Capricorn Rhythm Section - Alive at 2nd Street Music Hall

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2006
Time:50:12 
Size:116,2 MB 
Label:Rockin' Camel Music
Styles:Southern Rock/Rock/Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Time Will Take Us - 5:39
 2. Everybody Needs Love - 4:16
 3. Ought To Be A Law - 5:50
 4. She Cranks My Tractor - 3:20
 5. Please Be With Me - 4:51
 6. Watch Out Baby - 3:07
 7. Don't Hit Me No More - 3:31
 8. All My Friends - 4:34
 9. 300 Pounds - 3:06
10. Where You Come From - 3:41
11. Where You Go - 5:10
12. Shout Bamalama - 3:00

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the old Capricorn Records catalog. Everything from The Allman Brothers Band to Marshall Tucker, Wet Willie, Bonnie Bramlett, Cowboy, Eddie Hinton, Dickey Betts and all the rest. No small wonder I became excited when I first got wind of a reunion of the Capricorn Rhythm Section, the players who performed on so many of those great old records. Not only did they play, they wrote many of the songs and produced them.
Before Capricorn Records was even founded, the genre that would become Southern Rock was beginning to form in bands like The Hour Glass, Gregg and Duane Allman’s pre-Brothers band which also included Johnny Sandlin and Paul Hornsby, now two members of the reunited CRS. When Phil Walden formed Capricorn Records, Duane Allman was living in Muscle Shoals, Alabama doing session work where he was discovered by Jerry Wexler. Wexler turned Phil Walden onto the man Wilson Pickett called “Sky Man” and Walden immediately signed Duane to his new record label.
Phil envisioned a rhythm section for Capricorn in the image of Stax and Muscle Shoals Sound. Duane recommended his friends Johnny Sandlin and Paul Hornsby to put the band together while Allman, along with others in the newly formed Allman Brothers Band became “unofficial” members of the rhythm section.
By 1970, Johnny Sandlin was producing and heading up Capricorn Records' A&R department. Bill Stewart, the first drummer for Wet Willie, was asked by Sandlin to take his place on drums. Around the time Hornsby began devoting most of his time to producing (including production of most of the original Marshall Tucker records), Scott Boyer and Tommy Talton, members of the Capricorn act Cowboy, joined the rhythm section. For the remainder of the time at Capricorn Records, the Capricorn Rhythm Section became a blend of current and past members, The Allman Brothers Band and other label acts, everyone playing whenever and wherever needed.
Today’s Capricorn Rhythm Section includes Scott Boyer, Tommy Talton, Bill Stewart, Paul Hornsby and Johnny Sandlin, along with guitar great Lee Roy Parnell. Alive at 2nd Street Music Hall was recorded in Gadsen, Alabama and the set rocks from one end to the other, beginning with Tommy Talton’s “Time Will Take Us,” one of the two Cowboy tracks that appeared on the classic live album The Gregg Allman Tour. The other Cowboy track from that record, “Where You Go,” is also performed here by the CRS.
Scott Boyer’s “All My Friends,” originally recorded by Gregg Allman, sounds great here as does the funny and funky Donnie Fritts/Eddie Hinton tune, “300 Pounds of Hungry.” 
The CRS break out the old Eddie Hinton tune “Where You Come From” (recorded on Capricorn Records by Bonnie Bramlett) and rip it up on the Gary Nicholson/Dan Penn tune “Ought to Be a Law.”
There is a sweet sounding take on Eddie Hinton’s beautiful “Everybody Needs Love” and a full-tilt cover of Otis Redding’s “Shout Bamalama.”
I have to admit, though, my favorite track of all is the Scott Boyer-penned “Please Be With Me,” a song I first heard on an old Duane Allman Anthology 8-track tape and have loved ever since.
Live at 2nd Street Music Hall is a true gem, released on Rockin’ Camel Records. It's a must have for any Southern rocker and one of the coolest CDs to cross my desk in quite some time. Excellent.
Keep it Real, Keep it Southern. - Buffalo

Alive at 2nd Street Music Hall      MF      Y        

Jimmy Voegeli - "F" is for Blues

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2006
Time:56:46 
Size:131,0 MB 
Label:Not On Label 
Styles:Blues/Mix 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Give Up This Fight - 4:30
 2. Don't Know Why - 3:56
 3. I Need You - 4:15
 4. Fool - 4:46
 5. So Go Love - 3:10
 6. Marry Me - 4:07
 7. Know What I Like - 4:17
 8. Ain't No Friend - 3:19
 9. She Gotta Have It - 3:15
10. Please Come Home - 4:14
11. Wait'n For You - 4:54
12. Booga Brain - 7:36
13. Papa's Waltz - 4:21

