Cover photo © 2023 Marilyn Stringer

 In This Issue 

Mark Thompson has our feature interview with Wes Starr. We have five Blues reviews for you this week including new music from Misty Blues, Leonard “Lowdown” Brown, Big Shoes, Brad “Guitar” Wilson and Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival. Scroll down and check it out!

 From The Editor’s Desk 

Hey Blues Fans,

It is taking a bit longer than we hoped to determine the 2023 Blues Blast Music Award nominees. We plan to announce the nominees next week.

Ticket sales for the Blues Blast Music Awards show will start next week after we announce the nominees. Check our BBMAs website for the latest information at http://theBBMAs.com.

Be sure to reserve the date now and get your tickets early when they go on sale!

Wishing you health, happiness and lots of Blues music!

Bob Kieser

Despite being credited on over 50 recordings, it probably is a safe bet that many blues listeners would draw a blank when asked about Wes Starr. A quick look at the list of artists that he has recorded with would certainly prove the validity of the old adage, you can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep. Starr has been the timekeeper for many of the best in the business, sometimes doing several stints with an artist over the years, which is another indication of how well respected he is.

In a career that crosses numerous decades, Starr has enjoyed the rewards of success, and experienced some severe challenges that tested his mettle. But he persevered, always turning back to his drum kit to stay grounded.

The aspiring musician got an early start, taking lessons from a local woman along with five other kids in his neighborhood, charged a dollar per hour at a time when drumsticks cost 65 cents.

“She was the drum lieutenant in the school band, lived across the creek from me and her senior year, to make a little extra money, she taught us. The next year, when I was in the fifth grade, I joined the school program. But she instilled this passion for it. And the other five people that took lessons from her, we all became professional drummers.

“Her name was Patti Tolbert. She went on to play with really big orchestras in Europe, like the Vienna Symphony and an orchestra in London. Then she came back to Georgia and got her tenure and finished teaching at the University of Georgia as the head of the percussion department. She gave us great exercises and just made it fun, so we wanted to work at it. We’d sit and play on steps with our sticks.

“Plus, I had a brother five years older than me that played in some really good regional rock bands. They would rehearse in our basement since we had a big house. I had three older brothers. I would sit on the stairs and listen to them play. When they’d take a break, or go to the store, go out and have a smoke, I’d go down and sit in on the drums.”

Another factor in his development was his dad being a radio engineer at a station in Rome, Georgia, WRGA-AM, which had a big studio like a lot of the stations did back then. Rome was a train stop on the line between Atlanta and Chattanooga. A lot of the bands would stop by to do a radio show to promote their shows coming up in Atlanta, Chattanooga, or further on down the line.

“I would sit in the studio and watch these guys play. That got me going early on as a kid, you know? After they did the show, we would take them across the street to the billiard hall, where I got to hang out and listen to their jargon. I thought it was the coolest thing on earth. Then my brother’s band kind of got me going, plus I grew up with the bass player R.W. Grigsby.

“We learned our instruments together, although he started a little before me, but the first gig I ever did was with him at the local Teen Center. The foothills of the Appalachian Mountains was a wonderful place to grow up. I had incredible parents and grew up in the woods, learning all the survival skills that my dad taught me and my brothers.”

Starr played in bands in high school, and later played in local rock, jazz, and dance bands with Grigsby. They also were going to a lot of concerts together.

“There were free concerts every Sunday in Atlanta. The Allman Brothers had a big effect on me. Also, there was a great jazz club where I would go see acts like Big Mama Thornton and jazz drummer Elvin Jones, who was another big influence on me. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to play. I was playing Southern rock and trying to play jazz. Of course I was listening to blues on the stations that I could get late night on the radio.”

One day he got an invitation to move to California from a drummer friend who had moved out west. Living in a poor area of north Georgia, seeing friends stuck working in the mill, others with pregnant girlfriends, Starr decided it was time to move on.

