4 A grizzled veteran of the fabled ’60s Chicago-blues scene who played bass for Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Otis Spann, 64-year-old Mac Arnold fronts a group of eager youngbloods on this real-deal outing. Singing with leather-lunged gusto and old-school authority, Arnold enlivens raucous roadhouse originals like “Blues for You,” the shuffling “Going Back Home” and the earthy slow blues “Nothin’ to Prove.” On the autobiographical “Ghetto Blue,” Arnold is credited with lead vocals and “life experience.” And on the sparse “(Get On) Back to the Country” he wails with field-holler intensity alongside Rudy Wyatt’s rolling piano and Max Hightower’s countrified harmonica. Guitarist Austin Brashier, an outstanding soloist, reveals a strong Albert King connection with his string-bending licks on “The Truth,” then goes for a busier Buddy Guy-ish approach on the slow blues “She’s So Mean to Me,” the lone song here on which Arnold also plays bass. The collection closes on a rousing note with a live version of “(Get On) Back to the Country,” which features some raw slide-guitar work from Hightower. Highly recommended to help get your mojo workin’. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17376 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

A grizzled veteran of the fabled ’60s Chicago-blues scene who played bass for Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Otis Spann, 64-year-old Mac Arnold fronts a group of eager youngbloods on this real-deal outing. Singing with leather-lunged gusto and old-school authority, Arnold enlivens raucous roadhouse originals like “Blues for You,” the shuffling “Going Back Home” and the earthy slow blues “Nothin’ to Prove.” On the autobiographical “Ghetto Blue,” Arnold is credited with lead vocals and “life experience.” And on the sparse “(Get On) Back to the Country” he wails with field-holler intensity alongside Rudy Wyatt’s rolling piano and Max Hightower’s countrified harmonica. Guitarist Austin Brashier, an outstanding soloist, reveals a strong Albert King connection with his string-bending licks on “The Truth,” then goes for a busier Buddy Guy-ish approach on the slow blues “She’s So Mean to Me,” the lone song here on which Arnold also plays bass. The collection closes on a rousing note with a live version of “(Get On) Back to the Country,” which features some raw slide-guitar work from Hightower. Highly recommended to help get your mojo workin’.

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 Louisiana native Tab Benoit, a potent blues guitarist and singer with a 15-year track record, reveals his Cajun and country roots on this appealing collaboration with Louisiana LeRoux, a cult favorite along the Bayou since the mid-’70s. The title track is a little bit country, “So High” is a little bit rock ’n’ roll and the Freddie King vehicle “Pack It Up” is a whole lot of blues. Benoit delivers Hank Williams’ melancholy prison ballad “I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow” in stirring fashion, then lays down some slamming funk on “If You Love Me Like You Say.” The guitarist switches to pedal steel on the countrified “Comin’ On Strong,” which features Billy Joe Shaver on vocals and Wayne Thibodeaux on fiddle. Benoit plays with soulful restraint on the bluesy meditation “Somehow,” then cranks up the funk factor on the N’awlins second-line-flavored closer, “Can’t Do One More Two-Step.” true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17377 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

Louisiana native Tab Benoit, a potent blues guitarist and singer with a 15-year track record, reveals his Cajun and country roots on this appealing collaboration with Louisiana LeRoux, a cult favorite along the Bayou since the mid-’70s. The title track is a little bit country, “So High” is a little bit rock ’n’ roll and the Freddie King vehicle “Pack It Up” is a whole lot of blues. Benoit delivers Hank Williams’ melancholy prison ballad “I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow” in stirring fashion, then lays down some slamming funk on “If You Love Me Like You Say.” The guitarist switches to pedal steel on the countrified “Comin’ On Strong,” which features Billy Joe Shaver on vocals and Wayne Thibodeaux on fiddle. Benoit plays with soulful restraint on the bluesy meditation “Somehow,” then cranks up the funk factor on the N’awlins second-line-flavored closer, “Can’t Do One More Two-Step.”

