Samantha Fish – Paper Doll Live

Rounder – 2026

www.samanthafish.com

15 tracks; 74 minutes

Samantha Fish is a hugely popular figure in contemporary blues-rock, so it is slightly surprising that this is her first official live album. Her 2025 album Paper Doll supplies eight of the songs here, in fact just one cut from the studio album is omitted. This album was recorded at The Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. Samantha handles lead vocals and all guitar parts, backed by Mickey Finn on keys, Ron Johnson on bass and Jamie Douglas on drums; The McCrary Sisters provide backing vocals on five tracks. No writing credits are given on the sleeve, but one assumes that Samantha wrote all the material, apart from two familiar covers.

The band sets out its stall by opening with a thunderous cover of MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams” and the action rarely lets up through the 74 minutes of music. A run of five tracks from Paper Doll starts with the title track and its insistent core riff; “Can Ya Handle The Heat?” rocks hard before Samantha introduces The McCrary Sisters who stay on board for the next three. Samantha’s slide cuts through “I’m Done Runnin’”, “Lose You” is a little quieter but the chorus and slide still hit hard while “Sweet Southern Sounds” has a real swagger to it with pounding drums, rolling guitar riff and strong harmonies on the chorus. Perhaps because of the venue this one gets a massive cheer from the audience!

“Bulletproof” comes from 2019’s Kill Or Be Kind and it’s a full-on rocker with Sam displaying powerful lungs as well as some tough guitar work. A song about the rigors of touring comes next, “Miles To Go”, a song from 2013’s Black Wind Howlin’, and, if anything, this one further ups the rock stakes as drummer Jamie works up a real sweat and Samantha’s fingers slide up and down the frets; the shortest cut here but it really packs a punch! “Fortune Teller” returns to Paper Doll, a quiet and ominous start finds Samantha semi-speaking the words before the song ramps up to become one of the heaviest tracks here. The McCrary Sisters return for a song from 2021’s Faster album, “Better Be Lonely”, while “Dream Girl” (from Kill Or Be Kind) starts in ballad form before an extended guitar solo closes out the tune. “Don’t Say It” is again from Paper Doll, Samantha starting the song in quiet mode and the McCrary’s adding their harmonies to good effect.

R.L. Burnside’s “Poor Black Mattie” appeared on 2017’s Belle Of The West and is given an extended and robust treatment here, the keys featuring strongly. The last Paper Doll cut is “Rusty Razor” which opens with slashing guitar and piano, another very heavy track. Closer is “Black Wind Howlin’” which runs over eight minutes, including a brief introduction to the band, the heavy core riff underpinning what sounds like a slightly distorted vocal from Samantha.

With a lot of rocky material this will not be an album for the more traditional blues fans but will no doubt delight Samantha’s many devotees who have been waiting eagerly for a live album to enjoy.

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’.

Mitch Woods – A Night in New Orleans

MoMojo Records MMJ 413

www.mitchwoods.com

12 songs with 6 spoken interludes – 50 minutes

One of the foremost blues and boogie-woogie piano players in the world, San Francisco-based Mitch Woods lights a fire every time he takes a seat at the 88s. And he was at the top of his game for this set, which was recorded in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro last April while the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was cooking across town.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., who came into the world in 1951, by the time Mitch was eight, he was already a keyboard prodigy to be reckoned with, absorbing the music of Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Fats Domino and other Crescent City giants. And he spent his teens, he working on his craft and as a bandleader, too, by assembling groups that played in the many jazz and blues clubs that dotted Greenwich Village.

A Bay Area resident since the early ’70s, he was opening for Charlie Musselwhite in Oakland one night when his theatrics and energetic playing style caught the eye of guitarist Hi Tide Harris and opened the door for wider acclaim. When not working with his longtime band, the Rocket 88s, which he founded in 1980, he works regularly with a who’s who of blues talent, earning five Blues Music Awards nominations and a nod for Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year.

Woods is a frequent featured performer and hi-jinks instigator on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruises, but he returned to the font for this intimate set at Snug Harbor, a club he’s played frequently with his full band. He keeps up a regular conversation with the audience while delivering seven covers that pay to the masters and throwing in five of his own to the mix.

The original “Rock That Boogie” sets the tone for the night. It’s an uptempo call-and-response pleaser that features Mitch pounding out the rhythm with his left hand and flying across the keys to deliver the medley with his right. With more than 50 years in the business, his sweet baritone still packs a pleasing punch. The self-penned “Mojo Mambo” plays tribute to Professor Longhair by including respectful sampling of Fess’ musical and lyrical phrases to create a number all its own.

