Miss Emily – The Medicine

Gypsy Soul Records

www.themissemily.com

9 songs – 37 minutes

Miss Emily Fennell is a long-time veteran of the Canadian blues scene who seems to have flown under the radar of the wider blues audience, as indicated by her award of the Canadian Maple Blues Awards’ New Artist of the Year category in 2019, nearly 20 years into her career. She has released a number of previous albums, with 2021’s LIVE At The Isabel being a JUNO nominee for Blues Album of the Year.

Well, if there is any justice in this world, that might be about to change with the release of The Medicine, featuring nine cracking new soul and Americana-inspired blues, primarily written by Fennell, with sparkling production by Colin Linden. Recorded at Pinhead Recorders in Nashville by Michael Stankiewicz, Fennell is backed by an all-star band, including the likes of Linden on guitars, Bryan Owings, Gary Craig and George Receli on drums, David Santos and Johnny Dymond on bass, Michael Hicks, Kevin McKendree and Janice Powers on keyboards, and Ann and Regina McCrary on backing vocals. In addition, Jim Hoke adds saxophone to “Solid Ground”.

The album opens with an acapella half-verse before the band kicks in with a classic soul groove on “Freedom”, the positive life-affirming lyrics to which are reflected in a number of tracks. Fennell has a stunning voice, with a wide range, warmth, wit and intelligence, always conveying deep emotion and aching soul. There are hints of the great Angela Strehli in her delivery and her intelligence but she is very much her own woman. The band rightly focuses on providing propulsive support to the voice. “Stand Together, Band Together” is a soulful, minimalist track with an ear worm of a chorus (and a lovely nod by Linden to Leo Nocentelli in his subtle guitar playing). The glorious backing vocals of Ann and Regina McCrary add an irresistible gospel undercurrent to proceedings.

The title track is a heartbreaking tribute to a lost friend who “took the medicine until the medicine took you”, while “You Make Believe” is a beautiful soul ballad about unrequited love that somehow manages to spin a positive ending to a tale of wistful un-appreciation. “Running Again” has another catchy chorus, driven by McKendree’s understated piano and organ. The album does not contain a vast number of solos, but Linden’s solo on this track is a joy.

One of the most striking tracks on the album is “Smith’s Bay Drowning”, a haunting true story poem set to an Irish folk melody by Fennell’s music mentor Suzanne Pasternak about a 1960s boating tragedy that took place in the island community of Prince Edward County.  Fennell’s vocal performance is quite outstanding in its restraint and power.

The final track, “Remember This Song”, is a powerful, uplifting slow blues, with some excellent jagged guitar from Linden.

There are no flat-out rockers on The Medicine, with the pace tending towards the slower end of the spectrum, but the quality of the songs and the performances make this a highly pleasurable listening experience.

If your preferences lean towards soul-blues, you will want to check out Miss Emily.

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

Sean McDonald  – Have Mercy

Little Village Records

www.littlevillagefoundation.com

9 tracks – 37 minutes

It is always encouraging to see new young artists surfacing in the blues. At age 24, Augusta, Georgia’s Sean McDonald is embracing traditional blues but is creating new blues for a modern generation. Sean is a recent graduate from Middle Tennessee University where he majored in audio production and a minor in music industry. In the liner notes, Kid Andersen states, Sean demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of the classic guitarists ranging from the blues greats to jazz and gospel.  to that, Sean adds a highly expressive tenor with a huge vocal range to the mix all wrapped up as a musician with unlimited appeal.

Kid Andersen co-produced the album with Sean and plays second guitar with some of Little Village’s core session musicians including Jim Pugh on organ & piano, June Core on drums, D’Quantae “Q” Johnson on bass, Eric Spaulding on tenor sax and Jack Sanford on baritone sax. The Morgan Brothers, formerly the Sons of The Soul Survivors, and Marcel Smith add some gospel styled accompaniment on some songs.

