JP Soars & Anne Harris – Gypsy Blue Revue

Forty Below Records

www.jpsoars.com

www.anneharris.com

9 songs – 56 minutes

Both JP Soars and Anne Harris have reputations for high-energy, genre-spanning roots music played with deep emotional power, and Gypsy Blue Revue is a glorious snapshot of the magic that can happen when virtuoso musicians inspire each other to new heights.  Mixing Southern soul, Gypsy jazz and roadhouse blues with a dash of folk, a little rock attitude and even a Latin groove or two, Soars and Harris have created a hugely enjoyable album.

Gypsy Blue Revue kicks off with the slide-driven electric blues of “Jessie Mae” (a tribute to Mississippi Hill Country legend, Jessie Mae Hemphill) and ends with the 18-minute “Cigar Box Jam”, which finds the musicians nodding towards some noted improvisers of the past, including Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix and even The Beatles (“Norwegian Wood”).  In between, the songs include the swinging acoustic blues of “Viper”, the Latin-tinged “Paradise”, the folk of “Old Silver Bridge” and “May Mountain Waltz”, the country blues of “Goin’ To South Carolina” and the jazz of “Go With The Flow”.

Soars contributes seven songs in addition to Harris’ “May Mountain Waltz” and Django Reinhardt’s “Minor Blues”. He also sings and plays electric and acoustic guitars, Merlin stick dulcimer, two-string cigar box guitar, cavaquinho, dobro, lap steel guitar, cowbell, shekere and whistle. Harris adds her inimitable fiddle and mandolin. The duo are joined by Chris Peet on drums and Cleveland Frederick on bass and bongos. Jeremy Staska adds shaker and tambourine to a couple of tracks.

The album was recorded at Tony’s Treasures Studio, Cadiz, OH, with engineering by Cody Romshak and Mark Puskarich, with mixing and mastering by Staska at Studio 13 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

There is a real sense of enjoyment and the thrill of being inspired by other musicians on Gypsy Blue Revue.  “Minor Blues” contains solos from all the musicians but it is played with such verve and it swings so hard that you don’t want it to end. Likewise, listening to Soars and Harris exchange solos in “Go With The Flow” is akin to watching someone run along a tightrope strung between two tall buildings without a safety net: one marvels at the technical brilliance whilst being terrified that a disaster is surely just around the corner (spoiler: it isn’t).

Harris’ playing throughout the album is quite exceptional. Her solo on the fade out to “Old Silver Bridge” is worth the price of admission by itself, while the melody to her own “May Mountain Waltz”  will lodge in your brain.

Gypsy Blue Revue is a superb release from JP Soars and Anne Harris and essential listening for roots music fans who enjoy blues-based music that incorporates a wide range of traditional influences and some modern attitude. Great stuff.

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

Shaun Murphy – Brand New Blues

Coming Soon Sounds

www.shaunmurphyband.com

12 tracks 47 minutes

Shaun Murphy’s bio for her work reads like a who’s who of the music world. Little Feat, Bob Seger, Meatloaf, Eric Clapton the Moody Blues, Herbie Hancock, Phil Collins, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Maria Muldaur, Bruce Hornsby, Michael Bolton, Coco Montoya, and Alice Cooper are some of the folks Murphy has honed her skills with. Her trademark style of powerful vocals are unique and grip the listener as she belts out each song. This new album is a superb addition to her catalogue of music with a Baker’s Dozen of new tracks to enjoy.

Murphy, of course, handles all the lead and backing vocals. On guitar and duet vocals on the next to last track is the great Tommy Stillwell. Tom DelRosse is on drums and percussion and on bass is Mike Means. On the keyboards is Anthony Saddle. Murphy’s band is always up to the task and here they once again deliver a fine album with Shaun.

“Mama’s Home” kicks the album off in a rousing fashion.  Ringing slide guitar and vibrant vocals are the order of the day. Murphy sings with deep passion and grit as she tells her man in no uncertain terms she’s home. Nice organ accompaniment here, too.

Next is “Bad Luck and Trouble,” a rocking little cut with stinging guitar and Shaun singing with her signature style and sound. The organ again provides a nice back drop as Murphy and company give it their all. And we get lots of cow bell.

“Mobile” is some cool slow blues with haunting slide guitar. Murphy tells a story of going back to Alabama and recapturing her life. There’s a lot of hurt and passion expressed in this one; beautiful stuff.

The title track is a slick blues ballad with a mid-tempo beat. Murphy sings about her man taking a hike because she’s got some brand new blues. The guitar is distorted and really cool, offering up a high octane solo.

“Against the Wind” is a song of redemption with Murphy singing with guts and feeling. She sings about reaching inside to get the gumption to continue moving forward and makes her case. Organ and guitar continue in fine support. Moving and cool stuff and she gives the song depth with her backing vocals.

Then it’s “Killing Time,” a slow and beautiful ballad with Stillwell’s guitar punctuating Murphy’s vocals. She sings that she is “killin’ time before time kills me.” Somber stuff, but Shaun gives us anther deep performance. A nice intro by Stillwell sets the tone and then Murphy steps to the plate and hits it out of the park. Big, lament filled guitar licks helps make this one special.

Shaun shifts gears with the bouncing and up beat “Flatlands.” The organ helps the band set the groove and the guitar again rings brightly as Murphy sings about feeling the vibe of Mississippi’s flatlands. There’s a big organ solo to savor here along with more great guitar as the two go back and forth profoundly.

