New Blues Adds – 7/23/2019
New Blues Adds – 7/23/2019
Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues – Roots And Branches – The Songs of Little Walter (Alligator): Harp player / vocalist Billy Branch pulled together the Sons Of The Blues in order to honor the music of Little Walter. Branch certainly honors the many great performances by Walter, but is also wise enough to blow his own harp while recalling and honoring the great master. The band follows suit, being sure that the offering pays homage without trying to duplicate the man’s singular style. The players include Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyosa (piano), Giles Corey (guitar), Marvin Little (bass) and Andrew “Blaze” Thomas (drums), with Shoji Naito (guitar) replacing Corey on one song. The result is a refreshing disc which clearly plays homage to the amazing art of one of the greatest originals in the blues. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Jan Cronin – Tell Him I Said Hello (Self-produced): New release from DC native and singer Jan Cronin. The disc is dedicated to her late husband who played guitar and harmonica and wrote songs. Two of his songs is on this disc. The players include Phil Ashworth (guitar), Terri Calderon and Debie Robbins (backing vocals), Ricky Godfrey (lead guitar, piano, backing vocal), Tom Pallardy (sax, piano), Chris Rosenstone (drums, percussion), Mark W. Winchester (bass) and special guest Phil (Kornbred) Towne (harmonica). The selection of songs span from the originals by Cronin and her late husband Lefty Ken Howell to covers of “Bad Thing” (Marcia Ball, Lou Ann Barton and Angela Strehli), Ike Turner’s “I Idolize You” and “Fool In Love”, Junior Well’s “Little By Little” and Hoyt Axton’s “Sweet Misery”, among others. Certainly, a nice tribute. Click here to listen to songs on this disc.
Zac Harmon – Mississippi BarBQ (Catfood): This is Zac Harmon’s seventh release and it follows the smooth style of BB King’s work without some of the edge. That doesn’t always mean there’s no attitude in the lyrics, however. There are frustrations examined around broken love or even being frustrated about trying to “Make A Dollar Out Of Fifteen Cents”. The complaints, though, are rendered in a moderate way. Harmon composed ten of the seven songs on this disc. He is backed by The Rays, a group of studio musicians headed up by Bob Trenchard on seven of the songs. The players are Trenchard (bass), Richy Puga (drums), Johnny McGhee (guitar), Dan Ferguson (keys), Mike Middleton (trumpet), Andy Roman (alto sax), Nick Flood (tenor, bari sax) and Drake Dominigue (trombone, tuba) and the Zac Harmon Band on four songs featuring Corey Carmichael (keys), Chris Gipson (bass), Ralph Forrest 9tenorm bari sax) and Texas Sam (rhythm guitar). Click here and scroll down to listen to some songs on this disc.
Keb’ Mo’ – Oklahoma (Concord): Keb’ Mo’ is back with one of the most energetic and delightful discs of his career! There are ballads and blues and songs of delight and energy, but the heart of this set is a series of thoughtful topics like “Put A Woman In Charge” or “This Is My Home” or “Don’t Throw It Away”. The energy and joy in this disc is fantastic! It is soulful and wonderfully magnetic as the best of his works have been. He co-wrote each of the songs with one of the other players on the disc. The company was just as right whether they were playing or composing! The line-up includes allstars Rosanne Cash, Jaci Velasquez, Taj Mahal and Robert Randolph (lap steel) with the backing players being Colin Linden (electric guitar, mandolin, also produced), David Rodgers (keys), Jim Hoke (Wurlitzer, accordion), Marcus Finnie, Keio Straud and Chester Thompson (drums), Samuel Alexander (keys), DeMarco Johnson (Wurlitzer), Eric Ramey (bass), Andy Leftwich, Michael O’Gieblyn and Carrie Covell (violin), Scotty Huff (trumpet), Joshua Scalf (trombone), Jevan Quallo, Dara Tucker, Robbie Brooks Moore and Carter Moore (backing vocals), Emily Kohavi (viola), Cremaine Booker and Emily Nelson (cello). This is a certified Professor Bebop “Wax Devoid Of Cracks”! Click here and then click videos to watch three videos of songs on this disc.
Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind – My Chops Are Rolling!! (EllerSoul): Jason Ricci (harmonica, vocals), John Lisi (guitar, dobro, vocals), Andy Kurz (bass, backing vocal), John Perkins (drums, backing vocals), and Kaitlin Dibble (vocals) are a rock band who may have grown up of Frank Zappa and Root Boy Slim or just never recovered from really nasty accident. They are a tight band and Ricci definitely can play the harp. Lisi’s guitar is solid, but there’s something wrong! They certainly could be fun live. Their label write-up says “… musically diverse….No need to talk about the genius”…. “hip platter of funky blue perfection”. (http://ellersoulrecords.com/store.html) Click here to catch a live version of “Don’t Badger The Witness” – a song on this disc.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
