Berdon Kirksaether & The Twang Bar Kings - Best of TBK

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:72:32 
Size:167,0 MB 
Label:Roller Records 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock/Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Under The Seven Skies Of Time - 4:41
 2. When The Moon Is On The Rise - 4:50
 3. Losing Ground - 5:02
 4. Dealing Hand - 3:38
 5. Clint Eastwood Movies - 7:36
 6. Pride - 5:08
 7. Can't Get You Off My Mind - 4:54
 8. Mama Roll Over (Live) - 5:14
 9. Downtown Jungle - 4:26
10. Midnight Haze - 3:25
11. Some Kind Of Voodoo - 4:21
12. All I Need - 4:23
13. Say You Will - 5:29
14. When The Moon Is On The Rise (Live) - 5:51
15. It's A Rough Ride We're On - 3:30

Berdon Kirksaether is a Norwegian composer, guitarist, singer and music producer. He is a veteran on the Norwegian blues scene, most notably through his work in CIA, arguably one of the finest bluesbands in the country in their prime. They toured Norway extensively during the nineties and released two critically acclaimed records. As well as being composer, singer and guitarist in CIA, Berdon has been working in several musical genres throughout the last 25 years, such as: poprock, acoustic, jazz, rap, latin and blues/roots and rock. Berdon's latest projects include a variety of styles ranging from his bluesrock trio The Ground, Gjermund Andresen & Berdon Kirksaether (Folk/Roots, acoustic outfit), Twang Bar Kings (blues) and Norwegian rockband Ukrutt. 
Berdon Kirksaether & The Twang Bar Kings brings together 3 of the 4 founding members of CIA. Roy Hanssen and Stein Tumert is joining forces with Berdon to bring back the energy and groove that made CIA one of the most popular blues acts in Norway in the nineties.

Best of TBK
Best of TBK (Y)

The John Sherry Group - Don't Let The Fire Go Out

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2004
Time:46:07 
Size:106,3 MB 
Label:Taylor Street Studios 
Styles:Blues Rock/Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Lordy Me - 5:46
 2. Just Yesterday - 4:12
 3. Sure Had A Good Run - 5:49
 4. Blackbird - 2:14
 5. Totally Consumed - 4:16
 6. Don't Let The Fire Go Out - 5:17
 7. Letters Home - 4:01
 8. The Zip Code Song (Prince of Fools) - 3:58
 9. New Day - 4:32
10. The Lesson - 5:57

Electric guitar driven blues/rock with a focus on powerful songwriting and great vocals, solo and group.The members of The John Sherry Group are Ramon Vallejo, Pete Rose and, of course, John Sherry. This CD, his fourth, consists of nine new original tunes and a gospel/blues cover of "Blackbird" by the Fab Four. Lyric credits go to Jerry Swisher, a gifted songwriter and storyteller, for the songs "Lordy Me" and "Totally Consumed." The lyric for "Sure Had A Good Run" was penned by his wife, Joyce Sherry, and together they wrote the rest of the lyrics, with the exception of "Just Yesterday" which, "came to me in a sudden, beautiful, mindless flash," reflects John. The lead vocals of Ramon Vallejo are outstanding (not to mention his kick-ass organ playing) and the guest performance of Charmaigne Scott, as "the ghostly voice in a red silk dress," on the opening track "Lordy Me" is breathtaking. The fabulous bass work of Pete Rose provides the bedrock groove for the band; some standouts are "Lordy Me," "The Zip Code Song " and "New Day," and Pete's high, clear voice is an integral part of the vocal harmonies. Also, the guest drumming of Kim Edmundson, Gary Kehoe and John E. Sample should not go without recognition. Their great playing and musical sensitivity really made the songs come alive. As for John's part, it is arguably the best work as a writer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer he's done to date.The style is blues/rock, inspired by some of his earliest influences from the late sixties and early seventies: Super Session with Michael Bloomfield, Fleetwood Mac the blues band, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin, the Jeff Beck Group, and you can hear those influences throughout the CD. As John says, " This isn't a trip down memory lane. No, technology has changed and so has the world of music and culture, and that has influenced my music as well, but I would have to say that with this work I feel like I have come full circle in my journey, back to my roots." Indeed, his roots go deep and the innovation is inspired. "Don't Let The Fire Go Out" is a musical work that will resonate a long time.