“So I moved to California with my parents blessings, and that’s where I started pursuing music. I also met some really good people who became lifelong friends, like Kim Wilson and Nick Connolly, the keyboard player who later got me into Delbert McClinton’s band.

“The way it started happening is I moved into an apartment right on the beach. One day this guy knocks on the door. He lived next door and he said, hey, you guys play instruments, you wanna start a band? Me and my two brothers, we have to take a trip but we’ll be back in a few months and we’ll start a band. Then they sailed to Columbia. When they got back, we started a band called Oro, which is Spanish for gold. We had a new van and equipment, doing Grateful Dead type stuff. Then I got into a local band called the Hit and Run Swing Band, which really got me started, coming in on the coattails of Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, doing thirties and forties stuff.

“Kim Wilson was the one that got me to move to Austin, Texas. I went out and visited him, and he introduced me to everybody. Things were just starting to happen there. And I did an audition with Omar and The Howlers, got hired, so I came back and had about a month to get my stuff together, then moved there in 1979 to play with Omar Dykes. I found a house, got moved in, and then I hit the road for six weeks right off the bat.

Making the move to Austin, Starr found a friendly musical community, where people helped each other out instead of trying to cut heads. He was part of Omar & the Howlers first album, Big Leg Beat, eventually recording five other records with Dykes.

“After a couple of years, Omar wanted to take a break. We were a five piece band and after the break, we decided to go to a trio. Omar always had a full band, five or six members. That went on for about a year and a half. I was so, so hungry for music and constantly wanting to grow as a musician, so I left Omar’s band on good terms and immediately joined Marcia Ball’s band and did her first album, Soulful Dress. I stayed with Marcia for a couple years.

“During my tenure with Omar, I met my longtime friend Anson Funderburgh. We worked together on the album, Harpoon Man, by Greg “Fingers” Taylor, who was the harmonica player for Jimmy Buffett. Fingers was from Mississippi, and when he wasn’t on the road with Buffett, he would do shows with Omar because Fingers wanted to play blues.

“Around 1983, we did the recording sessions for Harpoon Man. He used me and several other members of Marcia’s band on half of it. The rest was done with Anson and his band, the Rockets. We had met before that, but Anson and I really got to know each other in the studio, which paved the way for things to come. The next year we recorded the first record that Anson and Sam Myers did together, My Love Is Here to Stay. I left Marcia’s band around that time to tour with Fingers. When he went back to work with Buffett, I ended up joining Asleep at the Wheel.

“At that point, I was basically gone. I think we were doing about 300 dates a year. It was a real learning experience. When I wasn’t on the road, I was down at Antone’s, the famous Austin music venue, playing with somebody. You can’t say enough about that club, and owner Clifford Antone, how important they were for me, playing with artists like Hubert Sumlin, guitarist Mel Brown, or the great piano player, Sunnyland Slim. Finally, I left Asleep at the Wheel when my wife and I started having kids.”

A short time later, Starr got a call from another guitarist friend, Mason Ruffner, who had just released an album produced by Dave Edmunds. It was quite an opportunity.

“Mason was friends with guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame. They knew each other in New Orleans. Since Mason’s record was on a major label, Page asked him if he wanted to tour, opening for Page’s new band, the Firm, which featured Paul Rodgers, formerly of Free and Bad Company.

“Mason asked me about a bass player. So I mentioned Sarah Brown. We ended up touring, being rock stars for a year, went from playing a club on a Tuesday night with Mason that held 60 people when it was full, and by Friday we were playing the Omni in Atlanta for 17,000 people. I became really good friends with Jimmy, plus it got that “star” thing out of my system. It opened my eyes a lot.”

Once that ended, the drummer stayed at home, being a dad. But because he was now around Austin all the time, he started getting calls, especially from a number of singer/songwriters, like Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Kimmie Rhodes. Starr recorded three records with Gilmore in addition to two more with Rhodes. He also worked with tenor saxophonist Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff on the Tri-Sax-Ual Soul Champs Go Girl! Album on Black Top Records.

