New Blues Review 1-21-25
By Jack Roy
Grant Sabin – Work (Gitch Records)
Bio – “A multi-faceted artist in the most classic sense, his songwriting, singing, and guitar playing beautifully reveal Nagy’s personalized music refreshingly and honestly infused with elements of soul, r&b, rock, and gospel. So unique and impressive was his debut release, Walk That Fine Thin Line, that it earned Nagy a prestigious Best New Artist debut nomination from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, as well as favorable reviews from hard-to-please critics at top media outlets like Down Beat, All About jazz, Blues Revue, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Living Blues, Hittin’ The Note, Elmore Magazine and more. DJs throughout North America, Europe, and Australia responded enthusiastically to Nagy’s music, which debuted on the National Living Blues Radio charts at #14 and peaked at #3 on XM satellite radio — no small achievement. Nagy raised his own bar several notches with the dynamic follow-up, Fell Toward None. Ken Bays of Rollingstone.com called the release one of the best of 2011. Nagy also received high praise from such notables as Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records, Sing Out Magazine, About.com, and much more. The record further carved out his place in the upper echelon of contemporary blues inspired artists, and charted at #3 on XM radio (again, no small achievement). On the heels of his impressive sophomore record, Nagy was given the honor of performing at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Memphis the following year for the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (with icons the likes of Buddy Guy and Allen Toussaint present) as his star continued to rise. Nagy’s third release, Stranded, an eclectic blend of original blues, soul, and r&b released in Feb 2015, received four stars from Soul Bag, DownBeat, as well as high praise from Vintage Guitar, Blues in Britain and more. Stranded also spent 14 weeks at Number One and seven consecutive months in the Top Ten on the Root Music Soul/R&B charts. In high rotation on XM/Sirius and spinning on hundreds of stations around the globe, Stranded most recently made DownBeat’s Best of 2015 and was listed the #2 album of the year for Root Music Report’s Soul and R&B charts. Stranded is a recording that continues to win Greg Nagy international attention and acclaim.
Greg was a performing, writing, producing, and recording member of the acclaimed Michigan Band Root Doctor for five years. Their album Change Ours Way was nominated for a BMA (Blues Music Awards in Memphis TN) in the Soul Blues Category and charted in the Top Ten for Living Blues Radio Charts in 2007. Greg has also recorded a duet with Georgia Music Hall Of Famer E.g. Kight on her BMA nominated release entitled Bad Times (produced by Paul Hornsby). Most recently he recorded guitar and vocals for the Grammy winning artist Bobby Murray. On this release, Greg sings the title track which is a song about Bobby’s former boss of 23 years, the great Etta James. Love Letters From Detroit won a DMA (Detroit Music Award) in 2022. He also has recorded vocals on a track with Ronnie Earl and Nick Taborias on Nick’s soon to be released album. Greg has been touring with the Larry McCray Band and performing with his own shows for the past three years. He also makes guest appearances with The Bobby Murray Allstar Band. As of Nov 1st 2024, Nagy has released his forth solo cd entitled The Real You which is already receiving critical acclaim and significant airplay… ”
Review – This is my first exposure to Grant Sabin and I like this a lot. Edgy Blues, early Black Keys kind of feel. Grant’s voice is perfect for this type of Blues, strong and consistent. Grant also plays Harmonica and Trumpet on this album backed by AJ Fullerton on Bass and Guitar and Forrest Raup on Drums (the drums are so important for this swampy feeling blues). I really like “Headshaker”, kind of a Smokestack Lightnin’ riffs, “Picture” is another great song on this album (reminds me of the Record Company). I think my favorite is “Sunny Days″, a real driving blues tune, listen here. I will give this a 10+ on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Giles Robson and John Primer – Ten Chicago Blues Classics (Blues House Production)
