Home Americana Archive by category "Blues" (Page 19)

Category: 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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Rant and Run Ana Popovic – Unconditional

The Rant The American Prospect: Robert Kuttner: Land of the Free, Home of the Turncoats Ok so I know I keep saying that all these bloggers are describing how I feel till you’re sick of it…. but THEY ARE and Robert Kuttner outlines it well!! IT’s mind boggling that out of one side of their mouths come statements about America;’s exceptionalism and out of the other so let’s destroy it?? Am I missing something? Today, America feels more like 19th-century Germany. Contending interests cannot be brokered. Passions trump reason. Faith overrules science. An ordinary policy difference is a Kulturkampf, casually…

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Life’s Soundtrack – A Jazzy – Blues Monday!

So the Doofus of the Day Award for yesterday goes to yours truly. As he went to work at 3:00 yesterday in the midst of the torrential downpour only to discover that he was not scheduled to start work until 6:00!  When he returned to work at 6:00, he discovered that both people scheduled to work in front of him had called out!! Oye what a night! Anyway, today was a jazz day at work a nice mix a little Miles, a little Coltrane, some Montgomery Brothers, Jimmy Smith, and Gary Burton. A couple of times I checked to see…

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Thursday Music Mix – Quintus McCormick, Blind Corn Liquor Pickers and Shake Russell

So some days are diamonds, some days are dirt. Well today was a musical diamond day! I put three albums on the iPod this morning and I really like them all! The first up was a blues album from the Quintus McCormick Blues Band whose latest album Put It On Me  is currently number 39 on the Roots Music Report Blues Chart. When I went to Napster they only had 30 second clips for the album but they did have his debut album Hey Jodie , so that’s what went on the player. and I tell you it’s a great album. According…

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Blues and Bluegrass Part 1 – Albert King Born Under a Bad Sign

So tonight my musical mix consisted of some old blues and some new bluegrass. On the way to Target and during my grocery shopping blues was the genre and the album was Albert King’s first album on Stax Born Under a Bad Sign. The album. Now I have never been a big fan of Albert or Freddy King, the other two thirds of the “Kings of Blues” the other third of course being B.B King. So while I don’t have any of Albert’s music in my collection I am well aware of his influence on the generation of blues musician…

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Piedmont Blues: Cephas & Wiggins

So since I don’t seem to have the time and/or the inclination to write long involved posts right now, what I may due is to start writing shorter little pieces in between the rarer longer posts! So here’s the first album quick hit! One of the blues albums that I’ve been listening to for the last several weeks is the last album from Cephas & Wiggins Baltimore Blues recorded and released in 2008 by Smithsonian Folkways prior to John Cephas death in 2009 at the age of 78. Cephas & Wiggins was composed of guitarist John Cephas  and harmonica player Phil Wiggins…

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Blues: Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots

So most of the blues I listen to is guitar driven ala Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and Michael Bloomfield and every so often there’s some harp but very few piano driven blues. Well, Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots changed that and put boogie piano  jump blues on my musical charts! Their second album Lit Up is great. From the boogie woogie  opening track ” Big Dog’s Running this Town” this Memphis based blues band had me! While the piano playing and vocals of  Victor lead the way the WildRoots are no slouches!  The album was produced by Victor’s co-writer…

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Life’s Soundtrack: Chris Bergson Band – Imitate the Sun

So I ran early last evening to avoid the mid-day  heat a fairly good four mile run in under 10 min per mile pace. (I’m just building base mileage, speed will come later, right?). When I got home I was all ready to write about the run and the run’s soundtrack along with some other albums that have been playing on the iPod. But once again after showering and sitting down reading a bit of The Baxter Trust, the lure of the couch was soon calling and napping ensued!  Anyway after waking up I continued reading but not writing.  So…

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Blues Wednesday: Joanne Shaw Taylor and Mitch Kashmar!

Hot! Yes that describes today’s weather. But it also describes the blues that I listened to this morning on my way to and from Cookstown! On the way there the hotness was supplied by British blues guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor and on the way back the warmth was provided by the harp of Mitch Kashmar. The Joanne Shaw Taylor album was her debut album White Sugar  and it is great!The album on Ruf Records was recorded at  Jim Gaines’ studio. Gaines has worked with bluesmen like Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan both of whom are idols of Taylor. He…

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Blues: from Canada Soupbone!

So one of the albums that has been on the iPod for the last several weeks is a blues album titled Lead Me On by a five piece blues band hailing from Williams Lake, BC, Canada, Soupbone. The album is quickly becoming a favorite.  Dean Fulton fronts the band and provide lead vocals, great keyboards and harmonica.  His outstanding  keyboard work  is quickly displayed on the album as he takes the lead on the opening track. “Don’t Miss You at All.”  Throughout the album Dean trades leads with sizzling lead guitarist Joel Gyselink.  Gyselink’s guitar work throughout the album is…

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