A faithful rendering of “Choo Choo Ch’boogie,” a 1946 hit for Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, pulls out the station at a medium-fast tempo, and the audience provides hand clapping rhythm for several measures before Woods lists the stops along the way and finally delivers the good. One of Fats Domino’s biggest hits, Dave Bartholomew’s “Blue Monday,” slows the action but keeps the Big Easy beat and gives way to the uptempo “Jambalaya (on the Bayou),” a hit for Hank Williams in 1952 that remains as timeless as ever.

“Amber Lee” – which bares the name of Mitch’s daughter and which appeared on his first album – is actually a song of longing about a waitress Woods met at a truck stop. It precedes a reading of Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88,” which is often credited as the first-ever rock-’n’-roll song. It’s followed by the original torch song, “Cryin’ for My Baby,” a languorous ballad that bemoans the demise of a ten-year love affair, before Woods urges the audience to join in for a fiery version of Champion Jack Dupree’s “Nasty Boogie.”

Huey “Piano” Smith’s “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” follows before the self-penned “Broke” states that isn’t a crime to be living without a dime…but you’d better stay home if you do. The action closes with Big Joe Turner’s “Shake Rattle & Roll.”

Burning for a trip to New Orleans? Give this one a spin. It’s as close as you’ll get without getting in a car, train or plane. 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.

The Fortunate Few – Isn’t That So

Antone Music

10 songs time – 45:20

This British amalgamation of musicians, assembled by drummer Romek Parol (The Pirates, Chicken Shack, Eric Bell) consists of Paul Cox (Frankie Miller’s Full House, John Slaughter, Micky Moody, Paul Cox Band) on soulful lead vocals, Dave “Munch” Moore on keyboards, guitarist Mick McCarney (Daniel O’Donnell), and Billy Robinson on bass (Quarterdeck). They offer a blend of R&B, soul, funk, roots music with their own recipe. All the songs are covers, some less known, but all are given a quality interpretation.

“Fundamental Things”, best known by Bonnie Raitt’s version, gets kind of a James Brown groove highlighted by Dave’s funky Hammond organ stylings. Jesse Winchester’s title song “Isn’t That So” is funked up from a folkie song to a more modern vibe enhanced by piano and organ. The soulful vocals of Paul Cox are spot on as usual on “I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog”, best known for Bobby “Blue” Bland’s treatment. The guitar, piano and organ blend well here. Another Bonnie Raitt tune, “If You Need Somebody”, gains credibility via Paul’s scratchy-soulful delivery.

The sing-song “The Whole Enchilada” (Keb Mo’) is nicely uplifting. Great organ washes. Now it is ballad time with the wistful “Come On Home”. The organ progresses from being underneath to some brief soloing. Of all things, The Pirates’ “Don’t Fool Around With Love”, co-written by guitar icon Mick Green has an infectious guitar riff. Nifty organ solo as well. A jazzy era Carlos Santana guitar leads into Tony Joe White’s “Gonna Look Good In Blues”. Then a beautifully toned guitar solo later in the song.

The band knocks out a worthy version of “Work To Do”. Originally by The Isley Brothers, and later The Average White Band. BB King’s “Never Make Your Move Too Soon” allows stretched out guitar and piano solos with good results. The guys go out with John Hiatt’s slow ballad “Lover’s Will”. Paul’s vocal here is higher and yearning.

The band has delivered an authentically soulful collection of heartfelt songs, drenched in emotion. The musicianship is first rate and right on time. Paul Cox has the emotion part down pat. The rest of the band supports him at every turn. Not blues but excellently performed music. Do your ears a favor!

Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.

Patrik Jansson Band – Different Shades Of Blue

Sneaky Foot Records – 2026

www.patrikjanssonband.com

8 tracks; 39 minutes

Sweden’s Patrik Jansson is a guitarist and vocalist whose first album came out in 2011. Since then he has released three more band albums, plus a solo effort recorded during Covid, so this is the fifth Patrick Jansson Band release. The album was recorded in Sweden and is all-original material, written by Patrick. The band is Patrick on vocals and guitar, Robin Hillgren on keys and B/V’s, Thomas Andersson on bass and Daniel Sohlberg on drums; Jesper Larsson adds harp to one track and a horn section is added to three tracks, Stephen Spenser (sax), Erik Forsberg (trumpet) and Yahlmar Olofsson-Tuisku (trombone).