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 As the son of zydeco king Clifton Chenier, C.J. Chenier was born to play the accordion. After his father’s death in 1987, he took over the reigns of Clifton’s Red Hot Louisiana Band and subsequently joined the ranks of zydeco’s elite. Chenier’s eighth album as a leader is a curious affair that strays from the usual blend of chugging, upbeat dance numbers and French Creole waltz-time ballads that have filled Western Louisiana zydeco joints since the pioneering days of his father. Recorded just a month after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, The Desperate Kingdom of Love is more introspective than C.J.’s usual house-party fare and includes soulful readings of P.J. Harvey’s meditative title track and Van Morrison’s subdued “Comfort You.” Chenier’s rendition of Hank Williams’ mournful “Lost on the River,” a timely anthem in the wake of Katrina, is both poignant and powerful. He also pays tribute to his father’s legacy on Clifton’s “Black Snake Blues,” his Creole anthem “Ain’t No Need in Cryin’” and the Professor Longhair-flavored rumba-boogie number “Rosemary.” Chenier does kick up his heels on his own rousing “Who’s Cheatin’ Who?” but this affecting project—done in collaboration with Boston’s rootsy Tarbox Ramblers—is generally a more muted affair for the crown prince of zydeco. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17378 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

As the son of zydeco king Clifton Chenier, C.J. Chenier was born to play the accordion. After his father’s death in 1987, he took over the reigns of Clifton’s Red Hot Louisiana Band and subsequently joined the ranks of zydeco’s elite. Chenier’s eighth album as a leader is a curious affair that strays from the usual blend of chugging, upbeat dance numbers and French Creole waltz-time ballads that have filled Western Louisiana zydeco joints since the pioneering days of his father. Recorded just a month after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, The Desperate Kingdom of Love is more introspective than C.J.’s usual house-party fare and includes soulful readings of P.J. Harvey’s meditative title track and Van Morrison’s subdued “Comfort You.” Chenier’s rendition of Hank Williams’ mournful “Lost on the River,” a timely anthem in the wake of Katrina, is both poignant and powerful. He also pays tribute to his father’s legacy on Clifton’s “Black Snake Blues,” his Creole anthem “Ain’t No Need in Cryin’” and the Professor Longhair-flavored rumba-boogie number “Rosemary.” Chenier does kick up his heels on his own rousing “Who’s Cheatin’ Who?” but this affecting project—done in collaboration with Boston’s rootsy Tarbox Ramblers—is generally a more muted affair for the crown prince of zydeco.

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 Captured live at Chicago’s Jazz Record Mart, a longstanding retail outlet and important cultural touchstone in the Windy City, this 2005 edition of the Blues Brunch—an annual in-store institution held on Sunday morning prior to the final day of the free Chicago Jazz Festival in June—features a cast of revered Chicago-blues icons with guitarist Michael Coleman and the Backbreakers serving as house band. Guitarist Lurrie Bell provides some sting on a shuffling “I Need You So Bad” and delivers Lowell Fulson’s slow blues “Reconsider Baby” with smoldering intensity. Bassist-vocalist Willie Kent lights up the room with his infectious shuffle “Something New,” while soulful singer Bonnie Lee testifies on “Sad and Evil Woman,” which features some sweet, B.B. King-inspired guitar work from Coleman. Other highlights on this festive Sunday morning gig include Zora Young’s urgent slow blues “Toxic,” Shirley Johnson’s sly, confessional take on “As the Years Go Passing By,” Steve Behr’s boogie-woogie-piano romp on “Memories of Albert Ammons” and Aaron Moore’s stirring and unaccompanied vocal-piano showcase, “Wading in Deep Water.” true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17379 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

Captured live at Chicago’s Jazz Record Mart, a longstanding retail outlet and important cultural touchstone in the Windy City, this 2005 edition of the Blues Brunch—an annual in-store institution held on Sunday morning prior to the final day of the free Chicago Jazz Festival in June—features a cast of revered Chicago-blues icons with guitarist Michael Coleman and the Backbreakers serving as house band. Guitarist Lurrie Bell provides some sting on a shuffling “I Need You So Bad” and delivers Lowell Fulson’s slow blues “Reconsider Baby” with smoldering intensity. Bassist-vocalist Willie Kent lights up the room with his infectious shuffle “Something New,” while soulful singer Bonnie Lee testifies on “Sad and Evil Woman,” which features some sweet, B.B. King-inspired guitar work from Coleman. Other highlights on this festive Sunday morning gig include Zora Young’s urgent slow blues “Toxic,” Shirley Johnson’s sly, confessional take on “As the Years Go Passing By,” Steve Behr’s boogie-woogie-piano romp on “Memories of Albert Ammons” and Aaron Moore’s stirring and unaccompanied vocal-piano showcase, “Wading in Deep Water.”

