Selwyn Birchwood – Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues

Alligator Records

www.selwynbirchwood.com

10 songs – 47 minutes

An incendiary, award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter, Selwyn Birchwood is also a highly original and difficult-to-pin-down performer who serves up a dramatic change-of-pace with his latest serving from the Alligator label.

A follow-up to Exorcist and Old School – two albums saturated with blues-rock, this release is as soulful and thought-provoking music with a sting that delivers a warm embrace to a world that could use a big hug. All-original and self-produced, it’ll take you to church while doing its best to lift your spirits despite all the hardship, worry and strife sapping your energy today.

It’s quite a break from the norm for Selwyn, who rose to prominence at the 2013 International Blues Challenge, capturing band-of-the-year and guitarist-of-the-year honors, too. A first-generation American whose mother is British and his father is from the Caribbean island of Tobago, Birchwood was born in Orlando, Fla., and picked up his first six-string at age 13.

At age 19 and already a fan of the blues through his love for Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy, he was blessed to be introduced to a neighbor, the legendary lap-steel wizard Sonny Rhodes. Shortly thereafter, Selwyn was invited by Rhodes to join his touring band, a position he held for four years while continuing his education at the University of Tampa, where he eventually earned a master’s degree in business administration.

Under Sonny, Birchwood also learned to be a solid bandleader, too, as evidenced by this CD. The all-original set was recorded by Bob Frank at Baysound Studios in Sarasota, Fla., with backing from sax and flute player Regi Oliver and bassist Donald “Huff” Wright, musicians who’ve been at Selwyn’s side since he released his first album, FL Boy, in 2011. They’re augmented by Henley Connor III on percussion with John Heatherington on keys. Eli Bishop sits in on violin, viola and cello, and Briana Lutzi and Taylor Opie provide backing vocals.

Recorded by Bob Frank at Baysound Studios in Sarasota, Selwyn’s backed by longtime partner Regi Oliver on saxes, Donald “Huff” Wright on bass, Henley Connor III on drums with John Hetherington on keys. Eli Bishop adds violin, cello and viola with Briana Lutzi and Taylor Opie on backing vocals.

Deeply soulful and with a taste of the islands, too, the set kicks off with “Labor of Love.” It’s a sweet ballad that picks up in intensity as Selwyn celebrates both the good and bad of a relationship, rejoicing in the down moments because, at the end of the day, he knows he’s done the best he can for his wife and kids. Oliver’s sensational horn lines drive the message home throughout.

Hetherington’s keys join Birchwood’s strings to open “Damaged Goods.” It’s a medium-tempo blues with a strong beat that acknowledges making mistakes in life, but it doesn’t mean he’s “no good” – it’s simply a matter of being human. His bittersweet guitar solo mid-tune carries the message forward. The message continues in “The Struggle Is Real,” an understated complaint that really hits home. As a person of color, he states, the situation began at birth, when he was born “with a chord around my neck.”

The mood brightens from the down-stroke of “The Church of Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues.” It’s an uptempo, horn drenched funk that gives Selwyn space to work out on his axe that celebrates his ability to deliver his message in song. He switches to lap steel for “What I’ve Been Accused Of,” a Chicago-flavored blues that rebuts having done half of the complaints being heaped on him by his woman. You can feel the depth of his complaint in every note in the song.

Truly 21st-century blues, “All Hail the Algorithm” kicks off with the old-school sound of a computer making a dial-up connection to a website before Selwyn launches into a complaint about living in a “digital hell” in which artificial intelligence is molding humans for its own end. In essence, we’re putting chains on our own hands, he says.

An island beat fuels “Talking Heads,” which advises ignoring what you’re hearing on TV news, before flowing into the driving blues-rocker “Should’ve Never Gotten Out of Bed.” It’s the realization when he checks the mail that the singer owes the IRS a fortune, that he has a negative bank balance and much, much more. “The Eagle Has Landed” features more intense fretwork atop a muffled conversation from astronauts before the disc closes with another intense love song, “Soulmate,” advises that – even if you’re all alone – there’s someone out there for you waiting to be found.

Sure there’s plenty of preaching coming from Selwyn’s pulpit this time. And a lot of it comes with a bite. But listen to his message because every word and note are true. Strongly recommended.

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

Freddie King – Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Pulsation Concert

Elemental Music – 2026

www.elemental-music.com

CD1: 8 tracks; 66 minutes

CD2: 8 tracks; 60 minutes

Freddie King’s death in 1976, just 42 years old, was a terrible loss to the blues world. A big influence on the British guitarists of the 1960’s, his instrumentals “Hideaway”, “The Stumble” and “Driving Sideways” became the signature tunes for Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor respectively in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Here he is, live in France just a year before his death, in a beautifully packaged set with excellent liner notes and over two hours of music, Freddie performing with a five piece band: Ed Lively on second guitar, Alvin Hemphill on organ, Lewis Stephens on piano, Benny Turner on bass and Calep Emphrey on drums; Freddie handles lead guitar and vocals.

The concert opens with a lengthy “Have You Ever Loved A Woman?” with short intros for each band member, Freddie including snatches of “Rock Me Baby” and “The Sky Is Crying”. BB King’s “Whole Lot Of Lovin’” is outstanding, Freddie’s guitar and the piano of 19 year-old Lewis Stephens (still going strong with Mike Zito) very subtle and understated before we get back to boogie with “Hey Baby/Mojo Boogie” that also references “Dust My Broom”. Guitar Slim’s “The Things I Used To Do” is beautifully done, five minutes of just guitar and piano before the band joins in. “Messin’ With The Kid” is played pretty straight and Jimmy Rogers’ “That’s All Right” is given a tender treatment before the band ramps things up with “Going Down”. Another classic, T-Bone’s “Stormy Monday Blues”, is treated with due reverence to close disc 1.