“Just As I Am” follows, another somber and cool ballad sung and played with restraint. Shaun asks for acceptance just as the title says, wanting to be accepted for who she is. The organ kind of takes us to church a bit as the guitar steps up and helps Murphy build the song up with passion. The backing singers help take things home as everyone gives it their all and makes for a resounding finish.

The piano and band gets a little honky-tonk groove going as Shaun sing with gritty passion in “Take Up Off Your Lips.”  Murphy tells her man to forget her physically and emotionally and end this relationship. Stillwell plays alacrity and helps to sell this one.

“I’m Gonna Take the Money” is a song about being realistic. In choosing between love and money, Murphy states that money wins out all the time.  She growls and lets the listener know how she feels about getting into a relationship. More well done guitar and organ here.

“Love Me Like You Used to Love Me” is Murphy telling her man what to do and if he’s not willing to go back to what he used to do then he might as well just hit the road.  It’s a fun and romping track with Shaun and then Tommy going back and forth with the same message to each other. Both sing with directness and certainty in their feelings. The guitar, piano and organ work to make this one fun, too.

The finale is “Love’s Track,” a funky and driving cut with a great groove and impassioned vocals. Shaun sings with deep feelings as the band helps her deliver the message.

This is Murphy at her best, recording with her fine touring band. Those who are fans will savor this, a truly exceptional release of outstanding music. Those new to Shaun will get a quick indoctrination into why this rocking, soulful power house of roots, blues and R&B is a special performer. Go get this album now!  It is delightful and wonderful!

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 – Electric Eden

J&R Collective

www.jlynandthegrooverevival.com

9 songs – 35 minutes

Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival have been making waves in the blues-rock scene for a number of years now, and with good reason. As one might expect from a band called “The Groove Revival”, they harken back to one of rock’s golden eras from the late 60s and early 70s, with hints of Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, Jefferson Airplane and the Rolling Stones all discernible on their new live album, Electric Eden.

Electric Eden is actually the band’s second live album, after 2024’s Live From The Northern Plains, which is no doubt reflective of the fact that this is a band best sampled live. Recorded live at The Belle Mehus Auditorium in Bismarck, ND, the album was engineered by Joseph Tibor, with mixing by Zach Allen and mastering by Joseph Freeman, who collectively have done an excellent job in capturing a stellar performance from the band. Lyn is a powerhouse singer, excelling on both the rockier songs like “Sucker For The Pain” and slower, more soul-influenced tracks like “Lay Your Memory Down”. She also shares the guitar duties with Richard Torrance and guest guitarist, Jaxon Fitterer, on a number of tracks. The dualing guitars of Lyn and Torrance on the Zeppelin-esque “Nothing Holding Me Down” is one of the album highlights. Rounding out the excellent band are Jim Anderson on drums, Barb Jiskra on keyboards and Nolyn Falcon on bass.

Lyn and Torrance are the primary song-writers, contributing seven of the nine tracks on the album, which is completed by covers of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” and Memphis Minnie’s “When The Levee Breaks” (interpreted through a Zeppelin-shaped prism). The self-written songs are top drawer, with band burning through “Baggage” with an irresistible drive and some fantastic slide guitar. The interplay between the guitars on “’59 Cadillac” is indicative of the overall tightness of the band, with Anderson and Falcon providing a rock solid foundation to every track. The band also has a nuanced understanding of musical dynamics, in particular in its use of light and shade in each song.

Jennifer Lyn and The Groove Revival are by no means a blues band, but they are a very impressive musical collective and their music is certainly informed by the blues. Electric Eden will definitely appeal to fans of classic blues-rock or the rock of late 1960s and early 1970s.

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

Paul The Resonator – Unchained

Self-Release – 2026

www.paultheresonator.com

12 tracks; 46 minutes

Paul The Resonator is the stage name of Paul Grussendorf from West Virginia where he performs with his band SmorgasBoys. Their speciality is ragtime blues and gospel and on this disc, half live, half studio, Paul alternates covers with his own compositions. The SmogasBoys are Paul on vocals, banjo, guitar and resonator, Ryan Guerrero on guitar and mandolin, Mike Trimmer on guitar and banjo, Scott Schmied on washtub bass, Robbie Carruthers on fiddle and Vince ‘Fireball’ Farabaugh on harmonica.

A long list of guests also contribute, mainly to the studio tracks: Earl Hairston sings lead on three tracks, Natalia Eyestone and Baroe take the vocal on one each, Matt Robinson adds mandolin to one, Butch Sanders percussion to one, Jesse Schultzaberger drums to four, Don Oehser lead guitar to three, Sam Janotta organ to two, Bill Unger bass to three, Jeff Kautman guitar to one, Lavinia Redd fiddle to two and B/V’s to five, Lisa Laffeerty B/V’s to two and Jona Masiya and Tracy Prior Setters play African drums on one cut. Paul produced the album with Bill Unger who also engineered, mixed and mastered the material.

Although the album alternates covers and traditional songs with Paul’s originals this review will look at the live tracks separately from the studio recordings. First thing to note is that all the live tracks are covers, the studio cuts the originals. Paul introduces the Rev Gary Davis’ gospel tune “Sit On The Banks Of The River”, banjo and fiddle leading the way and the harp taking the main solo. Next up is Mississippi John Hurt’s “Louis Collins”, relating the tale of a man who was killed in a card game, the fiddle giving the song an appropriately mournful feel.

