Duke Robillard And His All Star Band – Blast Off!

Nola Blue Records

www.dukerobillard.com

12 songs – 53 minutes

Any release by the legendary Duke Robillard is cause for celebration, whether it’s one of his 35+ solo albums, his membership of bands such as Roomful Of Blues and The Fabulous Thunderbirds or when he’s contributing to or producing albums by the likes of Johnny Adams, Al Basile, Bob Dylan or Joe Beard as a sideman. He is a top drawer singer, songwriter and producer, and a stellar guitar player.

The cover of Blast Off! is intriguing, with an inherent conflict between the explosive, uplifting album title (complete with exclamation point!) and the image of Duke floating in space, nonchalantly relaxing with a guitar in an old leather armchair. And that incongruity continues into the music itself, if the listener is expecting Blast Off! to be a guitar-lover’s utopia, as so many of Duke’s previous albums have been. Instead, what we have here is Duke as band-leader, a role he has played off-and-on since his Roomful days, with a varied but also very traditional collection of songs from many of the genres he has mastered over the years, including blues, swing, jazz and R&B. There are a few tasty guitar solos throughout the album, but the focus here is very much on the ensemble, with a lot of room for the horn players to stretch out. Further, Duke only sings on one track (and that is a duet), handing over the vocal duties to Chris Cote (who absolutely nails a wide range of styles).

Blast Off! features nine well-chosen covers and three originals, including two instrumentals as well as “Feel My Cares”, the first recording of a minor key blues song that Robillard wrote 60 years ago.  The two instrumentals are the guitar-driven title track, which cleverly builds tension through repeated key changes, going up by half a step a time, and the Steve Cropper homage by way of The Meters, “Galactic Grease”. The covers range from Floyd Dixon’s swinging “When I Get Lucky”, Guitar Slim’s “Stand By Me” and Tampa Red’s “Look a There Look a There” to wonderful obscurities such as the Rocking Brothers’ mid-50s instrumental, “Play Boy Hop”, on which James’ muscular sax playing really shines, or Allen Toussaint’s “Confusion” where Bear’s piano is to the forefront. There’s even a raucous, gut-bucket cover of Tom Waits’ “Lowdown”.

Robillard produced the album, which was recorded and mixed by John Paul Gauthier at Lakewest Recording, East Greenwich, RI, with mastering by John Mailloux at Bongo Beach Productions, all of whom deserve credit for capturing some masterful performances in crystalline clarity but with plenty of the necessary grit and grim these songs require.

The aptly-named All Star Band comprises Robillard’s longtime musical cohorts, Bruce Bears (keyboards), Marty Ballou (bass) and Mark Teixiera (drums), together with Cote (vocals and guitar and lead guitar on the soul ballad, “Warm And Tender Love”), Doug James and Mark Earley on sax, plus Jeff “Doc” Chanonhouse on trumpet and Billy Novick on clarinet on a killer version of Louis Armstrong’s “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead (You Rascal You)” – Novick also adds clarinet to Count Basie’s “The King”.

Blast Off! is an absolute delight from start to finish. This is an album that rewards repeated listening. 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.

Murali Coryell – Soul of a Nation

Self-released

www.muralicoryell.com

8 Tracks – 46 Minutes

Murali Coryell is the son of famed fusion guitarist Larry Coryell. As such, he has been surrounded by music his entire life. He has lived with Carlos Santana, toured as a supporting act for B.B. King, and as a featured artist with Joe Louis Walker, jazz saxophonist Bill Evans and with his father with whom he also recorded an album, Coryell, in 2000 which included his brother, Julian. Murali was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame and received a Kennedy Center lifetime achievement award from former President Biden.

Murali chose blues and soul music as his preference rather than following in his father’s footsteps. He released his first album, Eyes Wide Open, in 1995. That was followed by his second album, 2120, which became the first album released on the CZYZ record label, formed by the sons of the original Chess Records founders. This album is Murali’s tenth release.

The album consists of six originals and two covers. It was recorded with both his New York and Texas bands. Murali plays guitar and vocals with Bill Foster on bass on the first four tracks, and Peter O’Brien on drums on the first six tracks. Other tracks feature Jeff Anderson or Lannie Hilboldt on bass and Ernie Durawa on drums. Will Gage adds guitar on the final two tracks. The album is noted as dedicated to his recently departed friends Joe Louis Walker, Jeff Anderson, and Danny Pickering.

The album opens with “Pardon Me” addressing the power of the Presidential Pardon citing “set the criminals free and lock up the ones that just looks like me” and provides a long list of the crimes that have been pardoned as his guitar energetically weaves along.  He declares “Severe Anxiety” is going to be the death of me. I try so hard to get along” in an all-out rocker. The first cover is Donny Hathaway’s 2010 song “Someday We’ll All Be Free” which Murali says in his liner notes that he would want to be played at his funeral. As might be expected, the song is very soulful with vibes and keyboards listed as played by someone only listed as D. He advises “Keep on walking tall. Hold your head up high. Make your dreams ride up to the sky”.