CD2 starts with three lengthy cuts, a snippet of “Sen-Sa-Shun” which rapidly moves into Magic Sam’s “Looking Good” and John Lee Hooker’s “Boogie Chillun”; a second BB pick is “Sweet Little Angel” during which every band member gets a short solo slot, including Freddie’s brother, Benny Turner, on bass; “Got My Mojo Working” may well be the point at which Freddie leaves the stage as we get lengthy applause and foot stomping before he starts on a very laid back, almost acoustic version of “Sweet Home Chicago”. The quieter mood prevails for “Wee Baby Blues” (Big Joe Turner/Pete Johnson) and “Danger Zone” (Percy Mayfield) before he delivers a jazzy version of Dave Mason’s Traffic tune “Feelin’ Alright”. The show closes with “You’re The One”, a slow build-up to a rousing finale.

Freddie King was a force of nature who certainly lived life to the full. You can hear that Freddie is having a great time here and it shows in a selection of music that touches on many of the greats, both from Freddie’s own generation and those that came before him. The Nancy crowd had a ball and, if you’re ‘Ready For Freddie’, so will you.

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’.

Lo Steele – Only A Drop

Little Village Records

9 tracks – 34 minutes

Lauren “Lo” Steele was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Her mother, Rhonda Steele, is in the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Her father, Mark, is also a musician and leads the Steele family band. Lo has toured Brazil and acted in plays in Portland and recently in New York. She has opened for Dianne Reeves and Esperanza Spalding, which would tend to suggest her music tends towards jazz and/or R&B with a blues touch.

The 26-year- old female vocalist is now releasing her second album produced by Charlie Hunter and co-produced by Marcus Finnie. The two respectively play “hybrid guitar” and drums on the album. LaRhonda Steele and Sarah Steele provide backing vocals and Elleon Dobias play violin. Nine original songs on the album were all written or co-written by Lo Steele.

“Greenz” opens the album with a bluesy accusation about modern music as she determines “They want to water down the green, take the flavor and color out but replicate the recipe. They take every created to fit their own desire and needs, they have forgotten what it means – melodies.” All concluding with “I love the blues”. “Stockholm” moves into a sexy R&B roll as she expounds on “all the things you put me through brings these things to my mind. It is easy for me when the thrill is gone, and love is gone on its way”. She then says she wants to be “Made New”, ” to be seen by you”.

On the orchestra powered “Seven Wonders”, she asks, “Where did you get your heart from? Did you find it in a garden?  Blooms with such a loving that I have never known”. “Step Out on Faith” gets funky as she declares “to live you have to grow”. “If you want everything you say, you’ve got to take a step.”  She questions “Will We Ever Know How It Feels to Be Free?” “or is evil the responsibility of humanity to keep things interesting”. “Must I l aways lay with my rage?”

On “Just Say You Want Me” she cries “It hurt so bad when things fell apart. I didn’t know because I couldn’t see it, how I broke your heart”. “Now that I have faded and anticipated, I want to crawl back right into your view. I turned my self red while looking for blue”.  She seeks to get in on his “Garden Floor” as she laments on a lost love, “I find myself awake at night, thinking back of the memory of how I knew. If I could only hear you sigh, live in the after you.” She states, “We were born to sing and there is no tax on a “Freedom Song”. She reflects “once there was a time a song was loud. In order to sing it, one had to believe it. We needed no license to shout our defiance. If you’ve got the music, you got to use it.” “While I’m only a drop in the ocean, my song will live on in whoever is listening.”

Lo Steele envelops a musical style that, at least in my estimation and probably limited knowledge of the specific genre, is not currently represented by too many current female vocalists. Esperanza Spalding, mentioned above, and Diana Krall come to mind as purveyors of a jazz form blended with the blues. Lo Steele delivers a warm, sensuous feel to her songs. Her lyrics show a depth beyond standard love songs that shift easily to a social commentary while maintaining that comfortable drive.  A nice easy listen for a romantic evening or just for relaxation, but also with a closer examination will make you think.

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.

Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis – Fight On! True Blues Vol. 2

Yellow Dog Records

https://yellowdogrecords.com

9 tracks 27 minutes

This is the sequel to the 2013 debut album by Guy Davis, Corey Harris, and Alvin Youngblood Hart which stemmed from their meeting at the 1996 Chicago Blues Fest. It took 13 years, but now volume 2 in on the books and it is a fine album. These self-proclaimed saviors of the blues deliver three songs apiece solo; it’s not a collaboration of talents but more of a collaboration of kindred spirits as they each give us some beautiful originals and covers to enjoy.

Recorded both in Virginia and New York City, the album begins with Corey Harris’s title song “Fight On” where he adapts an old banjo tune into Piedmont blues. The fingerpicking is delightfully pure and Harris delivers a powerful story with his vocal work. Charley Patton’s “Screamin’ and Hollerin’ The Blues” is the first Patton song Alvin Youngblood Hart learned as a teenage and he delivers it with true feeling. He sings with passion and plays his guitar while knocking out a groove; well done! Then it’s “See Me When You Can,” a song Guy Davis wrote long ago for his grandmother as he spent time on the road. The song is spoken from his grandmother’s perspective, a plea to him to do as the title says. It’s a heartfelt piece delivering with love and compassion.