The album "F" Is for Blues" is a mix of Pine Top Perkins, Santana, and Dr. John.
For a musician of his stature, Jimmy Voegeli has got to be one of the most unassuming and downright shy people in the business.  The rare artist who is nearly ego-free is frequently consumed by self-criticism and insecurity, perhaps an unspoken reason that this album took nearly six years to make.  There are other reasons listed in the credits, where Voegeli recounts the whole process as “a template for how not to make an album,” including cash shortages and three computer crashes that resulted in some or all of the songs being lost.  A host of personal issues also slowed down production: a divorce, his father’s death, even 9/11 and the last two presidential elections.  But if the results of “F” is For Blues is any indicator, this method is a template for how to make an album because it is one of the best to ever come out of the Mad City.
“F” is For Blues is permeated with class.  From the first strains of the opening cut, “Give it Up,” which deftly blends the smooth, soulful feel of Little Feat with blues-rock era Rolling Stones, it is apparent that this is no ordinary musical exercise.  Just look at the cast of players assembled here: The Crashers’ Mauro Magellan, Jon Wartenweiler and Gary Hendrickson; the Moon Gypsies’/Stellanovas’/Bob Westfall Band’s Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines; the incomparable talents of Clyde Stubblefield and Billy Flynn; the world-renowned Jon Nicholson; percussion wizard Pauli Ryan; local legends Mel Ford and Tom McCarty – and the list goes on. Co-produced by Voegeli and Broadjam’s Roy Elkins, the album is seamlessly exquisite despite the tribulations of its production and the use of multiple studio facilities over a long period of time.  The album’s design (splendidly done by Broadjam’s Donny Sellon with photos by Stephanie Essex Elkins) is noteworthy as well.  The cover depicts the actual Monticello High School report card on which Voegeli received an “F” in band class from one Mr. Mike Korth.  In a twist of fate, Voegeli has Korth play a trombone solo on “So Go Love,” which Voegeli promptly rearranged in editing.  Now that’s rolling with the punches.
Voegeli is probably best known for his keyboard work with the Westside Andy/Mel Ford Band but has been a mainstay in the music scene here, thanks in large part to his supreme skills on Hammond organ, which figure prominently on several of the tracks, including “Don’t Know Why,” an absolutely killer blues tune.  However, the real surprise throughout F.. is Voegeli’s sensational lead and harmony vocals.  His smooth delivery and expressive range are augmented by Mary Gaines and she matches him precisely in phrasing and inflection, making this one powerful vocal pairing.  Jon Nicholson also turns in a fantastic vocal performance on the soulful “Fool,” which contains one of the best lines: “I poured out my heart to you / And you drank it like cheap wine.”
Voegeli’s talents on piano are featured on much of the album’s second half, including two tunes with central Wisconsin’s blues trio Blue Shadows and a great boogie-blues track called “Waiting for You.” The latter is a duet with Derek Hendrickson on brushes, a song that sounds much larger than just piano and brushed drums. 
He saves the best for last, too.  “Booga Brain” is a smokin’ hot blues instrumental with the similarly smokin’ lineup of Stubblefield, McCarty, Ford, Flynn and Ryan.  “Papa’s Waltz” breaks the mold completely.  Voegeli’s beautifully played piano is graced by Mary Gaines’ cello and Chris Wagoner’s accordion and violin.  A tribute to his father, Voegeli performed this at his funeral.  It’s heartbreakingly tender and, somehow, very Wisconsin. 
Why the best art is born of suffering is an enigma for the ages and the foundation for the form we call the blues.  Yet so much joy emanates from this recording it becomes a reflection of life itself, a triumph of the human spirit by any measure.  “F” is For the Blues is institutionally Madison and belongs in every music lover’s home.

"F" is for Blues     MF      Y

Mary Ann Redmond - live

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1997
Time:72:37 
Size:167,5 MB 
Label:Spellbound Music 
Styles:Rock/Soul/Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Whispering Your Name - 4:55
 2. Too Many Cooks - 6:14
 3. Crossroads - 5:48
 4. Georgia (intro) - 1:52
 5. Georgia - 9:09
 6. Yellow Moon - 5:53
 7. Footprints On the Ceiling - 5:17
 8. Tell Me What It Feels Like - 5:15
 9. I Can't Stand the Rain - 6:45
10. Over the Hills and Far Away - 5:01
11. (he'll Call) Right About Now - 7:16
12. Many Rivers to Cross - 9:06