He opens the album with a rocking cover of Rudy Moore’s “My Soul” from 2000, quickly establishing his guitar capabilities and a warm tenor voice. The song has a styled 1950’s jump swing with Jim’s barrelhouse piano accompanying. He moves into an R&B vibe with Jim’s rollicking piano and the twin sax ripping as he states on his first original that I’m “Fakin’ It” “I have a knack for playing pretend, Lord I’m acting so much it’s a sin when I am grieving.” “Here I am playing this part because you broke my heart. Fakin’ it that I don’t miss you”.  On another original “Killing Me” he plays some classic blues riffs with a nod to B.B. King and sings “I can’t sleep at night…because I can’t get you out of my head.” he further notes “You’ve got a wonderful figure, some fixin’ beautiful eyes. I thought you were an angel, but you were the devil in disguise. Unchain my heart and set me free.”  Jack’s soulful sax ignites the way.

He expertly handles Bobby Blue Bland’s “Rocking in the Same Old Boat” written by Deadric Malone in 1968 with the vocal presence of a veteran. He states, “I smile to keep from crying because I just got a Dear John note”. He begs a new love experiencing the same love loss “That it will be smooth sailing from now. Everything gonna be alright”.  Mike Rinta guests on trombone on the track. “Shuffleboard Swing” is an original blues shuffle allowing each musician a chance to shine. Sean’s final original “Angel Baby” features Jim’s honky-tonk piano on a rocking jump blues with Sean asking, “Come on down from heaven and set my heart free”.

Sean shifts into a gospel mode with a smooth guitar on Oris May’s 1968 song “Don’t Let the Devil Ride” with Marcel Smith and The Morgan Brothers providing a call and response. He declares “if you let him ride, he will want to drive”. Ike Turner’s 1968 “That’s All I Need” is jumping as he says, “All I ask is, all I need is a little bit of huggin’, and a whole lot of lovin’ from you”. He closes with a smooth vocal on Henry Glover’s 1952 ballad, “Let’s Call It a Day” with a smooth sax and even-handed guitar.

There has been a recent influx of young performers joining the blues genre led by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and joined by D.K Harrell, Jontavious Willis, and Solomon Hicks, to just name a few. Sean establishes himself at the top of these young artists ready to make an enduring mark in the blues. “Have Mercy!” indeed, this man can sing and play guitar.

“Little Village is a 501c3 nonprofit record company that seeks to shine the light of awareness on musicians who might not otherwise be heard and in doing so further the belief that a life filled with diverse music builds empathy making for stronger communities and a better world. We exist solely through donations and grants from like-minded people.”

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.

Dave Keller – La Brea

Tastee-Tone -2025

www.davekeller.com

11 tracks; 49 minutes

Dave Keller has established himself in the soul-blues area with a number of impressive albums over recent years. However, as he explains in the sleeve notes here, he is always writing and has a considerable archive of songs that he could not fit into an album. “The Orphanage”, as he calls that collection, contained several songs that simply did not fit into that soul-blues style, but they are all songs that Dave loves, so this album brings eleven of them together. Arguably more in the Americana style than blues, everything you hear on the album was written by Dave and brought to life in a Massachusetts studio by Kevin Barry on acoustic, electric and lap steel guitars, Tom West on keys, Jesse Williams on bass and Marco Giovino on drums; Dave plays electric guitar on just one track and vibraphone on another but otherwise sticks to vocals.

The album opens in quiet, sombre mood with “I Could Fall”, Dave’s delicate vocals well suited to this almost acoustic song. “Different Than I Planned” is a full band production with weeping lap steel and organ providing a warm backing to Dave’s story of musical experiences, from Muscle Shoals to Memphis, seeing BB King live and hearing Ray Charles on the radio, all those musical experiences tempered by a personal relationship that inevitably ends up in heartbreak – a fine song that draws the listener into its narrative. Dave reminisces about a past relationship that he would prefer to forget, but “it all comes flooding back when I think about Your Touch”.