Next is “What’s That I Smell.” This one is a song Harris wrote about an old bar he used to play in in NOLA, the Funky Butt. He plays, sings and sniffs in this colorful cut. “If the Blues Was Money” is a Youngblood Hart original inspired by Henry Townsend. Alvin’s vocals howl and his picking is inspired. Then it’s “Deep Sea Diver,” a delightful original by Davis where he tells the story of Papa Jack/Handsome Jack Lodi who uses double entReverend endres to tell how he pleased his women.

“I Belong To the Band” follows, a Reverend Gary Davis song that Harris makes his own.  Powerful vocals make this one special. Fred McDowell’s “Highway 61” is performed by Youngblood Hart. He learned the song from David “Honeyboy” Edwards who he gigged with before Honeyboy passed. Alvin lived along the highway in several places, so it’s sort of a biographical cover for him and it’s well done. The album wraps up with Guy Davis and “Everything I Go Is done In Pawn.” This is an adaptation and expansion of Elizabeth Cotten’s “Shake Sugaree” and he picks out the tune with a forceful and emotive manner.  He bemoans his financial woes and interactions with the pawnshop in this slick finale to the CD.

If you aRe an acoustic blues fan, this is something you need to add to your collection. If you are new to acoustic music, these three guys provide a primer in how the genre remains alive today that you can learn from. Harris, Youngblood Hart and Davis are superb keepers of the flame and truly are (as they have claimed in the past) “saviors of the blues.” Go get this. You won’t be sorry!

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.

Garret T. Willie – Bill’s Café

Gulf Coast Records – 2026 

https://garrettwillie.com

9 tracks; 35 minutes

On Bill’s Café, Garret T. Willie doesn’t ease you in—he comes out swinging. The opening stretch is loud, guitar-heavy, and deliberately abrasive at times, built around a gravelly vocal delivery and a clear preference for density over restraint. It’s a record that leans hard into blues-rock muscle: overdriven riffs, busy arrangements, and solos that rarely hold back.

That approach gives the album its punch, especially early on, but it also sets a narrow lane. As Bill’s Café moves forward, Willie pushes that same intensity in different directions—sometimes landing on something sharp and compelling, other times feeling a bit crowded, with vocals and arrangements competing for space. The result is a record that’s consistently forceful.

At 25, Willie is already releasing his second album and toured with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Fogerty and Joe Bonamassa. Willie considers himself a part of a greater “outlaw storytelling” musical tradition; on the LP his grit, heart, and soul bleed through.

The album opens with “Hypnotist”, with a large, heavy sound from the start and Willie’s growling voice singing “You lie, cheat, steal. Snort coke, wheel, deal. But you ain’t got money.” Kevin McKendree and Mike Rojas provide layers of piano keys. Rapid-fire electric guitar (from Audley Freed and Willie) drives the track.

Delightful bursts of keys grace “Devil Doll”, a heavy blues tune with a boogie woogie beat. With a passionate, gritty vocal delivery, Willie sings “I sure like those wicked games we play. Spend my money liked it grows on trees. Sinful how you do how you do.” The electric guitar is wielded like a chainsaw, cutting everything in its path, in the short, contained track.

Powerful, muscular guitar playing is displayed on “Small Town People”, a reflection on small town life. A fiery, unrestrained solo, is the highlight of the track.

Heavy, crunchy guitar permeates “I’m Late”, the closing track of the album. Willie sings “I need some money and I need it fast. Gotta make it to my gig, getting low on gas, and I’m late, I’m late, always running behind. Energetic, jet-fired electric guitars and drums propel the jolly blues rock tune, with killer guitar solos.

Elsewhere, Willie shows flashes of range that push beyond the album’s dominant crunch. “Golden Highway” slows things down with gentle strumming and a more reflective tone, hinting at a country-leaning sensibility and a willingness to let melody and space carry the song.

“High Beam Blues” leans closer to tradition, with soulful, loose piano work and a more restrained vocal that feels better suited to Willie’s strengths. Even “Young Country Boy,” with its familiar structure, finds a steady groove and a bit of breathing room—something the record occasionally lacks when it’s at full throttle.

Taken as a whole, Bill’s Café feels like a young artist testing the limits of his sound. Willie’s instincts clearly lean toward power—loud guitars, big solos, and unfiltered vocal delivery—and when it clicks, it’s compelling. But the album is at its best when that intensity is balanced with restraint, allowing the songwriting and musicianship to come through more clearly. There’s no shortage of ability here; what emerges is an artist with a strong foundation, continuing to refine and shape an already promising voice.

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.

It’s been a long road for “Boogie” Long. He’s been burned by the music business. He’s had people try to change his look and sound. He’s had records shelved, locking up some of his best songs. He had a major health condition undiagnosed. Despite it all, he’s undeterred and ready to break through. His new album Courage in the Chaos is a blues rock lightning bolt. His singing and lead guitar playing are head-turning. One can hear traces of early Eric Gales, the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, and more, but Long is honestly his own thing. He has a commanding voice that has echoes of Chris Stapleton, Warren Haynes, and Don Barnes. His music falls under the blues banner because of the subject matter, his emotional singing, and scorching guitar chops. One can also hear creole, country, metal, gospel, Mexican, soul, southern rock, funk, and other influences throughout his work. It all adds up to a sound that proves he’s a bad mamma jamma.

