2011 – A Musicial Year in Review – Part 1

Over the last few nights I’ve been trying to figure out the best albums of the year in all of the genres that I listen to and have been unsuccessful. I’ve reviewed the artists that are on the iPod and listened to many that I listened to throughout the year. Then I think about what to write draw a blank and write nothing!!  So here goes. What kind of a year in music was it this year, well I guess pretty damn good! I got to see two of my all-time favorites live! Seeing Jesse Winchester here in Philly and…

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New Blues from Savoy Brown – Voodoo Moon

So the soundtrack of the return home from North Brunswick the other night featured the Voodoo Moon the new album from Savoy Brown. Now I have not through the years been a Savoy Brown fan, about the only thing of theirs that’s in my collection is a track or two on a compilation album of British Blues from the early 70s. The band never made a big splash on the US Pop scene like Eric Clapton, Ten Years After or John Mayall, but through the years led by guitarist Kim Simmonds the band has consistently been releasing albums and touring….

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Second Generation Bluesmen – Jimmy D Lane and Bernard Allison

So the other night I was all set to write about two blues albums that I’ve been enjoying over the last week. Both albums are by second generation bluesmen. The first was the 2004 release from Jimmy D Lane It’s Time and Bernard Allison’s Live at the Jazzhaus. The reason that I didn’t write about these albums is the James Rollins took me away with his new Sigma Force novel The Devil Colony! Then last night I started this post late because it’s the traditional time at the Karn house for home repair and I was working on tearing down…

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Blues for the AM, Blues for the Am

So I said the other day that yeaterday I would listen to the new Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa album Don’t Explain, which I did on the way home from Target last night, but the main album I listened to yesterday was the new Nick Moss album Here I Am. Ah, and so far Nick is well maybe number 2 out of now four new albums! So here’s a taste of Nick Moss with Jason Ricci providi some great harp!

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New Blues: Big Pete – Choice Cuts

So over the last few days I’ve been listening to several new blues albums including: Don’t Explain the new release from Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa, Peace Meal from Carolyn Wonderland and Choice Cuts from Big Pete. I have been enjoying all of them, but after the first listen of each album, the favorite is Big Pete’s Choice Cuts ! And after a second listen Carolyn Wonderland’s Peace Meal is a closing in. I wonder, if after a second listen tomorrow to Don’t Explain, it will be a three way tie. But let’s start with the album that broke first out…

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Life’s Soundtrack – from Art Blakey to Jimmy and Wes!

Ok so the soundtrack for today continued this afternoon with some more jazz this time from drummer Art Blakey and his album Live at Slug’s N.Y.C. The album was recorded at Slug’s in New Your (duh) in August of 1968 and features along with Blakey; Billy Harper on tenor saxophone; Bill Hardman on trumpet; Julian Priester on trombone and Ronnie Mathews adds the piano. CDUniverse says this about the album “While longtime Blakey fans will likely opt for performances released on bigger labels, jazz neophytes may enjoy this disc”. Well I guess I’m a jazz neophyte because I enjoy this…

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Life’s Soundtrack – I’ll Be Alright – Jumpin’ Jack Benny

So I hate November and December and parts of January! I hate the cold weather, but most of all I hate the darkness at 5 o’clock! I don’t like to run at night in the dark, and as a result there has been a decline in my running in the last two weeks! But today after eating a late lunch it was either run in the dark or let another day go by without running! So I donned my reflective vest and used the flashlight on my cell phone and took off on a run. Yes, I run with the…

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New Blues: J.J. Grey & Mofro – Brighter Days

So the other day I was listening to Bluesville on XmRadio and “Country Ghetto” by J.J. Grey & Mofro was playing. Now I had sampled the band’s previous album Georgia Warhouse and I wasn’t too impressed. But always one to change my opinion, I tried his new release Brighter Days and sure enough my opinion his changed! I  am really enjoying the album. From his website: Brighter Days is Grey’s first-ever live DVD/CD. The two-disc set includes a full-length movie and a long-awaited live album. Directed by filmmaker/musician Spookie Daly (whose work has been aired on MTV Networks, Much Music and…

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