In “Different Than I Planned” Dave admitted that the only time he sings now is in the shower, so it is a perfectly logical link to have a song entitled “Singin’ In The Shower”, both acoustic and electric guitars over a steady drum beat making this more of an electric cut, as well as a rather more optimistic song as Dave finds himself joining in with his girl who sings in the shower!

“Shiny Things don’t matter much, that’s what you said” sings Dave as he reflects on what is really important in life, what is inside, not superficial things. A slightly folky feel pervades “When You Land”, lap steel and vibes giving the tune a wistful feel before Kevin delivers a great solo on the lap steel which spurs Dave on to a really strong vocal finish to the song. Accompanied initially only by acoustic guitar, Dave explains why he is entirely happy with his lot, the rhythm section joining in subtly as the song develops: “Wherever I go, whatever I do, I’ll be OK, everyday, as long as I’m With You”. The odd title “Onions” is used as a metaphor for the multi-layered emotions of love before a longer tune that brilliantly describes a meeting between two old flames after a 20 year gap, the couple discovering what had happened since they last met; “If You Don’t Mind Me Askin’” explains how both have lost their partners, their shared sympathies and…will their love rekindle? Dave leaves the eventual ending to the listener’s imagination: “There’s more to the story, I don’t want to bore you, it’s not like I know you that well”. “The Promise” is another quiet song, Jesse Williams’ upright bass heard to advantage here, while “I’m Telling You Now” is a solo performance, Dave accompanying himself on electric guitar, understated but emotional.

Throughout the album Dave’s heart is on his sleeve vocally and he is very effective in conveying the raw emotions of the lyrics. This is certainly not a blues album, but the performances and the quality of the songs commands the listener’s attention, especially the two longer songs, “Different Than I Planned” and “If You Don’t Mind Me Askin’”, both of which are outstanding.

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 Blues Project – Live 2025

Globe Records

www.bluesproject.net

13 Tracks – 67 minutes

For those who are too young to know or for those not knowledgeable of the history of The Blues Project, a brief introduction to the long-ago history of this very important group from the 1960’s is required. The group led by Danny Kalb on lead guitar formed in 1965 and played alongside the major blues performers of that era including, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Big Joe Williams, Skip James, Son House and many others. The rest of the band consisted of Steve Katz on rhythm guitar and harmonica, Andy Kulberg on bass and flute, Al Kooper on organ and Roy Blumenfeld on drums. Prior to becoming the lead vocalist for the Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick pitched being the female lead vocalist for the group.

A series of sold-out performances at The Cafe-Au-Gogo led to the release of their first album in 1966, appropriately called Live at the Cafe-Au-Gogo. The group immediately turned people on (using 60’s vernacular) to the American blues heritage and helped to open doors for many blues musicians into the San Francisco scene.

However, after the release of the album, Kalb announced that The Blues Project did not want to just be a blues revival band but rather wanted to extend their reach to the music of the time, stretching to folk, jazz, soul, and rock in a blend of the music into their own path. Their later 1966 studio album, Projections, affirmed their intended direction and was well received. A follow-up album in 1967, Live at Town Hall, arrived again to great public and critical response. They played one final show in 1967 at the Monterey International Pop Festival. Kooper and Katz broke off to form Blood, Sweat and Tears. Kulberg and Blumenfeld continued, but eventually formed the group, Sea Train. Kalb and Blumenfeld later gathered a new group of musicians that released a couple of albums. In 1973, the original group reformed for a performance and a follow-up album titled Reunion in Central Park. The band continued to have reunions and releases in the 80’s and 90’s with various members and even as recently as 2012 with Kalb, Katz and Blumenfeld.

Which all leads to 2021 with Blumenfeld, now apparently the last original standing forming a new group of young musicians. That group has continued to evolve with the present line-up for this 2025 release with Roy Blumenfeld continuing on drums with David Aguilar and Mark Newman on guitar, Ken Clark on keyboards, and Tim Eschliman on bass. All take turns on lead vocals. The band continues the adventurous nature of the original members with some New Orleans vibe thrown in. The album was recorded during two live sessions in California and includes new originals from this line-up mixed with some of the original group’s back catalog and few additional covers.