Jonathon Long was a musical prodigy. By age six, he was carrying his little guitar into churches, nursing homes, and even prisons. “Music is a universal language. It can make a mad person calm or a calm person crazy.” He played in blues jams with Louisiana elders like Kenny Neal and Larry Garner. At 11, he had his first paying gig. He started touring with Henry Turner, Jr. and Luther Kent around age 14. He learned space and restraint during his long apprenticeship with Kent’s big band. Unlike some child stars, Long is happy he started young and sees more that was gained than lost from the experience.

“I don’t think it hurt me. I had to grow up pretty fast. All those lessons that you learn when you’re young and then playing with and being around all those people is all the seasoning that makes you the person you are today. It’s all part of growing. It doesn’t matter when you start, as long as you pay attention to the lessons that the elders are trying to teach you. When I was 14, I used to try to smoke cigarettes at Swamp Mama’s nightclub in downtown Baton Rouge and Howard ‘Sundance’ Dunston would grab ‘em out my mouth and say, ‘Gimme that cigarette’ and start smoking it himself. Ronnie Houston, when I was touring with Henry Turner, he used to tell me, ‘You see that brown stuff you spittin’ up? It’s that emphysema’. They cared about me. They wanted to see me grow into something, grow into my own. I think it was just God’s plan. I took to it at a young age. While everyone else was getting picked for the football team, chasing girls, and playing Pokemon, I was playing eight hours a day of guitar, trying to do something,” Long remembered.

There have been high points and support that have made the journey enjoyable. Long was one of the youngest inductees into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He was given his own day by the City of Baton Rouge in 2013. He also bested over 4,000 contestants when he was named the 2011 Guitar Center “King of the Blues”. That award is presented annually to the best unsigned blues guitarist in America, from which he gained meaningful notoriety.

“I knew then that I had a special thing with guitar. The B.B. tour helped me mentally. B.B. gave me permission to take the torch. That’s a nod from the King. On the second night, he called me up stage and said, ‘Boy, you really can play. I stole some of your licks’. I said, ‘No problem Mr. King, I stole all of your licks’. It’s stuff like that I’ll never forget.”

Long was only 18 years old when touring with The King of the Blues. He has shared the stage and/or opened for many “A List” blues stars such as Gregg Allman, Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa, Gov’t Mule, ZZ Top, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Meters, and many others. It was recently leaked that he has some type of collaboration that will be released later this year with the legendary guitarist Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple). These interactions haven’t all been gems. The time he played with Dr. John went hilariously wrong.

“I’m wild and out there. I try to stick out and be different. I played with Dr. John one time when I was 18. I got hired to play guitar on a gig and I showboated too much, so that was the only gig I ever played with him. I was playing behind my head and all kinds of funny stuff and he was like ‘Whoa, what in the world’. It was a good time. I got the story to tell, it’s funny.”

Three of his early albums placed on the Billboard Blues Album chart. His new record stands at least shoulder to shoulder with those efforts, in terms of quality and success. It recently debuted in the top 15 of the Billboard Blues chart, the highest of his career. The album is a little less country, a little less jam-bandy, and a little more punch-you-right-in-the-kisser rock ‘n roll and blues. Chaos has several highlights, including the singles “A Fool Can See” and “Baby I’m Through”. “Hell or High Water” is a good one to crank up and put the pedal to the metal. Long’s southern rock roots shine through on a faithful cover of The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See”. He turns the blues guitar pyrotechnics loose on the live, head-turning “Catfish Blues” (which originally appeared on his Jonathan “Boogie” Long & the Blues Revolution album in 2013). Early critical, radio, and retail response to the record has been strong.

“It’s been amazing. The response has literally blown me away. We’re getting copies sold all over the country, including places I haven’t been in years. It’s really cool to see people wanting new music and supporting indie artists. I’m excited to see what happens. I just want to put out positive music that blesses people and makes them think about stuff constructively, instead of negativity or demeaning women. Mainstream music has gotten so out of hand. I want to write good clean music in a positive light.”

Growing up in a seriously religious family was sometimes an issue for the future rock star, but it provided a strong musical base.

“I was kicked out of my first church band because I wanted to play blues for a living. My gospel background really came from my parents and my grandparents and they always supported me no matter what. My brother and sister grew up in the real fire and brimstone gospel house. By the time I came around, they were more lenient. I went on the road at 14 years old. My brother and sister couldn’t even listen to Petra, which was a Christian rock band. I grew up listening to gospel. I listened to more black gospel than I did AC/DC or Guns N’ Roses kind of stuff. I know more about The Clark Sisters than I do about Slash, for sure.”

Long’s guitar-playing prowess will always make him stand out above the standard blues fare, he flat-out tears up the pea patch. While he discusses and acknowledges B.B. King and others from early blues eras, his main influences are not obvious ones.

“My approach to guitar is more like a singer’s approach. I approach my licks from a singing or melody standpoint than just playing what you learn as a guitar player. I’ve soaked in a little bit from everybody. I go back and listen to Sean Costello, rest in peace, and Michael Burks, rest in peace. Those two guys were two of the greatest guys who ever did it. I go back and listen to all their stuff all the time. Jason Isbell is my favorite songwriter. If I was going to date somebody and if they listen to a Jason Isbell record all the way through and didn’t cry at least once, I don’t want to be with that person. You don’t have a soul (laughs). It’s the most touching music. I just like deep songs. Sometimes I write simpler stuff, but I like stuff that makes you think.”