The album opens with an instrumental entitled “What’s Up?”, the band immediately hitting a swinging groove led by Patrick’s fluent guitar and offering solo opportunities also to the horns, a fine start to the album. Patrick has already shown his guitar chops on that opener and continues to show his instrumental abilities on the remaining tracks. Patrick also sings clearly, just a very slight trace of an accent on the vocal cuts here. “Gold Digger” is funky, a song about a woman whose aim is clearly to go where the money might be, leaving poor Patrick behind, while “Keep Me Satisfied” is a shuffle driven by drummer Daniel and featuring a nicely varied solo from Patrick. “Know Where To Go” slows things down as Patrick offers advice on how to proceed in life: “It’s never easy making up your mind and leaving it all behind, but you can make it if you try, just follow your heart, you’ll be fine”. The horns add discreet accents to the chorus and Patrick takes a spiraling solo as the outro fades away. “Love Is A Gamble” is a slow blues with wistful lyrics: “Some say love is a gamble, I don’t know if that’s true, but it seems like every time I play the game I lose”.

With a title very close to the Dolly Parton hit, one might think that “Joline” would be in country territory, but in fact it’s an uptempo piece of Rn’B with harp and horns beefing up the tune, making it hard to resist nodding along to the rhythm. “Love And War” opens with some lovely guitar, introducing another slow ballad with reflective lyrics about a lost lover, though Patrick recognizes that he is not blameless in the break-up: “I’m not the easiest, I put my pleasures first, I know that’s been tough on you”. To close the album Patrick delivers another change of pace and style, “Lullaby For Deci” being what the title suggests, a quiet and delicate instrumental with the guitar supported by a warm organ wash.

Overall a good set with a fair level of variety. The songwriting and playing throughout is strong, an album with wide appeal.

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 Shaelyn Band – Chapter 3

House of Berry Productions

www.shaelynband.com

14 tracks/54 minutes

This Florida soul blues band is a high energy group with a slick sound. The seven members present a diverse and deep sound with their performances that fully fleshed out and well done. All the songs are originals.

Shaelyn fronts the  band with energetic vocal performances. Eric Guess is on lead guitar, Curtis Harris is on bass and Tim Mulberry is on drums and keys and adds backing vocals along with Win Carlson. Isaiah Gayles on trumpet and Moses Maldonado on trombone lent their horn skills to the mix to good effect.

Shaelyn starts off with “Blues Choose Me” and takes us to church in a fervent cut with powerful vocals and great accompaniment. “Gumbo” follows, a mid tempo piece with great front and backing vocals, horns and guitar.

The guitar introduces and shines “Cruise,” another passionate cut where Shaelyn tells her man if he ain’t in it for the long haul then cruise on down the road. Then it’s “Push” which has a nice instrumental intro and then Shaelyn and company give us a cut about pushing it to the limit. A bit of a slower tempo and just a cool vibe here along with horns and a nice guitar solo.

They go acoustic on “Carry On” which has a cool front porch sort of feel to it, but it’s jazzed up with horns which makes it seem more modern and cool. The R&B infused “Takin’ My Love Back” is next which hearkens a little to early rock songs. Shaelyn sings with passion in this well-done ballad.

“Bet It All” is a strident cut with Mulberry singing her heart out. It’s got a nice groove and moves along smartly. Great accompaniment and another slick guitar solo are featured here. “Make Ya Move” also begins with some stinging guitar in another hot and jumping number.

Then we have “Music Makes It Right,” another hot cut with a great groove, horns and vocals. It’s high energy stuff for sure! “I’m Not Ready” turns the heat and pace down as Shaelyn and company go through the paces as she says in no uncertain terms what the title says. Another cool guitar solo is offered up here.

“Debt” is up next, a slow and soulful song with a lament-ful guitar intro and support throughout. Shaelyn croons out a nice one here with pretty accompaniment. “I Won’t Sell My Soul” follows, a slow to mid-tempo number with another nice instrumental introduction. The blues are strong as she and band deliver a powerful performance.

Piano and organ introduces “Slow Blues”  with an orchestral sound in this slow and somber piece. Shaelyn takes us to church again as she grabs at the listener with a super performance. The song is pretty and offers another side of Mulberry and her band. Pretty guitar picking helps set the tone along with the great keyboard work. They finish with “Just Keep Moving” which is a slow to medium paced song with nice guitar, horns and vocals. Soulful and slick, it’s a great conclusion to the album.