The album opens with “Remedy” which was recorded by The Band in 1993. Roy takes the first lead vocal on the funky song. “I Can’t Keep from Crying” was written by Al Kooper and appeared on the group’s 1966 studio album. Ken takes the lead vocal with his organ rumbling through dynamically. Tim takes the lead vocals on “Motorfy”, a song he co-wrote and recorded in 1991 as he tells he will “put the top down” on his ’57 T-Bird and tells her “Go ahead and take off your shoes…and I’ll sing us some those good old-time blues”. “No place I’d rather be”.

“Evolution” written by Roy and Tim traces humankind in the opening with Roy citing “Crawling from the water, trying to see the light, I got two legs to walk on if I could only stand up right. Natural selection has made its contribution.” “Survival of the fittest in this world we are living in” “The world keeps on turning, nothing meant to last”. A jazzy run on the organ mixes with fine guitar runs on the song. “Inside Information” was written by Al Kooper and recorded with Mike Bloomfield in 1974. David takes the lead vocals as he advises “from the time you are a little bitty baby until they put you in the ground, people talkin’ to you, people squawking to you. Well, I’ll tell you where the answer is found. Right inside your body…your inside information tells just what to do”. A cover of “The Spirit Lingers On” recorded by Ellis Hall in 1999 is next with Ken back on lead vocals in a funky soul song.

“Flute Thing” written by Al Kooper and appearing on their 1966 studio album quickly became a staple of the group. Ken performs on the flute recreating the original instrumental. “Plutonium Bob” is an original co-written by Roy and David with Roy back on vocals. Roy tells a story of Bob, “Who is working in the basement on his homemade cyclotron” and features a wild jazz mix of keyboards and guitars. “All Over the Map” was written by Ken and features him again on lead vocal as he states that “people stop and stare” “because he likes to break the rules” Each musician gets to have a moment of their own on the track.

“Tulsa” was written by Mark Newman and Walter Roberti and released in 2021 in commemoration of the 1921 Tula Massacre and in celebration of Juneteenth. Mark performs the lead as he did with the original release. “Stand Up” has a bit of a Little Feat vibe as they urge everyone to “stand up, identify and testify”. David takes the lead on ZZ Top’s 1975 “Heard it on the X”. They conclude with “Wake Me Shake Me” another song written by Al Kooper that appeared on their 1966 album as Ken cries “Don’t let me sleep too long. Try to make it in due time before the heaven’s doors close”.

The music crosses many paths as did the sound of the original group and their many permutations. Roy states in the album notes “We will always be band who attempt to think out of the box, but what is the box anymore? It’s about live music and creating that live space where we flourish”. The present musicians have continued that premise with high energy and a mixture of styles and song selection mixing humor and some social comment while also pausing to recall the original Blues Project.

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.

The term “Wild Card” is sometimes used to refer to a person who brings unexpected elements to every situation. That word seems like a perfect fit for guitarist/singer/songwriter and author/screenwriter/film director Jesse Dayton, who frequently surprises his fans with the diversity of his projects.  Although he grew up listening to and playing a wide range of blues, zydeco and country music, he has always kept one foot in the blues.  And Blues Blast Magazine had the opportunity to catch up with Jesse prior to his show at the Ramshead in Annapolis, MD, part of his tour with Tab Benoit.

Jesse grew up in Beaumont, Texas and played the drums at an early age, but like almost every other child he knew, he was required to take piano lessons and sing in church.  It was later that he taught himself how to play guitar.  As a teen, he was discovered by Clifford Antone, founder of the iconic Austin blues club (Antone’s). and mentor to such greats as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan and Kim Wilson.  Antone could see that there was something special in Jesse.

“I was playing in a bar at the age of 15, and Clifford Antone came in with his bodyguard, ‘Sugarbear’.  My brother told me to play ‘Matilda’ because that was his favorite song, so I did.  After the set, he told me to come with him to his car, and he gave me some blues records:  Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Muddy Waters.  He told me if I could learn those records, I could sit in with the house band at the club in Austin.”