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 Blues scholar Guy Davis is an equally adept player, singer and storyteller in the tradition of his mentor, Taj Mahal. On Skunkmello, named for a legendary chicken thief who was caught and hanged for his crimes around 1900, rootsy troubadour Davis travels from the straight country-blues of “Natural Born Eas’Man” and his Piedmont-flavored original “The Chocolate Man” to the gritty South Side Chicago blues of “It Takes Love to Make a Home” without missing a beat. He blows some mean harmonica on a cover of the classic “Going Down Slow,” accompanied by former Paul Butterfield Blues Band keyboardist Mark Naftalin on Hammond B3 organ and John Platania of the Van Morrison Band on some piercing electric guitar. And he summons up some commanding Howlin’ Wolf-ish vocals on the haunting “Shooting Star.” Davis, a naturally gritty soulful vocalist, also demonstrates some authentic claw-hammer banjo technique on two old-timey unaccompanied numbers, “Shaky Pudding” and “Blackberry Ramble,” and also on the folkloric title track. The chilling closer, “Uncle Tom Is Dead (Milk ’n’ Cookies Remix),” is an educated, old-schooler’s indictment of rap music that carries an important, socially charged message for a generation that has lost its sense of history. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17380 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

Blues scholar Guy Davis is an equally adept player, singer and storyteller in the tradition of his mentor, Taj Mahal. On Skunkmello, named for a legendary chicken thief who was caught and hanged for his crimes around 1900, rootsy troubadour Davis travels from the straight country-blues of “Natural Born Eas’Man” and his Piedmont-flavored original “The Chocolate Man” to the gritty South Side Chicago blues of “It Takes Love to Make a Home” without missing a beat. He blows some mean harmonica on a cover of the classic “Going Down Slow,” accompanied by former Paul Butterfield Blues Band keyboardist Mark Naftalin on Hammond B3 organ and John Platania of the Van Morrison Band on some piercing electric guitar. And he summons up some commanding Howlin’ Wolf-ish vocals on the haunting “Shooting Star.” Davis, a naturally gritty soulful vocalist, also demonstrates some authentic claw-hammer banjo technique on two old-timey unaccompanied numbers, “Shaky Pudding” and “Blackberry Ramble,” and also on the folkloric title track. The chilling closer, “Uncle Tom Is Dead (Milk ’n’ Cookies Remix),” is an educated, old-schooler’s indictment of rap music that carries an important, socially charged message for a generation that has lost its sense of history.

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 A profoundly soulful and charismatic front man (closer in style to vintage Johnny Guitar Watson or Lou Rawls than to his daddy, the late, great John Lee Hooker), Junior also acquits himself as an accomplished songwriter and lyricist with an earthy, down-home sense of humor on his Telarc debut. Backed by the punchy Hot Sauce Horns, the tight rhythm section of keyboardist Will Griffin, bassist Frank Thibeaux and drummer Michael Skinner as well as the potent two-guitar tandem of rhythm player Jeffrey James Horan and outstanding soloist John Garcia Jr., Hooker lays down the law in convincing fashion on the rollicking title track, the defiant slow blues “You Blew It Baby” and two biting indictments on love, “Fed Up” and “Trapped.” The reggae-fueled “Do Daddy” is his vividly rendered requiem for his famous father. He also covers his dad’s classic slow blues “I’m in the Mood.” “4 Hours Straight/Blues Man” is an X-rated riot in the audacious spirit of Memphis bluesman Bobby Rush. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17381 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

A profoundly soulful and charismatic front man (closer in style to vintage Johnny Guitar Watson or Lou Rawls than to his daddy, the late, great John Lee Hooker), Junior also acquits himself as an accomplished songwriter and lyricist with an earthy, down-home sense of humor on his Telarc debut. Backed by the punchy Hot Sauce Horns, the tight rhythm section of keyboardist Will Griffin, bassist Frank Thibeaux and drummer Michael Skinner as well as the potent two-guitar tandem of rhythm player Jeffrey James Horan and outstanding soloist John Garcia Jr., Hooker lays down the law in convincing fashion on the rollicking title track, the defiant slow blues “You Blew It Baby” and two biting indictments on love, “Fed Up” and “Trapped.” The reggae-fueled “Do Daddy” is his vividly rendered requiem for his famous father. He also covers his dad’s classic slow blues “I’m in the Mood.” “4 Hours Straight/Blues Man” is an X-rated riot in the audacious spirit of Memphis bluesman Bobby Rush.