Mulberry sings with passion and the band supports her well. It’s a wild and fun ride. I liked this 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.

Jovin Webb is a paradox. He’s part of the new breed of young blues artists pushing the genre into the future, but he’s also an old school roadhouse blues belter. He leans on religion to center himself, but is a man who’s seen the “Bottom of a Bottle” (an early single). He listens to records released 70 years ago and then something released last week. He dresses like a cowboy, but an urban one that rides a steel horse. His overall image portrays a rough and tumble hombre, but his personality is often joyous and infectious.

“I’m a whole lot of things,” Webb said. Those things are worthy of exploration.

In 2015, Webb thought about giving up. But then he started to get some breaks. In 2020, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana native burst into the national consciousness with an appearance on American Idol (he somehow didn’t win). The judges were caught with their mouths agape during his powerful performance of the Allman Brothers Band classic “Whipping Post”. Lionel Richie called his voice, “the sound of barbeque sauce.” Luke Bryan said he could “sit and drink lot of bourbon listening to that voice.” Downbeat said he possessed “an utterly convincing deep-blues voice that seems to be stained by nicotine and marinated in rye whiskey.” He slugged his way through the COVID era playing gigs and preparing for his big break. In 2024, he teamed with super-producer Tom Hambridge to deliver a strong Blind Pig Records debut, Drifter. It would reach a peak position of #2 on Apple Music’s chart and perform very well on all the blues music charts. It was riffy and rollicking, reflective and ballady, and more than anything, a good vehicle for his rough, soulful voice. He made the Albert King standard “Born Under a Bad Sign” seem like Booker T. Jones and William Bell could have written it for him instead. He hit the road hard to support it, winning fans along the way. It was a good start.

Webb’s follow-up, Son of a Sinner, will be released on September 18, 2026. He revisits the themes of temptation, damnation, faith, luck, and love. Some of the songs like “I Started Young” have a bawdy Bobby Rush kind-of feel. Overall, it’s a record that goes for the jugular.

“This one is a little different. It hits harder on the rock a little bit. I want to spread my wings with the blues, soul, and rock and roll,” Webb said. The record immediately jumped to #1 on the Roots Music Report blues album chart and iTunes blues chart. He’s been blown away by the positive response from radio and critics. “It’s brand new. I’m still trying to process it all and really try to take in what it means. It’s just cool that people are listening and appreciate what you’re doing. I’m still feeling it out. This is just my second album. I got to see my first number one for a week, it’s like a dream,” he said.

About that album title. Does it mean that he’s the son of a sinner or that his young son is the son of a sinner?

“I am and he is (laughs), let’s just put it that way. It’s a continuation,” Webb said. He’s enjoying fatherhood and sees another budding talent in the household. “As far as singing, dancing, and entertaining, that’s his whole forte. He had no choice. He likes Michael Jackson like I do and old school music like James Brown. Any time he gets to be a part of it, he’s like ‘I’m ready’.”

The music has been passed down from generation to generation within Webb’s family.

“My mom was really big with gospel music and old soul, like Al Green and James Brown. My dad was a more bluesier guy, so he put me on the Muddy Waters and John Lee Hookers and stuff like that. They played an equally pivotal part in molding me, as far as music,” Webb said.

As with many southern singers, the church played a big part in Webb’s development as well.

“Oh yeah! I don’t think that was a choice, but I wanted to. I always loved music in church. As a kid, it was the only thing that was going to keep me locked in. I played drums in my church for over 13 years as well later on,” he said.

Through the trials and tribulations, it’s something that grounds him.

“Even when I find myself going astray, I always know that if I need to humble myself and get back right is looking to religion, who I believe in, and remember that’s where it started from. I haven’t forgotten. I’m not some bible thumper, but I’m very spiritual and I know who’s up above.”

So, who’s coming out ahead lately, the Devil on one shoulder or the Angel on the other?

“I don’t know. With a number five spot album, I think God and the angels are winning a little bit. The heathen in me wants to do the things, but I think I’m being held together nicely.”

It’s clear that Webb has done some living, but he recognizes the challenges of life on the road and the responsibility to keep the train on the tracks.

“I’ve been on tour where you’re at a condo for four or five days with nothing to do and that’s when times get hard. What am I going to do? Let’s do this, let’s do that, or argue with bandmates. When everything is more structured from day to day and for me that’s the best thing. It’s been fun. It’s been trying. It’s been an experience for me to navigate around. I had no idea, figured it out fast.”