Don't Let The Fire Go Out
Don't Let The Fire Go Out (Y)

Dennis Geyer - Keep On Rockin'

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2011
Time:67:14 
Size:154,9 MB 
Label:S-R 
Styles:Blues/R&B/Soul 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Straight to Your Heart - 4:19
 2. A Left and a Right - 3:50
 3. Crazy Enough - 5:47
 4. Where Do We Go from Here? - 4:39
 5. Bayou Moon (Feat.Queen Ida) - 4:14
 6. Keep On Rockin' - 4:59
 7. Hold On - 4:46
 8. Raindrops - 4:22
 9. I'll Never Let You Go - 4:06
10. Next Messiah - 4:18
11. Time to Fall in Love Again - 3:39
12. I Can't Stop - 4:28
13. I Wonder Why - 4:40
14. The Easiest Thing - 4:13
15. I'm Here for You (Feat.Tom Rigney) - 4:47

Dennis Geyer  is a blues guitarist and vocalist best known as a founding member of the late-1960s Milwaukee band A.B. Skhy (originally New Blues), alongside bassist Jim Marcotte, drummer Terry Anderson, and keyboardist Howard Wales. The group moved to San Francisco, scored a deal with MGM Records, and dropped their self-titled debut in 1969—produced by Richard Delvy—with the single "Camel Back" hitting #100 on the Billboard Hot 100; after lineup changes, they followed up with *Ramblin' On* in 1970 before calling it quits. Geyer has kept the blues flame alive with solo albums like *Keep On Rockin'* (2011), *Fall In Love...Then Try Fallin' Out* (2003), and *Souvenirs of Time*, blending his rootsy guitar style into fresh tracks.

Keep On Rockin'
Keep On Rockin' (Y)

GoGo Blues - Face To Face With The Devil

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2006
Time:50:16 
Size:115,5 MB 
Label:Tutl 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Beautiful Place - 3:06
 2. Daisy - 4:20
 3. Devil s Ville - 5:14
 4. The Lake - 4:24
 5. Roadhouse Blues - 6:51
 6. Special Girl - 3:57
 7. Authority Machine - 9:06
 8. Lost Love - 5:50
 9. Happy Man - 3:23
10. The River - 4:00

A band from the Faroe Islands. The band's leader Uni Reinert Debess is a musician, poet, composer, singer and guitarist. He was born on November 24, 1979 in Havn. Uni is the son of Per Debess, a soul who was also a musician. On 23 April 2005 he won the Prix Føroyar in the band GoGo Blues. In addition to winning the concert competition, GoGo Blues won an award for best band, in addition to the band being invited to the G!Festival. In August of the same year he was with GoGo Blues in Canada and played at various festivals. GoGo Blues released an album in 2005 - "Live in Studio"

Face To Face With The Devil
Face To Face With The Devil (Y)

Lisa Biales - Come To Me

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2007
Time:44:44 
Size:103,7 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Mix 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Come To Me - 3:38
 2. Whistles And Bells - 5:11
 3. Smoking Section - 2:50
 4. So Many Things - 3:25
 5. Carol Of The Bells - 2:37
 6. Little Brother - 3:47
 7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - 4:00
 8. Everything Will Work Out - 1:54
 9. Wrong Beyond Repair - 3:43
10. Start Some Mystery - 3:28
11. Chop Wood - 3:38
12. Wish You Were Here - 2:41
13. A Change Is Gonna Come - 3:46