Had singer Mary Ann Redmond started recording in the ‘60s or ‘70s instead of the ‘90s, it's quite possible that she would have gone down in history as one of the major soul stars of the Baby Boomer era. A gritty, rugged, big-voiced belter whose primary influences range from Ike & Tina Turner to Etta James and Aretha Franklin, Redmond would have been perfect for the gospel-influenced soul climate of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Perhaps she could appeal to the urban contemporary market of the 21st century if she had more of a hip-hop-ish neo-soul approach à la Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, or Jaguar Wright, but Redmond's R&B is untouched by the high-tech, hip-hop-influenced urban contemporary sounds of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s -- she is, for the most part, a gutsy, hard-edged soul singer in the classic sense (although with a definite rock edge most of the time), and Redmond's fans love the fact that she is unapologetically retro in her outlook. Some have described Redmond as a blues singer, which often happens when artists favor classic soul over urban contemporary; these days, the blues bins are full of CDs that are really more soul than blues. But even though Redmond can easily handle 12-bar blues (as well as rock and jazz), soul is really her main focus, at least on her CDs. Born and raised in Richmond, VA, Redmond grew up listening to a variety of R&B, rock, and pop. Redmond's interest in music was encouraged by her mother (who sang, although not professionally) and her two brothers (one of whom taught her to play the guitar). As a teenager, she learned to play "House of the Rising Sun" on the guitar, but singing -- not guitar playing -- would become Redmond's primary focus. After graduating from high school, Redmond majored in voice at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and studied operatic classical singing. But at night, she performed in various rock and jazz bands on and around the VCU campus. Although the faculty at VCU felt that Redmond had great potential as a classical singer, she decided that a classical career wasn't for her and opted to concentrate on rock, R&B, and jazz instead. After moving to the Washington, DC area in the early ‘90s, Redmond was hired as a featured vocalist for the soul/funk-oriented band that saxman/flutist Al Williams led in DC and its suburbs. Eventually, the singer left Williams' employ and formed her own band, which performed a combination of covers and Redmond originals. As a solo artist, Redmond developed a small but enthusiastic following in the Washington DC area, and along the way, she won quite a few Wammie awards. Held by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA), the Wammies are the local DC equivalent of the Grammies, and in the ‘90s and early 2000s, Redmond won a total of 14 Wammies (including awards for "Best Rock-Pop Vocalist," "Best Female Jazz Singer," "Best Roots Rock/Traditional R&B Vocalist," "Best Urban Contemporary Vocalist," and "Best Female Blues Vocalist"). Locally, Redmond created enough of a buzz to open for major soul veterans when they passed through DC, including the O'Jays, the Pointer Sisters, Smokey Robinson, Ashford & Simpson, and the Neville Brothers. Also in the DC area, one of Redmond's strongest supporters has been singer/songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, who invited Redmond to go on tour with her in 1999 as a background vocalist. Another DC resident who was an enthusiastic Redmond supporter was her friend Eva Cassidy, an eclectic, hard-to-categorize singer who was only 33 when she died of cancer in 1996. Redmond's solo albums have included, Prisoner of the Heart, 1997's Live!, and 2000's Here I Am, all of which she released on her own Spellbound label. In 2002, Prisoner of the Heart was re-released by the independent Q&W Music Group. ~ Alex Henderson/

live    MF    Y

Chet Lott - Erased It

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2006
Time:52:56 
Size:121,6 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Country/Americana/Roots 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Where Am I From - 4:15
 2. Tupelo Honey - 4:34
 3. Welcome to Mississippi - 4:09
 4. Natchez Girl - 3:35
 5. Be My Baby - 3:44
 6. Knockin On Heavens Door - 5:16
 7. Dangerous Mood - 4:58
 8. Blue Moon Of Kentucky - 3:42
 9. Feelin Good - 2:51
10. Gumbo - 3:13
11. Sittin On Top Of The World - 3:08
12. Ten Cent Heart - 3:28
13. Light My Fire - 3:22
14. Erased It - 2:35

At the moment Chet Lott picked up his first guitar as a child in Mississippi, playing music became a monumental part of his life.  Growing up in an area with such a rich musical heritage, it’s no surprise that he would aspire to sing and write the music he loved.  It was just something that came natural; an expression of who he was and where he was from.  Chet Lott has achieved a wide range of experience in the music industry.  From live performances to studio sessions; he’s done it all.  He has shared the stage with many well known entertainers including Rickie Lee Jones, Taj Mahal, Larry Gatlin, John Michael Montgomery, Guy Hovis, Troy Gentry, The Oak Ridge Boys and Exile.  His studio work includes his independent debut album, “Erased It” and his  follow-up CD entitled “Wild Ride”, both produced by his co-writer and mentor, award-winning singer/songwriter, JP Pennington.  Chet Lott has created a unique musical style all his own with his blues infused Mississippi style country.  It’s fresh and edgy, emotional and pure.  It’s honest and inviting.  It’s country with the salty flavor of the delta blues.  His CD includes songs that celebrate his Mississippi heritage with titles such as "Welcome to Mississippi", "Natchez Girl", "Where Am I From", and a soulfully breezy cover of Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey".  Chet Lott’s signature style has captured the interest of listeners nationally, as well as internationally.  His music is featured daily on syndicated radio statewide in Mississippi and can also be heard on numerous other stations in the U.S., France and Poland.  His original song “Where Am I From” (Erased It) and "On My Way To Paris" (Wild Ride) are featured on two compilation CD's with global distribution to over 1500 radio stations throughout North America, Europe and New Zealand.