At his core, Jovin Webb loves music. He loves to sing and lights up when asked about some of the artists he’s been listening to lately.

“I love to listen to a lot of (Chris) Stapleton. I love how he writes, it’s very simple. You don’t have to do to much to it. It’s about feeling, which I think a lot of my music is based around. In my everyday gigs, there’s a bunch of Stapleton songs that might pop up. I love the band Kings of Leon, I don’t know if you can hear that or not. Jim Morrison too, those are some of the big ones.”

Webb recently released a stinging new version of “Whipping Post” as a single, hearkening back to his first brush with stardom. It starts out at the crossroads with an acoustic Delta feel, progresses into bayou blues rock, and elevates into downright metal at the climax. It’s seriously ear-opening.

“That song, personally, it just became a favorite of mine because of how much I could relate to it. I liked it so much it’s on this album. That song brought ears and eyes from around the world to what I’m doing. I’m forever grateful for that song and if I have to sing that song until I croak, I will. It’s blues. You gotta feel it. Tied to the whipping post. We’ve all been tied to things that’s tearing us down that we don’t need to hold on to, but we stay there for whatever crazy reason. Whether that’s women, addiction, a job, family, people. Most of us have been tied to the whipping post. It’s relatable.”

He can also relate to that hallowed band in general, one that has survived tragedy and performed in its latest iteration in 2025.

“Oh yes, definitely. The Allman Brothers are a rock n’ roll majestic Justice League jam band. I love stuff like that. Derek Trucks with his slide is amazing, it’s singing. I’m from southern Louisiana. That sound is in my bones, it’s deep-rooted.”

Now he gets the opportunity to take his brand of blues rock across the United States and beyond. Not surprisingly, his band has been well-received over the pond.

“I absolutely love Europe. All the stories you hear about artists saying Europe is where you need to be? They weren’t lying. It’s absolutely true. When we go over there we get treated more professionally. They don’t have as much, so when they get to hear some American blues and rock ‘n roll, they really appreciate it and they make us feel wonderful. So, I love Europe and any chance I have to play out there I’m happy. They always invite us back and it is always amazing people and amazing artists.”

Webb will tour in Lithuania and France this October and sprinkle in some shows in North Carolina and Florida, with more U.S. dates in the hopper.

Son of a Sinner, which includes the juke joint rocker “Gunpowder and Lead”, should be a record that takes him to major festivals and stages around the world. Webb is quick to give some of the credit for the success of his first two albums to producer, drummer, and co-writer Tom Hambridge, the five-time Grammy Award winner who has worked with the likes of Buddy Guy, B.B. King, ZZ Top, Delbert McClinton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Thorogood, Susan Tedeschi, Van Morrison, and many more.

“Huge, huge. Take out Tom Hambridge and you take out a lot of artists. He has his hands in a lot of people’s stuff. His input and what he does is valid. I’ve learned a lot from him, from writing, to being in the studio, to perfection in every word and enunciation in what you do. He’s a great person to write with. It’s easy to create with him and create something good.”

Webb is also excited about the proliferation of talented young, black blues artists in recent years, including his Louisiana home boy D.K. Harrell, which has been a positive harbinger for the art form’s continuing growth.

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about. I don’t know if it’s the last ten or 15 years, it’s been cool watching a renaissance of young black men remembering where we come from and remembering gospel and the blues and rock ‘n roll is hand in hand. You wouldn’t get no rock ‘n roll without Little Richard! I’m glad that we’re starting to remember who we are and taking pride in it, doing it well. I love that so much. These young guys are out here killin’ it. I’m happy to be a part of that wave.”

The singer and harp player is hanging ten on that wave and showing no signs of slowing down. Even as he promotes the new album and prepares for the upcoming tour, new songs keep coming for him.

“Son of a Sinner and many more to come. I was talking to my girl and was literally making out a song list for this next one. My guitarist hit me up this morning and he was like, “What’s the ideas for the next album?’ We’re all on the same vibe right now. Yeah, it’s about to start up again. I feel like I’ve been out in the world living enough where I’ve got enough to write about. Sometimes you go through blocks where you can’t write a dang thing and I guess that’s where Tom (Hambridge) comes and helps. I think I’ve experienced enough where I’ve got some stories to tell.”