“That is a wonderful album. I also did several records with Erik and the Offbeats, which was a mix of musicians from Asleep at the Wheel. That band had a huge following around town. You know, leaving a band for the right reasons is always good. Jumping way ahead, I’ve gone back and played with all these people over the years because I never burned the bridge. When I left, usually it was for personal reasons, like having kids, you know, or musically, I wanted to go another direction. As long as you’re honest, you know, that’s the golden rule. You never leave a gig to take another gig unless you have their blessings. It’s a great philosophy.”

It was his old friend Nick Connolly who finally provided an offer that got Starr to take up roadwork again. Connolly was handling keyboards in singer Delbert McClinton’s band, and they needed a drummer. Once he was hired, Starr spent three years touring with McClinton, somehow never managing to do a recording with the singer.

“I mean, that was a really great time. There were a lot of great players in that band. Then, when I left Delbert around 1990, I hooked up with Hal Ketchum, a singer that I used to work with in Austin during the time I was in Asleep at the Wheel. He released his Past The Point Of Rescue album and, damn, the first single shot up the country charts. We hit the road, had a sound, and the record company left us alone. That was when there was a resurgence of country music in Nashville. We weren’t a “hat” act. Hal was very well respected because he wrote about 80% of his own material.

“Of course, when you’re in that big machine of country music, starting out, you play every damn state fair and rodeo in the country the first year or so. Then we started branching out, and we kept having top 10 hits. We had 14 of them in the four and a half years I was with him. We had a great sound as a four piece band, but I always called our fifth instrument the vocalists, because the guys sang like birds.

“Then later on, when we started headlining big theaters, we brought on Reese Wynans on keyboards. Reese hadn’t had a gig since Stevie Ray Vaughan had passed. So this is his first gig, but he was still going through that grieving process. It was a difficult time for Reese.”

Eventually Starr decided to leave Ketchum’s band, only to get a call from McClinton, inviting him to rejoin the band for what turned out to be several years. When his fourth child, his daughter, was born in 1996, Starr once again left the road to be home.

“We were out doing a summer tour. It was great lineup with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Taj Mahal, Delbert, the Neville Brothers, and B.B. King. That was the way to go out with a bang! In the middle of the tour between the East and West coasts, Delbert and I flew to Nashville so that I could be there for my daughter’s birth. Then I finished up the tour, came home, and that was it. Delbert was always really good to me.”

Once again he started playing locally, teaming up with several other sideman on Tuesday nights to write songs, which lead to an album and local gigs.

“I filled in for Anson’s drummer on an overseas tour, so I took some of those records with me. Months later I learned that we had a hit on Norwegian National Radio. We ended up going over to tour Norway. You never know how things will turn out. In 2000, I moved back to Austin. Anson was losing his drummer and bass player, so I joined the Rockets full-time along with Johnny Bradley on bass.”

In 2003, Starr nearly had his career literally cut short after an accident.

“Yeah, the table saw. I have people come up to me after every show, asking how come you hold your stick like that? And it’s just out of necessity. A lot of drummers are in my age group. We’ve all gone through the carpal tunnel and elbow surgeries, the back issues. I have good posture, so I’ve never had those issues.

“But I just about took my thumb off, and the saw blade got into a lot of the nerves and bone. I just had to learn to play another way. I’d already been doing some of that, when I was going through my troubles with my hands going numb. Before I had surgery I used to put my stick over in the middle of two fingers to get some release until I got the feeling back in my thumb and forefinger, then I’d put the stick back over. I had to learn how to play like that all the time, had to sit down and do some wood shedding, so my sticks weren’t flying everywhere when I did rolls and drops. I lost the ability to do certain things, but I gained some other stuff through years of playing.”

In 2007, Starr joined Omar Dykes, Jimmie Vaughan, James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Gary Primich, and other musicians for On The Jimmy Reed Highway, a tribute album on Ruf Records. A second album, Big Town Playboy, was released  under the Dykes name with Vaughan, Starr, Ronnie James on bass, Derek O’Brien and Gary Clark Jr. also on guitar, plus Cotton and Lazy Lester on harmonica.