Lisa's third album of original music produced by Nashville "Kitten" Gary Scott, starts out with the title cut 'Come To Me' a bluesy country sound that slides right into 'Whistles And Bells' an introspective song with a dreamy violin solo by Doug Hamilton. "Smoking Section" is about a girl that tries to catch the eye of the Best Man at her friend's wedding. The fun part is when the bride shows her tattoo! Lisa's melancholy version of 'Carol of the Bells' (a choral classic) is elegantly original and could possibly become one of your holiday favorites. "Little Brother" is one woman's story of meeting a soldier who just happened to be the same age as her own son. Lisa sings this emotional haunting song beautifully without accompaniment. Lisa's version of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is astoundingly beautiful. "Start Some Mystery" is a playful and rhythmic . . . start some mystery why don't we do it yeah. "Chop Wood" . . . what does the Zen Master say to the student after she becomes enlightened? You still music chop wood and carry water and live your life day by day. Lisa's final cut, Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" is soulfully sad and beautiful all at once with Jimmy Rogers on harmonica, the song completes the album and makes you want to hit replay. When Lisa Biales was twelve, she begged her big brother to show her how to play the guitar because all she wanted to do was sing a song. She learned quickly and began writing music as well. Her first songs were protest songs and songs about love. Lisa writes from life experiences and observations of her surroundings. She writes about her children, her husband, her dog, her friends, people she meets and about spiritual beliefs. In 2006, Lisa released "Chasing Away The Blues" a CD that has gained international attention in the folk world with her song "Where The Buckwheat Blooms" reaching the charts at #32 that year. In addition to releasing "Come To Me" in 2007, Lisa reissued her first album of originals entitled "Music Box" in which she was named "a compelling songwriter" by Dirty Linen

Come To Me
Come To Me (Y)

Dustin Douglas - Black Skies and Starlight

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2014
Time:31:30 
Size:79,0 MB 
Label:S-R 
Styles:Rock/Classic Rock/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Daydream - 3:34
 2. Another Day in Disarray - 4:32
 3. Been There, Done That - 3:34
 4. Down the Line - 5:12
 5. In This to Win - 4:10
 6. Never Get Out - 3:18
 7. In Your Arms - 2:39
 8. My Door - 4:28

A name like “Dustin Douglas and the Electric Gentleman” will probably manage to grab some attention. But what really matters is the music. Does it grab the ear’s attention? Is there a nice balance of originality and accessibility? Will the songs still be relevant years from now? On this debut album, Black Skies and Starlight, the new group delivers on these counts. The project was started by guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Dustin Douglas Drevitch, who previous led the rock trio Lemongelli before more recently joining up with the legendary Pennsylvania rock band, The Badlees. With this latest effort, Drevitch decided to adopt the stage name “Dustin Douglas” in part as a tribute to his “Uncle Doug”, who passed away just prior to his birth, but also because he’s “seen Drevitch butchered too many times to mention”.
Black Skies and Starlight was recorded over the past two years at Saturation Acres Studio with co-producer Bret Alexander. Joining the two former Badlees band mates in the studio were bassist Paul Young and drummer Tommy Smallcomb. Self-described as “a mix of big guitars, with pop-laced hooks and an alternative attitude”, the music was influenced by artists as diverse as the legendary Jimi Henrix and Elvis Presley to the contemporary Jack White, Dave Grohl, and Josh Homme.
The album opens with “Daydream”,  a classic-rock-inspired pop riff that acts as a really funky work of art that pulling you right into the album. A line in this song gives the album its title and it features fellow Badlee Nyke Van Wyk on violin later in the song. “Another Day in Disarray” will be the album’s first feature track, with a video forthcoming. This is a bit more introspective than the opener and takes the listener to a deeper place musically while breaking out some ethereal sound effects during the bridge along with very animated drumming by Smallcomb.
“Been There, Done That” stays on the same melody throughout but with clever musical arrangements for variety. The opening has an almost dreamlike quality before launching into a more traditional rock rhythm in this song which feels like it may be a personal anthem for Drevitch. The next song “Down the Line” is the climax of the early part of the album, as a slow, bluesy ballad featuring fretless bass, Hammond organ, and excellent guitar licks. Its lyrics talk about starting over in a failed relationship and almost everyone can relate to that pathos. There are some odd stops along the way, which temporarily disrupt the smooth vibe, in this otherwise top notch song.
The album does hit a bit of a nadir over the next two tracks, neither of which are terrible, but not quite at the level of the opening four. “In this to Win” may have been influenced by Whitesnake or Van Halen, while “Never Get Out” takes a stark look at the reality a lot of people face – will we be able to escape from where we started or face a life which we never manage to obtain our life’s pursuit? “In Your Arms” may ultimately be the most indelible song from this album, with a stripped-down arrangement and sort of lullaby quality. It definitely has a different feel than anything else, with the consistent acoustic strumming, heavy chorus effect on topical electric, and the contrasting simple country-flavored lead.
The album closes with a strong return to rock on “My Door”. It opens with a cymbal countdown reminiscent of AC/DC’s “Back in Black”. This measured, droning rocker features drenched guitar distortion during the early verses before the song nicely morphs into a funky jazz groove with a closing sax lead by guest Carl Charles to top off the album, which leaves you wanting for more of that instrument. In any case, the album closes on a high note with the best overall track.
Drevitch says this is the record he’s always longed to make and since its recording he has assembled a new live rendition of “The Electric Gentlemen”, featuring guitarist Justin Mazer, bassist Matt Gabriel, and drummer Josh Karis. 