Sometimes through his career, the thoughts came too fast and furious and that was counterproductive. He’s recently had a medical breakthrough that is being treated.

“I’m ADHD. I just got diagnosed actually. It’s a focus-thing, it’s hard to focus. I’m always thinking about music or new ideas, so I don’t listen a lot anymore. I listen to more fusion, black gospel, a lot of R & B like Frankie Beverly and Maze, a lot of the old Stevie Wonder stuff. The Aquarium Rescue Unit, Col. Bruce Hampton, is actually my favorite band in history. I cannot get over how amazing that band was. Jimmy Herring is my second favorite guitar player that ever lived. I’m all over the place. I ain’t a neurological specialist, I’m a blues singer!”

When it comes to singing, his main influence was one of his early mentors, the late, great, underappreciated blues belter Luther Kent. “When he got on-stage, he’s one of the best blues singers that ever lived, period, ever. He’s one of the best people I ever heard in my life, such a big voice,” Long gushed.

Long is booked into several notable festivals and some Florida dates this spring and summer with his own band and with another blues group Desoto Tiger’s Testimony (which includes Damon Fowler and Jason Ricci), but he does not have yet have the robust tour schedule that one might expect, having released such a strong album.

“Right now, I’m using Chris Roberts on bass and Brian Brignac on drums, he plays drums with Sonny Landreth as well. So, I’m doing a trio unless the budget will allow us to use a four-piece, because I have a keyboard player as well and he likes to go on the road. I’m doing (New Orleans) Jazz Fest and Baton Rouge Blues Fest for sure. We’re working on some other dates. It’s crazy right now. We’re trying to shake something loose and make it happen. The place that I’m most comfortable in my own skin on this planet is on stage in front of somebody. So, my plan is to get back on the road. I haven’t been on the road enough in my life, that’s why people don’t know who I am.”

Even though he seems to be an old soul, Long has also embraced the digital world. He has been playing on TikTok and getting great response, making new fans. He went from 800 to 24,000 followers in one year. He continues to hustle and persist despite management and label setbacks earlier in his career.

“It just put me in a dark place because they didn’t understand me. I don’t blame nobody for what happened. I held animosity for a long time, but I’m letting it go. I have to, to move forward. I don’t need to ride anybody’s else’s coat tails, man, I don’t. My talent can stand on its own. I was caught in the middle of a gamble that didn’t work for them. I don’t hold any grudges. All that went down during COVID. I learned, I grew, I’m ready to move forward. That’s what this record is, a rebranding. I used to wear all black and look sad. Now I’m white and colorful and smiling. We’re trying to come back stronger than ever. I’m trying to get people to pay attention in the industry. The fans have always loved me. All I’ve ever done is showed up to the gig and rocked out.”

Long has a gift that he’s intent on not wasting, an infectious personality, and passion for the music. One gets the feeling that you can’t stop the Boogie.

“I know in my heart of hearts that there’s nothing else for me on this planet that I’m supposed to be doing other than this. I know it deep within. That’s the reason I can’t give up. I have to push through. My first record deal, the guy died before the record came out. My second record deal was the whole crap show. Jim Odom, my producer, in the middle of this project had open heart surgery, five bypass surgery. That’s another reason I know I’m on the right path. If the Devil’s working against me, that means there’s a bigger picture. I just gotta keep on fightin’ against him buddy, I’ll give him the ole one-two, that’s all I can do.”

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.

The Dibs – Just For You

Naked Records

www.thedibsband.com

11 Tracks – 49 minutes

The Dibs are a Belgian based band. The band was first formed in 2019, but the current line-up is more recently formed, and this is the debut album of the current group. All of the musicians in the band are seasoned veterans having played in many different regional bands.  In October 2025 they competed and finished in second place at the Belgian Blues Challenge. The band consists of lead vocalist Peter Jacobs who also plays percussion supported by Bart Billekens on Hammond organ and piano, Jeff Jr. Gijbels on drums, Guy Engelen on bass, and Stanley Patty on guitar. Their website describes their music as “Rhythm and blues topped with a hot soul sauce with a catchy chorus that invites you to sing along”.

The album opens with Peter advising on “No Sleep” that “I am a restless man, I don’t want to go to sleep”. “I don’t want the days to end, just want them to go on.” Stanley gets a smooth guitar solo which is later followed by an organ solo by Bart showcasing the band’s capabilities. “Stop Fooling Around” is noted as the band’s first singles release. It is a message song directed to world leaders. Leading off with the announcement that “The world is on fire, burning down to the root. Messed up the planet, poisoned our food.  The water is rising, nature is broke. Enough is enough and this is no joke”. “Not enough room to live and breathe”. He then declares that he is “Sick and Tired” as ” I turn on the tv, that’s just what I get, so-called politicians making me feel upset.” “We have the new Messiah or at least that is what he thinks.” “Rich are getting richer, snatching all the dough.”