In 1999, Clifford Antone was charged with 11 counts of drug trafficking and agreed to a plea bargain related to marijuana possession and money laundering for which he was given a four-year prison sentence.  Jesse remembers going to the prison in Huntsville to visit him.

“I remember talking to Buddy Guy about this when I opened for him in Central Park.  Buddy asked me if I knew Clifford and I told him I’d known him since I was a kid and knew about the pot he kept in the ceiling of the club, and that I had gone to see him in prison.  I told Buddy that Clifford had said to me, ‘well you don’t think the blues paid for all of this shit, do you?’  Buddy then told me a story about when he and Junior Wells first played Antone’s. As they were being driven back to the airport they asked to be paid, and Clifford said, ‘there’s a paper bag in the back of the car—take as much as you want’.  He said they looked and saw a paper bag full of hundred-dollar bills, and they were not shy about taking as much as they wanted.  Clifford was selling pot on the side to keep the club going.  The prison used to let him out on the weekends, and we’d go to blues clubs and ‘tittie’ bars in Houston.  It’s funny, the way he got out of prison was that Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Thunderbirds and Willie Nelson played a show to fund raise to help build a wing of the prison.”

Jesse played with two rockabilly bands, The Road Kings and the Alamo Jets.  He played on an album with The Road Kings in 1993 before releasing his own debut album, Raisin’ Cain.  That became the first-ever Billboard Americana #1 album. In 1996 Jesse worked with superstars Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash on the album Right for the Time, and he performed with Lucinda Williams at Bill Clinton’s second inaugural ball in 1997.  He recalled a funny story about recording with Jennings and Cash.

“One day I was sitting in the studio with Waylon and Johnny, and Waylon walks in says, ‘they want me to play with Lola Falana’ (Vegas singer/dancer).  We were surprised to hear that, and he very defeatedly walked out.  But about five minutes later his manager walks in and says, ‘did you hear the big news?  Waylon’s going to play Lollapalooza!”

Since that collaboration, Jesse has released numerous albums that manage to successfully blend varying influences from outlaw country, blues and even punk rock.  However, music is not Jesse’s only talent.  After being commissioned by Rob Zombie to record an album for the fictional characters in the film The Devil’s Rejects, Jesse performed as part of the fictional band in Zombie’s movie, Halloween II.  He noted that the guitar he uses most often (a black King double cutaway hollow body) was made specifically for him to play in his role as a vampire guitar player, with the intent to create “an evil-looking guitar”.  Jesse later wrote and directed his own horror film, Zombex, starring Malcolm McDowell, Lew Temple and Sid Haig.  He was asked how he made the transition from songwriting to writing a screenplay and directing.

“It’s all just storytelling, and I did two music videos with Rob Zombie, so that was like attending film school.  He would tell me about what lens to use and about camera angles.  I’ve actually written my third script.  The second one didn’t get made but I did get an advance to write it.  My most recent one is a western crime drama that takes place in Mexico.  I will be directing that one too, and we should start filming next year.  I’m really excited about directing films and I’m going to bring in all my friends for the soundtrack—the Headhunters, Tab (Benoit) and Samantha (Fish).”

Jesse also published his memoir, Beaumonster, and recorded himself narrating it for audio books.

“The book did well for me and it kept me in the public eye during COVID.  At that time, I also had a radio show on iHeart radio, which also did well.”

In 2023, Jesse toured with Samantha Fish promoting their album, Death Wish Blues, which was nominated for a Grammy for best contemporary blues album.  He has described her as being “Bonnie to my Clyde”.