The stories are authentic to him, yet universal enough for the audience to relate. But even as the songs improve and become diversified, Webb’s calling card is that special voice. It has the kind of grit, soul, spirit, and sadness of Gregg Allman, Otis Redding, Howlin’ Wolf, Joe Cocker, and other stars of yesteryear. It’s a gift to be protected, nurtured, and shared.

“This is just a journey. I’m trying to live out this dream and bless the world with what I have. I hope everybody continues to listen and continues to support. I will do my best to put out some more quality music, do my best to give the best shows I can, to meet as many people as I can, and make my impact on this thing,” Webb explained. He’s off to a great start.

Visit Jovin’s website to see when he is performing near you! https://www.jovinwebb.com

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.

Mark Sanders – Luck of The Draw

Dream Time Records

www.marksandersmusic.com

8 Tracks – 33 minutes

Mark wears all the hats in the production of his album. He wrote all of the songs, and based on the lack of other credits, apparently produced and mixed the album as well as playing the guitar, keyboards, drums and lead vocals on all of the songs.  Gus Belanger backs him on bass with Suzanne Weiler adding backing vocals. This is the eighth album Mark has released on Dream Time Records. Other albums can be streamed for free on Mark’s website shown above.

During his early professional career, he played across many genres including folk (The Sunrisers), soul (The 7th Court), and blues (The Shakers) plus many others. His focus now is on the blues and soul.

He announces he is “Calling on the Hot Line” all night long. I’ve got your number so I can’t go wrong”. “Not calling to shoot the breeze…calling to please”, “Calling on the hotline, but can’t get through”. He “Can’t Help Thinking” something is going on.  It’s just a feeling but it’s coming on strong. I can’t help but to wonder what’s on your mind. I got a feeling we might be saying goodbye”. “It seems like every day we are just going through the motion’ as he pleads “Don’t Let It Slip Away” and asks “what happened to the dreams we once shared?”

He notes “You are chasing a dream you cannot leave behind. It’s the “Luck of the Draw”, a roll of the dice. You jump right in and never think twice. You know you cannot win if you never play.”  “You live your life like a Hollywood scene. Nothing is real when it’s only a dream”. He declares “It’s “Not Too Late” to change your mind.” You and I, we don’t look back. We live every day and that’s a fact.” On “The Truth Comes Out”, he says, ” I used to believe what you told me. The truth comes out sooner or later” Just when you’re thinking you’re fooling somebody, that’s when you found out that somebody knows.”

He tells her, “No one can ever take your place. I hope it works out that I don’t stay up all night “Over You”.  “It should be easy to walk away. I wish it were true. Just one thing in my mind, I can’t get over you.” “I Had to Wonder” concludes the album advising “I walk a long road, feeling lost most every day. I had to wonder if I would ever find my way.” “You showed me something that I never knew. Those days are over and they’ve all gone away.”

Mark’s vocals have a smooth easy sound that is soothing, but also perhaps despairing, as the song lyrics lean heavily into a lost love.  His guitar work is also pleasant, never flashy. But the drumbeat on every song sounds very repetitious and sometimes distracting. Overall, it is still a nice listen for a quiet background.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Heather Anne Lomax – Who Do You Think You Are?

Blackbird Record Label

www.heatherlomaxmusic.com

11 songs – 39 minutes

Heather Anne Lomax is a singer, songwriter and guitr player.  She also possesses one of the rawest,  most raucous, most full-bodied voices unleashed on the listening public in years. Sitting somewhere close to the crossroads of Americana, Folk-Rock, Classic Rock and Blues, Who Do You Think You Are? is a powerful, muscular statement of intent.  Recorded live at Love Street Sound Studios (owned by the legendary Doors guitarist, Robby Krieger) in Los Angeles, the album embraces a raw, unfiltered energy that harks back to classic 1970s recordings by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Free, or even slightly more recent acts such as The Black Crowes.

Lomax is backed by a variety of different but excellent musicians, including Jason Hiller on bass; drummers Rob Humphries, Jordan West, David Goodstein and Jamie Douglas; Keyboardists: Ty Bailie, Jerry Borge and Carey Frank; and guitarist (and producer) Zachary Ross. Fuzzbee Morse adds flute to two tracks  and Lily Elise and Mary Scholz add backing vocals. Hiller and Ross play on every track as well as mixing the recordings.