“Soul of a Nation” looks at how the United States has become more divided since 9/11 and increasingly so in more recent years. “Things are taking two steps forward and three steps back”. “I want my kids to learn about science, not taught to inside violence”. “You tell me not to believe my lying eyes.” “The future is what we leave to our children.” Janice Dempsey joins Murali on vocals on “Take It Off” as he says he will take my jacket off for you.” in an upbeat number. He states he wrote “Ukraine War Cries” on the day the war first broke out in Ukraine. He sent a copy of it to President Zelensky who responded with a thumbs up. The song identifies the plight of those impacted by the attack.

Delbert McClinton identified that he really liked his performance at Antone’s in Texas of Teddy Pendergrast’s 1980 song “Love TKO” and encouraged him to record it. A soulful song with Joe Morales adding a powerful sax into the mix for a very jazzy sound. He concludes the album with a new recording of “Eyes Wide Open”, which was on his debut 1995 album, another soulful love song.

Murali’s guitar speaks to you in every song demonstrating the strong background received from his family and upbringing. His vocals are somewhat raspy, but still very distinctive and emotive. From his accompanying notes, “Music serves so many different purposes. Sometimes it’s made for us to dance and to make us feel good, sometimes it’s to make us think.” “Being a musician is a calling, like being a priest or a nurse or a teacher” You’re not doing it for the money, you’re doing it because it’s a part of who you are.” The album certainly delivers some powerful social messages about the world today but does not neglect the love that still exists and is encouraged.

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.

Omar Coleman & Igor Prado – Old, New, Funky & Blue

NOLA Blue – 2026

www.nolabluerecords.com

11 tracks; 52 minutes

Chicago’s Omar Coleman joins forces here with Brazilian guitarist Igor Prado, no stranger to cooperative efforts, having previously released albums with the late Lynwood Slim, keyboard player Raphael Wressnig and The Delta Groove All Stars (an album that included the likes of Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza and Junior Watson as guests). Everything here was recorded in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with Prado’s regular band, brother Yuri on drums (replaced on two tracks by Juninho Isidoro) and bassist Ted Furtado, but on most tracks there is also Felipe Morgan’s Hammond, Luciano Leaes’ piano and the horns of Denilson Martins (tenor and bari sax) and Bruno Belasco (trumpet).

Coleman handles all the lead vocals in soulful style, but only plays harp on four tracks. There are six originals penned by Coleman and Prado and five covers from the repertoires of Syl Johnson and Bobby Rush.

Opening track “I’m Leaving My No Good Woman” certainly lives up to the album title as Coleman sings strongly and soulfully and Prado hits the whammy bar, living up to the liner notes’ observation that the album sounds like “Willie Mitchell brought Syl to Hi to record with Ike Turner on guitar”. As on a few tracks here, there is some studio banter that has been left in, reinforcing the informal feel of the sessions, notably on two acoustic tracks: the original “Blue Line Train To Chicago” is down home and funky with Coleman’s harp and chunky acoustic guitar riffs from Prado and Rodrigo Belloni, the lyrics recounting the journey between Chicago and O’Hare airport; Syl Johnson’s moody ballad “I Let A Good Girl Go” is beautifully played, this time Eduardo Belloni joins Prado on acoustic guitar.

The pair of Bobby Rush tunes definitely fit the ‘funky’ aspect of the title. Coleman plays harp on both “I Wanna Do The Do” (a close relative of “Wang Dang Doodle”) and “Night Fishin’” which is not actually about that tranquil riverside activity, not surprising if you have ever seen Rush’s salacious stage show! Also in the funky vein is “Brown Nosin’ Man”, an amusing portrait of someone “always sucking up to everyone, trying to get ahead but he’s fooling himself with the lies he spread”.

Syl Johnson’s “I Only Have Love” is the other track with harp, the horn blasts and dramatic drumming making this a real toe-tapper. Prado’s guitar work is solid throughout, nowhere better than on “Cut You Loose” where he sounds like Albert King and “Answer Your Phone” where it’s another Albert, Collins, whose distinctive guitar style is featured. “Moving On To Better Days” is a song about a break-up with strong vocals and guitar but the pick of the originals has to be “Don’t Give It Away” which combines everything good about this album, a funky background, great vocals and guitar and a fine horn chart.

It is almost impossible to remain still while this fine release is playing!

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’.

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & Spyboy Jwan Boudreaux-The Golden Eagles – Slip Don’t Fall

Wild Heart Records

www.wildheartrecords.com

10 songs – time – 43:17

Big Chief Monk and his grandson Jwan, members of the Golden Eagles, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe from New Orleans, bring their New Orleans vibe. Guitarists Anders Osborne and JD Simo play and provide production. This record is mainly about rhythms, chanting and voodoo vibes. There isn’t much in the way of melody. Percussion, the guitars and keyboards by Robbie Crowell are the main thrust here. Big Chief Monk talk-sings, while Jwan only offers what you could call singing occasionally. They borrow bits and pieces of older New Orleans songs to intertwine with their originals.

