Cover photo © 2024 Laura Carbone

 In This Issue 

Anita Schlank has our feature interview with Albert Cummings. We have four Blues reviews for you this week including a new 4 disk compilation of Down Home Chicago Blues plus new music from Bernard Allison, Emanuel Casablanca and The Blue-Footed Boobies. Scroll down and check it out!

Bernard Allison – Luther’s Blues

Ruf Records RUF 1303

www.bernardallison.com

20 songs – 94 minutes

Guitarist Luther Allison was one of the most intense performers of all time, and son Bernard provides living proof that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree with this beefy album, taking 18 songs from his dad’s catalog and two that they co-wrote and reinventing them for a 21st century audience.

A Chicago native who’s been part of the blues scene since Luther introduced him to Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor, Albert King and others at festivals in the ‘70s, Bernard got his first six-string at age 12, but didn’t start performing professionally until he graduated from high school, picking up additional tips from Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan and quickly joining Koko Taylor’s road band to start touring the world.

Bernard’s been a headliner in his own right since the mid-‘80s but began serving as Luther’s bandleader in Europe at the end of the decade, during which he released his debut album, The Next Generation, and he worked with dad until his death in 1997, posthumously earned the Blues Music Association’s contemporary blues artist of the year award the following spring.

Throughout his career, which now spans about 20 CDs, Bernard has consistently kept his father’s legacy in the forefront. A two-time BMA nominee who topped the Billboard Blues Chart with his Highs & Lows CD in 2022, Allison was in his mid-20s in 1992 when he recorded the opener, “Hang On,” in Paris. Previously recorded by Bernard and co-written with Luther, it retains much of the feel of the original, supercharged from the start and blazing throughout. “Reaching Out,” a sweet song of love, flows lightly throughout and features a stellar horn solo.

“Too Many Women” changes the mood from the jump with a funky, mid-tempo beat. It flows into the slow-and-steady “Into My Life,” another soulful pleaser that entices a new, potential lady. The first of two monster Luther hits, “Serious,” opens at a whisper and builds in passion throughout while “Bad Love” powers steadily and includes a stellar keyboard workout. The funk kicks in with “Now You Got It,” a vow to be always at his woman’s side, before the tender “Love Is Free,” the Southern soul pleaser, “Midnight Creeper,” and “Help,” a blazing, hard rocker, end the first disc.

A driving shuffle, “Back Down South” turns up the blues to 11 as Allison accents the need to relocate with his lady to stop her from underestimating his strengths and driving the message home with fretwork that would have Bernard smiling. The quiet, funky “I Gave It All” promises the woman plenty of fun ahead before “Life Is a Bitch” kicks off a different feel from the downstroke. The focus shifts to Bernard’s voice for the moving ballad, “Let’s Try It Again,” a stripped-down arrangement that gives space for the keys and horns to shine.

The uptempo, Chicago-style “Change Your Way of Living” turns the heat up dramatically before the stop-time “You’re Gonna Need Me” comes complete with West Side Windy City appeal. “Compromising for Your Needs,” the other song Luther co-wrote but never recorded, shows Bernard at his best before the tender “A Change Must Come,” the horn-driven “Move From the Hood” and “Castle,” an acoustic ballad, bring the set to a close.

A stunning set from start to finish, Luther’s Blues serves as a wonderful tribute to an artist we lost far too soon. But it’s more than that. Bernard Allison is gifted, mature artist who’s put his own stamp on this material and taken it farther than it’s gone before. Strongly recommended.

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.

Various Artists – Down Home Blues: Chicago Vol. 3

Wienerworld Limited

www.wienerworld.com

Four Compact Discs 108 tracks 315 minutes

This magnificent collection was put together by the late Peter Moody, a British musician who also worked for a variety of record companies. The subtitle to the set, “The Special Stuff,” was a favorite expression of Moody’s, saved for music that captured his soul. Once you start diving into to this set, you quickly learn that Moody did indeed know his stuff.