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 The multifaceted, New Orleans-based King, a formidable blues guitarist-singer-songwriter and sometimes actor (he’s appeared in the films Ray and O Brother, Where Art Thou?), blends acoustic and electric blues styles on this cathartic outing (his 13th studio recording) while also making some pointed political statements in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The meditative opener, “What Would Jesus Do?,” the gospel flavored “Faith,” the stinging slow blues “Baptized in Dirty Water” and the melancholy “Flow Mississippi Flow” are all vivid reminders of what happened on that fateful day (Aug. 29, 2005) when the levees broke and flooded the Crescent City. King makes his guitar gently weep on the minor-key dirge “St. James Infirmary,” and he strikes a poignant note on “When Magnolias Bloom,” a love letter from a Louisiana soldier fighting in Iraq. King includes faithful covers of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” and the Louis Armstrong anthem “What a Wonderful World,” and he dredges up the spirit of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau on his haunting “Like a Hurricane (Ghost of Marie Laveau).” true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17382 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

The multifaceted, New Orleans-based King, a formidable blues guitarist-singer-songwriter and sometimes actor (he’s appeared in the films Ray and O Brother, Where Art Thou?), blends acoustic and electric blues styles on this cathartic outing (his 13th studio recording) while also making some pointed political statements in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The meditative opener, “What Would Jesus Do?,” the gospel flavored “Faith,” the stinging slow blues “Baptized in Dirty Water” and the melancholy “Flow Mississippi Flow” are all vivid reminders of what happened on that fateful day (Aug. 29, 2005) when the levees broke and flooded the Crescent City. King makes his guitar gently weep on the minor-key dirge “St. James Infirmary,” and he strikes a poignant note on “When Magnolias Bloom,” a love letter from a Louisiana soldier fighting in Iraq. King includes faithful covers of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” and the Louis Armstrong anthem “What a Wonderful World,” and he dredges up the spirit of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau on his haunting “Like a Hurricane (Ghost of Marie Laveau).”

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 This two-CD set provides an overview of the recording career of Alexis Korner, a hugely influential figure long regarded as the godfather of British blues. From the early skiffle group sessions in the ’50s to more raucous, Chicago-blues-inspired tracks cut during the ’60s and ’70s with his Blues Incorporated, Stoned reveals Korner as a blues scholar and mentor with a genuine feel for the music he adored from the time he was a kid and imparted that real-deal feeling to his many disciples, including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers, Long John Baldry and others. They all make cameo appearances on this anthology, which spans 1954 to 1983 and provides a history lesson along the way. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17383 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

This two-CD set provides an overview of the recording career of Alexis Korner, a hugely influential figure long regarded as the godfather of British blues. From the early skiffle group sessions in the ’50s to more raucous, Chicago-blues-inspired tracks cut during the ’60s and ’70s with his Blues Incorporated, Stoned reveals Korner as a blues scholar and mentor with a genuine feel for the music he adored from the time he was a kid and imparted that real-deal feeling to his many disciples, including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers, Long John Baldry and others. They all make cameo appearances on this anthology, which spans 1954 to 1983 and provides a history lesson along the way.

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 This Florida sextet of three brothers and their three nephews is rooted in the same House of God sacred-steel tradition that spawned Robert Randolph and the Family Band, whose high-energy praise music is currently invigorating the jam-band scene. The star of the show here is 22-year-old Roosevelt Collier, whose pedal-steel guitar prowess rivals Randolph’s for sheer speed, dexterity, harmonic daring and sonic inventiveness. He is joined by his uncles Alvin Lee on guitar, Keith and Derrick Lee on vocals and cousins Alvin Cordy Jr. on six-string electric bass and Kenneth Earl Walker on drums. Together they raise the roof on the explosive title track and the sanctified shouter “Come On, Help Me Lift Him Up,” a showcase for Collier’s rapid picking and dazzling virtuosity on the steel. Collier’s instrumental “Joyful Sounds” is a buoyant, wah-wah-inflected number based on a riff that recalls the Allman Brothers’ “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” and he takes his time in testifying on his slow-blues instrumental “Call Him by His Name,” erupting with some stratospheric runs along the way. The Boys turn in a house-rocking rendition of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You’ve Got to Move” while putting a sprightly calypso spin on “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” They close with the instrumental rave-up, “Praise Jam.” Somebody shout hallelujah. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17384 106 200610 true 0 59 2006-10-01T00:00:00-04:00