Black Skies and Starlight
Black Skies and Starlight (Y)

Glamour Puss - Wire & Wood

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2003
Time:52:34 
Size:129,0 MB 
Label:NorthernBlues Music
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Kitty Kitty - 3:28
 2. Hollow Man - 3:39
 3. Don't You Worry - 3:49
 4. I Don't Know How To Win Your Love - 3:17
 5. You're Rich, I'm Poor - 3:56
 6. Maman Don't Play No Zydeco - 2:32
 7. Wire & Wood - 3:17
 8. If You Miss Me - 4:29
 9. Swingin' Gin - 2:55
10. Boom Boom - 3:27
11. Dangereuse - 4:44
12. Six Feet Down - 2:37
13. Million-Air - 4:45
14. Blues For Sheila - 3:01
15. Maman Connait Pas Le Zydeco - 2:30

At the end of 2003, Eastern Canada's premier blues group, Moncton, New Brunswick's Glamour Puss, entered the studio and came out with a fabulous release, titled, "Wire & Wood." While many might not have heard of Glamour Puss outside of Canada, if you live along the Northern parallel, most are very aware of this group. Glamopus Puss has four Maple Leaf Blues Award nominations, the equilvant (SP) of the United State's Handy Awards. They have also been named by the Eastern Canadian Music Association as their Canadian blues group of the year. As you can see, they are not amateurs. "Wire & Wood" is the groups fourth CD release, with all previous releases selling very well across Canada.Glamour Puss consists of: Travis Furlong-guitar, Ron Dupuis-drums, Paul Boudreau-bass, and Roger Cormier-keyboards/ B-3, and Don Rogan-keyboards and sax. It is very difficult to say the Glamour Puss sound is any one style of music. It is a very unique mix of blues, R & B, zydeco, soul, all with a slight rock edge. While the band says they were born on the sound of Texas blues, their style has grown past that to be very multi demential. The CD offers fifteen very strong cuts, with all being written by the band, except for one exceptional cover of John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom". In all, over 49 minutes of outstanding music. NorthenBlues did a terrific job with the packaging for this CD. The booklet is ten pages long and gives a tremendous overview of Glamour Puss. Outstanding graphic design and photography. "Maman Connatt Pas de Zydeco", "Mama Don't Play No Zydeco", and "You're Rich I'm Poor", all mix their tasty take on Zydeco with a bit of blues. For those that speak french, "Dangereuse" is an excellent slow blues number, that gives the CD a very special flavor.If you like your blues Texas hot, Glamour Puss's original of "Hollow Man", is simply outstanding! Along with the zydeco and Texas blues, there is slow blues, acoustic blues, funk, and even a little jump blues mixed in. These fifteen cuts really deliver. 