The four discs are housed in foldout packaging that includes a tracklist for each disc listing song title and artist. The back of the package provides a list of each of the 36 artists included with the titles of the songs they perform. Even more helpful is the 86 page booklet with notes from Chris Bentley that illuminate the history of each artist, some of whom Moody rescues from the mists of obscurity. Also included is an list of songs with composer credits, plenty of b&w photos of musicians and rare record labels, and a “Sessionography” that lays out available information as who played what on each track. Delving into the booklet while working your way through the recordings makes for quite a meaningful listening experience.

The first disc opens with four tracks from 1941, the first recordings by Robert Lockwood Jr. Backed by Alfred Elkins on bass, the guitarist reminds us of his formidable skills on “Black Spider Blues” and “Little Boy Blue,” songs that remained in his repertoire throughout his long career. The same year provided two cuts from an early piano legend, Big Maceo Merriweather, with backing from another legend, guitarist Tampa Red. “Texas Blues” sparkles with the interplay between Maceo’s piano and Red’s fine picking. Maceo is featured on two other tracks, recorded in 1949, after a stroke left his right hand almost useless. The piano chair is more than adequately filled by Johnny Jones, a student of Maceo’s style, allowing Maceo to concentrate on delivering two brawny vocal turns.

Several other well-known blues men get four tracks each, with Sonny Boy Williamson I (John Lee) blowing plenty of acoustic harmonica in grand fashion, while Big Joe Williams’ booming vocals ring out over Williamson’s harp and the deep bass lines from Ransom Knowling. Other highlights come from two rare sides from singer Ann Sorter, who rips into the rousing “Bad Stuff,” with Memphis Slim rocking his way across the piano keyboard. Harp payer Jazz Gillum is another stellar artist flying under the radar these days, undeservedly so based on the high quality of his vocals across five tracks, with his original, “Gonna Take My Rap,” a favorite. Forest City Joe closes the disc with two songs that show his indebtedness to Williamson’s harp style, particularly on “Memory Of Sonny Boy,”.

One thing that stands out on these discs is the absence of lengthy instrumental solos. Many of these tracks were recorded before Chicago blues went electric and never looked back. Another unusual feature is that the guitar does not dominate the proceedings. The piano is most often the focus of the arrangements on the first two discs, but the songs are what matters, and the singers who are telling the stories.

Forest City Joe gets two more tracks on the second disc, with “Ash Street Boogie” giving plenty of room for his hearty harp blowing. The powerful voice of St. Louis Jimmy is featured on six songs, with backing from another Chicago piano legend, Roosevelt Sykes. Lockwood Jr. gets four more tracks, with outstanding piano accompaniment courtesy of Sunnyland Slim. Their run-through of “Dust My Broom” is a rapid-fire exchange. Another piano man, Willie Mabon, eases his way through two cuts, even playing harmonica on “Boogie Man (Bogey Man)”. Vocalist Johnny Temple was often backed by musicians with little feel for blues music. His two cuts, “Pretty Woman” and “Jack And Jill,” show what he could do with sympathetic support.

A truly unknown female piano player, Mata Roy, dazzles as she romps along on the two part “Pete’s Boogie Shuffle,”singing and playing with aplomb. The classic ‘TV Mama” with the booming voice of Big Joe Turner and Elmore James’ distinctive slide guitar licks is always a highlight, as are two early Chess recordings from Muddy Waters, “Iodine In My Coffee” and “Flood,” with Jimmy Rogers on guitar. Little Walter had left Muddy’s band, so Junior Wells added his harp to the former track while Big Walter Horton blew sublime accompaniment on the latter number.

The remaining discs are populated by some familiar names. Muddy Waters is back with four tracks, including a rare take on “Smokestack Lightning,” recorded over a year before Howlin’ Wolf’s definitive version. Muddy is backed by a true Hall Of Fame aggregation – Little Walter on harp, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Fred Below on drums. Little Johnny Jones gets his turn in the spotlight with three more cuts added to his two on the previous disc. The alternate take of “Hoy Hoy” is a raucous affair with a bold vocal from the leader that gets a brawny response from J.T Brown on tenor sax. Three tracks serve as reminders that Little Walter is indeed the king of blues harp, with “My Kind Of Baby” providing vivid evidence from the opening blasts. Guitarist JB Hutto is featured on two songs that interestingly add Earl Hines on washboard in place of a drummer.

