Gary (who also contributed guitar) under the umbrella of the newly formed The Memphis Royal Brothers Band.”
Review – Not really the best Blues Album out there but there are a few selections that are promising including “Good God I got The Blues” with Bobby Rush singing and playing harmonica, “Goin’ South” with Charlie Musslewhite singing and playing harmonica and “Gimme Back The Keys to My Cadillac” with Marcus Scott on vocals. The rest of the tunes are all over the place, Country, Soul, Singer Songwriter. I think my favorite on this CD, even though it is not Blues Based, is “Hot Night In June”, Marcus Scott on vocals and Luther Dickinson on Guitar (slide guitar is so good), listen here. I will give this a 7 on Blues Content and a 10 on Music Content.