“ When we made that record, I had a tragedy happen. My brother passed away, so we almost didn’t make the record. I told the guys that I need to go back to Georgia for the funeral, but I didn’t need to go back for about three days. Those records have a special place in my heart because sometimes I wouldn’t make it through a song, just had to stop and kind of break down, because of this intense duress I was going through. But, you know, Jimmie had lost his brother, Omar just lost his wife a few years before that. So I was in good hands and I wanted to make it. So, yeah, it’s a special record to be.”

Around the same time, Starr was part of another project, this time for a younger artist just starting to make his mark in the blues world.

“I did the Magic Touch album with John Nemeth. That is one of my favorite records, and I’m on a lot of records. The way Anson produced it, the music and how it sounds, it is just a great record. I had been playing some with Nick Moss in Chicago. Nick said that we would have a singer from Idaho joining us for some festival dates. Nick picked John up at the airport, we did a festival the next day, and as soon as we finished our set, I called Anson to say, I found us a singer!

“And then I started playing in John’s band with Junior Watson. We played together for a couple years and we did that album, which kind of got John’s career jump started. It was on Blind Pig Records, so it got more recognition. We toured pretty heavily behind that for a couple years with me, John, Junior on guitar, and Kid Andersen on bass.

“But that was when I started getting a bit out of control. We did a European tour that had a lot of drama from me, and I ended up basically getting fired. I didn’t learn my lesson at that point. It took me a few more years to figure it out. Now I’ve got five and a half year sobriety, which has turned my whole life around. I just didn’t put it down. When I first started going to a meetings, this old timer came up to me and said, “Good to see you here, son. You know, the good news is you never have to have drink the rest of your life. Bad news is, that’s not the problem”.

“ I thought he was crazy as hell. Well, it took me 20 something years to figure out what he meant. So I went and got some help, stayed in a sober house for 20 months, and actually managed it for the last six months I was there. I put my big boy pants on and got my shit together.

“The only person that can do it is yourself. I had been to three rehabs in a 12 year period. I went for other people. I didn’t go for me. It took me to go check myself into a mental hospital, and from there go to a great rehab that I was able to get into it because of the wonderful stuff they do in Austin music community with the SIMS Foundation, which I’ve supported by playing many benefits to raise money to provide insurance for the mental and physical well-being of Austin musicians. They came to my rescue and I got the help I needed.

“I got my shit together, and slowly started playing again. That meant going through the whole rigmarole of playing a gig, coming back to the home, and getting tested. My first road trip was with Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones. I did two tours with him four and a half years ago, so I was about a year sober. I went out with Doug, did two back-to-back tours, and then still stayed in the sober house for another year. I stayed in Austin, didn’t run away. I had messed it up pretty good, but I made amends where I could.”

One friend that stuck by Starr during this period was Mark Hummel, the harmonica player known for his Harmonica Blowout shows that feature a mixture of some of the best blues harp players.

“Mark was behind me. He didn’t fire me. He just let me get my shit together. Then he had me back in the fold. And that’s saying a lot. Me and Mark can butt heads, but I tell you what, he was there for me. So was R.W. Grigsby. Those guys have a lot of years sobriety between the two of them, 50 years plus. They are two guys I could lean on.”

Several other people have helped Starr navigate life during the pandemic years. Another harmonica player, Bob Corritore, has brought the drummer to his Rhythm Room club in Phoenix, AZ, for recordings and live shows multiple times in recent years, allowing Starr to form a formidable backing band with Jimi “Prime Time” Smith on guitar and the ageless Bob Stroger on bass.

“We’ve developed not only this incredible comfortable musical thing, but a friendship that’s phenomenal. When we go in the studio, we’ve got it down. We don’t even have to think about if we’ve got it locked in, we’ve got our thing going on. And that’s a wonderful feeling, you know, for a rhythm section, so that’s just been to me very, very special.”