Chicago was a hotbed for blues piano players, with Little Brother Montgomery being one of the most influential. He lays down a sterling rendition of “New Vicksburg Blues,” updating an earlier hit record.  “Pinetop’s Boogie Blues” is memorable instrumental romp.. Other tracks highlight blues guitarists, including Eddie Taylor (killer take of “Stroll Out West”), Floyd Jones, Baby Face Leroy Foster, Jody Williams, and JB Lenoir. There is also a rare cut from the lone recording session by guitarist Little Hudson.

The final song on the disc, “She’s Fine, She’s Mine,” adds Bo Diddley to the mix, carrying over to the final disc for four more tracks, with “Pretty Thing” sporting that famous Bo Diddley beat. “Prison Bars All Around Me” is one of a duo of Junior Wells tunes, with Earl Hooker on guitar and Otis Spann on piano. Another piano great, Memphis Slim, gets his moment to shine on four cuts, all with Matt “Guitar” Murphy, with the slow blues “Cold Blooded Woman” being particularly memorable. Some might be surprised by the inclusion of Chuck Berry in the package. Once you hear his pedal steel guitar work on “Deep Feeling,” or take in his heartbreaking vocal on “Sweet Sixteen,” all doubts will be erased.

Five cuts were recorded at the apartment of guitarist Magic Sam, with Shakey Jake Harris on harmonica. The raw nature of the material makes for fitting end, highlights including a mournful “Every Night And Every Day,” an instrumental “Leaving This Morning” with fine harp work from Harris, ending with the obligatory “Sweet Hone Chicago,” that finishes off this amazing collection in appropriate fashion. If you want a deep dive into the the origins of the electric Chicago blues traditions, make sure you grab a copy of the box set. You will undoubtedly enjoy many hours of listening as history unfolds in this outstanding addition to the College of Musical Knowledge!

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!

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Emanuel Casablanca – Strung Out on Thrills

Vinyl Recording Group

www.emanuelcasablanca.com

13 songs – 51 minutes

One of the most interesting artists in the blues world today, Emanuel Casablanca is a multi-dimensional musician who made his recording debut in 2022 with Blood on My Hands, a blues-rock extravaganza that featured Eric Gales, Albert Castiglia, Jimmy Carpenter and others in the lineup. And he follows it up in style with this beefy and intense stunner, a sophomore effort that includes contributions from BMA-winning powerhouse Joanna Connor and avant garde composer/multi-instrumentalist Elliott Sharp, too.

Emanuel’s no ordinary bluesman. Sure, he’s a guitarist and vocalist who’s worked with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Daxx Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Doug Wimbush of Living Colour and Bernard Fowler of the Rolling Stones, but he’s a renegade overachiever who’s done much, much more.

Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., and the son of a music teacher/choir director mom, he’s an abstract and mixed-media artist who’s good enough to exhibit at the prestigious Art Basel show in Miami Beach. He’s also an actor who’s starred in commercials for Gillette, Coca-Cola and others. And he’s making his debut on the big screen later this year, playing the role of Worm in Mookie & Worm, a film directed by award-winner Onur Tukel. Casablanca portrays the manager of a former blues superstar who’s working himself back up from the bottom after falling from grace.

If you’re a fan of minor-key music, you’ll love this all-original effort, which was co-produced by Emanuel and Paul Howells. Casablanca is the only musician who appears on all tracks. The rotating lineup includes bassists Julian Chobot, Sam Lazarev, Cito Bass and Ian Forde, percussionists Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II, Max Freedberg, Blaque Dynamite, Supremo Massiv and Poyraz Aldemir and guitarist Eric Simon. Guest stars include Connor, Sharp and Laurence Henderson on six-string, vocalists Kelli Baker and Sir Malcolm Jamal and Slavo of the retro-pop duo Fly By Night.

The disc carries a parental advisory for explicit content because of the opening track, “Dogshit,” which opens with some real-life barks and features Connor as Emanuel launches into a slow-blues complaint about a wayward, about-to-be-ex lover whose “every word is a lie…” who “wouldn’t know the truth if it’s slapped across your face.” Searing guitar runs amplify the singer’s agony before he announces he’s heading for the door.