“She is like family to me.  I’m very lucky to know her and to work with her.  Nobody I know works as hard as Samantha Fish.  Samantha is more melodic with her guitar playing.  I am a conversational guitar player, but I think I have more influences.  I do different stuff, like during one lead I might play some jazz licks and some country chicken pickin’ in the middle of the lead instead of just doing the obvious blues pentatonic stuff.  I also frequently play in a major scale.  I’m just trying to make it more interesting for myself and others.  Samantha has a really interesting approach to songwriting.  She loves melody.  She will call my phone and leave a voice mail of her singing a melody and then I would write the lyrics for that melody.  It was fun.  She would call me from hotel rooms all over the world and all those songs for the album were written together on Zoom.  It was a shock to me that we were nominated for the Grammy.  We were performing on the Big Easy Cruise at the time with no phone service, so we were the last ones to know.  When we docked and got phone service I had about 150 text messages.”

The next year, Jesse released an album titled Hard Way Blues.  As a gifted songwriter, his lyrics tell vivid stories that are easy to visualize. He has noted that his writing has been influenced by such authors as James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Cormac McCarthy while his guitar playing has been influenced by such greats as Lightnin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker and Freddie King. He was asked about two songs in particular from the Hard Way Blues album:  one about the Huntsville Prison Rodeo and one titled “Esther Pearl”.

“When we were kids we would go to the prison rodeo, where the inmates would ride.  It was totally crazy-just wild!  There was some pretty graphic violence at those rodeos. Esther Pearl was a story I made up.  I heard so much about slaves escaping to Canada and wanted to write about that.  I feel like the blues could use some better song lyrics.  Sometimes it seems that a lot of the songs are a bit ‘paint by number’.  The good thing about the Texas songwriter lineage is that we work a little bit harder on the lyrics.”

In the middle of his tour opening for Tab Benoit, Jesse raced to Nashville for one night so that he could play at the fundraiser at the Ryman in honor of Raul Malo, who was battling cancer. (Raul sadly recently passed away following that show.)

“It was beautiful and sad.  The Ryman was sold out, and I saw so many old friends.  I’ve been knowing Raul and the Mavericks since 1994.  I was happy that I got to play with Jimmie Vaughan at the Ryman, and he couldn’t have been nicer.  I’m such a huge fan of Jimmie Vaughan.”

Not one to stay put for even a minute, Jesse is about to perform with the third annual revival of The Road Kings and is also about to make a second album with The Texas Headhunters, a band he formed with old friends Ian Moore and Johnny Moeller.  That band has been described as “an explosive band uniting three of the Lone Star State’s most respected guitar slingers”.  Their self-titled first album earned high acclaim and demonstrated the magic that can occur when seasoned musicians/friends known for their authenticity get together for a project.  The Headhunters have been touring some with Samantha Fish and are scheduled to perform at next year’s Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas.  2026 will be a big year for Jesse.  In addition to the new film, the Headhunters album and tour and the Road Kings tour, he and Tab Benoit plan to collaborate on an album.

As the second night of performing at the Ramshead was about to begin, Jesse was asked if it would have made his life easier if he had focused on just one of his many talents or one sub-genre of American Roots music.  But he made it clear that he would not have it any other way.

“I think if I would have stuck with the same thing, I could have been more famous, but my career is way more interesting this way.  I’ve had the opportunity to play with a lot of people, and it’s been an amazing ride!”

You can find out more about this intriguing, versatile artist at www.jessedayton.com.  And his memoir, Beaumonster, is available on Amazon.

Writer Anita Schlank lives in Virginia, and is on the Board of Directors for the River City Blues Society. She has been a fan of the blues since the 1980s. She and Tab Benoit co-authored the book “Blues Therapy,” and she and Mike Zito co-authored “Blues Therapy: Volume Two”. Profits from both books go to the HART Fund (which pays for medical expenses blues musicians cannot afford to pay) and can be found at http://www.bluestherapybook.com.

Kyle Rowland – Not Holding Back

Little Village Records

www.kylerowlandblues.com

15 Tracks – 52 minutes

Georgia born and now Sacramento based Kyle Richmond learned to play his harmonica at age ten by taking lessons from Rick Estrin. As a teen, he released his first album, High Rollin’ in 2011. In the twenty-four years since that release, he was worked with many of the blues masters, including James Cotton, Lazy Lester, Hubert Sumlin, Billy “Boy” Arnold, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Henry Gray, Charlie Musselwhite and many others who have helped him in all aspects of his performance. The obvious education was in mastering some of the performer’s secrets as harmonica players, but also about stage presence, and working in the music business.