And love came knocking in an unusual fashion. Starr had dated a woman for several years before moving to Austin. Fast forward 40 years, to a show with Hummel in Morro Bay, CA. His long-lost girlfriend showed up with her sister. They spent the evening getting caught up, which led to more lengthy phone conversations. Soon, the flames of love were burning brightly.

“So I ended up moving out here to California in November last year. And for us, the pandemic worked out wonderfully because we really got to know each other. And at our age, we’re so grateful to have each other.  I’m getting ready to turn 69 in a couple weeks. We talk all the time about how it just sucks getting old, because we have very useful minds, but our body says, fuck you. But we’re making the best of it.”

Asked about his approach and philosophy in his role as a drummer, Starr quickly showed that his decades of experience has taught him that simpler is better.

“I figured out pretty early on that there’s guys that have the chops to play circles around me, and I’ve got to find my own place. The guy that put that in my head was Grady “Fats” Jackson, the great sax player who I met when I was a teenager. He told me, don’t ever not take a gig because you don’t think you’re good enough. And he instilled that if it’s a little uncomfortable, that’s good for you.

“What it really comes down to is creating a good groove, and a good feel. You are the anchor of the band, the behind the scenes leader. You’re part of that foundation that’s so important to creating a very wide berth and the ability to move. I was gifted with very good ears and people like to play with me because I have a very, very solid groove.

“I always play for the song. You play what’s important to the song, and particularly with the vocalists, to take them to a higher place. Hal Ketchum once gave me the best compliment I had ever heard. He was talking to some reporters. He looked back at me and he said, “Now I’ve got Wes, he’s got power and grace.” That’s what I’ve spent many years trying to succeed at.”

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Mark Thompson lives in Florida, where he is enjoying the sun and retirement. He is the past President of the Board of Directors for the Suncoast Blues Society and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Blues Foundation. Music has been a huge part of his life for the past fifty years – just ask his wife!

Misty Blues – Outside The Lines

www.mistybluesband.com

Guitar One Records 

11 songs –  46 minutes

Outside The Lines is the 12th album by Massachusetts-based Misty Blues, who are now close to notching up a quarter of a century together as a band. The album mines the same rich seam as previous releases: original blues songs, blended with hints of soul, funk, gospel and even a drop or two of jazz.

The core band features Gina Coleman on vocals, cigar box guitar and guitar; Seth Fleischmann on guitar and vocals; Bill Patriquin on bass, trumpet and vocals; Benny Kohn on keyboards and vocals; Rob Tatten on drums, trombone and vocals; Aaron Dean on saxophone; and Diego Mongue on bass, guitar, drums and vocals. As a discerning reader might infer, this number of multi-instrumentalists results in a delightfully wide range of tonal palettes and approaches. In addition, a number of guest artists also contribute to the fun, including Eric Gales, Petri Byrd, Matt Cusson, Kat Riggins and Justin Johnson.

The band centers around the superb voice and stellar songwriting of lead singer, Coleman, who wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album, but every musician contributes impressively. Mongue, Patriquin and Tatten lay down a series of ferocious grooves, which breathe dynamically and irresistibly. Ample space is afforded to the various soloists, none of whom disappoints. Cusson’s jazz-tinged piano and husky voice work perfectly when guesting on a song such as “One of These Days”, but that only seemed to inspire Dean to nail an absolutely killer sax solo as a result. The dueling solos on “Grip Your Soul” are one of the many album highlights.

Lyrically, the songs often look to inspire (“One Of These Days” or “Dare To Dream”) or to ask questions of the listener and his/her conscience (“The Hate” or “Where Your Blues Come From”). Musically, perhaps the most obvious reference point is The Neville Brothers (high praise indeed), with the songs being firmly rooted in the blues, but incorporating a range of other influences. “Days Of Voodoo And Laughter” is one of the few songs on the album that follows a traditional blues chord progression, with more dueling instrumentation in the solos.