The tension continues in the driving “Strung Out on Thrills,” which finds the singer hooked on cocaine, awaiting his dealer, who’s running late after working nine-to-five, and realizing he’s about to lose his mind unless he gets high on something – hopefully love — while hoping he doesn’t O.D. The sweet, but gritty “Visceral,” which features Henderson, changes the mood slightly, describing meeting a beauty in New Orleans. The singer tries “to do right by her, but she keeps pushing me…” The complaints that follow flow like the Mississippi.

The slow-blues “Conniver” finds Casablanca confronting a gal who’s treated him like a fool before “The Farm” is driven by a repeating, funky acoustic guitar hook and delivered in trio format before the boastful “King” turns up the heat once more. Salvo joins the action and the music adopts an urban, Latin feel for “Pistoleró,” a warning to a rival that he’ll be easy to find – and that he’ll have his pistol in his hand. Then Connor and Baker team to spice up “Lass,” in which Emanuel knows things will change as soon as his lady arrives.

“Bastard” comes with a Chicago feel and more attitude – this time the woman’s hit the door – before Sharp’s stylish slide work puts a shine on “Morning Wood.” A syncopated beat and rap power “Pearl,” the tale of another troublesome lady, before bonus tracks – the demo cut, “My Life’s Fire,” and a suitable-for-the-masses version of “Dogs**t” – bring the album to a close.

Sure, there’s plenty of pain and suffering on this one. But the music overcomes everything. Totally different, and highly recommended.

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.

People would likely assume that musicians and those who build houses have very different talents.  However, both artistic creativity and constructional abilities tend to be attributed to the right hemisphere of the brain, and Massachusetts-based guitarist/singer/songwriter Albert Cummings (who also owns a homebuilding company) sees other similarities as well.  Blues Blast Magazine had the opportunity to catch up with Cummings and hear that perspective while he was performing on the 40^th Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.

“When you build a house, you dig the surface and pour the footings, and that’s like the bass and drums in a song–It establishes the foundation.  You then put the guitar on it, and maybe the keys which is like building up from the foundation.  Maybe you want horns in it, and that’s like the dry wall.  Then you hand it over to the mixing engineers, which are like painters.  They apply the final colors and fine finishing touches that go on the project.”

In fact, Cummings is the fourth generation of builders in his family, and second generation of musician/builders.  While he is self-taught as a musician, he holds an AA degree in construction science from the Wentworth Institute in Boston.

“My father was a musician until the time I was born, but he was also a builder.  He played in big bands but gave it up around the time I was born and focused on building.  However, his band members remained friends, so if there was a party or a picnic, the band would get together.  If children of band members got married, they had no choice as to what band would play.”

Cummings didn’t start on guitar or even the blues.  Instead, his first musical efforts were playing country and bluegrass music on the banjo. And, at times, the country influence can still be heard in some of his songs.

“My hands couldn’t fit around the guitar, but then a friend of my father’s gave me a banjo and said try this out.  I got one of those Bill Blalock Learn How to Play the Banjo books, where you teach yourself. My influences at the time were Hank Williams Jr. and Merle Haggard.  Later I heard Stevie Ray Vaughan play and one night in Boston I saw a bus with a Les Paul and Stratocaster painted on it and read the marquee and it was Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.  I remember walking out of the show saying, ‘goodbye banjo’.  I switched to guitar and took one lesson, but that was a waste.  It wasn’t teaching me what I wanted to learn, so I taught myself.  If you teach yourself, you tend to become your own thing instead of learning other’s bad habits.  And the blues seemed to find me.  I would say that about 85 percent of my crowd don’t even know they are blues fans.  They tell me they didn’t know they loved the blues until now.  That’s what I’m bringing.  We all are different.  We all have our own DNA and the only thing I can do is be honest about who I am.  That’s literally what I’m trying to do.  The blues in me is deep, but I’ve got country in me and bluegrass too.  Why should I hide that?  My crowds like it because I’m letting them have something unique.”

“To me there are two types of musicians.  There are creators and performers.  The performers perform what the creators created.  Ninety-eight percent are performers instead of creators.  It’s hard to be a creator, but I don’t want to be a performer–I want to be a creator.  To do that you have to have your own road, and maybe sometimes there is no road—just woods and you must navigate through the woods without even a trail.  If you are unique to yourself, nobody can compete with you.”

