New Blues Review 8-5-25
By Jack Roy
Kent Burnside – Hill Country Blood (Forty Below Records)
Bio – “Kent Burnside was born in 1971 in Memphis Tennessee, and spent his early years in Holly Springs, Mississippi. He is the oldest Grandson and one of the closest pupils of the legendary R.L. Burnside. Kent first heard the blues while watching his grandfather R.L. perform on the family farm to the locals. Kent used to sell sandwiches to audience members for a dollar a piece during these performances. The first lesson RL taught Kent was that to be a bluesman you have to find your own rhythm on the guitar. You can’t play someone else’s rhythm – as rhythm comes from your heart. Kent got his real start in the music business playing with Jimbo Mathus (Fat Possum Records) and going on tour with Buddy Guy in the early 2000’s. That was when he started developing his signature style of blues: dark, hypnotic, inviting and very danceable. Kent performed for Samuel L. Jackson to help Jackson prepare for his role in Black Snake Moan (2007). He has also worked on The Blues Brothers’ stage shows with Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd is a huge fan and supporter of Kent’s work. Bruce Willis once played harmonica at a jam with Kent Burnside. Kent has spent decades performing at festivals and has toured all over the world. Most recently in 2019 he performed at the Blues Rules Festival in Switzerland, and played a two week tour of Australia with The New Savages. Kent Burnside regularly performs at Festivals around the US with The Flood Brothers.”
Review – Kent Burnside is a force of nature in that Hill Country sound. His playing reminds me more of Junior Kimbrough than of his Grandfather RL. I just got to see Kent again in June of this year and his live performances are explosive! This is a great album if you like this sound. His voice is soft and his guitar playing is hypnotical, lots of one chord tunes with that call and response between guitar and voice, so good. I can’t find any liner notes so I am not sure who is playing with him on this album, but am guessing they are from that area where RL grew up. Lots of great music here, “”Daddy Told Me” is just Kent and a Guitar, “Crawling King Snake” and “You Better Run” are both exceptional but I think my favorite is “I Go Crazy″, this one does feel like RL!, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Garry Burnside – It’s My Time Now (Forty Below Records)
Bio – “The youngest son of R.L. Burnside, and member of the Junior Kimbrough Band, a passion for music and a talent for performance, Garry Burnside has been captivating since he was 11 years old. From intimate cafes to grand concert halls, Garry Burnside’s versatility and range has left a lasting impression on all who have had the pleasure of hearing the music. With a repertoire that spans, not just Hill Country, but Blues, Rock and so many other genres, Garry Burnside is the perfect choice for any event or occasion.”
Review – Garry, I think, is the best guitarist out of the Burnside/Kimbrough family of musicians. He definitely has the rocker/funky sound of the Blues. He definitely takes the Hill Country to another level, his right hand picking is incredible. Love this album!! All the tunes on this one are magic, transforming me back to Mississippi at those amazing picnics in Wateford! Again no liner notes, so unsure who is playing with. Notables from this album is “Ramblin'”, “Bad Luck City” and “Garry’s Night Out”. I think my favorite is “AGF Out″, great Wah Wah sounds on his guitar, listen here. I will give this a 10+ on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Mother Blues with Gerald McClendon – Sleeping While The River Runs (Forty Below Records)
Bio – “Mother Blues represent over seventy-five years of playing and recording on the Chicago blues scene – in the company of artists as diverse as Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Carl Weathersby, Sharon Lewis, Carey and Lurie Bell, Diamond Jim, Joanna Connor, Larry McCray, Quintus McCormick, Tommy McCracken, Jan James, War, Robin Trower, among many others. Separately, their paths have led through every club from Chicago to New York to Memphis. Singer Gerald McClendon is one of the most evocative and versatile blues/soul singers on the scene. Gerald has shared space on recorded compilations with Chicago blues staples from Pinetop Perkins and Otis Clay to Billy Branch. Whether bringing new emotional immediacy to classic material, or painting on fresh canvas – his voice will impact you. He’ll grab your ear, your heart, your mind. Gerald’s voice carries a message from soul to soul. As a teenager, guitarist/composer Steve Bramer was self-schooled on B.B. King records borrowed from the Walgreen’s cutout bin in Morgantown, West Virginia. His first regular gig was every Thursday through Saturday with the Black Elks Club house band (Lee Collins and the New Breed) in Lansing, Michigan. Since making Chicago his home in 1990, he’s backed, opened for, hired, jammed or recorded with everyone from Koko Taylor to Michael Coleman. The Mother Blues rythm section chores have been handled by a number of Chicago music scene veterans. The emphasis is always on groove first. Working from a solid foundation in standard blues forms, the music touches on every established blues hybrid (Blues/Rock, Jazz, Country, R&B) while also managing to break new ground. The singing has been compared to classic blues/soul stylists (Bobby Blue Bland, Little Milton, Otis Redding). The playing is openly respectful toward masters/innovators (Vaughan, King, Hendrix) while establishing a unique voice and vision. With appropriate nods to the wealth of material in the classic blues catalogue, Mother Blues focuses almost exclusively on their own original compositions. Mother Blues respects the past by carrying it forward. The music cries, sweats, breathes, screams. It’s going to make you feel something. And its going to get some butts up out of some seats. Check out Mother Blues and see why they are on the cutting edge of a new wave of Chicago bands bringing new dedication, and new direction, to contemporary blues.”