He then advises to just “Live Life” and asks, “Why do we hate when we can just make some love? Why do we cry when we can make one laugh?” “Help a stranger in a cold, cold night. Maybe for once you can do right.” Stanley launches into a funky guitar run with Bart’s organ sailing along and Jeff’s drums providing a solid beat. “Like Lovers Do” is a slow blues led by Bart’s Hammond. Peter sings, “I wake up, there is still some wine in this dirty coffee cup. “Streetlights go out, it is getting clear, my heart is still pumping fear. “I pick up the phone to tell you I am afraid of living alone”.  “Just For You” ups the funk again with a prominent bass run and slick drum beat as Peter calmly announces “Scrambled eggs in the morning, some bacon too. I hope you like my breakfast. I got some juice for you too.”  He then also invites her for lunch. For dinner he says, “I like to fry some meat, just stick it in your mouth. I have some hot sauce for you” in maybe a not too subtle double entendre.

“Relentless” is a pleasant pop song exploring a blossoming relationship.   He explains “I met her in the summer on a late, sultry night. Before I knew what hit me, she bent all my life. She said I won’t settle for less than desire. I want to drown in the river of passion and fire.” “Her love was relentless; I don’t stand a chance”.  He then recognizes “You Got Me Where You Want Me” in a slightly countrified song. He tells her “Tell me you love me. Tell me you need me”.  and notes “I know I need love.” He proclaims, ” I am “Getting Older”. “My hair is turning gray. When I look in the mirror, I only see decay.” and proceeds to note other infirmities- ” There is hair in my nose, my back is killing me, cannot get into my clothes.”  but concludes, “I still love you. It is fun to get old”.

On “Last Chance” Stanley gets things rocking as Peter explains, “When I am with you and hold you tight, we laugh and talk from dawn to night. Baby, I need you in my life. This is my last chance for romance.” They shift back into one more declaration of social concern noting “That we are all in this “Together”.  Peter declares “Listen here. Hear what I have to say. Life is too short to fuss it all way.” “Together we will stand and do what is right”. “Time of trouble, we have to rise from the rubble”.

The Dibs are a solid band with plenty of opportunity for every one of the musicians to have an opportunity to shine in almost every song. Peter’s vocals are comfortable and driving. I enjoyed the album but must say that I found little that I would consider blues. The songs in my opinion frequently fall into a smooth rock and sometimes even a pop vein. Nothing wrong with that but don’t jump into the album expecting Chicago blues or such.

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.

Davey Jones – Ball Cap Blues

self release

https://daveyjonesmusic.com

9 songs time – 30:04

South Mississippi native Davey Jones is the band, as he plays all the instruments, and proficiently. His guitar skills are first rate, along with organ accents. His drumming is steady, and his voice has a nice and gravelly timber. Needless to say the end result doesn’t sound slip-shod, it has the consistency of a band. All the songs are from his hand.

“Banks Of The Blues” is his tribute to the Mississippi blues he grew up around. You notice his guitar, piano and organ skills right from the get-go. He gets all funky on “New Groove”, about a new girl. Throughout the recording Davey transmits a loose Delta vibe that makes you imagine a lazy southern day. “Walking Easy” portrays that characteristic to a “T”, with its’ easy loping groove.

The pace gets slowed down a bit for “Mid Memphis Blues”, that features some nice rhythm guitar. Davey comes up with nifty blues guitar on “Going Down In Mississippi”.

Although this is a rather short CD, the quality makes up for that short-coming. Davey is able to do what some bands can’t. He delivers cohesive parts that fit the songs perfectly. It is a wonder that his music hasn’t passed by my ears before. For a dose of an authentic Mississippi blues experience, do yourself a favor and pick this puppy up.

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

Mick Kolassa – Blue to the Bone

Endless Blues Records – 2026

https://mimsmick.com

11 tracks; 42 minutes

Mick Kolassa doesn’t pace himself. With Blue to the Bone, his 16th album since 2014, he continues a remarkably prolific run—one built not on reinvention, but on sharpening a sound that blends smoky, piano-driven blues, Memphis-style horns, and a storyteller’s instinct for balancing humor, heartbreak, and hard-earned reflection.

Recorded with a deep bench of Memphis musicians under producer Jeff Jensen, the album has a full-bodied, lived-in feel—rich with organ swells, punchy brass, and steady, consistent grooves that let the songs breathe. Kolassa’s voice sits comfortably in that space: a low, conversational delivery that can drift from wry and tongue-in-cheek to quietly devastating, sometimes recalling the narrative phrasing of songwriters like Randy Newman or Mose Allison.

Across the record, he moves easily between tones and themes. There’s humor in songs like “I’d Like to Be Recycled,” where aging becomes a punchline without losing its sting, and deeper tragedy in “For Better or Worse,” which confronts addiction and loss with a slow-burning intensity. Elsewhere, tracks like “All It Takes Is Blues” double as mission statements—celebrating the grit, energy, and near-spiritual pull of the music itself—while covers like “16 Tons” are reworked with a loose, storytelling cadence that fits seamlessly into Kolassa’s world.

What ties it all together is songcraft. Whether leaning into smoky late-night blues, upbeat horn-driven shuffles, or stripped-down reflections on time and regret, Kolassa writes with clarity and purpose.

Blue to the Bone isn’t trying to overwhelm—it’s trying to connect, drawing on a wide emotional range while staying grounded in a consistent, deeply rooted blues tradition.

Rick Steff provides eerie, haunting keys on “Bourbon and You”, as Kolassa’s voice, bourbon and honey-filled, croons “This bourbon gotta do me right. I’d trade all the bourbon in the world just to spend this evening with you.” It’s slow, smoky blues, with charged electric guitar progressions.