Bio – “John Primer has undisputedly helped build the sound and style of Chicago blues as we know it today. The echoes of tradition bellowing from the birthplaces he played such as Maxwell Street, Theresa’s, Checkerboard and Rosa’s Lounges, pulse from every chord in his fingers today. John Primer is a 3 time Grammy Nominated, Blues Hall of Fame, Chicago Blues, Living Legend. Growing up on Mississippi sharecropper land in 1945, inspired by his family’s hard work and field songs daily, deep devotion to spirituals on Sundays, and blues on Saturdays. John dreamed of one day playing with the legendary Muddy Waters! Moving to Chicago in 1963, he started on that path of becoming a great bluesman, getting his first steady gig working for tips at the legendary Maxwell Street in Chicago on Sunday’s with the Pat Rushing Band. He quickly became noticed and was hired at the famous Theresa’s Lounge working for The Junior Wells Band (the house band), seven nights a week for seven years! John was taught by all the Master’s of the blues. He worked hard and impressed Willie Dixon enough to go on tour with him and his Chicago Blues All-Stars Band. At this point he was known, and John’s dream finally came true in late 1979 when he got to play with his idol, Muddy Waters! Muddy called for him to lead his band and changed his life forever. John was touring all over the world and opening up the show for the Rolling Stones and meeting and playing with many famous Blues and Rock & Roll musicians. After Muddy’s untimely death in 1983, he joined up with Magic Slim & The Teardrops for the next 13 years, traveling all over the world, bringing Chicago Blues to every corner of the planet. Many people had never heard Blues before! John paid his dues and in 1995 he began leading his own band, The Real Deal Blues Band. He has recorded more than 100 albums with 17 albums in his own name. He has written and produced more than 55 songs on more than 6 record labels including his own, Blues House Productions. John was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, has earned 3 Grammy Award nominations, was given 2 Lifetime Achievement Awards, awarded the “Muddy Award” for being a Traditional Blues Icon, winning several Blues Music Awards and Blues Blast Awards as well as many other awards. Coming from very humble beginnings, he has managed to work very hard to get where he is today. He takes pride in mentoring so many incredible musicians. He is keeping the blues alive and is a Legendary Blues Icon!”
Review – I have always loved the music of John Primer, such a classic Bluesman but this is the first recording of Giles Robson and he does not disappoint. Giles is a master harmonica player and sings 7 out of the 10 songs on this album. Nothing not to like here, some of the best classic blues songs from the greats like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and Eddie Taylor. Just harmonica, guitar and voice making this a very special album to my ears. All the songs are great but I think my favorite is “Let Me Explain″, a song originally done by Sonny Boy Williams II, listen here. I will give this a 10+ on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Tomislav Goluban with Crooked Eye Tommy – Nashville Road (Overton Records)
Bio – “Tomislav Goluban celebrates a career milestone with 20 Years on the Road, his fourteenth studio album, commemorating the 20th anniversary of his first solo concert, held on December 16, 2001 in his Croatian hometown. All music was recorded live in the studio using three different sets of musicians in Croatia and Austria. Guest vocalists from America contributed to all but three tracks, creating these celebratory songs, released a year later than planned due to pandemic challenges. In addition to recording artist, Goluban is also an international touring blues singer and harmonica player, leader of his own band, blues educator, radio DJ and festival producer. His discography reveals diverse styles including Delta, country and Chicago blues, zydeco, rock ‘n’ roll and world music; recorded in formats ranging from the raw Delta duo sound to full instrumental arrangements for up to 20 musicians. He is the recipient of five Porin, Croatia’s most prestigious national music awards. In 2023. he’s got 2 nominations for the Josie Music Awards. So far he has been released 15 studio and 2 live albums. Crooked Eye Tommy is Blues Guitarist & Vocal powerhouse….somewhat of a force of nature actually. It has been said that he sings like his life depends on getting the next note out. Tommy