All songs are original compositions by Lomax, other than “Superstar”,  a cover written by Lomax’s late friend Michael Doman of The Broken Homes. And a fine collection of songs they are, too. The opening track, “Come Along”, invites the listener to join Lomax on her musical journey on a blues-rock track that recalls early Heart, before Ross’s dirty slide guitar kicks off the Zeppelin-esque “Step Aside”. The stomping grind of “Can’t Refuse” probably comes closest to a traditional 12 bar blues structure but with some serious attitude. By contrast, “Ridgefield Dreams” sounds like Bonnie Dobson’s “Morning Dew” (perhaps most famously covered by Jeff Beck) blended with the acoustic folk-rock of Led Zeppelin III. The closing track, “Hello Daybreak” opens with gentle strummed acoustic guitars and Morse’s airy flute, building to a cacophony of howls and wails before gently fading away.

The songs are first rate, played by some top drawer musicians and excellently recorded. But what separates this album is Lomax’s voice, which is an absolute force of nature. It has hints of Beth Hart’s mighty vulnerability, a dash of Robert Plant’s curiosity and intelligence, but is really quite unique.

Who Do You Think You Are? is not a blues album but, like the classic rock albums of the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is heavily informed by the blues. If your tastes lean towards classic blues-rock, you will find a lot to enjoy on this release. Lomax appears to have a very bright future in front of her.

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

Brad “Guitar” Wilson – Boundless

Cal Bee Music

www.bradwilsonmusic.com

16 songs – 76 minutes

It takes plenty of confidence to label yourself after your instrument, and Brad “Guitar” Wilson does it for a good reason. Since the dawn of the 2000s, the West Coast native has been thrilling audiences with a polished style on the six-string that’s all class no matter whether he’s driving home his message with precise, fluid runs or shredding in the best way possible. His most recent previous album, The Californian, spent 12 weeks atop Roots Music Report’s blues-rock chart. And this welcome follow-up is bound for greatness, too.

Wilson grew up listening to and absorbing the styles of B.B. King, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, and he’s synthesized their magic into a method that truly is all his own. He’s toured or shared stages with Buddy Guy and Tommy Castro along with rockers Chicago, .38 Special, the Marshall Tucker Band and Cheap Trick. He has a presence on both sides of the Atlantic, and his music fills the soundtracks of TV shows and movies.

Like The Californian, which celebrated his return home after touring France and the Netherlands, this set was produced by Grammy winner Francis Buckley – who won a Grammy from Quincy Jones’ Q — at Musician’s Institute Studios in Hollywood and ICP Studios in Brussels, Belgium.

A mix of 12 originals and four well-conceived covers, Brad’s backed by keyboard players Chris Rhyne, Luca Catalfamo and Frankie Vriens, percussionists Toto Pozanantek, Chris Ross and Adam Gust and bassists Hal Cragin, Brian Beal and Fabrizio Erba. Buckley sits in on synth bass and percussion, and Paulina Campos and Valerie Chanelle provide backing vocals.

An unhurried and sweet version of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone” opens the action with bittersweet fretwork and Wilson’s plaintive tenor vocals. It slowly picks up pace before following into the original, “More of You,” which picks up the tempo into a medium-fast shuffle while continuing the depth of the singer’s broken heart. It’s a laundry list of all the things Brad misses in the relationship.

Percy Mayfield’s familiar “Hit the Road Jack” follows and seemingly brings the misery to an upbeat ending. But the problems continue in the speedy “Gonna Stay or Go” as Wilson finds the woman back again and debating whether or not to come back, and he’s demanding to know exactly what she’s going to do. The sweet rocker “Living Underground” finds him in the aftermath of her leaving before a tastefully reading of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” brings the chapter to welcome close.

The rapid-pace “Let’s Dance Together” proves beyond a doubt that Brad’s ready to move on with another lady, and “Wild and Free,” which follows, celebrates a new beginning in Central California – as does the companion ballad, “Home.” Wilson gets sentimental for the past in “Time Was.” But the funkified “San Francisco Nights” is up next to celebrate everything the The Golden Gate City has to offer before the driving “Sundown and the Cowboy” describes a cowpoke riding at a fast pace and thinking of a dark-haired lady who’s made him forget his past…at least temporarily

In the ballad “Sky Full of Rain,” Brad’s lost his job and describes his life feeling like a “knockdown tragedy” before the fiery “Between the Hours” finds him looking out a window from a hospital bed and wondering if his life’s at an end. Fortunately, though, he finds himself looking into the eyes of a new lover and feeling “Blues Magic” before a tender and azure cover of Julie London’s “Cry Me a River” brings the beefy set to a close.

Another winner on all counts.