Wire & Wood
Wire & Wood (Y)

Glenn Golden - Devil In Disguise

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2007
Time:47:23 
Size:109,0 MB 
Label:Grappa Musikkforlag A/S 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1.Milk Cow Blues - 3:09
 2.Money Honey Blues - 3:13
 3.Devil In Disguise - 3:59
 4.Slapping My Babe - 3:28
 5.Crossroad - 4:14
 6.Back Door Friend - 3:30
 7.Death Letter Blues - 3:18
 8.Gambling On My Mind - 3:28
 9.Hell Blues - 3:32
10.Walking Blues - 3:22
11.Still Cold - 3:45
12.Preaching The Blues - 4:25
13.My Old Love - 3:54

Glenn Golden from Halden has released his debut album, "Devil in Disguise" (Elevator Music)—a record on which the 24-year-old impresses with acoustic Delta blues. Clearly inspired by veterans like Robert Johnson and Son House, yet still bringing his own unique twist. Armed only with a guitar and a dobro—and accompanied by his own foot-stomping (with the exception of a few tracks featuring Per-Arne Torp on bass)—he delivers a good dozen songs. Most of these were written by Golden himself, rooted in a tradition where drinking, whoring, and the devil share the stage in equal measure. It may not be particularly original, but it is all the more stylistically assured.

Devil In Disguise
Devil In Disguise (Y)

Lefty Dizz & Big Moose Walker - Bad Avenue-1991

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2000
Time:76:53 + 77:49 
Size:177,3 MB + 180,5 MB 
Label:JSP Originals 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:

CD1
 1.Showtime - Intro -  3:37
 2.It's Alright -  5:31
 3.Bad Avenue - 11:26
 4.You Don't Love Poor Me No More -  5:32
 5.Two Trains Running -  6:14
 6.Sadie -  7:23
 7.That's Alright-In the Dark -  6:18
 8.Too Late -  9:48
 9.Baby Please Don't Go -  3:51
10.How Much Longer-Talk to Your Daughter -  6:04
11.I'm Leaving You -  5:13
12.Honest I Do -  5:52
CD2
 1.Swear to Tell the Truth - 4:45
 2.Drifting Blues - 5:37
 3.What is That You Got - 4:57
 4.Sitting on Top of the World - 2:39
 5.Footrace to a Resting Place - 2:54
 6.Second Fiddle Man - 2:23
 7.Wrong Doing Woman - 2:25
 8.The Bright Sound - 2:12
 9.Off the Hook - 1:38
10.Rambling Woman - 3:20
11.Puppy Howl Blues - 2:12
12.Footrace to a Resting Place (Version 2) - 2:53
13.Does Like a Boogaloo - 2:17
14.Tend to Your Business - 2:41
15.Things I Used to Do - 4:30
16.If You Need Love - 2:33
17.I'm Your Nitty Gritty Man - 3:02
18.Too Late (Recorded at Greater London Radio) - 3:47
19.Please Have Mercy on Me (Recorded at Greater London Radio) - 5:41
20.Chips Flying Everywhere (Recorded at Greater London Radio) - 4:30
21.Interview with Mary Costello (Recorded at Greater London Radio) - 3:29
22.Lefty's Blues Mood - 7:13

Not really a various-artists compilation, this mini box set actually consists of three separate JSP albums that were originally issued on vinyl back in the 1980s. Featuring individual efforts by Jimmy Dawkins, Brewer Phillips, and Lefty Dizz, these three solo sessions have all been remastered and, in some cases, even remixed -- with sparkling results. Each of these artists deserves a wider hearing, and this set makes that possible, putting a lot of raw blues in one place at a nice price ~ © Cub Koda /TiVo