In 2022, he signed an endorsement deal with the Hohner Harmonica Company, which has allowed him to teach kids how to play the harmonica across the US and in Mexica and Cuba. In 2024 and 2025 he was a semi-finalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.  Also in 2024, he became the youngest inductee into the Sacramento Blues Hall of Fame.

Completing the circle, Rick Estrin joins with Kid Andersen to produce Kyle’s second release. Kyle plays harmonica and vocals on all tracks, plays the guitar on tracks 7 and 10, and has a piano solo on track 6.  Kid plays guitar, bass, and Hammond B3 on several tracks with June Core on drums, Jim Pugh on keyboards, and Ronnie James Weber on bass.  Johnny Burgin and Bob Welsh play guitar on multiple tracks and Bob adds piano on four cuts.

Eight originals and seven covers kick off with “Convict #1” as Kyle announces “Love is a Prison. You’ve got me locked up in your shackles. My playboy days have come and gone.” Johnny Burgin rocks out with Bob Welch’s piano flowing in the background before Kyle launches into a harmonica roll.   He then says, “It breaks my heart to see you smile cause your smile is not for me… but I am “Wishing You the Best” as “you break my heart”. Rick Estrin and Donnie Woodruff wrote “I’ll Take You Back” in 1987 for Little Charlie and The Nightcats, which Kyle quickly makes his own as she pledges to “do better and if I’d take you back” and he responds, “I’ll take you back when rattlesnakes have knees, when money grows on trees.”

Mike Zito & Lara Price recorded Mike Schermer’s penned “We’re Still Friends” in 2024. Kyle declares “wherever you go, I want you to know we’re always friends”.  Dennis Dove and Lisa Andersen guest on backing vocals. On Billy Boy Arnold’s 1957 “Kissing at Midnight”, Kyle laments “I hate to leave, better stay all night” and includes another solid harmonica solo. Anson Funderburgh guests on guitar and Kyle plays a rollicking piano on Clarence “Filmore Slim” Williams’ 1957 “You Got the Nerves of a Brass Monkey”.  Kyle declares, “You’ll never find a man under the sun that will do for you what I have done. Why be a fool and treat me this way. All you want to do is ball and play”.

Kyle shows his prowess on guitar with Kid kicking up the B3 on “Gamblin’ Blues” as he begs her to “loan me one more dime” after losing all his money. He declares “Everyone’s got one on “E.G.O.” as Kyle accents the song on a smooth harmonica with Kid’s B3 again humming in the background. Marcel Smith and Dennis Dove guest on backing vocals. St. Louis Jimmy Oden’s 1964 “Complete This Order” lets Kyle list a few seemingly impossible things he wants her to do for him. Only then will he believe her love is true.

Kyle plays guitar and harmonica on the bouncy “Coffee Man” who “will grind your beans all night long until your coffee comes in the morning”. “Stockton Boulevard” is an instrumental showcase for Kyle’s harmonica with Kid’s B3 and Justin MacCarthy guesting on guitar.  Junior Parker’s 1957 “Backtracking” has another solo by Kyle. Kyle comes running out of the gate with the vocal explosion, “Well it’s been a long time, baby, since your daddy held you tight”. Johnny Burgin on guitar and Bob Welch on piano stand out on the track.

He shows some humor as he determines it “Must’ve Been a Dream” “cause my old lady was treatin’ me right”. He then says, “I met my best friend” in “The County Pen” and hopes to “see you again when I get out”. He ends the album with the traditional “This Train” which seems appropriate as Kyle seems “bound for glory” with his smooth tenor and well-learned harmonica.

One thing that can certainly be determined from this album is that Kyle certainly is Not Holding Back as he delivers a polished masterclass from the blues lessons of his cited mentors including his friend Rick Estrin.