Most of the songs are rambling excursions of percussion, unison chanting, ringing guitars and who knows what creating almost a dream state effect. New Orlean-isms are thrown around. Lots of “spyboys” and such.

“Spyboy” crunches down on you via heavy guitars and synths. “Slip Don’t Fall” has more of a traditional song form. Funky wah-wah guitar leads into it. It is infectious. Big Chief Monk provides the vocal on “Going Downtown” in his talk-sing manner. He sings along with a haunting answer vocal by Sierra Green accompanied by acoustic guitar and electric guitar on “Low Down Dirty Blues”. It includes an uncredited harmonica player.

The percussion heavy “Hey La Hey” includes spyboys and Jockamos. There is uncredited saxophone along with synths. Screaming guitars soar over the percussive melee. Mellow soul wah-wah guitar strolls through “As Good As It Sounds”, sounding like seventies soul music.

This energetic music is well suited for background for an alcohol infused Mardi Gras party. Some of the songs seem to melt into each other. Anders Osborne and JD Simo blend their guitars into the mix, weaving in and out. This is surely dance inducing music.

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

Ed Alstrom – This Idea Of Humanity…

Haywire – 2026

www.edalstrom.com

14 tracks; 54 minutes

Ed Alstrom may be a latecomer to the blues world but he is wasting no time with his second release in a year, following 2025’s Flee Though None Pursue. An accomplished organ player who has, for over twenty years, played at baseball’s Yankee Stadium, Ed plays all the keyboards on this disc, accompanied by Suzuki Andes who plays bass, guitar and drums on most tracks; Don Guinta takes over on drums on four tracks, Ed’s childhood friend Jimmy Vivino sings on one track and adds guitar to another, Ula Hedwig adds backing vocals to four tracks, Maxine Alstrom to one and Meredith Greenberg to one on which she also plays djembe. Ed wrote all the material, produced and recorded the album and sings.

Instrumentally the album tends towards a jazzy style with keyboards the main solo instrument, be it organ, piano, clavinet, synth or melodica, the latter notably featured on the uptempo “Nothing Good To Say”. Opener “Put You First” has some great piano and gospel backing vocals from Ula as Ed declares that he intends to “put us first so we can make it last”. Guitar is evident on the uptempo stomper about Ed’s now chosen career “All I’m Gonna Do is play the blues”. The title of the album comes from the track “Humans”, Ed rather cynically declaring that “I love the idea of humanity, it’s these humans I just can’t tolerate”. “Bridesmaid” takes that old phrase about never being the bride as Ed bemoans his fate in romantic matters, one of several tracks that display his sense of humor, also in evidence on “Party Planner” on which he shares the vocals with Jimmy Vivino in a soulful duet: “I say hey, party planner, plan a party for me, I’m rid of this woman and I’m as happy as I can be”.

Ed adopts a laid back vocal style on the blues ballad “Understanding”, brushed drums and piano behind him, but whatever happens “Blues Keep Coming Back”, a tune that brought Bruce Hornsby to mind to these ears. Ed’s piano adopts a sprightly rhythm on “Go Ahead” as he also adds a lively organ solo before additional percussion gives a Latin edge to the “Inquiring Minds that demand to know”. Jimmy Vivino’s greasy slide adds a Delta feel to “The Way Back” and Ed plays some furious, cascading runs on piano on “Got To Stop”, one of the best tracks here. “So Hard” is a stop-start piece of Rn’R and makes a sharp contrast with the ethereal vocals of Meredith Greenberg on “Worry”, a slow tune with rather pessimistic lyrics about life: “Don’t worry about the world, it may all be over soon”.

Ed’s music is a sharp contrast to much of the guitar-oriented music we hear, so if you fancy an emphasis on keyboards and songs with thoughtful lyrics, this may be one to seek out.

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’.

Once Bobby “Blue” Bland has recorded a song, his fans are usually very selective about who they believe should even attempt to cover the song. So, what is it about newcomer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Sean “Mack” McDonald, that makes those same fans enthusiastically welcome his version of “Rockin’ in the Same Old Boat”, which was featured on his debut album (Have Mercy!)?  Probably the same qualities that led to him recently being nominated for a Blues Music Award for best emerging artist album.  Sean’s career is skyrocketing, as it seems he can be seen just about everywhere, and Blues Blast Magazine was fortunate to have the opportunity to talk to Sean while he was performing on the most recent Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.

Sean was born in Augusta, Georgia, and played drums and piano first, before directing his focus to guitar.  His family members had musical talent, but he is the first of them to make music his career.  And he was inspired and encouraged by others, beginning as early as three years old.