Bad Avenue-1991
Bad Avenue-1991 (Y)

S.O.B. (Sons Of Blues) - Blues Live '82 - American Folk Blues Festival

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1993
Time:65:52 
Size:151,5 MB 
Label:L+R Records 
Styles:Blues/Chicago Blues/Harmonica Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Never Make Your Move To Soon -  5:49
 2. Did You Ever Love A Woman -  7:37
 3. Eyesight To The Blind -  6:09
 4. Sweet Little Angel, Take 1 -  4:39
 5. My Kind Of Woman -  5:10
 6. Reconsider Baby - 10:42
 7. Detroit, Michigan (feat.Lurrie Bell & Billy Branch) -  7:18
 8. Goin' On Main Street (feat.Carey Bell & Chicago's Young Blues Generation) -  5:30
 9. The Train I Ride (feat.Lurrie Bell & Billy Branch and Chicago's Young Blues Generation) -  7:09
10. Sweet Little Angel, Take 2 (feat.Lurrie Bell & Billy Branch and Chicago's Young Blues Generation) -  5:44

The Sons Of Blues formed by Billy Branch in the 1970s along with Lurrie Bell and Freddie Dixon. They recorded for Alligator Records and with a different line up, for Red Beans Records, Evidence and others.
This Chicago, Illinois, USA-based band (aka S.O.B. Band) originally comprised Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, bass player Freddie Dixon (son of Willie Dixon), and Garland Whiteside. They garnered international acclaim for their recordings on Volume Three of the Alligator Records label’s groundbreaking Living Chicago Blues series. Bell left in the early 80s and so Branch assumed leadership. The band’s 1983 album for the Red Beans label, released under the Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues moniker, included solid Chicago blues and some contemporary R&B. 

Blues Live '82 - American Folk Blues Festival
Blues Live '82 - American Folk Blues Festival [Y]

Sean McKee Band - In This Life

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2024
Time:20:26 
Size:47,2 MB 
Label:Glass Amulet Records 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Lusting For Gold - 3:14
 2. In This Life - 2:50
 3. Broke Tired and Lonely - 3:14
 4. East Valley Lane - 3:32
 5. Tigerfish - 3:31
 6. Monster (Live at Madcats) - 4:02

This four piece band comes from Chicago, led by guitarist and vocalist Sean McKee, with Drew D’Astice on second guitar, Chris Pecoraro on bass and Danny Lozano on drums; keys are added by Pete Spero to some tracks. Sean is now in his late twenties and has been playing since his early teens: inspired by Anthony Gomes and Nick Moss, he was mentored by Nick’s older brother Joe, who took him on the road as second guitarist for four years before Sean established his own band in 2020. Following an earlier EP entitled So Long My Queen in 2022, In This Life is his second release.
Sean handles the vocals on all tracks and does a good job. The six tunes are all originals, three written by Sean alone, two by him and Drew and one by him and Chris. Although he is from Chicago, the music is not really blues, more a Rock album with other influences coming through. “Lusting For Gold” is a strong opener with a distinctive core riff, a blend of Southern Rock with a hint of Tom Petty, swirling organ featuring in the middle section. The title track has more of a country tinge, especially in Drew’s guitar solo which sounds very much like the late Dickey Betts, while there is more of a blues feel on “Broke, Tired And Lonely”, a slower tune with some good guitar work from both players, well supported by piano. A tale of visiting a late-night party, “East Valley Lane”, rushes along with an insistent bass line and a big guitar solo and the fast pace continues with “Tigerfish” which features the guitarists working in harness. This track was released as a single, possibly because of the stop-start rhythms and choral vocals which underpin Sean’s strong lead. The album closes with “Monster”, a live track which is certainly blues-based, with big guitars in Allmans style, with lyrics about life beginning to unravel: “The monster inside me, how can I feed him?”
Not an album for blues purists, but the playing and vocals indicate a band with talent who may well go far in the blues-rock world.