“One Kind Favor” is given a jaunty reading. Another traditional song, best known from Blind Lemon Jefferson’s version but covered by a host of acts since, Paul’s band do a good job on the song and Lavinia’s support vocals work well. Paul introduces the traditional “Darling Corey” as “a mountain song about a girl who had her own still, she was handy with a gun and she could play the banjo – what more could a man ask for”! It’s a less well known song but another tragic tale, of course! Blind Boy Fuller’s “She’s Got Something There” is more light hearted, the band joining in enthusiastically on the chorus and the live show ends with Leadbelly’s tale of misfortune “On A Monday”.

Inevitably with the guests and wider instrumentation, the studio tracks are less sparse. Paul shows himself to be an adept writer whilst keeping the music rooted in the traditions of pre-war blues and gospel. “Union Station” sticks close to the band’s live style with a ragtime rhythm and Natalia Eyestone singing. Earl Hairston sings another ragtime style tune “Charles Town Races Boogie”, a sparse arrangement of a guy whose luck is out at the track, mandolin, resonator and harp being the main instruments on show here. The rolling rhythms of “Sick And Tired” offer good support to female singer Baroe though the credits for the album seem incorrect as you can hear plenty of uncredited piano. Earl returns on a semi-spoken “Quality Of Mercy” with organ and electric guitar featured very tastefully and references to “Jesus on the mainline” before Paul takes over for the uptempo Rn’B number “Firehouse”, more pleasant guitar from Don Oehser. The final studio track is “Kossola Is My Name” in which Earl narrates the tale of a black slave taken from Dahomey to Alabama, freed by the Civil War yet unable to return to Africa because he spent his lifetime in poverty. It’s a powerful statement to close the album, the African drums very effective and the sparse harp and banjo seem to fit perfectly as ethereal backing voices emerge mid-tune.

Paul The Resonator and SmorgasBoys honour pre-war blues, ragtime and gospel, both on traditional tunes and on Paul’s originals, making for an interesting album that is very different to much of what is issued today.

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’.

Brother John – Black Crow

Self-produced CD

www.brotherjohnmusic.com

13 songs – 54 minutes

A pair of seasoned professionals who are carrying the country blues traditions of the Piedmont and Delta forward into the 21st century, Philadelphia-based guitarist Johnny Never and harp player John Colgan-Davis are so close, they bill themselves as brother John. And they fit together like hand to glove on this delightful, mostly original set that’s packed with plenty of traditional feel.

The junior member of the group, Never’s a gifted picker, slide player and tunesmith who’s been performing as a soloist for the past 20 years, touring from the Mid-Atlantic into Canada. He’s a two-time competitor in the International Blues Challenge.

Colgan-Davis began his career in the 1970s, during which he teamed with and recorded with Bonnie Raitt at radio station WMMR in the city. He’s toured with both Sparky Rutger and the John Cadillac Band, and he a founding member of the Dukes of Destiny, a longtime Philly favorite. This is their first album after performing together throughout the Northeast for the past decade.

Primarily captured at MorningStar Studios in Norriton, Pa., the two Johns are energetic performers with instantaneous appeal. Guests include keyboard player Chicago Carl Snyder, upright bassists Alan Levine and Jimmy Pritchard, percussionist Mark Shewchuk and backup singers Holly Hoffman, Shannon Roberts and Monica Moran. Never alternates between standard and resonator guitars throughout, simultaneously adding rhythm on a stomp box while Colgan-Davis adds steady-flowing leads and fills.

The gospel-influenced “Bread and Salt” kicks off the action with accompaniment from the ladies as a chorus. It recounts leading home one day and finding that the singer’s lady has moved out, leaving behind the two items in the title. It drives forward hypnotically before flowing into “New Sovereigns Blues,” which pays tribute to both the picking of Robert Johnson and the protest songs of Big Bill Broonzy as it complains about troubles on the homefront. Never’s resonator comes to the fore for the autobiographical “Svelte Man Blues” before the title track, “Black Crow,” bemoans the death of a loved one.

The only cover and live recording in the set, Charley Patton’s “Dirt Road Blues” is up next, giving way to “Wandering Eye Blues,” a Piedmont-style pleaser in which the singer can’t maintain his focus on the woman he loves. Never shows off his prowess on slide tasty for love song “No Place Like Home” with Colgan-Davis adding a superlative mid-tune solo along with fluid runs. The action slows for the humorous “That Thing You Did Last Night,” a sly poke in the ribs to a man who’s clearly thinking with the wrong head.

“Old Man Mose” is up next, borrowing strongly from the blues tradition as it describes a man who’s hit the highway walking after his lady’s turned him out. Then Colgan-Davis gets to shine as Never describes his crazy-in-love lady in “Sexy Baby Blues.”  The minor-key “Whiskey Glass,” lesson in fingerpicking and “Five Miles” and “Cook It to the Bone,” which describes a lady with feline qualities, bring the action to a close.

A gentle offering with plenty of old-school appeal, Black Crow’s a winner for anyone with a love for acoustic blues.

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.

There are many unsung heroes in the history of blues music, like Hubert Sumlin, Bob Stroger, John Primer, Buddy Guy, and Pinetop Perkins, who managed to eventually reach elevated standing in the blues community on an international scale. Many simply keep making beautiful music for those willing to listen, their passion for the music providing the drive to continue on despite limited financial reward and recognition.

No doubt that the fire still burns brightly for Big Joe Maher. In addition to being a fine drummer, Maher has written plenty of memorable songs, which he sings with authority, and has been leading his band, the Dynaflows, through a number of line-ups over nearly four decades. His discography lists eight releases for labels including Tramp, Black Top, and Severn Records in addition to recordings for Ann Rabson, Bob Margolin, and Mark Wenner of the Nighthawks, and was fortunate to be able to play with legends like Bullmoose Jackson, Otis Rush, and Jimmy Witherspoon. Yet his efforts have never quite captured the attention that his body of work seemingly warrants.