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.

Greg Nagy – Just A Little More Time

Independent

www.gregnagy.com

11 tracks – 47 minutes

Prior to starting a solo career, Greg Nagy was the lead guitarist and songwriter for the Michigan-based band, Root Doctor, from 2005 – 2010. In 2010, he branched out as a solo act and released his debut album, Walk That Fine Thin Line. The album immediately caught critical attention and led to Greg receiving a Best New Artist nomination at the 2011 Blues Music Awards. This is now Greg’s fifth solo album release.

Greg takes all the lead vocals and guitar work with exception of track 5 which has Josh Ford and Bobby Murray, Etta James’ former guitarist, teaming up for the guitar leads. Josh also adds guitar on five other tracks and percussion on three. John Barron plays bass on all tracks except the last, which Rocco Popoielarski plays on. Dummer Todd Glass plays drums on nine tracks with Renee Gonsalves and Donny Brown playing on the other two. Jim Alfredson plays keyboards on eight tracks with Clif Metcalf on the other three. Keith Kaminski plays sax, and Charlie Miller plays trumpet on four tracks. On track 5, James Hughes plays sax, jimmy Smith plays trumpet, and Matt Matinez plays trombone. Rae Wiliams, Tosha Owens, and  Nikell Johnson add backing vocals on tracks 7,8, and 10 respectively.

Five originals and six covers open with the title song. He tells her “You know I’m your man; all I ask of you is “Just a Little More Time”. “I recall the day we met; something just couldn’t do. Didn’t know your love just yet. Couldn’t see the truth. Now here you are shining down on me”. All in a very soulful horn drenched love song. A cover of Eddie “Guitar Slim” James’ 1957 song “It Hurts to Love Someone” follows in a low stroll. He notes “If You give trust, if you give your soul, and when finished she gives you the cold, that’s why it hurts”. Returning to an original, “Breaking Me (but making me a better man)” is another slow-burning soul song with Alfredson’s organ leading the way. as he exclaims “I will always be here, the better man in my heart” as she has left with another man.

On “Between the Darkness and the Light” he proclaims, “The whole town is drowning, but can’t get a drop to drink.  We are entangled with rust beneath our feet. Your heart is breaking and so is mine” as he offers a glimpse into his internal pain. “Love Letter” is a 1995 song written by Bob Murray, who played guitar for Etta James for 23 years, to express his love and reverence for her in a biographical story of Etta. Bob’s guitar carries the emotional weight of the song with Greg delivering an impeccable vocal addressing the missing love.  “My Buddy” is a funky guitar and organ driven instrumental.

Alice Cooper’s “Only Women Bleed” from the 1975 album “Welcome to Nightmare” has been stripped down to its soulful basics.  The song suffered many feminist attacks based on the title alone. In reality, the song was about spousal abuse – “she spends her life through pleasing up her man, he slaps her once in a while and loves the pain”. The song, while controversial, continues to address women’s issues today and provides one man’s recognition of what many women suffer. “Big City” is the final original on the album addressing the struggles and the loneliness that must be endured in chasing a musical career. Swirling guitar mixes with Alfredson’s organ in a backwash expressing the confusion between the desire for success and the passage of personal life.

The album ends with three covers’ Tony Joe White’s 1969 recognized masterpiece “Rainy Night in Georgia” gets a fine interpretation by Greg. Greg shifts The Grateful Dead’s much played 1972 song Sugaree written by Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, and Robert Hunter into a solid romantic blues. John Lee Hooker’s 1951 “I’m In the Mood” concludes the romantic tone of the album with the certainty that “nighttime is the right time to be with the one you love”. Jim Alfredson really cuts loose on the organ on this one.

Greg’s vocals have a calm and sensuous tone mixed with a guitar that melts into the soul of the music. The keyboard work and easy beat of the drums continuously find the right element in the backing of Greg’s performance. Overall, it is modern soul music that deserves to be heard.

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.