Category Archives: Albums

Music Maker Relief Foundation celebrates silver anniversary with Blue Muse CD compilation featuring Taj Mahal, Eric Clapton, Dom Flemons & others, graphic novel, and more

Last fall, we gave you a preview of the Music Maker Relief Foundation‘s (MMRF) 25th anniversary compilation album in the form of a track from longtime MMRF supporter and board member Taj Mahal and promised we’d bring you more on the album upon its release. Although the names of many of the artists on the … Continue reading

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6-CD box set reveals studio, live mastery of late, great harmonica player and singer Junior Wells

Here’s another blues box set worth checking out: a compilation of tracks from throughout the career of vocalist and harmonica player Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., better known by his stage name of Junior Wells. Born in West Memphis, Arkansas, Wells moved to Chicago at age … Continue reading

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Harmonica player Mark Hummel delivers knockout instrumental album in Harpbreaker

We don’t write about a whole lot of all-instrumental albums here, but harmonica player Mark Hummel‘s latest release Harpbreaker (Electro-Fi Records) is one that’s really too good to let pass without mention. A mix of newly recorded, live, previously issued … Continue reading

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The Rolling Stones still Confessin’ the Blues with band-selected 2-CD compilation of classics

When it comes to the Rolling Stones, you needn’t look far for evidence of the band’s love and support for the blues throughout the decades, from taking their name from a Muddy Waters song, to some of their earliest recordings … Continue reading

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Jawbone gives lots to jaw about with self-titled debut

Sticking with the UK flavor of our last review (Ian Parker’s album paying tribute to blues great Willie Dixon), today we’re discussing the eponymous debut album from a new four-man band called Jawbone (who take their name from a song … Continue reading

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Ian Parker dishes Spoonful of Gold on album paying tribute to blues great Willie Dixon

We hadn’t heard much about British blues-rocker Ian Parker before we caught a track from his new album on BBC recently, but that — plus learning that said album was a tribute to Chicago blues musician/writer/producer and “Poet Laureate of … Continue reading

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Hold On tight because Kirk Fletcher’s latest album will blow you away

In introducing the band on his recent recording paying tribute to the Three Kings of the Blues, Joe Bonamassa called fellow guitar-slinger Kirk Fletcher “one of the greatest modern blues guitar players in the world”, and one listen to that … Continue reading

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Pianist Anthony Geraci branches out on Why Did You Have to Go

If you’re looking for something from pianist Anthony Geraci that’s drastically different from what he does with his main gig with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, then Geraci’s latest album Why Did You Have to Go (Shining Stone Records) isn’t … Continue reading

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Doyle Bramhall II continues to evolve with Shades

We first heard Doyle Bramhall II when he and his band Smokestack played opening act on Eric Clapton‘s 2001 Reptile tour. A little research revealed that Bramhall also had a bit of a role on the Reptile album, including serving … Continue reading

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Reigning Queen of Beale Street Barbara Blue makes big splash with Fish in Dirty H20

It’s been a few years now since we’ve had a chance to talk about smoky-voiced Pittsburgh native Barbara Blue, who has been holding down a five-nights-a-week gig at Silky O’Sullivan’s on Memphis’ Beale Street for the past 21 years, a … Continue reading

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