Born in 1953 in Washington, DC at Capital Hospital, Maher grew up there. His dad was was very influential in his upbringing. “I mean, if it wasn’t for my father, there might not have been a Big Joe Mayer to be quite honest. I was his son, so that was a major factor. But musically, my dad would play a little bit of everything for me. It went from Floyd Dixon to B.B. King, to Albert King and Little Milton. But I think the one that really caused me to be me was hearing Louis Jordan.

“That was the music that my dad played, especially that one Jordan album that he brought home, Somebody Up There Digs Me, which was produced by a very young Quincy Jones. That is the one that got me going, with “Caledonia” featuring Mickey Baker on guitar. I loved this stuff. That’s how the ball got rolling.”

In his early teenage years, his father was feeling some tension in the Washington area, so the family moved to Bowie, Maryland. It was a fortuitous move for the young music fan.

“I ended up going to Bowie High School, and I met this Colonel Joseph Carley, who was starting this thing called the Bowie Star Liners. I got involved with that band and my dad was like, wow, do you realize who the guys are that he’s bringing in to play with the band? I didn’t realize who the heck I was playing with until I got older. It was cats like trumpeter Clark Terry, guitarist Mundell Lowe, and trombonist Urbie Green, and others. Those guys are all fabulous jazz musicians, very well known. And I got to play with them in this band.

“In fact, we went to Mobile, Alabama and won the jazz festival as a high school band against college bands. That’s how good we were. When I was 16 years old, I started hitchhiking back into Washington to go into places where I really shouldn’t have been going, to sit outside and listen to some of these people that were performing, all black groups in a black part of town. I’m a white boy hanging out, but I wanted an education. It ended up being a who’s who of Blues over my career. I’m actually trying to write an audio book about it because it’s very interesting.”

After hearing some Benny Goodman records his father played, Maher got excited enough to start learning to play the clarinet. When the dreaded teenage hormones started to kick in, his thinking went in a different direction.

“You know, your interest in girls starts to happened around 12 or 13 years old. And I thought, who in the world is ever going to be interested in a guy who plays clarinet in this era of rock-n-roll? At the time, around 1968, the other person who was very big that I listened to a lot was James Brown.

“I liked the grooves, and of course the lyrics. One day, I had really been messing around with drums and got to learn this song called, “I Can’t Stand It,” by James Brown. This bass player knew it, and just me and him were at school playing that groove. All these girls started dancing and I went, you know what? I’m a drummer. It was simple at that point. I said, man, I’ll be able to meet some women if I play drums.

“The other thing that was interesting about that period was I started playing congas, got into some stuff with Latin grooves. When I went to the Star Liners, I was playing both congas drums and bongos, doing a little bit of everything. I’ll never forget, Clark Terry said to me one time, “I like that groove. Don’t ever lose it.” I mean, if Clark Terry tells you that, then you know you got something going on.

“I’d be playing the blues records all the time. One of the biggest ones was ‘Baby, Scratch My Back” by Slim Harpo. I used to play that record until it wore out. So I was playing drums in a band, knew some of the tunes, and the singer got sick on a gig that we were playing at the school, so they asked me to sing some of the songs. At the end of the gig, they said, well, it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad. I said, I’ll work on it, and kept trying to follow through on listening to really soulful music, including blues. That’s what got me headed in the direction of getting better as a vocalist.

“Some of my favorites were artists like Percy Mayfield, Floyd Dixon and Jimmy McCracklin. I played with some of those guys, learning so much about not just singing, but actually talking and singing, which was a big thing for me. When you listen to Jimmy, Floyd and Percy, they incorporate both. It’s interesting, very cool and different. Percy was considered the poet of the blues, which I think was a good analogy.

“The other one who is famous for that is Eddie “Clean Head” Vinson. Louis Jordan is maybe the greatest at storytelling and singing and talking and singing, which I think has been kind of left in the dust because now everybody wants to scream and yell, which is fine. I get it. But that talking and singing genre is one that got me real big.”

The first band that Maher played with was backing Cathy Ponton King, a singer and guitar player from the D.C. Area. They once opened for Willie Dixon. He also did a stint with the Uptown Rhythm Kings, featuring the vocals of Eric Sheridan backed by a three piece horn section. Later he began to work with Tom Principato, another area guitarist of some renown.

“We were doing all the stuff that I really liked and grew up listening to. Tom had his own label, Powerhouse Records, and offered to release my album on the label, and play guitar. So that’s when my first album, Good Rockin’ Daddy, was recorded and done, in 1989. There was no band at that point. I did the recording mostly of covers, songs I liked with the exception of “Good Rockin’ Daddy” and “No Good Woman Blues”. Those are songs that I wrote as I was just getting in the groove of writing in 1987.

“Eventually, I decided to do my own thing. The first band I put together had Jeff Sarli on bass, a really great bass player from Annapolis, Maryland, who ended up later playing with the Rolling Stones on the Bridges to Babylon album. The first guitar player was this guy who kind of stepped back and hadn’t worked for a long time, and his name was Bill Kirchen. Bill played with Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. He’s a great guitarist.

“But one day, he goes, “This is not my thing. I’m not a blues guy.” And I said, you’re a great player, but I understand. So then I started to formulate a thing where I got Rusty Bogart on guitar and Kevin McKendree on keyboards along Jeff Sarli. Then I met Joe Stanley, who was a great tenor sax player, a fixture on the D.C. Scene. That was the start of Big Joe and the Dynaflows.