This is top-drawer musicianship with well constructed songs and superb recording from engineers, Frank Kennedy, Dave Dennison and Patrick Gray Jr; mixing engineer Seth von Paulus and mastering engineer, Leon Zervos.

Despite all this, it is Coleman’s voice that keeps seizing the listener’s attention. On the rollicking “Granville T.”, she goes from a whisper to a hurricane and back again in the blink of an eye, while her deep voice and warm, passionate conviction dominate everything on the opening rock groove of “Where Your Blues Come From.”

This band will surely become better known in the Blues world. They really have it all. Gina Coleman is a rare diamond of a singer/songwriter. Outside The Lines is a very, very impressive release and highly recommended.

Reviewer Rhys “Lightnin'” Williams plays guitar in a blues band based in Cambridge, England. He also has a day gig as a lawyer.

Leonard “Lowdown” Brown – Blues is Calling Me

Music Maker Fouondation LLC – 2023

https://musicmaker.org

10 tracks; 33 minutes

Leonard “Lowdown” Brown, waited until he was nearly 70 years of age before recording his debut album, but it is an album that is worth the wait.  The Arkansas native moved to Houston and was given his nickname by the organizers of the Benson and Hedges Houston Blues Festival.  While his name may seem unfamiliar to most, he has opened for some legends, including Johnny Taylor, ZZ Hill and Bobby Bland, and was recently featured at both the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and the Baton Rouge Blues Festival.

This debut album was made possible by the Music Maker’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to meeting “the day-to-day needs of the artists who create traditional American music, ensures their voices are heard, and gives all people access to our nation’s hidden music treasures. The Foundation’s talented drummer and producer, Ardie Dean, joins Brown on the album, along with “Microwave” Dave Galaher on guitar, Tony Grady on bass and Dan Hochner on keys and bass.

What stands out immediately to listeners will be Brown’s soulful voice.  In addition, the pure, beautiful tone and effortless manner in which he plays guitar illustrates how less can be more.  Blues Is Calling Me opens with an inviting song about wanting to go to the juke joint to hear some lowdown blues.  Brown later does a bit of scat-singing in “Can’t Buy Time”, and the slow rolling song, “Blues Makes Me Feel Good” is the perfect example of how blues songs improve mood rather than causing sadness.  One of the best songs, “Let Me Live My Life,” offers a highly emotional vocal, noting, “I am what I am, and I do what I do.  I ain’t messin’ with no-one.  I ain’t messin’ with you!”  And, the title track leaves no doubt that, as stated in the song, Brown was born to play the blues and it is his destiny.  Brown used to sing in traveling gospel choirs when he was young, and that early influence can be heard in the moving conclusion to the album, “You Gotta Move”.  That song is the only track on the album not written by Brown, but he offers a unique arrangement of the classic gospel tune.

There are really no weaknesses to Blues is Calling Me, and those who love traditional blues will be particularly enthusiastic about this album and will only regret not knowing of Leonard “Lowdown” Brown sooner.

Writer Anita Schlank lives in Virginia, and is on the Board of Directors for the River City Blues Society. She has been a fan of the blues since the 1980s. She and Tab Benoit co-authored the book “Blues Therapy,” with all proceeds from sales going to the HART Fund.

Big Shoes – Fresh Tracks

Qualified Records – 2023

www.bigshoesband.com

12 tracks; 49 minutes

Big Shoes is something of a Nashville ‘super group’, consisting of musicians who have played with a who’s who of stars such as Bobby Bland, Etta James, Van Morrison and Delbert McClinton, amongst many others. Lead singer Rick Huckaby is a session singer in Nashville and is the main songwriter here with involvement in seven songs; Mark T Jordan (Bonnie Raitt’s keyboard man on her live album Road Tested) had a hand in two songs and guitarists Will MacFarlane and Kenne Cramer contribute to five; the band is completed by drummer Lynn Williams, bassist Tom Szell and percussionist Bryan Brock. Guests include Shaun Murphy who adds backing vocals to four cuts, Vickie Carrico who is on three songs and horns are added to four songs by Dana Robbins (sax and arrangements) and Quentin Ware (trumpet). The album was recorded at Kevin McKendree’s Rockhouse Studio.