“My dad and grandfather were drummers, although not professionally, so I first learned to play drums from my dad and started piano lessons at age three. I also saw lots of local musicians around town, particularly at church. People like Rick Calloway, Eddie Bynes, Karen Gordon, and others. They all inspired me to become a musician. One of my mentors was a saxophonist from my hometown named Tim Sanders.  He played with Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, and Clarence Carter, and he taught in my middle school.  He became one of my closest friends and greatest inspiration.  And both he and my dad told me, ‘Once you graduate college, don’t move back home. There’s nothing down here for you. Don’t make it a permanent thing’.  In college I earned a degree in audio production with a minor in music industry.  But I barely use my degree.  It’s great for obtaining knowledge about mixing, but when I recorded the album, I was not engineering it, Kid (Andersen) was. After college I followed Tim and my dad’s advice and moved outside of Nashville.”

When asked about influences on his guitar playing, Sean emphasized some lesser-known artists.

“Bobby Bland always had the best guitar players, like Clarence Hollimon, Roy Gaines, Wayne Bennet—and that was just during the first ten years.  Clarence and Wayne and Roy are three of the greatest guitar players ever.  I also really dig Bill Jennings and Pete “Guitar” Lewis.  Also, Junior Watson.  Junior is one of the quirkiest guitar players I’ve ever heard and I love him.  He’s played with everybody—Big Mama Thornton, George “Harmonica” Smith, Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza.  When you do that, you end up formulating a style that a lot of people copy.  You might be a sideman, but you have a lot of influence on a record or a show.  That’s why I dig sidemen.  We all know Little Walter and Muddy Waters, but not as many people know about Robert Lockwood or Luther Tucker, the Myers Brothers, Pete Lewis, or Tiny Webb.  They were laying down some of the baddest guitar you’ve ever heard in your life and that’s who I get a lot of inspiration from.”

Sean’s notoriety is growing thanks to more established artists who help to promote his talent.  He was especially grateful to Jontavious Willis, who was also nominated for a Blues Music Award this year, for best traditional blues male artist.

“Jontavious saw a Facebook post of me when I was fifteen and was playing “Dust My Broom” in a local music store.  That video clip had gone viral, and a lot of people were reposting it, and he got wind of it.  After seeing it, he gave me my first show outside of my hometown and connected me to a lot of good people.  He really helped me out!  It’s a brotherhood—a family type of thing.  There can be some bitter competition on stage, just because that’s how music is.  If you have a bunch of guitar players on stage, we’re going to try to cut somebody’s head off.  But offstage there is a lot of support.”

Sean’s album, Have Mercy!, was produced by Kid Andersen and released on Jim Pugh’s “Little Village Foundation” label.  Sean explained how he ended up connecting with them.

“I was already a big fan of Greaseland and Kid Andersen. In fact, he has given me a few guitars.  I ended up meeting Jim Pugh at the 2023 Blues Music Awards and later got to be pretty close to him.  Then I was looking for a label to put out a record, and Jim ended up calling me.  The Little Village Foundation is a great deal for someone’s first record.  Knowing what I know about the business, it’s not as lucrative as we think it is.  You think you can sign a contract and become famous, but it’s not that easy.  There are a lot of hoops that you have to jump through.  I think a lot of people sign contracts too quickly.”

Sean was relieved that the Bobby Bland cover featured on the album was received so well.

“My father introduced me to Bobby Bland’s music, but I hadn’t heard that song before.  Kid was the one who picked it.  He had been wanting someone to cover it.  When it was done but not yet released, I sent it to Rodd (Bobby Bland’s son) and after 45 seconds of listening to it, he said, ‘I don’t know whether to hug you or punch you because I’ve been wanting to do that with the Member’s Only band, and you didn’t call me.”

Sean’s album has some other great covers, as well, including a mesmerizing version of “Don’t Let the Devil Ride”.  But it also contains four original songs.  He was asked about his writing, and about what sounds like a very personal song, entitled “Fakin’ It”.

“If I’m inspired by something, if something drops in my head, I’ll write it.  I’ve tried sitting down to just write song, but I figured out that it’s something divine and you can’t force it.  There was a point where I had written a couple of songs one day and I thought they were good.  I tried to write the next day, and it was terrible.  I just have to wait for the songs to come—wait until I’m inspired by something that is happening.  “Fakin’ It” is probably the most meaningful of my original songs.  I was going through a period of depression—I had a little heartbreak, and I had to move into an apartment by myself, so I was lonely, but I had to be in the face of all these people and still do shows.  You can’t let that show all the way, so I wrote it down and once I finally got it down, I thought ‘that’s exactly what I’m going through’.  And I know someone else is going through it too.  Hopefully they’ll hear it and like it and make a change.  I was inspired by the song “Getting Married Soon” by Prince La La.  The funny thing is the beat—the beat is happy, but it’s some of the saddest lyrics you’ll ever hear.  I’m really proud of that one.  It’s absolutely cathartic to sing.  Music has literally saved my life.  If I didn’t have it, I don’t know what I’d do.”