played guitar and sang off and on all his life but it wasn’t until his mid 40’s that he actually became a lead singer quite by accident when the singer in the band he was playing in quit.. A Late Bloomer for sure but Tommy has wasted no time since then and has become extremely successful on the Blues Music scene. Crooked Eye Tommy was a Finalist at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis competing for the Santa Clarita Blues Society. Tommy has been honored with many awards over the last 15 years including a Hollywood Music in Media Award in 2021 and a 2022 Josie Award for Best Blues Duo/Group. A 5 time best blues artist and a Hall of Fame Inductee in the Ventura County Music Awards. Tommy has 2 Studio albums Butterflies & Snakes 2016 and Hot Coffee and Pain 2020. A new album is forth coming in 2024 Crooked Eye Performs around 100 shows a year all across America and Europe.. He also owns and operates 2 Live Blues Music Festivals and somehow finds time works a full time job. A crazy life… A Crazy GOOD Life.. Come and see.. “What a Crooked Eye Can Do””
Review – This is a pretty good album, I have heard music from Crooked Eye Tommy but this is my first of listening to Tomislav Goluban. He has a decent voice and plays the harmonica with a different feel from others. Tommy defintely has a stronger voice, so I tend to lean towards the songs that he sings on like “Rock Dog”, “Bad Choices Make Good Stories” and “Life is Good”. Band consists of Tomislav on Harmonica and vocals, Tommy on Vocals, Guitar and Lap Steel, Eric Robert on Keys, Jasco Duende on guitar, Doug Seibert on Bass, Alponso Wesby on Drums and Bill Gilliam on Upright Bass. I think my favorite is “There is a Train″, with Grady Clark playing slide guitar that is so good, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 10 on Music Content.
Ed Alstrom – Flee Through None Pursue (Haywire Production)
Bio – “Ed Alstrom grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Started playing organ (the family Hammond M-3) at age 5, guitar and bass as a teenager. Didn’t acquire a piano in the Alstrom household until he was 12, at which time his father brought home an old pedal-pump player piano, on which he activated the broken player mechanism by connecting a canister vacuum cleaner and running it in reverse, which caused the piano rolls to play at blinding speed. Young Alstrom found this highly entertaining. Alstrom has performed with Bette Midler, Chuck Berry, Leonard Bernstein, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Fisher, Odetta, Dion, Larry Coryell, Blood Sweat and Tears, Darlene Love, LaLa Brooks, Ronnie Spector, Lou Rawls, Zubin Mehta, Donald Fagan, John Sebastian, Hubert Sumlin, Uncle Floyd, Peter Noone, Levon Helm, Al Kooper, Stanley Jordan, Eddie Brigati, Steven Van Zandt, Ben E. King, Cissy Houston, Chubby Checker, Rick Derringer, Melanie, John Lloyd Young, and many other notables. His Broadway experience includes a 3-month stint as Interim Associate Conductor on ‘Hairspray’ (where he subbed the Key 2 chair regularly), as well as ‘Leader Of The Pack (The Ellie Greenwich Musical’), ‘Catch Me If You Can’, ‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe’, ‘Taboo’, ‘Brooklyn’, and ‘Hot Feet’. Off-Broadway, he has been Musical Director for ‘Give A Man A Mask’ at the York Theatre in NYC in November of 2011; ‘Once Around The Sun’ at the Zipper Theater in 2005; ‘Dream A Little Dream (The Mamas & Papas Musical)’, which ran from May-August 2003; and played the Piano/Keyboard chair for ‘Caroline, or Change’, the Tony Kushner-Jeanine Tesori musical that ran at the Public Theater in NYC in 2004.”
Review – I really like Ed vocally and musicality though out this album, there are some nice musical moments. Ed contributes so much to this album including Vocals, Background Vocals, Hammond, Piano, Clavinet, guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Alto Sax, Accordion, Theremin and Percussion!! Joining Ed are Ula Hedwig on Back Ground Vocals, Robert Hill on Guitar, Rob Paparozzi on Harmonica, Jerry Vivino on Sax, Don Guinta, Frank Pagano and Dennis Diken on Drums. Mostly a Blues album, then there are songs like “Always Near” and “Yours is a Place” that seem so out of place, super strange. A couple that stood out for me were “Slow Blues”, “Fruitcake” and “Success” but I think my favorite is “Screwed″, listen here. I will give this an 8 on Blues Content and a 9 on Music Content.