Erased It     MF     Y

Tas Cru - gravi- Tas

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2008
Time:55:22 
Size:127,3 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Modern Electric Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. That's Gravy - 3:17
 2. 12 Step Woman - 6:28
 3. Feel I'm Fallin' - 4:30
 4. Can't Help but Wonder - 6:37
 5. Cover My Love - 4:07
 6. Peach Pickin' - 4:07
 7. Crazy-Mean Woman - 5:24
 8. What Makes a Woman - 5:15
 9. Ike's Mojo - 4:51
10. Drunk and High - 5:05
11. Too Much Information - 5:36

Tas’ brand  2008 release, gravi-Tas builds on the home-cooked country kitchen flavor of his solo acoustic 2006 Biscuit, but thickened by the young power blues trio, the Slow Happy Boys, and seasoned with the keyboard work of longtime sideman, G.C. “Chip” Lamson. The eleven original songs written by Cru prove that he is first a storyteller. His well-crafted lyrics are testimony to his growing reputation as the master of the “triple” entendre with songs that invite interpretation that is felt – not merely heard then understood.
With acoustic grinders like 12 Step Woman, the hillstomper, Feel I’m Fallin, and resonator-driven blues like Cover My Love and Peach Pickin, Cru draws from a range of styles, but never veers too far from his country blues home. On gravi-Tas, Cru handles the lead vocals and the harmonica and resonator guitar work. Chip Lamson (keyboards) and Jeremy Walz (guitar) contribute backing vocals. The rhythm section is comprised of Josh Bloomfield (drums) and Chris Wroblewski (bass). Lamson is Cru’s seasoned sideman who performs with Cru as an acoustic duo and serves as music director for band shows. Walz, Bloomfield and Wroblewski taken together are the Slow Happy Boys, an Albany, NY based jamband/blues power trio with heavy performance credentials who
have backed national acts touring through the Capital Region.
Tas Cru is a rough Quebecois rendering meaning - Raw Potato. Credit for the name goes to an avid young fan who admires Tas' raw-edged vocals and peeled-bare approach to the slide guitar. Given Tas' bent on bowing to his home region's Quebecois influence the moniker was not much of a stretch, especially since much of Tas’ early career was spent playing Quebec's small cities and towns along the St. Lawrence river from Montreal to Riviere du Loup. Cru is currently based out of Albany, New York but has performed at festivals and clubs throughout the Mid South including shows in Tulsa, Memphis, and the Mississippi Delta. He has shared the stage with a growing list of well known blues artists that includes Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, Willie Smith, Marva Wright, Mem Shannon, Kenny Neal, Jimmy Thackeray, Danny Kalb, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Nora Jean Bruso, Albert Cummings, Bob Margolin and others. Also to his credit include frequent appearances at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi and on Sunshine Sonny Payne's King Biscuit Radio program on station KFFA in Helena, Arkansas.
Tas Cru performs as a solo act or with a backing band. Since 2001 he has fronted a highly acclaimed regional band, the Conrad Story Blues Band from Upstate New York and released two CDs that feature 20 original songs by Cru - Poutine (2004) and Obsession Road (2007). He represented the Northeast Blues Society (Albany, NY) as its solo artist at the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge in 2006 and 2007 in Memphis. In 2008 Tas Cru and the Slow Happy Boys represent the society in the band competition at IBC.

gravi- Tas
MF
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Tracy Conover - Retrospective 1991-2006

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2006
Time:70:30 
Size:163,0 MB 
Label:Guardian Wolf Music 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Ironhorse - 2:40
 2. Help Me Thru the Day - 6:06
 3. Garden of Color - 5:12
 4. Escape - 4:40
 5. There for Me - 4:12
 6. My Big Rocker - 4:52
 7. Ladykiller - 6:54
 8. Tell Me - 3:58
 9. Bye Bye Baby - 3:57
10. I Wanna be an Angel - 6:36
11. I Shoulda' Left You - 5:36
12. Loverman - 5:45
13. Carelessly - 4:03
14. Love is a Temporary Condition - 2:56
15. Loving and Longing - 2:55

