Ally Venable – Heart of Fire | Album Review

Ally Venable – Heart of Fire Ruf Records – 2021 www.AllyVenableBand.com 11 Tracks; 50 minutes Although still only in her early twenties, Texas’ darling, Ally Venable, (who has won numerous awards in her home state, and has been nominated for Independent Blues Awards), has already completed her fifth release. One might imagine that it would …

Michael Schatte – Conundrum | Album Review

Michael Schatte – Conundrum Self-Release – 2020 www.michaelschatte.com 15 tracks; 67 minutes Initially starting as a blues artist while still a teenager, Canada’s Michael Schatte has expanded his sound to incorporate celtic, rock and bluegrass influences, leading to a genre he describes as “Eclectic Electric Roots Music”. This eclecticism is evident in his most recent …

Curtis Salgado – Damage Control | Album Review

Curtis Salgado – Damage Control Alligator Records – 2021 13 tracks; 52 minutes www.curtissalgado.com After a stripped-back duo album last time round (2018’s Rough Cut with Alan Hager) Curtis returns to a full band sound on a collection that covers all the bases – blues, soul, gospel and Rn’B. The album was recorded in three …

Martin Lang – Bad Man | Album Review

Martin Lang – Bad Man Random Chance Records www.martinlangbluesharp.com CD: 12 Songs, 45 Minutes Styles: Traditional Chicago Blues, Harmonica Blues If you closed your eyes for forty-five minutes straight and listened to Martin Lang’s Bad Man all the way through, you’d swear to three things: 1) Mr. Lang is African-American; 2) he’s an unsung icon …