In This Life

In This Life (Y)

Gene Harris and Jack McDuff - (Down Home) Blues

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1997
Time:59:46 
Size:137,4 MB 
Label:Concord 
Styles:Blues/Jazz/Soul 
Art:Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Down Home Blues - 7:00
 2. J & G Blues - 9:35
 3. Soft Winds - 7:55
 4. Time After Time - 4:46
 5. Blues For Big Foot - 7:28
 6. Smack Dab In The Middle - 5:52
 7. You Don't Know What Love Is - 5:01
 8. Stormy Monday - 4:51
 9. Cayenne Blues - 7:17
Musicians:
Gene Harris - piano;
Jack McDuff - organ;
Niki Harris,Curtis Stigers - vocals;
Ron Eschete - guitar;
Luther Hughes - bass;
Paul Humphrey - drums.

When Niki Harris sings about how much she loves it "when Daddy plays those down home blues," she knows what she's talking about. The Daddy in her case is none other than Gene Harris, the 64-year-old blues pianist. Gene features his little girl (a long-tenured backup singer for Madonna as well as Anita Baker and Quincy Jones) on two numbers on his  collaboration with Brother Jack McDuff, Down Home Blues. Another singer, Curtis Stigers, is on hand on two more tracks, along with Harris' working group: Ron Escheté on guitar, Luther Hughes, bass, and Paul Humphrey, drums. This disc features the blues, joy division: celebratory, gutsy music free of angst and pretension. Niki Harris is no Yoko Ono — she is by no means present on the strength of her relations instead of her talent. Her turns on the title track and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" are capable and drenched in blues feeling. She knows how to invest a humdrum lyric with fire enough to make it not only immediately pleasant, but memorable. The real fireworks here, however, come from the instrumentalists, especially the two frontmen. "J&G Blues" is a showpiece of what they can do, and they can do quite a bit. Brother Jack is loose and rambling. Brother Gene cascades and exhorts. Over the space of the mere nine and a half minutes of this track, both present the world with a solid blues lesson. This is the sort of track that answers the question, "Why have these guys lasted so long, and played with everybody under the sun?" If it's a mystery to anybody out there, it won't be after this or "Blues for Big Foot," which mines the same rock-solid ground. Fletcher Henderson's "Soft Winds" starts out in a lighter vein, with Brother Jack's chords tossing out another offhand lesson: here's where Steely Dan and other jazz / blues / rockers got their sound. Stigers on the ballad "Time After Time" (Sammy Cahn's, not Cyndi Lauper's) sounds like the guy who sang "What a Day for a Daydream" in the Sixties. Here Gene Harris turns in a loose-limbed, jaunty solo. On "Smack Dab in the Middle" Stigers could be Chuck Berry's younger brother. The next track is "You Don't Know What Love Is," reminding me that Elvis made it big in 1956, the same year Sonny Rollins recorded "You Don't Know What Love Is" on his all-time classic Saxophone Colossus. Harris and McDuff illustrate that the gulf between hard bop and rhythm and blues was perhaps not as wide as it seemed then — or now. On "You Don't Know," both keyboardists get as close to the joyless blues as they do on this release, building up tremendous emotional intensity. McDuff's light touch here is overpowering. Down Home Blues. That's what these guys say it is, and that's what they deliver. Like the Heath Brothers disc, this is a contribution from masters with decades of experience and chops that show no sign of wear and tear.