This CD is a mixture of Texas Blues/Rock, Funk and Soul Music from a great singer-songwriter/guitar player from Austin Texas.
Tracy Conover is a Texas blues-Rock guitarist and vocalist, based in Austin, Texas. Conover started singing and writing songs at age 14. By 17 years old, Conover moved to Lake Tahoe where she majored in music. In 1987, Tracy returned to Texas studying voice, jazz and classical guitar in Denton. In 1991 she moved to Austin where she played frequently and learned from many great players. 
In 1994 Clint Eastwood, in Austin filming “A Perfect World” with Kevin Costner attended her shows and gave her a role in the film that did not make the final cut. Conover has played with Albert Collins, toured with Earl King, recorded with Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon of Double Trouble and has opened shows for Dick Dale, BB King, Buddy Guy, Ted Nugent, Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band. Her recording, "Live! At the Cactus Moon" was well-received by listeners in Texas and Europe. In concert, Conover's performances range from slow blues to rock-n-roll, including covers of classics by Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmy Reed as well as original songs delivered with energy and intensity. Conover's band is a power trio completed by Roger Tausz on the bass and Charlie Fountain on drums. Conover's latest project is the Red Spade Show with Malford Milligan, John Gaar and Tim Dyer. Conover's fans believe her to be intense, entertaining and talented and claim it is just a matter of time until her popularity explodes nationally and internationally. The daughter of a United Airlines pilot and a stay-at-home mother, Tracy was a fearless tomboy who loved fishing, swimming, skating on the lake where she grew up and riding the most unruly horses the neighboring farms could offer up. Though Miss Tracy started playing guitar at age 14, she was singing and writing songs from her earliest memories. Restless and rebellious in high school, she graduated early and moved to Lake Tahoe at 17 to attend Sierra Nevada College. She majored in music (earning a Bachelor's degree) and took classes in ice-camping and wilderness survival. During this time Tracy played acoustic gigs, shoveled snow and cut firewood to pay the bills. In 1987, Tracy felt the call of Texas and she moved to Denton to study Voice, Jazz, and Classical Guitar at North Texas State University (now University of North Texas). "That was my first exposure to Jazz and Blues" says Tracy, "and I spent every waking moment transcribing Hendrix, (Stevie Ray) Vaughan, Freddie, BB, and Albert King, T-Bone Walker, (Albert) Collins, and Magic Sam." In 1991 she moved to Austin, and for the next few years gigged almost nightly on 6th Street fronting her own band and learning from the many great players who live there. In 1994 she met Clint Eastwood, who was in town filming "A Perfect World" with Kevin Costner. Eastwood came to every one of Tracy's shows while in Austin, even putting her in his movie (the scene was unfortunately cut). Miss Conover is a veteran, road tested, world-traveled performer. She offers incredible depth and soul as a vocalist and songwriter and practically explodes with energy and sensuality on stage, manhandling her Stratocaster with an intensity and abandon most players can only hint at. Tracy has played with Albert Collins, toured Sweden, France and Japan with Earl King, recorded in 1991 and again in 2000 with Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon (Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Double Trouble") and opened shows for the likes of Dick Dale, BB King, Buddy Guy, Ted Nugent, Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band to name a few.

Retrospective 1991-2006           
MF
Y

The Hip Snacks - Out On A Limb

Bitrate:320K/s

Year:2026
Time:43:34 
Size:100,2 MB 
Label:Zora Blue Records 
Styles:Blues/Rock/Mix 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Feels Like (Blue Sky) - 3:10
 2. Dessert Love - 4:09
 3. Easy - 4:32
 4. When You're Around - 5:15
 5. If Only - 4:21
 6. Can't Without You - 4:37
 7. Out On A Limb - 3:15
 8. Never Getting Back - 5:02
 9. Footsteps - 4:07
10. Counting On You - 5:03