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.

Mick Kidd & David Blight – Borderline Blue

Self-Release – 2026

www.mickkiddblues.com

12 tracks; 48 minutes

Australian duo Mick Kidd and David Blight first played as a duo in 2011 and went on to represent Australia in the 2015 IBC. Both play in other formations, but this is now their fourth album together (2014, 2017, 2022). All the songs are original, ten by Mick alone and two in which David wrote the words, Mick the music. David plays harp and sings on two tracks, Mick plays guitar throughout, plus bass on two, and handles all the vocals apart from the two on which David sings.

Nine of the songs were recorded “in motor homes, churches, showgrounds and caravan parks” whilst on the road throughout Australia; three were cut in an Adelaide studio with Ron Kosmider on bass and Peter Kershaw on drums.

The album opens with mournful, high pitched harp on a tune entitled “Jukejoint Shuffle”, the tune not quite matching this reviewer’s idea of a juke! Mick’s solid vocal style continues on the lively “5 & A Half Knuckey Street” which rocks out well with Mick’s slide work over the rhythm section, David adding some harp accents and taking a striking solo; I have no idea where the title comes from either!

“So Where Are You Now?” features David on vocals on a song that references Moses, mountain top and faith as the character waits for someone to come to an agreed rendezvous; Mick plays some good acoustic slide and David adds harp to the middle section. After one late night too many Mick is in “The Doghouse” and may wake up with fleas! “Payin’ My Eucla Dues” is definitely a blues, the title referencing a town in Western Australia before “End Of The World” again adds the rhythm section on a slow tune with strange sound effects adding to the rather depressing feel of the song.

“So Many Women” is quite an attractive blues before David takes his second vocal on “Clowns”. The third track with the rhythm section is “Tales Of A City” which contains images of life in a big city but I was unable to determine what “Nod 2 Don” was all about. Mick’s impressive finger picking is a feature of “The Apartment” – “Not much goes on in this apartment except the radio” was a line that stood out for this reviewer.

The final track “Miss Behavin’” is a live cut and the longest on the album, but the sound quality is poor, especially the vocals, and there is a fair degree of audience ‘chatter’ also marring the song which could easily have been left off the album.

Two stalwarts of the Australian blues scene doing what they clearly enjoy. Fans of acoustic blues may find material here they will enjoy here.

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’.

Michael Falzarano – Sunrise Over The Unknown

Hypnotation Records

www.michaelfalzarano.com

13 songs time – 59:11

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Michael Falzarano is a product of the San Francisco music scene, having worked with Hot Tuna, The New Riders Of The Purple Sage and others. That scene is apparent in his music that has accents of The Grateful Dead as well of those previously mentioned. The vast assortment of musicians he assembled support his trippy musical adventures. He wrote or co-wrote all the songs.

The various musical vibes of the sixties’ San Francisco “Hippie” music scene flavor the music, while Michael and friends keep it fresh. Michael possesses a hardy and clear set of pipes. The lyrics are creative and never come off as “dippy”. He comes on full blast via heavily strummed acoustic guitars set against electric guitar on “7 Year Itch”. “My pistols are loaded, and ready to fire”.

Well, I misspoke a bit, “There’s A Rainbow” is a tad hippy dippy. The promised land is spoken of in “Coins In The Fountain”. Really nice guitar as elsewhere throughout the recording. More of the same as “Mighty Mississippi” chugs along quite nicely, thank you!

Robert Hunter co-wrote the country flavored “Cupful Of Rain”, as Kevin Griffin’s pedal steel guitar ups the country vibes. On “Get Up In The Dance” they use the duck-wah-wah guitar tone the Grateful Dead used on “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo” to good effect. “Without A Net (Parts 1 & 2) is a delightful guitar fest. There is a nicely spacey vibe to “Bird With A Broken Wing”. “So, if you can’t fly, sing”. “One Brick At A Time” is upbeat and positive.

A slow and melancholy mood pervades the pedal steel laced “I Had A Dream Last Night”. “Everything Changes In The Universe” is super charged with energy, with Danny Lewis’s Hammond Organ bubbling underneath. Things finish off with a stripped-down version of “Take Back What’s Mine (Acoustic)”, with acoustic guitar, pedal steel, drums and bass.

Influenced by the San Francisco sound, but it is a jumping off point and not a copy. If moving, energetic and well sung vocals over exuberant guitars, keyboards and a sturdy rhythm section are your thing, this must be the place!

Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.