Rick has a good voice that works for this kind of material with tinges of country, blues and soul; light with a touch of grit. Opener “I Got You Covered” is a great start with the twin guitars laying down a strong riff, the horns adding punch, the slide that country feel, while Rick offers himself: “If you need a shelter or a shoulder, if you want two arms to hold you closer…I got you covered”. “Hole In The Sky” is more of a shuffle, with nice guitar embellishments and a sympathetic horn arrangement. Just two songs come from outside the band: “If The Blues Was Green” is a clever song with plenty of fun wordplay from writers Randy Handley and Richard Fleming (a familiar name from collaborations with Tom Hambridge and Buddy Guy), Mark’s piano work to the fore; “You Can’t Love Me Like That” drops the pace for a tender country ballad from the pens of Pat McLaughlin and Kenneth Wright.

Using color again as a metaphor, “Roses Are Blue” has baritone guitar which fits the rather ‘down’ lyrics about losing love, another slower song with fine harmonies from Shaun and Vickie and a shimmering guitar solo. Rick and Mark combined to write “Permanent Midnight” and the horns are back, another song that suits Rick’s voice really well before Mark’s rocking “I’ve Seen The Light”, full of slide and pounding piano. “There Ain’t Nothin’ You Can Do” is a familiar title but this one is Will’s song with a Mexican border feel, the sort of rhythm to which you find yourself swaying! The horns’ final appearance comes on “Drunk On Love”, a sprawling tune that opens with discordant piano before developing into the sort of song that would suit Delbert McClinton. “Tell Me I’m Wrong” has some lovely picking from the guitarists, light piano work and a rhythm aided by additional percussion, again giving a border feel. “That’s What I Get For Loving You” reminded me of Little Feat with slide and a jagged rhythm and the album closes with the ballad “Dreaming Again”.

A wonderful album but there is little straight blues here. However if you enjoy the sort of mixture of styles you find on albums by the likes of Delbert McClinton, this album will be a winner.

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK who enjoys a wide variety of blues and roots music, especially anything in the ‘soul/blues’ category. Favorites include contemporary artists such as Curtis Salgado, Tad Robinson, Albert Castiglia and Doug Deming and classic artists including Bobby Bland, Howling Wolf and the three ‘Kings’. He gets over to the States as often as he can to see live blues.

Brad “Guitar” Wilson – Lovers Before Sunrise

Cali Blues Music

www.bradwilsonlive.com

14 tracks

Brad Wilson delivers his sixth album with all the bells and whistles he’s included on the prior five and then some. Mixing his exuberant west Coast blues rock sound with Grammy producer Francis Buckley, Wilson gives us eleven original tracks and three covers to listen to with this effort.

Wilson is on lead guitar and vocals throughout. Brian Beal plays bass while Adan Gust if on drums. Hal Cragin plays flugelhorn and Chris Rhyne is on keys. Deb Jacobs adds some sweet duets and backing vocals.

”More Than I Do” is a blues rocker love song that kicks off the album. Wilson lays out some nice licks and sings about his woman. Kiki Wow and Amber Guzman do a great job on backing vocals as guests on this track. Jeff Covall is on bass, Peter Wolf is on drums for this one. Next is “Blues Magic,” where Wilson offers some Latin influenced rock sounds on his guitar. The sing is a pop love song where Wilson displays his influences from Santana.

Next is “Big Fish” where Wilson takes us to the Bayou as he sings about his elusive opponent. Wilson picks and sings as the band lays out some good support behind him. Wilson gives us Leroy Carr to enjoy with “Blues Before Sunrise.” A nice shuffle where Wilson pays respect to this early bluesman as he wails of guitar and Rhyne tinkles the keys.