On April 24th, Denver six-piece The Hip Snacks released their second album, Out on a Limb. At just under 45 minutes divided between 10 tracks, the record is short and sweet, and avoids overstaying its welcome (which can sometimes happen with bands on the jammier side). This ain’t no sophomore slump, friends. But it might not exactly be blues rock, either. Out on a Limb is the most progressive-feeling album I’ve yet covered here at Blues Rock Review. The Hip Snacks are a skilled, cohesive soul-jam band with blues, pop, jazz, and rock sounds in the DNA of their structure. It’s the most ninth chords I think I’ve heard on an album for a while, refreshing and tonally compelling. The band is made up of singer Kara Durante, bassist Ben Suarez, guitarists Felipe Cantuaria and Ricky Feria, drummer Dylan French, and keyboardist Adam Schini. You might expect a six-piece to sound a bit busy or crowded, but they don’t at all! The soundscape is blended here very well, cohesion and groove prioritized, while every player gets a moment or two to really shine. I especially noted on several occasions the stellar keys work from Schini and the smooth soulful bluesy tones of Durante. In fact, it’s the keys and vocals that keep the album rooted in blues tones. The Hip Snacks’ particular style on Out on a Limb lends them a proggy feeling, even if they don’t use the complex trappings of progressive rock (rare time signatures and the like). So if they aren’t exactly blues rockers on this record (though they are adjacent and clearly have those chops when they want them), what are they here? Out on a Limb sounds like a blending of the epic scale and hopeful harmonies of chill prog acts like Moon Safari, married to Emma Bunton (Baby Spice)’s solo work. It’s low intensity (until it isn’t), fun, interesting, and simply good.
The record is never so good as it is in the opening two tracks, “Feels Like (Blue Sky)” and “Dessert Love.” The first track is funk-infused poppy fun that deftly shows off the hooking vocal harmonies and briefly dips into harder edge blues rock in the middle. Perfect opener. The second track feels more ‘70s psychedelic, groovy like a Marvin Gaye tune. The bluesiest tracks on the record are in the middle: track five, “If Only,” track seven, “Out on a Limb,” with track nine, “Footsteps,” also doing some blues lifting. As mentioned above, it’s Durante’s soul singing and Schini’s keys work (organ tones) that really mark these tunes as blues. A key note: only once of the record does Durante’s voice really get intense and belt-y, for one section of “Out on a Limb.” She’s very restrained for the rest of the record, and if I had one gripe, it’d be that I’d love to hear her get a little louder and more intense more often on the record. The final track, “Counting on You,” also stands out. After a slower building intro that feels grand and epic and hopeful (listening felt a bit like seeing an aerial shot of Middle-Earth), the song grooves the album out on an especially sweet note. Out on a Limb is great. There are moments I wish the vocals were a little higher in the mix or more aggressive, but it’s at best a tertiary note. The album isn’t exactly blues rock, but there’s enough blues rock in the soup to make it well worth a listen for our readership. I look forward to hearing more from The Hip Snacks, and I plan to see them live the first chance I get.

Out On A Limb

MF

Y

Voodoo Walters - 11:45 Southbound

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:26:29 
Size:61,7 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Kiss - 3:32
 2. I Won't Tell - 3:35
 3. Same Game - 3:53
 4. The Spiv - 3:55
 5. Billionaire Blues - 4:05
 6. 11:45 Southbound - 3:28
 7. A Word Of Advice - 3:58

Independent recording artist, Voodoo Walters brings you the best in Blues, Boogie, Swamp, Soul and Rock'n'Roll. Whether with his band or solo, his music always creates a mojo strong enough to have you shaking it all night long.
 “11:45 Southbound” by Voodoo Walters takes us on a journey of Trains, Pains, Capital Gains and the wisdom in keeping your mouth shut. 
Voodoo Walters' “11:45 Southbound” is a six song album written and recorded at Priory Studio, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. “11:45 Southbound” blends Voodoo's unique Blues style with elements of 60's Soul, Surf, and Latin grooves all in a fully stoked Firebox that's ready to ride the rails. 

11:45 Southbound
MF
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Osgood & Blaque Blues Band - Re-Birth Of The Blues

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2006
Time:23:13 
Size:54,2 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Walking My Way Back Home - 3:28
 2. High Steppin' Daddy - 3:33
 3. She's A Good'un - 3:30
 4. Why Is It So Hard - 2:45
 5. Good Thang Blues - 3:00
 6. My Blues - 4:28
 7. Meet Me At The Crossroad - 2:25

Osgood & Blaque brings to the stage a performance style so melodious and smooth that it's hard to believe unless you see it. Greg Osgood has created a panarama of multi-layered synthesis never before seen or heard throughout the music world! Cee Blaques' harmonica style has been called "seductive" by Cross Harp Chronicles Magazine. Her performance offers intriguing embellishments to whatever she sings. These two musicians, Osgood & Blaque, demonstrate that they can adapt, adjust, and maintain in this high-tech world of music. We welcome Osgood & Blaque, the next generation of high-tech performers, onto the music scene!
Fun Facts:
Cee Blaque began her career as lead vocalist at Holly Grove Baptist Church. Despite skepticism from those around her who doubted the duo's success, Osgood and Blaque used criticism as incentive to refine their sound. In the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, there is a large mural depicting the legendary bluesman Willie Dixon, a Vicksburg native.