At twenty-four, Sean has traveled the world far more often than most people his age and has already been hired to perform on several music cruises.

“I’ve been to Europe seven times, and have gone to Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, the Bahamas, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain. The Czech Republic and Holland, all in the last three years.  And this year I’m adding Romania. Estonia and Italy.  The Cruises are great because you can run around and play with everybody, but that can also be a bad thing because for the first two nights I’ll be out until 4 or 5 in the morning.  When I was on my first two cruises, I was at Mr. Sipp’s late night jam every single night. Now, it gets to the point where I’m really tired.”

Sean is in a group of young musicians who are viewed as the future of the blues.  It is a relief to many blues fans that young musicians are interested in the blues, because it seemed for many years as if it did not appeal to those under age 50.  And some young African-American artists had viewed it as just a reminder of more oppressive times.  Sean was asked about that viewpoint.

“I completely understand where people were coming from about those times, and it makes a lot of sense.  But the past informs you of the present and informs you of the future.  You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you came from, and the blues is the root of all American music.  You take any popular genre of music—you can’t strip it down and not see the blues there.  I say it’s in my DNA to be a blues musician.  That’s what my people play.  And I’m just grateful to be another chapter in the book of this music!”

Sean was asked if he had any advice for other young musicians.

“My advice is to learn how to follow.  If you’re starting out, learn how to be a good sideman and you’ll be an even better bandleader.  Study the great bandleaders and great performers.  That’s what I did.  I was always watching James Brown and Ray Charles and also studying the musicians who played with them.  Also—learn your chords.  Please, learn your chords.  The best lead players know their chords.  Get from point A to point B in different ways, and don’t be afraid to accept defeat.  There are millions of musicians out here that are 15 times better than you.  There’s always someone out here who can eat your lunch.   Know that and let that keep you humble, and don’t ever stop learning.  I’m still not where I want to be as a musician.  I know I can play, but I can be so much better, and I want to be so much better.  That’s what keeps me humble.”

Sean has already had the opportunity to play with numerous legends, and he was asked if there was anyone with whom he particularly hoped to share the stage, and whether there were any new project in the making.

“I’ve been so fortunate to get to play with Bob Stroger, Fillmore Slim, and last night I got to jam with Billy Branch in the piano bar—so I was really excited about that!  I’d love to get the chance to play with Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy and Jubu Smith.  As far as new projects are concerned, I’m still riding the wave of this first album.  But I am always writing and whenever the next project comes along, I just want to be ready.  As my mentor Tim Sanders always said, ‘Chance favors the prepared mind’.”

Blues fans are prepared to welcome whatever comes next from this extraordinarily talented young man.  You can find out more about Sean “Mack” McDonald at his Instagram page, @mackmcdonaldofficial, and you can purchase his debut album at www.littlevillagefoundation.com.

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

Charlie Barath – Issaquena Getaway

Self-release

www.charliebarathharmonica.com

14 songs – 60 minutes

Let’s cut to the chase: Charlie Barath’s new album, Issaquena Getaway, is a pure delight, packed with great songs, played with a laid-back, down-home authority by a crack band and excellently recorded with warmth by Gary Vincent at Clarksdale Soundstage in Clarksdale, MS. There is just so much to like about this album.

Barath already has a stellar reputation as a harmonica player who is equally comfortable playing multiple musical styles authentically, from blues to honky tonk, and from western swing to folk. Issaquena Getaway sees him focusing primarily on joyful, relaxed, swinging blues, with 10 self-written tracks and two covers. Barath covers all the vocals (other than Shari Richards’s sultry contribution to “Honey I Got No Money”) as well as the harp, superbly backed by a band comprising Johnny Burgin and Andrew Sherer on guitars, Mark Yacovone on piano and organ, Mike Law on bass and Danny Banks on drums. The entire band deserves immense credit for providing such sympathetic, musical support, laying down a series of irresistible grooves whilst also shining when offered the opportunity to take a solo or two (and Barath is very generous with such opportunities).

The album opens with “I Gets Around”, a shuffle that is both nonchalant and overwhelmingly infectious at the same time, and it’s a great primer for the rest of the album. Burgin lays down the first of many tasty guitar solos (indeed, if you’re a guitar player, Burgin and Sherer provide a object lesson on this album on how to properly support a singer and harmonica player, perfectly blending two separate guitar parts, whilst contributing solos that add to the song). The swinging “The Weekend Song” contains noteworthy solos from Sherer, Yacovone and Barath, but this album is about much more than just the solos – the musicians always serve the songs, with Law and Banks nailing a series of different blues styles.