This Florida sextet of three brothers and their three nephews is rooted in the same House of God sacred-steel tradition that spawned Robert Randolph and the Family Band, whose high-energy praise music is currently invigorating the jam-band scene. The star of the show here is 22-year-old Roosevelt Collier, whose pedal-steel guitar prowess rivals Randolph’s for sheer speed, dexterity, harmonic daring and sonic inventiveness. He is joined by his uncles Alvin Lee on guitar, Keith and Derrick Lee on vocals and cousins Alvin Cordy Jr. on six-string electric bass and Kenneth Earl Walker on drums. Together they raise the roof on the explosive title track and the sanctified shouter “Come On, Help Me Lift Him Up,” a showcase for Collier’s rapid picking and dazzling virtuosity on the steel. Collier’s instrumental “Joyful Sounds” is a buoyant, wah-wah-inflected number based on a riff that recalls the Allman Brothers’ “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” and he takes his time in testifying on his slow-blues instrumental “Call Him by His Name,” erupting with some stratospheric runs along the way. The Boys turn in a house-rocking rendition of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You’ve Got to Move” while putting a sprightly calypso spin on “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” They close with the instrumental rave-up, “Praise Jam.” Somebody shout hallelujah.

2009-03-02T00:25:51-05:00

4 In a case of life imitating art imitating life, Chris Thomas King revives the character he played in the recent Coen brothers' movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? on The Legend of Tommy Johnson Act 1: Genesis 1900s-1990s (Valley Entertainment 15156; 48:36). A back-to-basics acoustic blues offering complete with scratchy record effects to add a sense of antiquity, a majority of the tunes on The Legend of Tommy Johnson Act 1 were written by King in his trailer on the movie set as he listened to Delta blues from the 1920s. Along with those originals he also covers the real Tommy Johnson's "Canned Heat Blues" and Blind Willie Johnson's "Trouble Will Soon Be Over." King wrote and recorded the entire album in character and is even pictured in 1920s garb on the CD cover. While most of the tunes are stark solo guitar and vocal offerings, "John Law Burned Down the Liquor Sto'" is a big overdubbed number that features King playing all the instruments himself, including piano, drums, upright bass, acoustic guitar and dobro. To further confuse things, King comes full circle from the 1920s to contemporary times-why?-with a revved up, Prince-styled rendition of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" along with some kick-ass electric-guitar-fueled rockers in "Red Shoes," "Bonnie & Clyde in D Minor" and "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" (a title that can be attributed to George Clinton). A very strange hodgepodge, but then, I didn't see the movie. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 12792 55 200202 true 0 59 2002-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

In a case of life imitating art imitating life, Chris Thomas King revives the character he played in the recent Coen brothers' movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? on The Legend of Tommy Johnson Act 1: Genesis 1900s-1990s (Valley Entertainment 15156; 48:36). A back-to-basics acoustic blues offering complete with scratchy record effects to add a sense of antiquity, a majority of the tunes on The Legend of Tommy Johnson Act 1 were written by King in his trailer on the movie set as he listened to Delta blues from the 1920s. Along with those originals he also covers the real Tommy Johnson's "Canned Heat Blues" and Blind Willie Johnson's "Trouble Will Soon Be Over." King wrote and recorded the entire album in character and is even pictured in 1920s garb on the CD cover. While most of the tunes are stark solo guitar and vocal offerings, "John Law Burned Down the Liquor Sto'" is a big overdubbed number that features King playing all the instruments himself, including piano, drums, upright bass, acoustic guitar and dobro. To further confuse things, King comes full circle from the 1920s to contemporary times-why?-with a revved up, Prince-styled rendition of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" along with some kick-ass electric-guitar-fueled rockers in "Red Shoes," "Bonnie & Clyde in D Minor" and "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" (a title that can be attributed to George Clinton). A very strange hodgepodge, but then, I didn't see the movie.