Re-Birth Of The Blues

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Wanda King - Songs In The Key Of Blues

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2008
Time:41:50 
Size:96,5 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Fools Gold - 4:54
 2. Don't Let The Levy Break - 3:23
 3. Do Me Right - 3:24
 4. Oops Baby - 3:11
 5. E-mailing You Baby - 4:15
 6. Cadillac Slim - 3:24
 7. I Won't Answer - 4:32
 8. Rainy Day Lover - 5:52
 9. True Love - 3:54
10. Taking This Chance - 4:57

Wanda King, the daughter of the late blues Legend and master Freddie King, began singing at an early age. She learned from the best as the King home was always filled with music and musicians from the such as Howlin Wolf, Albert King, B.B. King, Magic Sam, Tyrone Davis and Johnnie Taylor, just to name a few. At fifteen she attended her first blues club show – her father’s gig and she was hooked. Freddie began calling Wanda up to do background vocals and lead a song when he performed locally. He realized she was serious about the business, so he began educating her on the do’s and don’ t and the who and what in the music business. Sadly her performing and dreams of a music career came to a halt when Freddie passed on December 28th, 1976. She turned her attentions to helping her mother who was devastated by Freddie’s untimely death raise her brothers and sisters. She went to college, got a job, but the need to perform gradually became too strong to resist.
In 2002 Wanda contacted Robert “Texas Slim” Sullivan who had performed with her brother Fred Jr. and other local talents she had heard and asked them to be a part of her CD project. Her freshman CD Blues From a Point of View was born. She went on to record two more CDs with Robert “Texas Slim” Sullivan – Songs in the Key of Blues and Bridges. Fast forward to 2012. Wanda petitioned the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to honor her father’s legacy by adding his name to the ballot of nominees. With a little help from Eric Clapton, Freddie’s name was added and he was voted in on the first round. The Gilmer-born guitarist, singer and songwriter entry in the Early Influence Category. His newly penned Hall bio lists the myriad reasons – for starters, “His 60s classics, Have You Ever Loved A Woman, Hide Away, You’ve Got To Love Her With A Feeling and The Stumble”, are part of the DNA of modern electric blues – and he’s the man who walked the guitar from T-Bone Walker to Stevie and Jimmie Vaughn. He brought the blues into the future. Just ask Eric Clapton !!!
Wanda also honored her father by putting together the Freddie King Blues Festival around his birthday some of the performers who hopped on board were Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, Bobby Blue Bland, Gary Clark Jr. to name a few and she is also the president of the Freddie King Blues Foundation. Wanda’s voice resonates with a ferocity that matches her stage presence. She was personally asked by Dan Aykroyd of The Blues Brothers Fame to open for them at the grand opening of The House of Blues in Dallas and Houston, Texas. She was also the house band at The House of Blues Dallas for two years. She has also shared stages with such greats as Etta James, David Sanborn, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Kim Wilson, Hubert Sumlin, Bobby Blue Bland, Gary Clark Jr., Eric Johnson.

Songs In The Key Of Blues

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Ed Maly - Best Kept Secrets

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2008
Time:26:45 
Size:62,0 MB 
Label:Hot Texas Tunes 
Styles:Blues/Rockin` Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. C.C. Rider - 2:45
 2. Matilda - 2:09
 3. Barefootin' - 2:11
 4. Bungalow 9 - 3:09
 5. Mr. Ed - 2:29
 6. Give Me Back My Rib - 2:10
 7. Don't Start Me Talking - 1:57
 8. Tear A Honky Tonk Apart - 2:40
 9. Best Kept Secret - 2:14
10. Hound Dog Cat - 2:54
11. Howling - 2:02s

Ed Maly follows up Walking Shoes Blues (2006) with a strong return to form on Best Kept Secrets. Ed's signature guitar lines, distinctive blues soaked vocals, and humorous lighthearted lyrics once again demanded my attention and several spins just like the previous release. There is not anything new going on here in regards to style and approach but he somehow escapes the old adage of "familiarity breeds contempt" by keeping you smiling and your feet moving.
This time around, Ed decided to open the album up with some of the fan's favorite live cover cuts including "C.C. Rider", "Matilda", and "Barefootin.'" Ed is from Sugarland Texas and you can hear that good home cookin' down to earth Texas hospitality come through in his music. I found a lot of pleasure in "Mr. Ed," a takeoff on the popular 60's sitcom about a talking horse. I also love the fact that this artist does not take himself too seriously, which is exactly why he is so relaxed and is able to jump into every song and sound natural. Being who you really are is so obvious when you write and play music. "Give Me Back My Rib" turns out to be (no pun intended) a real rib tickler when Ed takes the place of Adam for the duration of the song asking Eve (referred to as woman) to please return his rib. It is all for the fun of it and in the same instance you get a churnin' and burnin' blues-rocker. That always seems to be the result when Ed Maly cuts loose on one of his original compositions and I must say straight away the dude does a darn good job on the cover tunes as well.
This CD seems to go by real fast, which is usually the first indication of a good recording. If you are enjoying yourself with every track, it's bound to fly by. As they say, time flies when you are having fun and never does the shoe fit better than when you listen to Ed Maly ~ Reviewed by A. Dorian .