Barath is a fine singer and lyricist. In “Waiting’ For The Queen”, he uses a card game as a metaphor for love as he sings “They dealt me a King, then they gave me a Jack. I didn’t like them other cards, so I threw them back.” By the end of the song, however, “I knew my Queen had finally come around.” On “The Best Thing That You Can Do”, he gently reminds us that “ain’t never right to do the wrong thing. Ain’t never wrong to do the right. That won’t make you rich and famous, but at least you can sleep at night.” And in the tongue-in-cheek “I Might Fall In Love”, he lists a series of things he absolutely will not do for one specific woman, such as paying her attention, buying her dinner, taking her on a long, moonlit drive or being polite to her parents, for fear that he might fall in love with her.

The two covers fit well with the merry exuberance of Barath’s own songs. Ike Turner’s “Cuban Getaway” adds a Cuban-flavor to the mix, with the harmonica assuming the melody line that was originally played by Ike’s guitar. Likewise, Stanley Turrentine’s saxophone on “Sugar” is replaced with some outstanding harmonica playing.

Issaquena Getaway is a great listen from start to finish. Highly recommended.

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

Dedicated Men Of Zion – Coming Up Through The Years

Music Maker Foundation – 2026

www.musicmaker.org

10 tracks; 28 minutes

Coming Up Through The Years is the third album release from this band, all the members of which are related by blood or marriage. Anthony Daniels, Antwan Daniels, Tyjon Harris and Marcus Suggs share the vocals on nine songs written for them by Jimbo Mathus who co-produced the album with Bruce Watson. Jimbo plays guitar, keys and drums, with Kirk Russell on drums and guitar, Scott ‘Paco’ Goolsby on guitar and John Kveen on bass. This is Sacred Soul and one can find traces of soul acts like The Temptations, bluesmen like John Lee Hooker alongside the obvious gospel and Christian references.

The title track opens proceedings, a tale of rising above life’s hardships with a joyous chorus over funky wah-wah guitar, immediately followed by the soulful tones of “I Don’t Know Why” which recounts how a young child became aware of Jesus, terrific lead vocals on this one. The ballad “Jesus Is Waiting” reminds listeners that He is always ready to help us “standing right there for you to make up your mind” and “Nobody’s Fault” adapts Blind Willie Johnson’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” over rocking guitar and swirling organ. “No Ways Tired” is a slower tune with gentle guitar chords and an outstanding vocal performance by the four men, both the strong chorus and the deeply soulful lead vocal.

Offering a change of musical style the rhythm track for “Victory” sounds a lot like John Lee Hooker: “We shall overcome one day. Keep on fighting, O Lord, we shall gain the victory”. The gospel harmonies of “Something Within Me” take us to church before The Men take an environmental stance in “What You Gonna Do”: “What you gonna do when the world is on fire? Where you gonna run? Nowhere, no place to hide.” “Tone Them Bells” again adapts a familiar gospel song and The Men briefly reprise “No Ways Tired” in a short acapella version to close the album.

The Dedicated Men Of Zion sing beautifully in expression of their faith and there is plenty of good music to enjoy here, whether you are an active Christian or not.

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’.

Alex Lopez – Retro Revival

Maremil Music

www.alexlopezmusic.com

11 Tracks – 41 minutes

Alex Lopez was born in the heartland of rock & roll, Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up, he first learned to play the piano, but the rise of the guitar-driven rock acts of the 60’s and 70’s caused him to shift to the guitar.  Amidst a move to Florida to attend college, he played in rock bands where he fronted a band, Reminiscion. He released his first solo album, Back Bedroom Blues in 2013, which found him playing all the instruments on the album.  He formed the full band, now called the Xpress (aka ALX), which recorded their debut album, Is It a Lie, in 2015.  The current band includes Alex on guitar and vocals, England’s Steve Roberts on bass, and Japan’s Kana Leimbach on drums on eleven original songs on Alex’s eighth album release.

The album opens with the rocking, needful “One More Time” to love you before I leave this town” and noting “If I don’t get to love you. my life’s a mess”. He then declares “Your Lovin” “is bad news” and tells her, “The way you treat me baby you keep me in such pain”. In a mournful lament he explains “When I Sing the Blues” “you hurt me baby, I can’t take no more of that” as his guitar cries alongside of his vocals.

On “Here I Am” he casts a cynical eye to life today citing “Everybody’s forgotten what they call the golden rule” and noting “Got no way to earn my pay. Fading away, somebody help me”. He proclaims, “What the World Needs Now” is “A little bit of loving, a little bit of hope, a little bit of patience, find some way to cope”. “A little understanding, a little bit of calm. Trying to make it better, don’t know where we went wrong”. He exclaims “Hey Little Sister” “I got the right stuff… not enough money but I got got good lovin, that’s all you need” and cites to the world “Hey, the world is hard, it can seem so far.”

