Category Archives: Albums

Louisiana Red gets Memphis Mojo working on latest CD

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Mike

We’ve talked here before about the Pittsburgh roots of the bluesman called Louisiana Red, who’s logged countless miles since leaving the Steel City for Chicago many decades ago. Having spent 20 years living in Germany, Red’s latest project actually finds him in yet … Continue reading →

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Samantha Fish casts a wide net on Runaway debut

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Mike

We’ve talked here before of the vocal and guitar prowess of Kansas City blueswoman Samantha Fish, who you may recall as one-third of Ruf Records’ Girls with Guitars Blues Caravan along with U.K. blues/soul singer and guitarist Dani Wilde and … Continue reading →

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Johnny Winter recalls blues roots on latest CD

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Mike

There’s an old Willie Dixon adage you might have heard that “The blues is the roots, and the rest is the fruits.” One timely example of that sentiment is Texas guitar slinger Freddie King‘s inclusion among this year’s nominees for the … Continue reading →

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A soulful explanation from Beth Hart, Joe Bonamassa on Don’t Explain

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Mike

There’s no denying Joe Bonamassa has done some pretty interesting stuff in recent years, between his own best-selling albums such as Dust Bowl, Black Rock, and Live from the Royal Albert Hall, among others, and being a part of the hard-hitting British-American supergroup Black Country Communion. … Continue reading →

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The Bright Lights – and sounds – of Gary Clark Jr.

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Mike

We may not have gotten to see singer-guitarist Gary Clark Jr. during his recent visit to Pittsburgh’s Hard Rock Cafe (that’s a picture of him from last year’s Crossroads Guitar Festival), but far be it for us to argue with Rolling Stone magazine that … Continue reading →

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Chicago Blues: A Living History returns with another blues (R)evolution

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Mike

You may recall 2009’s much-acclaimed two-disc collection Chicago Blues: A Living History, which featured Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, John Primer, and Billy Boy Arnold performing their interpretations of songs representing the evolution of the Chicago blues, from early 1940s tunes like Sonny Boy Williamson’s “My Little … Continue reading →

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Bonamassa dusts it up on Dust Bowl

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Mike

With both his 2010 releases (Live from the Royal Albert Hall and Black Rock) still riding high on Billboard’s blues album charts, no one could blame Joe Bonamassa if he had decided to spend the first part of the new year taking … Continue reading →

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A chompin’ good time: 40 years on, Alligator still rockin’ the house

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Mike

Just as the Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor belts out in the opening lines of her “I’m a Woman” that starts the album, you know “everything gonna’ be alright” about the 40th Anniversary Collection from Alligator Records. From the indie label’s … Continue reading →

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Celebrating Robert Johnson, the Big Head way

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Mike

When it comes to the history of the blues, few names are better recognized than that of Robert Johnson, almost as much for the myth that surrounds him (you’ll recall the tale of Johnson having sold his soul to the devil … Continue reading →

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Gregg Allman flies high with Low Country Blues

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Mike

It’s been quite some time – 14 years in fact – since we’ve heard a new solo album from legendary southern rocker Gregg Allman. But 2011 finds Allman back in a big, bluesy way with his Low Country Blues, out … Continue reading →

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