Jensen’s guitar drives “All It Takes is Blues” from the start, a high-paced blues rocker with seediness and grit. Eric Hughes on harmonica huffs and puffs, chugging the song along, as the band begins to really wail. Kolassa sings, “just get me to a juke joint or a bar on the wrong side of town, where the blues is playing, that’s where I want to be around.” Guitar screams and wails, and a full bodied sound emerges. Kolassa belts out “You can call it the devil’s music, but it sounds like paradise.”

Powerful electric guitar kicks off “Mr. Right”, a gritty, good-time blues track predicated on harmonica and guitar. In his tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Kolassa creates an alter ego of sorts – Mr. Right, singing “You call me Mr. Right, I ain’t ever done no wrong.” Hughes delivers an absolutely killer, soulful harmonica performance that propels the recording.

Gnarly, moaning guitars launch “For Better or Worse”, arguably the best track on the LP. This is steamy, hot, simmering blues, with exquisite guitar playing. Kolassa trembles with feeling, conjuring a slow, intentional vocal delivery as he sings “As she pours herself another drink she prepares herself to slip a little further away.” It is a heart-wrenching tale of self-destructive behavior, born from Kolassa’s direct experience with his wife’s alcoholism.

Bob Corritore blasts his harmonica into “16 Tons”, the Merle Travis original. Kolassa’s jaunty, rap-like delivery hearkens the style of Randy Newman and Mose Allison. The track reflects the plight of a working man, and the grip of powerful companies – Kolassa sings “A poor man is made of muscle and blood/ Another day older, deeper in debt./ I sold my soul to the company store.”

Kolassa’s irreverent humor cuts through some of the album’s heavier themes, often using wit to soften the edges of aging, love, and self-reflection. On “I’d Like to Be Recycled,” he leans into a playful, self-aware tone, turning the anxieties of getting older into a string of sly, tongue-in-cheek lines—“I may be tossed out, but I ain’t used up” and “I’m totally organic… and I’m gluten free”—delivered over a steady groove and a memorable instrumental hook. It’s light without being throwaway, grounded in the same lived experience that fuels his more serious writing.

While some tracks land with less force or emotional depth than others, Blue to the Bone as a whole reflects Kolassa’s deep immersion in the roots of the blues. He assembles a carefully curated mix of originals and covers, guided by a steady instinct for storytelling and emotional clarity. Across the record, Kolassa moves through themes of pain, aging, mortality, joy, drinking, love, and longing—in short, the full span of lived experience that underpins the blues tradition. That emotional range ultimately serves as the album’s backbone.

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.

Crystal Shawanda – Sing Pretty Blues

New Sun Records

www.crystalshawandamusic.com

12 songs – 52 minutes

A member of the Ojibwe nation raised on the Wikwemikong reserve, which is situated on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, a few miles off the coast of northwest Ontario, Crystal Shawanda faced unbelievable odds at becoming a star in the blues world. But she’s a lioness who roars for attention with a voice that cuts through the wilderness like honey-coated glass. And she’ll definitely grab your attention with her latest release, which explores love, loss, grief, hope, resistance and healing.

Crystal’s a two-time winner of Canada’s Juno Award, the Great White North’s equivalent to the Grammy – the latest for blues album of the year in 2021 for best blues album and another in for Just Like You, which took home the Best Aboriginal prize in 2013. A music lover since birth, her parents filled the house with country music and an older brother filled her ears with the blues. An ardent student of what she heard, her education came through poring over liner notes and building an understanding of the music at its core.

Her first foray as a vocalist came as a country artist, and Shawanda struck gold from the jump. She signed with RCA Nashville, and “You Can’t Let Go” — a tune off her first album, Dawn of a New Day – climbed to the No. 16 spot on 2008 Billboard charts and was a chart-topper in Canada, too, a first-ever accomplishment for anyone in the country of full-Indigenous blood. The blues was never far from her mind though. She’s always weaved a little Etta James, Buddy Guy and other favorite into her live shows.

Shawanda launched her own label, New Sun, after leaving RCA in 2010, releasing another country disc and a holiday album. But since 2014, when she gave birth to the album The Whole World’s Got the Blues, she’s proven herself to be azure to the core with three prior albums to this opus.

Produced by Dewayne Strobel, who handles guitar duties and drops in on multiple instruments throughout, Sing Pretty Blues is dedicated to the memory of Crystal’s longtime friend and manager, Rob Pattee. The lineup includes Nioshi Jackson and Louis Winfield on drums, Johnathan Nixon, Dave Roe and Steve Forrest on bass and Peter Keys on Hammond B3 organ with Stephan Hanner on harp and Chris West on horns. Sarina Joi Crowe, Angela Hurt and Zhaawande Strobel provide backup vocals. And guest appearances include Steve Marriner on harmonica and Ping Rose and Austin Strobel on guitars.

A driving harp hook opens “Preachin’ Blues,” Crystal’s throaty, fully-powered declaration that she’s going to get some religion, join a church and become a woman of the cloth…because she won’t have to work. But after a guitar solo, she grabs her suitcase, says farewell while wishing parishioners well and heads off to her own, personal heaven to make a “happy home.”

“Stop Funkin’ Me Around” isn’t as forceful as the opener, but it’s just as driven as Crystal demands that her lover make a choice: either change his ways or his address. The mood softens dramatically for the the bittersweet ballad “Would You Know Love,” a song of regret that finds the man with another woman and Shawanda speculating whether or no he really understands romance because, with the singer, he had it “in the palm of your hand.”