“Angry” is a blistering statement on the world. Oh, bad mood rising. Oh, storm on the horizon. Oh, burning me up inside.”  “Seems the world is a craze. Is It the end of days?” He tells her, “Loving You Gave Me the Blues” as he is “still peeling off the lies you told me each day”. “I’m still reeling from the pain you gave that night”. He is “out to prove all my love will be true “In the Name of Love” and further declares that things are “not the same without love”.

Alex says, “I need your love, got none. Got no place to go, pulled into the big “Black Hole”. He closes with an acoustic ballad, “Keep on Living” determining “All my life I have thought I’d find a way. Now it’s closer to the end, I’ll carry on”.

As the title announces, Alex seeks to bring blues rock back into the forefront of music. His themes of lost love and the need of love are recurring themes of rock and blues. Alex clearly approaches those ideas with a modern take. He also does not look away from some brief steps into the current social conscious.

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.

Trudy Lynn – Turning the Same Ole Corners

Jus’ Blues Records – 2026

https://trudylynn.com

12 tracks; 59 minutes

On Turning the Same Ole Corners, newly available in digital form, Trudy Lynn proves that time hasn’t dulled a single edge of her voice. It’s a voice that doesn’t just sing the blues — it testifies, soaring above Lucky Peterson’s stinging guitar runs, the sanctified swell of B-3 organ, and a horn section that punches and sways with greasy, late-night authority. When the band leans into electric blues and funk, the album crackles with life and muscle. Not every R&B-leaning detour lands with the same conviction, but at its best, this record is a showcase for a Houston powerhouse whose delivery can turn even familiar corners into something fierce and alive.

The LP, originally released in 2002, is composed of 6 originals from Lynn and 6 covers, all grounded in blues and R&B. Lynn began her career as an R&B singer in Houston, opening for acts like Ike & Tina Turner, and in Turning the Same Ole Corners Lynn’s voice shines throughout, demonstrating a singular talent. Lynn is equally steeped in Delta Blues, and produced several albums in the 1980s for the Ichiban label. The best tracks on this album showcase Lynn belting the blues.

A strong horn section – Sam Anderson on saxophone, Russell Gunn on trumpet and Little Joe Burton on trombone – add layers to the snappy, high energy track, “Can’t Even Get the Blues No More.” Lynn’s deep soulful voice dominates as she croons “I try to worry like I did before. But nothing happens when I walk the floor.” A raw, electric, spicy guitar solo features prominently in the middle of the song.

In “Do Ya”, Lynn delivers tender but fierce vocals telling the story of a woman questioning if love has faded. The track carries a jubilant energy, despite the uncertain lyrics, and tight rounds of horns ring out. Lynn sings “do you still get a thrill when you see me coming up the hill? Do ya?”, in an unhurried triumph of emotion.

The title track, “Turning the Same Ole Corners” features funky layers of guitar, B-3 Organ (Lucky Peterson), and drums (Greg C. Mullin), in a smooth, polished and soulful tune. Lynn provides stellar vocals, with a burning, deep voice calling out, “when will you open your eyes? You’re looking for something daddy, that you’ve already got.” Versai Sain and Charlie Brown offer good, soulful harmony with a catchy background chorus.

“Helping Hand Blues” is classic upbeat electric blues. In her original composition, Lynn warns “Hey miss lady, you better strop bragging about your man. Cause there’s a whole lot of women that will give you a helping hand.” The band produces some infectious grooves with the interplay between guitar, drums, and keys (Haran Griffin and Lynell Boone). The vocal delivery is spicy and vigorous, propelling the track forward.

Funky guitar strumming kicks off “Snatching it Back”, which highlights Lynn’s soft, but powerful voice amongst perfectly placed B-3 organ. The energetic, R&B-influenced song has once again another remarkable guitar solo, careening the length of the neck of the guitar.

Snappy, catchy horns kick off “No Deposit No Return”, followed by an organ-driven groove, while Lynn sings “I finally caught on baby… if you ain’t got nothing to give, how do you expect to get something.” Lynn’s performance evokes the natural vocal command of Nina Simone. Instrumentally, this is one of the grooviest tracks on the album, with clear prowess displayed in a dazzling organ solo from Peterson. The backup vocals are strong, and with the instruments help form a soulful tapestry.

“C.O.D.” employs an Albert King style blues intro with hot guitar licks and solid percussion. Lynn’s voice rings out, “Come in to you daddy, come into your COD (cash on delivery).” The guitar wails and moans in an impressive solo as the organ adds subtle depth and soul.

The album’s softer R&B stretch — including “If My Pillow Could Talk,” “Precious Moments,” “Reneged on Me,” “Memories of You,” and “I Know Why” — leans heavily into smooth, sentimental arrangements that trade grit for gloss. Though Lynn’s voice remains expressive throughout, these slower, polished tracks drift toward subdued, contemporary soul and away from the raw blues power that defines the record’s strongest moments. The production is lush and reflective, but the lack of edge and instrumental bite leaves this portion of the album feeling stylistically muted compared to its funkier, organ-driven highlights.