Best Kept Secrets

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Son Lewis - Son Lewis Live at the Dunellen Theater

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:47:20 
Size:108,8 MB 
Label:Silk City Recording Co. 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Howling for My Darling (Live) - 4:57
 2. Wang Dang Doodle (Live) - 6:09
 3. Giving It up for Your Love (Live) - 4:43
 4. Hoochie Coochie Man (Live) - 6:58
 5. So Many Roads (Live) - 3:38
 6. I Got You (I Feel Good) [Live] - 3:30
 7. Killing Floor (Live) - 3:51
 8. Outside Woman Blues (Live) - 6:52
 9. Teenee Weenee Bit (Live) - 3:22
10. Wammer Jammer (Live) - 3:15

February Release for LPD2026 "Son Lewis - Live from the Dunellen Theater"  originally recorded in 1989 as part of the "POW/MIA Bring them Home" Benefit Concert Series.
Unfortunately, the recording is not of very good quality ~ Silk City Recording/

Son Lewis Live at the Dunellen Theater

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Joanne Shaw Taylor - This Is Who I Am

Bitrate:320K/s

Year:2026
Time:16:43 
Size:38,5 MB 
Label:Journeyman Records 
Styles:Contemporary Blues/Blues Rock/Singer-Songwriter 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. This Is Who I Am - 5:50
 2. The Trouble With Love - 3:37
 3. What Good Is My Love? - 3:33
 4. Hell Or High Water - 3:41

Ahead of the new album—scheduled for release in October 2026—here is an EP. Let's have a listen.

This Is Who I Am
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Paul Filipowicz - What Have Done For Me Lately

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1999
Time:47:53 
Size:109,7 MB 
Label:Gila Records
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Every Night About This Time - 3:16
 2. Black Spider - 5:21
 3. Sportalaters Boogie - 4:03
 4. Can't Take It With Me - 6:07
 5. Hound Dogin - 4:10
 6. Curly Sue - 2:25
 7. Wisky Man - 5:21
 8. Cold Cold Cold - 2:26
 9. Bone Chill - 4:24
10. Blind Eyes - 2:45
11. Heathers Mombo - 2:04
12. Fryed Chicken - 5:26

This recording checked in at number seven TEXAS BLUES new releases 1999 from Real Blues magazine. What more can you say? Harp and slide that will take you there!!! This is raw, tough blues and Filipowicz plays a mean-sprited guitar with a style all his own. He is supported by a cast of musicians including harp, keyboard and sax. This is stress-busting blues for its purging properties. Filipowicz kicks butt with some totally scorching slide-guitar work that must be heard to be appreciated. The more one listens to "What Have You Done For Me Lately" the more on is inclined to realize that Paul Filipowicz is a major-league and very unique talent with a truckload of potential. This is as tough as it gets; down right nasty blues. Not for sissies.

What Have Done For Me Lately

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Motor City Sheiks - Hombres Perfecto

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2008
Time:44:08 
Size:101,9 MB 
Label:Top Flite Records
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Like a King - 3:19
 2. Mi Voy a Ir - 2:36
 3. She's My Baby - 2:27
 4. Not Now Jr. - 3:44
 5. Hombres Perfecto - 3:25
 6. What Ya Gonna Do - 4:12
 7. Comanche - 2:14
 8. Key to Your Door - 3:43
 9. Your Place Lounge - 3:33
10. Kessler's Groove - 3:09
11. Satisfied Mind - 2:53
12. Scandelous Behavior - 4:41
13. Cool Rockin Mama - 4:06

After eight years since their last release, the Motor City Sheiks,Detroit’s favorite old school bad boys of the blues are Back! with the release of  CD “Hombres Perfecto“. We hope ya dig these tunes because the boys have really done it up right this time not only have they included all the classic shuffles and grinds that you hear at their shows but they have spiced the whole thing up with some of their house party numbers as well, a little Honky Tonk, some Surf and naturally some Conjunto. "Viva Sheiks,Hombre“!

Hombres Perfecto

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