Cummings is also known as a talented and powerful singer, but he didn’t always realize that he had vocal abilities, as he had been told by his father that he was not a good singer.

“After college I joined the National Guard and basic training was where I learned to sing.  They tried me out marching new recruits to see if I could lead the troops.  I started singing the call-and-response while we marched, and all the guys in the platoon got motivated.  Right after that, they pinned the platoon leader on me and that’s what I became for the remainder of the time.  One of the coolest things was when we graduated from basic training, I marched out 120 guys and parked them in a ceremony.”

Cummings started writing songs at the age of nineteen but didn’t begin to play professionally until his late twenties, However, shortly after that he was soon sharing stages with guitar masters such as BB King, Buddy Guy, and Johnny Winter.  He noted that he had a special admiration for BB King.

“I have overwhelming respect for BB King.  He was such a beautiful human being.  He was the same person on the stage as he was off.  He was kind and sweet.  The stuff he went through should make my life seem simple.  He went through segregation, playing in venues where he couldn’t use the bathroom.  That makes me sick, but he was still BB King.  You just felt good around him.  He spread love.  If you were the opening band, you had to be the last one to meet him at the end of the night after the show.  The paying customers came first.  Sometimes I would stand 2-3 hours in line, and it was worth it every time.  He cared about people.  I try to be that guy—I am the same on and off the stage.  I’m happy on the stage and happy off the stage.”

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section (known as Double Trouble) produced and backed Cummings on his debut album in 2003, From the Heart.  He has since released nine additional albums (with one due to be released soon).   He also recorded an instructional DVD for the Hal Leonard Corporation, titled Working Man Blues Guitar.  His 2022 release, Ten, was recorded in Peter Frampton’s Phenix Studios in Nashville with engineer/producer Chuck Ainlay and earned critical acclaim.  It featured Vince Gill on one track.

“Chuck knew Vince really well and he mentioned that he thought Vince would be really good on the track. I asked, ‘Vince who?’ When I found out that he was talking about Vince Gill, it was another ‘pinch me’ moment.”

Perhaps the best-known track on that album is “Too Old to Grow Up Now,” which seems to be a tribute to his fun-loving spirit.  The other musicians on that album were not his usual touring band, and he was asked how that occurred.

“Producers usually have their own team—they speak the same language.  It’s a totally different scene from touring, doing an album.  I understand that from a building perspective.  You don’t have the drywaller do the concrete work.”

Cummings has toured for many years with the same drummer, Warren Grant, but often has different bass players.  He is known for being the bandleader of power trios, but recently has strayed from that model.

“I’m not easy to play with because I don’t stick to form.  I don’t use a playlist and go off script, doing different tempos and song within songs, etc.  For a long time, I had trouble finding bass players but now I’m having unbelievable bass players playing with me and am enjoying the positive energy they bring.  I have also added keys for the first time.  Kevin McKendree was Delbert’s player for thirty years and he adds a whole new element.  I would like to work towards a second guitar and background singers too.”

Cummings’ next album, Strong, was just released on February 16, 2024, and is produced by Grammy Award winner, Tom Hambridge.  With the exception of “Goin’ Down Slow”, and a bluesy version of Lennon & McCartney’s song, “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road,” it contains all original tracks.  He noted that Ten exposed a bit more of himself personally, but Strong is even more deeply personal, with some very emotional lyrics.  One of the most powerful songs, (which is already getting a strongly positive response from audiences), is the song “Let it Burn”.

“It’s about not being able to change anyone else’s mind.  You can’t make them see things that they are too blind to see, so it’s saying if you want to burn it down, I’ll help you.  ‘My Sister’s Guitar’ is also a very deep song for me and is written for my sister who passed away four years ago.  She was my best friend and my ‘best man’ at my wedding.  I wrote that after my brother-in-law brought a guitar case out the day after my sister died and said it was my sister’s guitar, and that it was for me.  I haven’t tried to sing that one for an audience yet. That will be hard. I’m literally xposing the full belly with these songs.”

Cummings noted that it took many years for people in the music industry to take him seriously, since he had the building company and did not tour much while his two sons were very young.