“Then Jeff got other things going on and Rusty moved away, so then I put a new band together with Ivan Appelrouth on guitar, John Shepphard on bass and John Fralin on keyboards. We went overseas, recorded a album over there called Cool Dynaflow, I think it was in Amsterdam. That group stayed together for a while. We did a lot of touring, traveled up and down the East coast. Bob Margolin was a great friend of mine. When he would need a drummer, he’d call me.

“Right now, the Dynaflows include Zach Lees. Have you ever heard this big dude play guitar? You’d be like, whoa! Zach is a great player and a wonderful cat who just happens to be really into Blues deeply. He gets it. And then there’s a bass player named Randall Ball from West Virginia, who’s a great upright player.

“The late Bobby Parker was one of my best friends. Bobby was great as a singer and guitar player, and he wrote the song, “Watch Your Step.” He would ask me to do gigs with him and I’d say, man, I can’t work for that deal, bro. I love you, man, but I need to make some money. I used to tell Bobby that he needed a better band. You get what you pay for.”

In the mid-1990 decade, around the time his son was born, Maher was hired to be the musical director for Fleetwood’s, once a thriving venue in Alexandria, VA, owned by fellow drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame.

“I had played there and met Mick. He loved my drumming. He’s a very down to earth guy. At some point he fired the guy who was in charge of booking music because he wasn’t doing that well, asking me to take over. I did that for like a year and a half. We booked some fine shows with the Blind Boys of Alabama, Wolfman Jack, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and a sold-out big show with Johnnie Johnson, who was Chuck Berry’s piano player.

“They were robbing him. The guys who were the managers were stealing money and every damn thing. About the time my son was going to be born, Mick said, if you want this club, I’ll make you the head manager. I said, I can’t do that. brother. First of all, it requires more business sense than I have. And the next thing I know, the whole thing just folded. I haven’t been in touch with him since. He’s in Hawaii now.”

“Here’s another funny story. I used to play this hotel with Bill Heid, a fine keyboard player. We were doing a little jazzy thing. I see this group of hippies come in and one girl was gorgeous. This short guy with long hair, he tapped me on the shirt, will you please talk to me? It was Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. He was just amazed at me. He goes, man, I’ve never seen anything. Your drumming is incredible. Then you started singing and I just freaked out. That was a fun conversation. Anyways, the girl that was sitting there was his daughter, Liv Tyler, beautiful girl.”

Around 2001, the drummer made some connections with a Texas roadhouse legend, Delbert McClinton.

“I knew him and met him a couple times. But when I had my accident, he came as well as my best friend from New Orleans, Earl King. Both of them came and played my benefit when I broke my back. And that’s where I got really tight with Delbert. I went on his Sandy Beaches cruise in 2002 because he invited me. Those guys played my benefit, flew up, paid their way. I mean, Delbert was on the road. He had the whole band come. They played my benefit and, of course, raised a bunch of money for me.

“His guitar player, Bob Britt, called me in 2018 and said, Delbert’s already won two Grammy awards. But he thinks if he has you on this new record, that he will have a chance to win another one. I said, really? Me? He goes, yes, that is what he thinks. Well, the rest is history. We won a Grammy for Delbert’s Tall, Dark, & Handsome album in 2020 for Best Traditional Blues Album.

“So we won the Grammy and then Delbert retired. He called it a day. I don’t blame him,. When you’re 80 years old, it’s time to just lay back and chill. My relationship with him has been wonderful. That cruise is something else. There’s so much music on the ship. I tell people, if you like music and you go on this cruise, there’s going to be something you’re will like, trust me.”

Maher had been in North Carolina to be part of a recording of music aimed at the “shag” dancing scene popular in the area. It paid, and he needed the work. One day it rained hard, and as the drummer was walking down the steps at the Day’s Inn, he slipped and fell. Little did he know that it would be a decade before he would resume his recording career.

“That’s a crazy ass story. The first two paramedics that came to get me with the ambulance were about five foot two and weighed about 95 pounds each. They looked at me and knew that wasn’t going to work. I was cussing bad. So they bring this guy who’s like a six foot six weightlifter, weighs about 350 pounds.

“He says, we can’t get you on a stretcher. I’m going to carry you down. I thought, oh God, no! Oh God, no. He picked me up like an angel and took me down the steps and took me to the hospital. The long story short, the doctor said, I have good news and bad news. Good news is you have a condition called ankylosing spondylitis, an chronic autoimmune disease. Your life was saved because rather than snapping your spinal cord, you cracked your spine.

“Bad news is you need to go in a full body cast for nine or 10 months, or have a back fusion. If you do the cast, it’s your full body cast. I said, well, that I can’t do that. That’s out. Seven doctors turned me down for the surgery before I finally found Dr. Leonard Nelson. He put me back together. After about two days, man, I was walking around with one of those walker things. Now, 25 years later, I’m still going, still playing.

“My nine lives are wearing out though. I was down in Tampa a couple years ago and had another issue that was horrible. I got really sick and I fell out of my chair. My son was there, got me in the hospital. At first they thought I had pneumonia. Then they said, no, your gallbladder’s bad, but it’s easy to take out. They went to take it out and the damn thing exploded. I got sepsis. That can kill you in about eight or 10 hours. But four doctors worked on me and I’m still here.

“You know, one day you got $3 and the next day you got $3,000. One day you got a girlfriend. The next day you don’t, one day you feel great. The next day you feel terrible. One day you own a house. I win the Grammy and a month later there’s COVID, no gigs, no nothing. It’s life. I think country and blues music really capture that the most, not that other songs don’t. But those two to me really hit home.