The pace quickens and the regret continues for “(I Gave Up) Everything for You ’cept the Blues,” which is fueled by Hanner’s plaintive harp runs and Keys’ work on the 88s atop a funky, powerful beat. The mood finally brightens somewhat for the title number, “Sing Pretty Blues,” in which Crystal admits that her voice may be gritty…but no matter…her message DOES come through. And, man, she’s not kidding!

There’s nothing but sugar and light in the ballad “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” as a heartbroken Shawanda wonders what if things had been different, wondering what she’s been doing wrong and what she’s got to do to change. The answer apparently comes in upbeat, unhurried “If That’s All It Takes.” She realizes she has to take it slow with her lover, play along with his games and let things flow naturally. It’s a small price to pay for happiness.

But it pays to be cautious because Crystal’s fearing the worst and “Waitin’ for My Lover to Call” next. “Changes” follows and bemoans the loss of a best female friend before “Honey Bee” — a plea for love, “Too Far to Turn Around” – the realization that there’s no going back from decisions” – and “Dirty” – a quiet acoustic number that promises to quit drinking, smoking and getting high when the time’s right – bring the disc to a close.

You might become exhausted after this roller coaster of emotion. But it’ll definitely be worth the trip.

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.

Paul Cowley – Long Shadow

Self – released

www.paulcowleymusic.com

11 Tracks – 40 minutes

Paul Cowley has stated that he came to the blues late in life. Lightnin’ Hopkins Coffee House Blues was his inauguration into the genre. He dug deeper and found an interest in acoustic blues from storytellers like Mississippi Fred McDowell, Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Willie McTell. He opened a blues club in his hometown of Birmingham, England which booked artists such as Watermelon Slim, Doug MacLeod, and Guy Davis. After ten years of listening and learning, he decided to play the music himself.

He moved from Birmingham to Brittany, France where he found a very rural space with a granite barn with great acoustics and built a recording studio there. In 2005, he released his first album, Don’t Need Too Much. This new album is his ninth release. He continues to record from his Brittany studio. He says the recordings are all live takes on a three-mike set-up with him standing to play and adjusted only slightly for his position. The songs are in the exact order in which he recorded them.  Pascal Ferrari mixed and mastered the album and added the lap slide to the ninth track and bass and drums to four others. His performing companion, Rob Venables added harmonica to the third track.

Paul explains, “We have owned a cottage on the Dyfi Valley Snowdonia for over 35 years. The cottage is carved into the vee shaped valley side and looks down on the River Dyfi. The valley floor is kept immaculate by the flock of Welsh mountain sheep that have grazed there for hundreds of years.” “It has taken me many years to notice a tree adjacent to the river, positioned in such a way that with the rising sun behind, it casts a long shadow on the valley floor almost all year round.” That tree gave birth to the song and album title. He further says “Whenever or wherever performing the song, I’m transported to the valley. I like that sort of authenticity.”

The album consists of eight original and three covers. In the opening song, he tells “Time” “won’t wait for you and it won’t for me” giving focus that when we age, time becomes more important than when you are younger.  He proclaims I am a “Big Hitter” and advising that “the way you’re looking, I want to hit on you”.  Rob’s harmonica backs Paul’s smooth acoustic guitar as he says, “I am just an “Old Man”, that’s what I am”. further elaborating “a slow man, take my time…a wise man, I’ve lived a life – joy, grief and strife”.

The first cover is Skip James “Crow Jane” from 1931. The song reflects on the inevitability of death and the regret of the loss of a loved one. “I dug her grave eight feet in the ground. I didn’t feel sorry until they let her down.” “Long Shadow” is a quiet reflection on life in the valley described above as he states, “If I was a bird, I’d spread my wings and fly away into the sky” “I would get in my boat and float away free.” But “long shadow, you cast all over me, I can’t break free”. “First Born” is an autobiographical story describing the path of his first child through the joy and troubles of childhood and moving into adulthood.

“Dirt Poor” reflects hard life on the farm as his “Chicken had a prolapse the other day and now she can’t lay eggs. The cow went dry and I don’t know why. The mule went lame down the lane. My dog’s got fleas, Lord have mercy on me please.” “Dirt poor, can’t take much more.” He then contemplates “Once in a While” “every now and then, stop running around and think about where I’ve been. Clear my mind, world flashing by asking myself what, what is it that we all need, so much grief”.  All in a social statement asking us “to just take a moment to slow down…and take a breath. I don’t know how and don’t know when, but we need a change”.

He asks, “Where Are You Now” and “do you ever think of me?” I would take back every single word I said if I could have my way. We’ll meet again someday”. Mississippi Fred McDowell’s 1966 “Train I Ride” is the next cover and is given a folksy approach.  He concludes the album with a cover of Willie Dixon’s 1969 song, “Same Thing”, which asks “What make these men go crazy when a woman wears her dress so tight? Must be the same old thing that make the tom cats fight all night.” “Tell me who’s the blame? The whole world fightin’ about the same thing.”

Paul walks a fine line between country blues and folk. Each song presents itself differently, sliding in a mixture of life contemplation, humor, and some social comment along the way. The songs are deceptively simple in presentation but hiding some deep meaning if you listen carefully. Paul’s evenly controlled vocals are matched by his comfortable, but seldom flashy guitar. It’s an album that you might listen to as background music, but that would be a shame if you do not give it a closer listen.

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.