“I think the industry, agents and promoters thought, ‘He’s a builder, not a musician.  Why would we take him on?’  They thought I was a hobbyist.  I don’t blame them for that. They couldn’t possibly know the passion inside of me.  Also, one day I came home from being gone six weeks touring in support of BB King.  I had left my little guy who was four or five at the time, and when I came back, I noticed he had grown, and I thought ‘I’m not going to be out there—they need their dad more than I need that.’  But now they are old enough, at twenty-three and twenty-eight.  So, I’m ready to go kill it!  And, I have learned to love criticism, because when the criticism comes, you know you are going up.  Nobody picks on someone who isn’t rising up.  I can’t stand the word ‘hate’ though.  I don’t want people who bring hate bumping up into my wall of love that is around me.  I’m happy to say that I’m feeling accepted on this cruise.  People are coming up to me and relating to me in a different way than before.  I’ve never felt love like I have felt on this cruise.  I feel like I can conquer the world!”

You can learn more about Albert Cummings’ unique and intensely soulful combination of blues and rock, with the hint of country music at https://www.albertcummings.com.

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.

The Blue-Footed Boobies

Rock’n’Hall/Dixie Frog Productions

https://rocknhall.bandcamp.com/album/the-blue-footed-boobies

12 tracks/43 minutes

The Blue-Footed Boobies are a Fench blues rock band with a very distinctive sound. This is their second album. Not to be mistaken for the North Carolina duo, these Blue-Footed Boobies have a hyphen in their name. Hard, driving beats, over the top harp and deep vocals from hell are the order of the day here. While not listed, it appears all the songs are originals.

Led by  Ronan who is the songwriter and guitarist, his grizzly bear-like vocals are unmistakable. His vocals make Omar Dykes sound like Luciano Pavarotti. On the harmonica is Marko Baland, The rhythm section of Guillaume Dupré on drums and bass of Pascal Blanc round out the band.

The album begins with a short, greasy instrumental with a driving beat entitled “Here Come The Boobies.” Hot harmonica and guitar licks abound. “Shake Your Bootie” introduces us to the deep and gravelly vocals from Ronan. Laying out a groove that John Lee Hooker would be proud of, the Blue-Footed Boobies give it their all on this wild ride.

Baland on harp leads us into “Little Cody,” another dirty, slow and driving cut. Ronan then grabs the reigns and delivers another deep and dark vocal performance. Big guitar and nice harp flesh this out nicely. “Dance With Me” is hill country music with a groove driving at 90 miles an hour. Frenetic harp, deep dark vocals and great guitar boogie make this one interesting. The back line helps drive this into a hot, musical hell.

“Love You Little Girl” puts on the brakes and things return to a slow, blues rock ballad. Thoughtful guitar and harp, a cool beat help to sell this love song. Lots of pretty harp throughout this one. Next is “Poor McKenzie,” a bouncy number with a basso profundo meets Gentle Ben vocal performance. A little banjo along with harp make this a pleasant enough song as Ronan lyrically bemoans about his losses.

“Grey Wolf” is an acoustic piece with a sad them of loss. It’s a cowboy-like country and western delivered with dark and deep vocals. More pretty harp and guitar strumming make this a French down home tune. The funk comes out for “This Is Hip.” A very funky guitar and some slide work make this one neat. The harp again is forward and cool.

“Buggy” follows that and we get some of the deepest and darkest growls on this fun boogie cut. Then it’s time for the rocking “Want You.” Featuring a long instrumental intro, they break into another dark love song of sorts. The harp bowing is over the top and slick and a great guitar groove makes this one a good listen.

“Silence” is not too silent. A slower, heavy beat with amped up guitar, dark vocals and slick harp keep the listener’s attention. The finale rocks out; “like Never Before” gets a sweet boogie going and Ronan once again takes no prisoners. It’s a high energy and very much over the top rocking out cut.  It leace the listener breathless as it fades into the sun with distorted guitar.

I’d have to say this one is not for the faint of heart. The vocals are deep, dark and brooding. The harp is delightfully over-ambitious. The guitar work is slick and cool. The grooves are big and driving. An occasional slight French accent can be heard on a word hear and there, reminding us this is not a southern blues rock band, but this French quarter really know how to put on a show! The vocals might make some folks shy away, but it was quite and interesting album!

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.