“My song, “Property Line,” was about my neighbor, who was a jerk, so I wrote a song talking about him. When you hear me do it, you hear Percy Mayfield coming out of me. If you close your eyes, you could easily hear Percy singing that song, and his own reflection of what I’m saying. It’s daily life. Hey everybody, let’s have some fun. Blues and country in particular seemed to portray life in a clearer fashion for me.

“At a gig one night, a guy sat in with the band, and all he did was sing one verses over and over. I heard that verse and went, I’ve kind of lived that story. Not totally, but I’m going to finish it. That become the title track for my Layin’ In The Alley record. Another time a woman calls me and says her boyfriend cheated on her. I wrote “Sometimes Love Is Like That.”

“I’ll sit down by myself, write a verse, and then I don’t do anything. I sit on it, and then another verse will come to me. It’s more difficult to write as a drummer than a person who plays an instrument like guitar or piano, something where you can accompany yourself as you’re writing, because then you can hear more. I have to kind of hum it in my head until I get what I’m thinking I want chord wise and groove wise.”

As he reflects back, Maher is thankful that his career intersected with a time when many of the artists that influenced him still walked the earth. His recorded body of work holds up over repeated listens, full of swinging tunes delivered with his impeccable drumming and understated vocal renderings.

“Tomorrow’s never promised. I’m thinking about writing that tune. I’m still doing what I do, thank God. I’m not over the hill but I’m 72 years old. My drive has kind of weakened to get out there and be constantly hustling for stuff. There are guys out there working like Mark Hummel. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s constantly working. But I don’t see that out of a lot of musicians.

“If you play guitar and sing, you got it. Doesn’t matter who you are or what you are, you got it. Whether you’re a girl, a man, black, white, yellow, pink, purple. You’re good no matter what because you play that instrument. I wish people could have a more open ear to understand people like me, someone who grew up very heavy rooted in blues, jazz, and country, and can bring it across. Someone who doesn’t just turn the guitar up to “11” and sing loud. There’s more to it than just that.

“I just had so many unbelievable opportunities to be around some of these musicians who are hallmarks of blues and jazz. It’s something that I’m so proud of. You just have to take it as it is, for what it is, as you might not ever get that chance. That made a huge difference in me as a musician and a singer. Am I great? No, I don’t think I’m great, but I’m pretty good. I’ve covered a lot of ground from here to Chicago to New Orleans, and to the West Coast, so it’s been quite a ride.”

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!

Reverend Freakchild – Blues & Spirituals/Hymn Hustler

Treated And Released Records – 2026

www.treatedandreleasedrecords.com

Blues & Spirituals: 10 tracks; 38 minutes

Hymn Hustler: 10 tracks; 42 minutes

The Reverend Freakchild should be a familiar name to readers as he is one of the most prolific artists on the scene today. However, this is a reissue of his first two albums, 2000 and 2002 respectively. Blues & Spirituals is a solo acoustic effort, just guitar and occasional harmonica, on a set consisting of three covers, two traditional tunes and five originals, one of which quotes from Bo Diddley, Dylan and the 23rd Psalm! Hymn Hustler finds the Reverend solo and with a band on a few tracks, Jon ‘Bones Ritchie’ Robinson on upright bass and ‘Dr’ Patrick Carmichael on drums, the Rev himself providing vocals, guitars, slide, banjo, harmonica and “demonstration of Holy Ghost Power”! Michael Gomez plays pedal steel on one track, Alan ‘Ajax’ Grubner (viola), Drew Glackin (lap steel) and Cleophus Jones (baritone vocal) all contribute to one track and CC adds ‘other voices’ to one. The material on this second album again contains two traditional tunes and one cover, alongside seven originals, one of which contains lyrics by Dylan again, this time combined with Peter Tosh and Dr Martin Luther King. Apart from the basic info on tracks and personnel, the sleeve notes are the usual mash-up of spirituality, drug references and hippie philosophy that those familiar with the Rev will recognise.

Blues & Spirituals opens with “Jesus On The Mainline”, the Rev showing that he has a reasonable voice and is a good picker, that being even more evident on “Lose These Blues”. “Mo Betta Blues” makes reference to Greek mythology as the Rev tries to escape the labyrinth, his harmonica adding a bleak tone to the tune. A short instrumental entitled “Blues For No One” gets us away from the gloom of the preceding cut before two familiar tunes, the traditional gospel tune “True Religion” and “God Bless The Child”; “True Religion” is given a jaunty reading but “God Bless The Child” is played very slowly and quietly, removing the drama of Billie Holiday’s version. “Rollin’ On” has high-pitched harp and lyrical references to seeking God before a trio of tunes that will be more familiar: “Cheeba Cheeba” is the tune that draws from Bo, Dylan and the Bible, and sounds as confused as that sounds! A mournful version of John Lennon’ s “Yer Blues” is barely recognisable but Lowell George’s “Willin’” is OK, albeit not as good as Little Feat’s many versions.