Cream’s standard “Sunshine of Your Love” follows where Wilson gets to have fun emulating his heroes. “When You Get To My House” is a jump blues written by his producer Francis Buckley. This is one of my favorite cuts from the album. The horns are out in support of Wilson as he gives us some more heavy licks. He swaps out the players here with Zach Andrews on bass, Dillion Diaz on drums, Timothy Jones on piano and Daniel Levin on horns.

He gives testament to staying alive with “I’m Still Breathing.”  It’s a slow blues where Wilson shows restraint and plays with pensive thoughtfulness. There’s  some tasty guitar here as he builds in impact through the cut. “Goin’ Fishin’ In The Rain” is next as the music takes us on the road with a driving beat and up tempo groove.

Muddy’s “I’m Ready” gets a rocking makeover as Wilson turns it into his style. Nice piano work helps sell this as his guitar stings. He slips into high rockabilly gear for “Black Coffee at Sunshine,” a frantic paced rocking cut.

“Rollin’ Thunder” is a big, anthem rocker that Wilson is at ease delivering. He follows that with “Down At The Twist And Shout” where Deb Jacobs joins in on the vocals on this Cajun inspired piece as Wilson picks out some impressive notes.

“Words I Want To Say To You” also features Jacobs joins in again. This is a big love song with a timeless sound. Jacobs is a truly fine vocalist. Wilson concludes the album with a live performance of his “Slide On Over.” Mixing big guitar sounds that evoke Robin Trower as Brad shreds the lead apart. Guitar freaks will be in heaven.

Wilson does not hold back on his guitar. He goes full throttle and lays it all on the table for us. He’s opened for a plethora of legends and has and is touring the globe on his own. He’s a busy man and delivers high energy performance of originals and cuts that he loves. Blues rock fans need to take notice of Wilson’s latest effort!

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Steve Jones is president of the Crossroads Blues Society and is a long standing blues lover. He is a retired Navy commander who served his entire career in nuclear submarines. In addition to working in his civilian career since 1996, he writes for and publishes the bi-monthly newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival and works with their Blues In The Schools program. He resides in Byron, IL.

Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival – Gypsy Soul

Self Released

www.jlynandthegrooverevival.com

5 tracks/17 minutes

Jennifer Lyn currently lives in North Dakota and has a late 1960’s to early 1970’s feel to her music. Classic and blues rock guitar and soulful vocals make her music appealing and fun. This release contains five songs that she and co=producer Richard Torrance wrote. Lyn handles lead vocals and guitar. Torrance backs her vocals and shares in the lead guitar work. Barb Jiskra is on the keys, Chris Addison plays bass and Jim Anderson is on drums. She mastered and mixed the songs herself.

The title tracks rocks things out to begin. A nice blues rocker, Lyn and Torrance play some nice guitar and lay out some very decent licks. Lyn handles the lead vocals and sings with affirmation. We also get a nice little piano solo to enjoy. “Low Down Dirty Shame” is next and the jumping tunes continue. They included some funky guitar as Lyn sings with Torrance backing her along with her own backing vocals. Wee get lots more cool guitar and piano to savor, including a twin guitar solo.

Things slow down for a nice, slow and dirty blues in “Going Round In Circles.” Lyn croons out the sad song and the guitars also help set the tone for this cut.  She sings with passion and we get a stinging guitar solo, too. The pace picks up dramatically with “Give Me All Your Lovin’” as Lyn and the band rock out. It’s a big party as the vocalist, guitars, and piano blaze. The closing track is a somber piece entitled “You Can Take It All.” with a bluesy, southern rock feeling to it. Lyn sings with Torrance backing her. Thoughtful dual guitar soloing is tastefully done as Lyn again sings with emotion.

It’s a nice assortment of original tunes with a blues rock edginess that is fun and enjoyable. Blues rock fans will certainly enjoy this one!

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Steve Jones is president of the Crossroads Blues Society and is a long standing blues lover. He is a retired Navy commander who served his entire career in nuclear submarines. In addition to working in his civilian career since 1996, he writes for and publishes the bi-monthly newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival and works with their Blues In The Schools program. He resides in Byron, IL.