2009-03-02T00:22:47-05:00

4 The North Mississippi Allstars are a trio of grungy 20-somethings from the Mississippi hill country who are bringing a raw-punk aesthetic to an age-old blues tradition. These Allstars have fashioned a sound that is heavier, nastier and more menacing than anything their blues-rock predecessors came up with in decades past. It's a sound that is more heavily influenced by the raggedy, raucous approach of Fat Possum juke-joint bluesmen like Junior Kimbrough, T-Model Ford and Paul "Wine" Jones than the slicker, tighter style of Chicago's post-World War II blues giants, while simultaneously being inspired by the roughhouse tactics of the edgy Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The Allstars unveiled its regional hill-country sound on 2000's Shake Hands With Shorty. The band's sophomore effort, 51 Phantom (Tone-Cool 1182; 43:30), contains the same references to the Fat Possum juke-joint crew along with nods to the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead and ZZ Top. "Snakes in my Bushes" continues a strain of heavy-duty synth-pop-blues pioneered by ZZ Top, while the title track is a snarling slide-guitar rocker akin to Elmore James jamming with Led Zeppelin. "Sugartown" sounds like that perfect blend of blues and rock that Johnny Winter achieved on his self-titled 1969 debut and "Lord Have Mercy" recalls the heavy funk that Jimi Hendrix got into during his Band of Gypsys phase. The buoyant "Storm" is a direct nod to the Grateful Dead. Dickinson references Dickey Betts' signature licks on the Allman Brothers-esque "Ship," while the two ballads, "Leavin'" and "Up Over Yonder," are surprisingly sweet compared to more menacing fare like the impossibly heavy, fuzz-inflected "Mud" and "Sugartown." With their defiant edge and raw abandon, the North Mississippi All-Stars may get over well with rock crowds but their connection to the blues is undeniable. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 12793 55 200202 true 0 59 2002-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

The North Mississippi Allstars are a trio of grungy 20-somethings from the Mississippi hill country who are bringing a raw-punk aesthetic to an age-old blues tradition. These Allstars have fashioned a sound that is heavier, nastier and more menacing than anything their blues-rock predecessors came up with in decades past. It's a sound that is more heavily influenced by the raggedy, raucous approach of Fat Possum juke-joint bluesmen like Junior Kimbrough, T-Model Ford and Paul "Wine" Jones than the slicker, tighter style of Chicago's post-World War II blues giants, while simultaneously being inspired by the roughhouse tactics of the edgy Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The Allstars unveiled its regional hill-country sound on 2000's Shake Hands With Shorty. The band's sophomore effort, 51 Phantom (Tone-Cool 1182; 43:30), contains the same references to the Fat Possum juke-joint crew along with nods to the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead and ZZ Top. "Snakes in my Bushes" continues a strain of heavy-duty synth-pop-blues pioneered by ZZ Top, while the title track is a snarling slide-guitar rocker akin to Elmore James jamming with Led Zeppelin. "Sugartown" sounds like that perfect blend of blues and rock that Johnny Winter achieved on his self-titled 1969 debut and "Lord Have Mercy" recalls the heavy funk that Jimi Hendrix got into during his Band of Gypsys phase. The buoyant "Storm" is a direct nod to the Grateful Dead. Dickinson references Dickey Betts' signature licks on the Allman Brothers-esque "Ship," while the two ballads, "Leavin'" and "Up Over Yonder," are surprisingly sweet compared to more menacing...

2009-03-02T00:22:47-05:00

4 Another noted white boy with the blues is guitarist Jimmie Vaughan. While he's long been lauded for his simple, economical approach to the instrument, I've always felt that his playing, technically speaking, paled in comparison to his younger gun-slinging brother, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. But Jimmie has always exhibited a depth of soul and bluesy authority in his playing, as he does once again on Do You Get the Blues? (Artemis 751091-2; 54:49). The nasty tones and vicious, slashing attack of Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Pee Wee Crayton figure prominently on his third recording as a leader. Texas blues diva Lou Ann Barton, a former bandmate of Vaughan's in the Fabulous Thunderbirds, duets with Jimmie on the earthy R&B number "Power of Love" and on Johnny "Guitar" Watson's signature piece, "In the Middle of the Night," which unites Vaughan with the Double Trouble rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Jimmie stings and wails on driving roadhouse shuffles like "Robbin' Me Blind" and "Out of the Shadows," then delivers some slyly seductive vocals on soulful offerings like the Curtis Mayfield-inspired "Without You" and "Don't Let the Sun Set." Elsewhere he distinguishes himself on acoustic slide guitar on "The Deep End" and takes his sweet time telling the story on the instrumental "Slow Dance Blues." Do You Get the Blues? continues the guitarist's string of authentic old-school blues and R&B recordings that began with 1994's Strange Pleasure and carried on with 1998's Out There. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 12794 55 200202 true 0 59 2002-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