Hymn Hustler opens with “Rollin’ And Tumblin’” and also incorporates lyrics from “If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day”, the Rev accompanying himself on dobro, followed by “In My Time Of Dying” on which he adds harp. Pedal steel comes in for “Supersubconscious Mind” (a classic Rev Freakchild title if ever there was one!) before the rhythm section joins the Rev on “Strange Magic”, a trippy tune with eerie harp in the background. Another strange title, “Hawaiian Cowboy Lost In NYC”, turns out to be an instrumental blending The Rev’s slide work with traffic noise (presumably recorded in NYC); however, at nearly six minutes in length the track is not an easy listen. We return to more familiar territory with The Rev Gary Davis’ “Search My Heart”, well picked on guitar with a strong vocal from the Rev, another solo effort. “A Day Late And A Dollar Short” brings back the rhythm section for a classic shuffle, along with CC, credited for ‘other voices’. “WW3 Blues” mixes Dylan, Tosh and Dr King lyrics as well as the viola, pedal steel and baritone vocalist; it’s a rambling tune that runs over eight minutes, the background vocal elements interfering with understanding the lyrics – confusing! “Don’t Miss Nothing” has a discernible tune which emerges from an initially quiet segment to include lyrics about a “blood red moon”, as well as incorporating elements of “You Don’t Miss Your Water” and the album closes with another piece of typical Freakchild material; entitled “Memento Mori” (Latin for ‘remember you must die’), it’s a collection of disparate snippets of words and sounds (including a snatch of “My Babe”), with some harp and dobro.

Existing fans of The Rev Freakchild’s distinctive music will welcome the opportunity to acquire these first releases, but this one is definitely an acquired taste for the rest of us.

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’.

The Sensational Country Blues Wonders! – Music Sounds Better When You’re Stoned

Self-release

www.garyvanmiert.com

10 songs – 36 minutes

Music Sounds Better When You’re Stoned is Gary Van Miert’s fourth album of original material. The biographical material provided with the album states that Van Miert came up with the concept of The Sensational Country Blues Wonders! as a vehicle to start performing within the vibrant art and music scene in Jersey City, NJ.  The band was apparently designed to replicate the original instrumental line-up of acoustic guitar, electric lead guitar and upright acoustic bass used on the first rock and roll records by Elvis Presley at Sun Studio in Memphis.  The bio also informs us that Van Miert blends classic American musical styles like country, blues and gospel with a distinct theatrical aesthetic, celebrating the spirit of classic Americana, especially 1950s and 1960s honky-tonk and gospel revival music.

All of which perhaps suggests that Van Miert has been indulging in the past-time openly alluded to in the album title.

Do not be fooled by the name of this band. There is no blues on Music Sounds Better When You’re Stoned. Instead, we have 10 self-penned songs about “time, weed, the universe and mortality”, as Van Miert puts it. The primary influence appears to be The Beatles at their most, um, experimental, but it’s all about the psychedelic pop and proto-rock of the late 1960s. If one were being generous, one might argue that “Mr Doppelgänger” has a basic gospel-blues structure, but there is nothing in the performance or in Van Miert’s reedy vocal delivery that feels like blues. Rather, Van Miert presents songs such as “Stoner’s Circus”, a simple pop-rock tune driven by a umpa-lumpa beat, with banal lyrics such as “You can smell the sweet smell of cannabis burning. When you walk into the big top, you’re so happy you’re returning. The jugglers and tumblers and clowns are all waiting, to bring you a show nothing short of amazing.”

There is no information about who plays on the album or who engineered it or mixed it, other than a brief reference in the biographical notes to Van Miert utilizing “skilled session musicians at Nashville Master Tracks”.

There are some good moments on the album. The musicianship throughout is generally very good and the lead guitar fills on “Harsh Toke” are great. And there is probably a market for this kind of throwback pop. But blues this is not.

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

Yavuz Çetin – The Bodrum Sessions

Groovie Studio London – 2026

www.groovie.studio

7 tracks; 27.31 minutes

Yavuz Çetin was a Turkish guitarist who, sadly, died young, aged just 30, having already established himself as one of the first in his country to embrace blues-rock. This recording was made in 1997 and, whereas his other releases appear to have been in Turkish, here he gives us versions of English songs, many of which will be well known to Blues Blast readers. Clearly an intimate recording session (there are several off-mike exchanges just audible), Yavuz sings and there is plenty of acoustic and electric guitar. There were no musician credits supplied with the CD, but it sounds as if someone un-credited is playing acoustic and Yavuz adding the electric elements.

The first track is “Living Next Door To Alice”, from Australian band Smokie in 1977, Yavuz delivering a solid version of a pleasant soft-rock tune. Ben E King’s 1961 classic “Stand By Me” follows, short, tasteful electric guitar set against the acoustic rhythm, though a semi-spoken element is less successful. The version of “Proud Mary” is closer to Tina Turner’s barnstorming cover than Creedence’s original and certainly gets the toes tapping, Yavuz playing a nicely poised Rn’R solo. “Photographs & Memories” is a Jim Croce tune and perhaps the least familiar song here, this gentle version running to under two minutes.

“Hard To Handle” is given a funky treatment with wah-wah guitar that takes it well away from Otis Redding’s version, but “Rockin’ In The Free World” is far closer to Neil Young’s 1991 original. After some initial ‘noodling’ the acoustic sets the rhythm and the electric embellishes, the chorus with which we are all so familiar present and correct. JJ Cale’s “Cocaine” concludes this short album and starts well but, unfortunately, Yavuz decides to use a Talk Box for the second half of the tune, a device that definitely dates the recording as Yavuz seems to be using it in conjunction with his wah-wah pedal.

As can be seen from the titles, there is no actual blues content here, but the intention of the release is to remind listeners of Yavuz, his music and its place in the history of Turkish rock. For this reviewer the highlights are “Rockin’ In The Free World” and “Proud Mary”, but others may prefer some of the quieter moments or the vocal distortions of “Cocaine”.

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’.