Review – Wow what an Album!! Gerald McClendon’s voice is just honey, old R&B sound and having Steve Bramer on Guitar just adds to how fluid each song is. Other musicians include Gordon Patriarcha on Bass, Gilkos Marks and Jim Barklay on Drums, Jerry Solo on Keys, and Hurtin’ Burl on Harp. Great band, wonderful song writing. I think the notables of the 17 songs on this album would include “Pass You By”, “Leaves Tremble On The Tree” and “Sleeping”. I think my favorite is “Chalk Line″, nice slow blues, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Mike Farris – The Sound Of Muscle Shoals (Forty Below Records)
Bio – “Farris’s parents divorced when he was eleven years old. He began using drugs and alcohol from an early age, and almost died from an overdose before he was 21 years old. He recovered and went on to form the group Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies in 1990. They released three major-label albums and had sustained success on the U.S. rock charts in the 1990s. After their breakup, Farris sang with SCW, Peaceful Knievel and for a time fronted Double Trouble, the backing band for Stevie Ray Vaughan. Farris became a practicing Christian and rejected drugs and alcohol, and released his first solo album, “Goodnight Sun”, in 2002. He released his second solo album in 2007, ‘”Salvation in Lights'”, on INO/Columbia Records. In 2008 Farris performed at SXSW and the Creation Festival. The live album Sunday Night Shout! was recorded at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 12, 2008, but was a digital only release. On April 14, 2009, Farris released SHOUT! Live, as Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue, featuring the McCrary Sisters. The album was recorded over four nights at his Station Inn residency. In May 2010, after a flood in Nashville, Farris and a group of Nashville musicians recorded a charity EP entitled The Night the Cumberland Came Alive by Mike Farris and the Cumberland Saints. Part of the proceeds were donated to Nashville’s Downtown Presbyterian Church where the album was recorded on May 17, 2010. The Cumberland Saints included Sam Bush, Ketch Secor, and Gill Landry of Old Crow Medicine Show; Byron House, Kenny Vaughan, and members of the Roseland Rhythm Revue and the McCrary Sisters. On February 8, 2015, Farris won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album for Shine for All the People. On May 1, 2018, Farris began shooting the “golden wings” music video, starring Kingsley Sparrow. The video was shot and directed by Sebastian Smith. On September 7, 2018 the album Silver & Stone was released. It featured such esteemed musicians as Dave Lancio (John Hiatt), Gene Chrisman (Dusty Springfield, Elvis Presley), Derrek Phillips (Robben Ford, Hank Williams Jr.), Reese Wynans (Joe Bonamassa, Double Trouble), Joe Bonamassa, and long-time Farris collaborator Paul Brown (Waterboys, Ann Peebles). The album has received positive reviews from several magazines and online publications. Farris performed Deep Purple’s version of “Hush” as the opening number at the 2019 Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Concert and Induction Ceremony. In July 2022 Farris rejoined his band mates, the Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies, for seven sold out shows, 3 of which were in Nashville, TN, their original home base. ”
Review – Another Great album!! Mike’s song writing and voice are world class! His band is world class including Clayton Ivey on keys, Will McFarlane, Wes Sheffield, and Kelvin Holly on guitars, Jimbo Hart on bass, Justin Holder on drums, Philippe Bronchtein on steel guitar, Brad Guin on saxophones, Drew White on trumpet and back up vocalists Wendy Moten, Kevin Clayborn, Lashanda Evans, Cindy Walker, and Angela Hacker. Recorded at the famous Studio A Muscle Shoals, AL. The Album is quite a mix of genre’s including Blues, Gospel, Country and a bit of Pop. This will definitely be of interests to a lot of different people and I can see a few of these being winners on the radio. I do have a hard time listing this as a Blues Album, but there are some bluesy feels for sure. Some of the standouts were mainly the country feeling songs, but I think that is Mike’s wheelhouse, including “Bright Lights”, “Ease On” and “Before There Was You & I” but I think my favorite is “Heavy On The Humble″, its got a more of a country feel but it’s really good, listen here. I will give this an 8 on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
