New Blues News – 9/1/2020
By Dave Rogers
New Blues News – 9/1/2020
Al Basile – Last Hand (Sweetspot): Veteran singer/songwriter Al Basile offers a set of songs that tell the story of a May to December romance that ends too soon. That’s certainly a story of the blues. He is accompanied by Bruce Bears (piano, organ), Brad Hallen (bass) and Mark Teixeira (drums) and plays cornet on two songs. Fate rules the blues once again. “Given the subject matter here, Al decided to strip things back musically, to produce the album himself and work with a trio of Bruce Bears on piano and organ, Brad Hallen on bass and Mark Teixeira on drums, all members of Duke Robillard’s regular band. Al handles vocals and adds his cornet to just two tunes. The effect is to provide a jazz-inflected backdrop to Al’s lyrics which, as always, are superbly crafted.” (https://www.isrbx.net/3137816848-al-basile-last-hand-2020.html) The blues wins again. Click here to listen to a song on this disc.
Malaya Blue – Still (Blue Beat): This is singer Malaya Blue’s third release with backing from Dennis Walker (producer) and Matt Martini (guitar), Stevie Watts (keys, piano), Mike Horne (drums) and Eddie Masters (bass) with special guests Richard Cousins (bass on the title song) and Sammie Ashforth (piano). Blue has a straight ahead vocal technique which works well with her backup. Blue composed several songs with Walker and Graham Pettican. The music is on the pop side. Click here to hear a brief sample of a song on this disc.
Bobby Lounge – I Remember The Night Your Trailer Burned Down (Abitian): “Bobby Lounge (born Dub Brock, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter from McComb, Mississippi, United States. Lounge began playing for house parties while attending Louisiana Tech University in northern Louisiana in the mid 1970s. In the 1980s, Lounge played a handful of shows at Ruby’s Roadhouse in Mandeville, Louisiana. He stopped playing professionally for many years while he battled chronic fatigue syndrome.[1] He launched a comeback from a short lived career when he appeared on stage at the 2005 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Tipitina’s, and the New Orleans House of Blues. Click here to listen to a song from this disc.
Sugar Ray & The Bluestones – Too Far From The Bar (Severn): “Sugar Ray and the Bluetones…
Have been playing their unique style of blues the world over for almost forty years. Not limited to one style, but able to play Chicago Blues in the style of Muddy Waters. Little Walter and Billy Boy Arnold; Kansas City Swing in the style of “Big” Joe Turner; Texas Blues like “T” Bone Walker and Freddie King; and the swampy Louisiana sounds of “Lazy” Lester-all played with distinctive originality. Most European dates and certain festival dates in the US feature Little Charlie Baty on guitar.” (http://www.sugarrayandthebluetones.com/menu) Great veteran swing and blues from this terrific set of veterans! The music is smooth and fun blues with lots of polish. The players include Sugar Ray Norcia (vocals, harmonica), Charlie Baty (guitar), Anthony Geraci (piano), Michael Mudcat Ward (bass) and Neil Gouvin (drums) with special guest Duke Robillard adding his guitar on four songs. Click here to listen to Sugar Ray’s “Walk Me Home”. The players are solid and they can keep your toes tapping and maybe persuade you to cut a rug! Click here.
The Tin Men – Freaks For Industry (Self-produced): “If Alex McMurray’s songwriting seems a bit dour at times—okay, most of the time—well then that’s totally intentional. “Like Blanche DuBois in Streetcar,” he says, “I find sorrow to be quite a beautiful emotion. Loneliness can be nice.” And he’d know. A New Orleans fixture since the ‘80s, the guitar slinger is now widely recognized as the embodiment of the downtown New Orleans lifestyle: sketchy bars, cracked sidewalks, fallen-down houses, tattered hearts, broken spirits, discarded chicken bones.” In another side of his music making, McMurray is the leader of the Tin Men, “quite simply The world’s premier sousaphone washboard and guitar group. Performing since 2002, The Tin Men have released three CDs of which this is number two from 2005…. (they) explore a truly eclectic array of North American Pop music from jug band to swing jazz to New Orleans R&B….” and beyond. (http://www.alexmcmurray.com/project/tinmen) They’re just waiting to infect you with their jive and joy! Click here and scroll down to “Freaks For Industry” to listen to songs on this disc.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