Another noted white boy with the blues is guitarist Jimmie Vaughan. While he's long been lauded for his simple, economical approach to the instrument, I've always felt that his playing, technically speaking, paled in comparison to his younger gun-slinging brother, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. But Jimmie has always exhibited a depth of soul and bluesy authority in his playing, as he does once again on Do You Get the Blues? (Artemis 751091-2; 54:49). The nasty tones and vicious, slashing attack of Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Pee Wee Crayton figure prominently on his third recording as a leader. Texas blues diva Lou Ann Barton, a former bandmate of Vaughan's in the Fabulous Thunderbirds, duets with Jimmie on the earthy R&B number "Power of Love" and on Johnny "Guitar" Watson's signature piece, "In the Middle of the Night," which unites Vaughan with the Double Trouble rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Jimmie stings and wails on driving roadhouse shuffles like "Robbin' Me Blind" and "Out of the Shadows," then delivers some slyly seductive vocals on soulful offerings like the Curtis Mayfield-inspired "Without You" and "Don't Let the Sun Set." Elsewhere he distinguishes himself on acoustic slide guitar on "The Deep End" and takes his sweet time telling the story on the instrumental "Slow Dance Blues." Do You Get the Blues? continues the guitarist's string of authentic old-school blues and R&B recordings that began with 1994's Strange Pleasure and carried on with 1998's Out There.

2009-03-02T00:22:47-05:00

4 Kid Ramos, another retro-leaning guitarist who followed in Vaughan's footsteps as resident ax-slinger in the Fabulous Thunderbirds, features the same grunge tones and reverb-laden stinging licks on Greasy Kid Stuff (Evidence 26117-2; 59:38) that he favored on his two previous outings. But this time out he's jettisoned the horns for a more low-down, back-to-basics approach with a rotating cast of harmonica greats, including Charlie Musselwhite, Paul deLay, Rod Piazza, James Harman, Johnny Dyer, Rick Estrin and Lynwood Slim. An earthy, let-the-good-times-roll vibe prevails on this one, perhaps best exemplified by Estrin and Harman's frolicsome duet on "It's Hot in Here," Rod Piazza's "That's What She Hollered" and a rousing Estrin-Musselwhite duet on "Harmonica Hangover." And supporting it all is the dynamic guitar work of Ramos, one of the best ax slingers on today's blues scene. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 12795 55 200202 true 0 59 2002-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

Kid Ramos, another retro-leaning guitarist who followed in Vaughan's footsteps as resident ax-slinger in the Fabulous Thunderbirds, features the same grunge tones and reverb-laden stinging licks on Greasy Kid Stuff (Evidence 26117-2; 59:38) that he favored on his two previous outings. But this time out he's jettisoned the horns for a more low-down, back-to-basics approach with a rotating cast of harmonica greats, including Charlie Musselwhite, Paul deLay, Rod Piazza, James Harman, Johnny Dyer, Rick Estrin and Lynwood Slim. An earthy, let-the-good-times-roll vibe prevails on this one, perhaps best exemplified by Estrin and Harman's frolicsome duet on "It's Hot in Here," Rod Piazza's "That's What She Hollered" and a rousing Estrin-Musselwhite duet on "Harmonica Hangover." And supporting it all is the dynamic guitar work of Ramos, one of the best ax slingers on today's blues scene.

2009-03-02T00:22:47-05:00

4 Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown is joined by a host of fellow Louisiana musicians on Back to Bogalusa (Blue Thumb 314 549 785-2; 54:51). Slide-guitar master Sonny Landreth flashes some slashing licks on "Folks Back Home," "Going Back to Louisiana" and Lowell George's "Dixie Chicken." Cajun accordion ace Zachary Richard guests on "Breaux Bridge Rag" and "Louisian'," on which Gate gets to flaunt his considerable fiddle chops. Bobby Charles' "Why Are People Like That?" is a good natured N'awlins stroll, while "Dangerous Critter" provides Brown with some amusing down-home storytelling about his late-night encounter with an alligator on the bayou. Two instrumentals-a horn-driven, Tower of Power-flavored "Grape Jelly" and the funky, James Brown-ish "Slap It"-serve as a showcase for Gate's signature chicken-picking and toe-curling blues licks. true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 12796 55 200202 true 0 59 2002-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown is joined by a host of fellow Louisiana musicians on Back to Bogalusa (Blue Thumb 314 549 785-2; 54:51). Slide-guitar master Sonny Landreth flashes some slashing licks on "Folks Back Home," "Going Back to Louisiana" and Lowell George's "Dixie Chicken." Cajun accordion ace Zachary Richard guests on "Breaux Bridge Rag" and "Louisian'," on which Gate gets to flaunt his considerable fiddle chops. Bobby Charles' "Why Are People Like That?" is a good natured N'awlins stroll, while "Dangerous Critter" provides Brown with some amusing down-home storytelling about his late-night encounter with an alligator on the bayou. Two instrumentals-a horn-driven, Tower of Power-flavored "Grape Jelly" and the funky, James Brown-ish "Slap It"-serve as a showcase for Gate's signature chicken-picking and toe-curling blues licks.