As a collection, Turning the Same Ole Corners is a strong set of tracks, driven by Lynn’s powerful voice and an impressive roster of studio musicians. In this new digital release, her voice lands as an earth-shaking force, cutting deepest when the band settles into gritty blues grooves. It’s a performance that deserves to be heard by a wider audience.

Writer Jack Austin, also known by his radio DJ name, Electric Chicken (y Pollo Electrico en Espanol), is a vinyl collector, music journalist, and musician originally from Pittsburgh.

Fatt Max – JD & Me

Independent

https://fattmax.bandcamp.com

16 Tracks – 40 minutes

Mark “Fatt Max” Hill was born in London, England in 1967. He grew up listening to his parents’ collection of jazz, blues and Rat Pack music, but was always drawn to the blues.  He was self- taught to play the guitar – “just listening and learning”. By age 9, he was “picking up riffs and tunes from the radio or the family collection. At age 11 he joined his first band which performed a mix of original tunes with covers of blues and Beatles songs. He continued in bands playing in different genres through his teen years and into his 20’s, but the blues was always foremost in his mind.  The latter period found him performing in acts throughout UK.

Things changed in 1996 when he got married. His wife was born in New Zealand and in 1998, they moved to Auckland, New Zealand. Now in a new country with no knowledge of other musicians, he decided to continue his career as a solo musician. He eventually discovered the Auckland Blues Music Club and found a bunch of like-minded people all dedicated to the blues. He started playing gigs in clubs and festivals all across the country and is looking forward to playing at the 40th Anniversary of the Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival. He continues to play solo but also plays in a band called The Dirty Tones.

Mark builds his own guitars out of scrap materials like cigar boxes and hub caps. In addition to the guitar, he also plays bass, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, keyboards, harmonica and 3-string slide guitar. He does all of his own production, engineering and songwriting in his home studio.  He has a regular podcast called Blues Diabolique on the RFS Network. Check Bandcamp for this album and many other albums and EPs.  Although now disbanded, he was the founder and president of the Fat Bikers Motorcycle Club, which had over 300 members in New Zealand, many of whom were like-minded about the love of blues music. In fact, he notes that blues is still strong in New Zealand with many young people getting involved. “We love our blues down under”.

The album title reflects his one man and a guitar approach to music. The JD in the title references his “faithful Gretsch parlour guitar which he named Jim Dandy”. The guitar is shown on the chair in the lower corner of the album cover. The album features 16 original songs, all recorded as live first takes.

He immediately gets things jumping with the “Lucky Bo Boogie” as he says, “my baby left me and took my dog, drove around and moving on …I feel fine”.  Next, he explains “I don’t really mind being out of my mind. “Whole Lotta Crazy” going on”.   My “Folks” taught me to stand my ground. Don’t let anybody push you around”.  “Jellybone’s Shack Pt. 1” slows things down as he tells “down in the swamp at the river bend, there’s an old-time shack where the blues never ends”.

He kicks things back up in a high-speed romp. “Up and down, around and around, wheeling around all over town, nothing will get me down at the “Roadhouse Dandy Blues”. “Today’s my eyes wide open, today I see the light. Well, I know you done me wrong, I know I done you right” on “Today Blues”. On “Busy”, he declares “I found the devil in you.  You brought the devil in me. Only one thing left to do, gotta get busy with you.” On “All in All” he expresses ” I never thought how hard, how hard you’d make me fall”.

With a bit of rock ‘n’ roll, He advises ” I ain’t got no money, holes in my shoes, I ain’t got nothing, nothing I can lose but I got all I need cause ” I Got the Blues”.  He asks, “Why do you “Waste My Time”? “We got no words to say”. “Don’t Care” if you left, don’t care if you’re right. “You do your thing, I’ll do mine”. He tells the “Whiskey Woman” I want to be your whiskey man. You ain’t pretty, you ain’t nice” “Heed this story, heed this song. A whiskey woman will only do you wrong”.

“You are laughing as I am crying and “You Doing It Again”.  “You don’t know how much it hurts me bad”. “Stomping Hog Blues” gets the boogie going again.  “Let me be your stomping hog. Baby, I’ll show you what I got. I got the boogie-woogie, make the river hot”. He returns to “Jellybone’s Shack Pt. 2” as he tells “I need a doctor; I need a cure.” He begs “Mr. Jellybone, please help me.” “Watcha Fink” ends the album in high energy as he cites ” I left myself by the side of the road, nowhere to run, nowhere to go”.

One man with a strong voice, fun lyrics and his driving guitar will make you think of an afternoon sitting in a porch swing just listening to him playing for our enjoyment. 16 songs in 40 minutes means he quickly covers a lot of ground in each song, but all sound complete in his stories or messages. An enjoyable listen to old school blues.

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.