A Blues Weekend Part 1 – Carlos Del Junco

so this weekend I downloaded and listen to two great blues albums. The first album was Big Boy from Carlos del Junco. Currently, Carlos’ new album Mongrel Mash with his band The Blues Mongrels is number 44 on the Roots Music Blues Chart. When I went to Napster that album was not available, so I chose Big Boy. Once again being in my own little blues world I had never heard of Carlos. Carlos was born in Havana and moved to Toronto at the age of one. Ah, there’s why I’ve never heard of him Canada is hiding him!!  But…

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Blues Wednesday – Vargas Blues Band

So last week I listened to the Voirth Blues Band from Croatia and today I traveled a little west from Croatia to Spain and listened to the Vargas Blues Band and their latest release Mojo Protection Revisited, which is a revision to an album released in 2008 in Argentina under the name of MOJO PROTECTION. The album includes new songs written by Tim Mitchell and Javier, engraved with the last band, composed by Javier, Tim, Luis Mayol (bass) and Peter Kunst. (drums) So even though Vargas has recorded fifteen studio albums with the Vargas Blues Band and three live DVD…

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Jazzy Morning – Wes and the Wynton Kelly Trio

So this morning was as jazzy kind of morning as I was out and about doing some errands I had Smokin’ at the Half Note by Wes Montgomery and Wynton Kelly playing on the iPod! The album was recorded live in late June 1965 at the Half Note Club in New York City, and September 22, 1965 at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and released by Verve. The album features Montgomery teamed with the Wynton Kelly Trio. The Wynton Kelly Trio is basically Kelly with bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. Cobb and bassist Paul Chambers had…

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…..Something blue(s)

so the something blue(s) album was Blues De Ville! by the Viroh Blues Band. I found the album on Napster downloaded, listened and really enjoyed it! But trying to find out anything about the band now that was a challenge! The band is Croatian and they won the 2nd Annual Croatian Blues Challenge and will compete Memphis in 2012! I did find a few articles about the band and Google translated them from Croatian! The band is lead by bassist, singer and composer Dubravko Vorih. D Vorih has also been part of the Croatian rock band Dirty Theater as well…

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Blues from the 2011 International Blues Challenge

So during the first week in February the Blues clubs up and down Beale Street were alive with bands representing Blues Societies from around the world. As over 100 bands and 80 solo/duo acts participated in the 27th International Blues Challenge hosted by The Blues Foundation Now for the first 26 years of the Challenges existence I never heard of it (big surprise there), but I had heard of some of the IBC alumni like Tommy Castro and Susan Tedesci. This last year though I’ve listened and written about even more  alumni like Eden Brent. the late Sean Costello, Albert…

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Blues and Folks – Loomis, Carroll and O’Connor!

So over the last few days I’ve been listening to two albums from artists that I listened to briefly, decided I really didn’t care for them so I haven’t really listened since then. Shame on me! Both of the artists are from Texas one is a blues man, Hamilton Loomis and the other a folkie, well, actually two folkies Adam Carroll and Michael O’Connor. I listened to Loomis’ 2010 release Live in England and Carroll and O’Connor’s Hard Times. Hamilton Loomis’ mentor, was the great Bo Diddley whose advice to Loomis was “Innovate don’t imitate!” And Loomis has done just…

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Twang Tuesday – Loudermilk and Cumberland River Band!

So I’ve been listening to some good bluegrass over the last few days first from The Cumberland River Band and their latest album The Rock Island Express and today I added a couple of more bluegrass albums,  Edgar Loudermilk’s new album Roads Traveled and  Driftwood and their new album Stronger Every Day. Edgar Loudermilk started playing  bass in his family’s band when he was nine years old and continued in the family band until he was 20, during that time he was exposed in some great music from his famous relatives, The Louvin Brothers. When he was 20 he joined…

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Hot Blues – The Vincent Hayes Project – Reclamation

So you start with a great rhythm section laying down that funky beat. That would be bass provided by Dave “The Butcher” Alves and drums by Donnie Hughley, add some great keyboard work from Steve “Doc” Yankee and Christain VanAntwepen and top that all off with….. what  Gary von Tersch of Big City Rhythm & Blues calls “Inspired, persuasively pensive guitar work that might even cause Clapton to raise an eyebrow in appreciation. Two thumbs up!” ……guitar from Vincent Hayes and you get  one the 2011 Blues Music Award nominees  for “Best New Artist Debut!” , The Vincent Hayes Project!…

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New Folk – Shaun Cromwell – Folk-Worn Prose

So I went from being on furlough for a week and a half to working nine plus hours a day outside! Now yesterday was fine and tomorrow looks ok, but today it was damn cold especially in the AM. Now I had a drive to the site, which was in Philly out on Lancaster Avenue, but instead of paying attention to the music playing I had to pay attention to things like traffic, traffic lights and stop signs!! Reminds me of that old Morey Amsterdam joke about walking in New York traffic being musical “you either c sharp or b…

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