2009-03-02T00:22:47-05:00

4 This twofer, combining recordings from 1964 and 1965, finds the profoundly blue Mr. Witherspoon in fine voice but in radically different settings. The 10 tracks from Blue Spoon are distinguished not only by the regal pipes and magnificent soul of Witherspoon himself but also for the bluesy presence of guitarist Kenny Burrell and the hip swinging of drummer Roy Haynes. Highlights here include Spoon's restrained testifying on ballads like "I Wonder," "For Old Time's Sake" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" along with his earthy shouting on the jump blues "It's a Low Down Dirty Shame" and the slow "Blues in the Morning" (both featuring some slick brushwork by Haynes). The material from Spoon in London is brash and corny by comparison. An obvious nod to rock's British Invasion that had swept across America by 1965, this oddity is chockfull of jangling guitars, tambourine, a chirping female-vocal group called the Ladybirds and other mod trappings. Benny Golson's orchestral arrangements are effective on the Basiesque "Free Spirits" but hopelessly dated on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In-styled fare like "Love Me Right" and "Man Don't Cry," two groovy numbers that might've fit comfortably on the Austin Powers soundtrack. What a difference a year makes! true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 12797 55 200202 true 0 59 2002-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

This twofer, combining recordings from 1964 and 1965, finds the profoundly blue Mr. Witherspoon in fine voice but in radically different settings. The 10 tracks from Blue Spoon are distinguished not only by the regal pipes and magnificent soul of Witherspoon himself but also for the bluesy presence of guitarist Kenny Burrell and the hip swinging of drummer Roy Haynes. Highlights here include Spoon's restrained testifying on ballads like "I Wonder," "For Old Time's Sake" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" along with his earthy shouting on the jump blues "It's a Low Down Dirty Shame" and the slow "Blues in the Morning" (both featuring some slick brushwork by Haynes). The material from Spoon in London is brash and corny by comparison. An obvious nod to rock's British Invasion that had swept across America by 1965, this oddity is chockfull of jangling guitars, tambourine, a chirping female-vocal group called the Ladybirds and other mod trappings. Benny Golson's orchestral arrangements are effective on the Basiesque "Free Spirits" but hopelessly dated on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In-styled fare like "Love Me Right" and "Man Don't Cry," two groovy numbers that might've fit comfortably on the Austin Powers soundtrack. What a difference a year makes!

2009-03-02T00:22:47-05:00

4 These solo recordings, made in July 1961 in Indianapolis, mark the return of the great country-blues guitarist who retired from the music scene in 1935 following the death of his close friend and partner, pianist Leroy Carr. Blackwell's distinctive, steely toned fingerstyle technique, involving aggressive string-snapping and a complex ragtime-influenced system of integrating single-note lines and chords, is best exemplified on the instrumental pieces titled simply "A Blues" and "E Blues." He also provides sophisticated accompaniment behind his tortured vocals on pieces like "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," "Blues Before Sunrise," "Little Boy Blue" and "Penal Farm Blues." And for a change of pace he tickles the ivories in compelling fashion on "Little Girl Blues." true 21 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 12798 55 200202 true 0 59 2002-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

These solo recordings, made in July 1961 in Indianapolis, mark the return of the great country-blues guitarist who retired from the music scene in 1935 following the death of his close friend and partner, pianist Leroy Carr. Blackwell's distinctive, steely toned fingerstyle technique, involving aggressive string-snapping and a complex ragtime-influenced system of integrating single-note lines and chords, is best exemplified on the instrumental pieces titled simply "A Blues" and "E Blues." He also provides sophisticated accompaniment behind his tortured vocals on pieces like "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," "Blues Before Sunrise," "Little Boy Blue" and "Penal Farm Blues." And for a change of pace he tickles the ivories in compelling fashion on "Little Girl Blues."

2009-03-02T00:22:47-05:00