The Alexis P. Suter Band featuring Garth Hudson – Just Stay Live – Recorded Live at The Falcon

Nola Blue Records – 2026

www.alexispsuter.com

11 tracks;  1 hour, 5 minutes

Alexis P. Suter has long been one of the most authentic and commanding voices on the blues scene. She has been nominated for three Blues Music Awards and has garnered notice outside her native Brooklyn and second home in the Hudson Valley. Her ninth album was recorded live at The Falcon in Marlboro, New York, a perfect wood-paneled room for blues and roots music, which has been a regular haunt for Suter over the years. What makes this album different in her catalog is the presence of the late, great multi-instrumentalist Garth Hudson from The Band on piano and accordion.

This was recorded in 2011, which would have made Hudson 74 years old, still in command of his powers. The second track on the album is simply titled “Garth Piano Solo”. It’s a 5:02 tour-de-force with multiple movements that shows Hudson’s sensitivity, creativity, and classical and blues chops. You get the feeling it was never performed before or since that night. It made this old Bandophile emotional. The band jumps in and joins him at the end of the song for a magical and organic moment. He is also singled out by the leader on the long, jammy Suter Band original “Rise”. Hudson passed away last year at the age of 87 and he didn’t record much in the last 25 years of his life, so that makes this album not just a joy, but a valuable historical document. Thank goodness they recorded this professionally and saved it. Alan Douches recorded, mixed, and mastered it.

Suter’s voice is front and center on the album, starting with the show-stopping opener, the Blind Willie Johnson standard “John The Revelator”. Her bassy, powerful vocals are like a hurricane blowing down the Mississippi River. You can hear a lot of the great indigenous American music styles like blues, gospel, rock, and soul in her delivery. Vicki Bell’s background vocals provide a wonderful counterbalance to Suter’s bombast, a little honey stirred into the tea. The main band comprised of Jimmy Bennett (guitar), Ray Grappone (drums), and Peter Bennett (bass) shines and the special guests have their moments as well, Linda Pino (vocals), Benny Harrison (keyboard), and Connor Kennedy (guitar). “Whistling in the Dark” is a powerful original (written by Bell and Bennett) that fits in among the notable covers like Gregg Allman’s “It’s Not My Cross To Bear” and Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. The amount of time that Hudson spent with Dylan over the years makes that one even more poignant.

The original number “Hole That I’m In” brings a New Orleans vibe. “Turn On Your Love Light”, popularized by Bobby Blue Bland, flipped the switch for the rhythm section and brought the fun late in the set. Kennedy provides an Allman Brothers-eque solo over a showband-kind-of-groove. Suter brings the band down to a whisper a la “Shout” before they kick back in (“a little bit higher”) for the big finish. The final track is a George Harrison cover “Isn’t It a Pity” (from the 1970 masterpiece All Things Must Pass) that Suter hadn’t previously recorded or released. She released it as a single on Harrison’s birthday. All in all, Just Stay Live is a very enjoyable live blues record that makes you jealous you weren’t there that night.

Writer Dave Popkin is a Music News Reporter for WBGO FM in Newark/New York. He is a regional judge for The Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge and is a singer in the NJ-based band, Porch Rockers.

Dana Fuchs – Live In Denmark

Ruf Records – 2026

www.danafuchs.com

10 tracks; 57 minutes

Dana Fuchs’ last album, 2022’s Borrowed Time had the misfortune to be released while COVID was still raging; consequently it rather went under the radar. Fast forward to October 2025 and Ruf suggested that Dana and her band record a live album on a single night in Denmark, majoring on tracks from that ‘lost’ recording. These ten tracks paint a clear picture of Dana’s powerful, gritty vocals and her solid band: Jon Diamond on guitar and B/V’s, Kevin McKall on bass and Piero Perelli on drums; Dana handles all lead vocals and plays some acoustic guitar and percussion. Eight of the songs were written by Dana and Jon, Kevin contributing to one and Sandy Carroll and Mark Narmore joining in on one composition; the two remaining tracks are covers of a Stones classic and a timely revisiting of one of Gil Scott Heron’s protest songs.

The album includes six cuts from Borrowed Time, three of which open the concert. “Double Down On Wrong” finds Dana determined not to allow bad things to pass her by without reaction, starting slowly before building into a pounding rocker driven by Piero’s drums. The more melodic “Hard Road” has some elements of the Stones, notably in the chugging guitar that seems very influenced by Keith Richards, the catchy song a real winner as Jon joins Dana on the chorus. “Blue Mist Road” has plenty of Dana’s percussion, the quieter song in contrast to the noisy and edgy guitar solo mid tune. Dana goes back to her 2011 album Love To Beg for “Superman”, a mid-paced blues with quieter guitar work but some histrionic vocals before another Borrowed Time track, this one a ballad entitled “Nothing You Own”.

Gil Scott Heron’s 1971 song “Home Is Where The Hatred Is” is probably as relevant today as when it was written, this version having plenty of hand percussion, and eventually fades to a finish. “Borrowed Time” itself is more in Americana style with ringing lead guitar and acoustic rhythm and “Battle Lines” (a track from 2018’s Love Lives On) is in similar style with very personal and heartfelt lyrics. “Curtain Close” is the longest cut here, incorporating part of Bobby Bland’s “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”. Dana starts it off by asking the audience to think of any loved ones no longer here and sings in particularly impassioned style on this number. Possibly played as an encore, “Sympathy For The Devil” is a great vehicle for Dana to demonstrate her vocal chops.

The album sounds like a faithful representation of Dana’s live style and gives her the opportunity to make sure that her fans get to hear those songs from Borrowed Time. For those new to Dana’s music much will depend on the extent to which you enjoy the vocal pyrotechnics on display.

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’.