(Down Home) Blues

(Down Home) Blues (Y)

Carla Olson - Dark Horses

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2008/2016
Time:79:47 
Size:183,6 MB 
Label:Cherry Red Records 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock/Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Justice - 5:28
 2. How Many Days - 5:10
 3. World Of Pain - 5:21
 4. Kinderwars - 4:11
 5. Dark Horses - 4:31
 6. Within An Ace - 5:51
 7. Fortune - 4:31
 8. Honest as Daylight - 4:56
 9. Bills, Bills And More Bills - 5:27
10. Playing With Life - 3:46
11. Ups And Downs - 3:46
12. Reap The Whirlwind - 5:54
13. Rescue Fantasy - 5:08
14. Is The Lady Gone - 5:40
15. Clean Cut Kid - 5:29
16. Number One Is To Survive - 4:30

Singer/guitarist Carla Olson is a veteran of the American roots-rock scene, springing from her work in the 1980’s combo the Textones. British guitarist Mick Taylor, of course, is a veteran of the U.K. blues scene and a former member of the Rolling Stones. Olson has a way with an insidiously catchy melodic hook and winsome yet gutsy singing, while the underrated Taylor knows his rock and blues licks backwards and forwards. They may seem an unlikely pair but they’ve played together for years, and Taylor’s streamlined, biting guitar is a fine complement to Olson’s earnest, blue-collar tales of yearning and struggle. DARK HORSES finds these kindred souls personalizing the spirit, if not the letter, of the blues.

Dark Horses
Dark Horses [Y]

Mick Taylor - Coastin' Home

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1995
Time:58:39 
Size:134,8 MB 
Label: Shattered
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock
Art:Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1.Sweet Home Chicago -  5:25
 2.Coastin' Home -  5:08
 3.I Wonder Why -  9:21
 4.You Gotta Move -  8:27
 5.You Shook Me - 13:02
 6.Can't You Hear Me Knockin' - 11:48
 7.Turns to Gold (Bonus Track) [Dead Amanda] -  5:26

One of Great Britain's (if not the world's) greatest guitarists,  Mick Taylor again shows why he has that reputation on Coastin Home.  Recorded live at the 14 Below bar in Santa Monica, CA,  Taylor is joined by blues saxophone great Joe Houston and supported by a vibrant back-up band in what was quite the evening in southern California.  Their interaction approaches stellar at some points, and Mick's performance on "I Wonder Why" is one of the best of his renditions of that song.
Although the vast majority of Rolling Stones songs from the Mick Taylor era sported Jagger/Richard writing credits, there's no denying that Taylor provided an extra creative spark for the band -- as the Stones never truly scaled the same heights as Sticky Fingers or Exile on Main St. again. And the same (albeit less surprisingly) could be said for Taylor after he went his merry way from Stones land. But Taylor remains one heck of a blues-rock guitar player to this day, as evidenced by 2003's 14 Below. Originally issued in 1995 as Live at 14 Below: Coastin' Home, the re-release features the same exact track listing but a different album cover. No matter. Taylor's playing is still exceptional, especially on readings of the Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" and Willie Dixon's "You Shook Me" (both of which are ten-minute-plus jam fests). If you've lost track of Taylor since the early '70s, 14 Below will prove that arguably the finest lead guitarist to pass through the Stones' ranks has still got what it takes.

Coastin' Home
Coastin' Home [Y]

Sean McKee Band - So Long My Queen

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2022
Time:21:14 
Size:59,5 MB 
Label:Glass Amulet Records 
Styles:Blues Rock/Rock
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Color Outside The Lines - 2:14
 2. Under Command Of The Admiral - 3:08
 3. To Keep On Loving You - 3:56
 4. Drove Me Crazy - 2:50
 5. So Long My Queen - 2:38
 6. Ain't Talkin Bout Love - 6:26

This four piece band comes from Chicago, led by guitarist and vocalist Sean McKee, with Drew D’Astice on second guitar, Chris Pecoraro on bass and Danny Lozano on drums; keys are added by Pete Spero to some tracks. Sean is now in his late twenties and has been playing since his early teens: inspired by Anthony Gomes and Nick Moss, he was mentored by Nick’s older brother Joe, who took him on the road as second guitarist for four years before Sean established his own band in 2020. Following an earlier EP entitled So Long My Queen in 2022, In This Life is his second release.

So Long My Queen
So Long My Queen [Y]