Cool John Ferguson - With These Hands

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2007
Time:68:04 
Size:156,7 MB 
Label:Cool John Records 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Who Did That? - 6:01
 2. Come On Back To Me - 4:32
 3. Black Mud Boogie - 3:59
 4. Russian Funk - 3:46
 5. Passing Time - 4:39
 6. Durham Blues - 2:55
 7. I Think About You Daily - 3:48
 8. Let Me Be Your Man - 3:34
 9. Big Storm - 6:40
10. Golden Girl - 5:36
11. Gris Gris Isle - 3:55
12. Esperanza - 4:07
13. Mister Brown - 5:52
14. Kickin' It - 3:08
15. It's You That I Love - 5:25

With These Hands (Cool John Records). ... This funky Chicago blues number features some of Ferguson's best call-and-return vocal/guitar work, as the supple electric whine echoes his deep yearning.
15 tracks. 15 original songs, including 5 instrumental songs and 10 songs with vocals. Cool John Ferguson - over 50 years of gospel, r&b, blues & rock. 
“I can’t seem to do the right things for you,” Cool John Ferguson croons on With These Hands’ centerpiece, “Let Me Be Your Man.” His voice is as stirring an instrument as the six-string he wields so capably, able to proffer a low rumbling basso as well as a cleaner baritone purr. He begs for her to let him in, with a high octane mixture of regret and frustration as his guitar playing simmers. This funky Chicago blues number features some of Ferguson’s best call-and-return vocal/guitar work, as the supple electric whine echoes his deep yearning. Ferguson grew up on gospel, the low country blues of South Carolina, and a healthy dose of R&B, all together the basis of his sound.
But he’s hardly limited by his upbringing: The six-minute instrumental “Big Storm” blows a Yardbird-ish garage riff into an expansive blues fusion thunderhead that unleashes Ferguson’s ample pyrotechnics, and it’s followed by the jazzy, calypso sway of “Golden Girls.” Indeed, one of the great joys of With These Hands is the ease with which Ferguson segues between styles, creating an evolving energy from the lively first half to the second half’s gentler, late-night vibe. While the shimmying soul-blues of album opener “Who Did That?” turns the oven on, it doesn’t really get hot until Ferguson breaks out the “Black Mud Boogie,” one of five instrumentals. The bustling low-country twang conjures a rural juke-joint jive. That moodier second half is highlighted by the imaginative, dub-inflected “Gris Gris Isle” and the pretty cabaret-jazz number “Kickin’ It,” which epitomizes Ferguson’s broad palette and boasts an impossibly infectious buoyancy. While it often bears only a passing resemblance to Ferguson’s fiery live performances (more closely documented by his previous Music Maker Relief Foundation releases), the cohesion and flow of With These Hands recommend these 15 tracks as a worthy experience of their own.

With These Hands

Kim Field and the Perfect Gentlemen - Don't Need But One

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:45:17 
Size:104,0 MB 
Label:Blues Dream Records 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Don't Need But One - 3:56
 2. Please Don't Ask Me - 3:54
 3. Black Diamonds - 3:49
 4. What Kind of Fool - 3:51
 5. Dress The Monkey - 4:40
 6. All These Little Things - 4:00
 7. I Give In - 4:42
 8. Emergency - 4:07
 9. So Dark In Here - 4:07
10. Flower Shop - 3:47
11. The Man That Got Away - 4:18

Internationally celebrated harmonica player, guitarist and singer Kim Field began his musical career in New York City, where he worked with the Sting Rays, a group managed by Grammy winner Phil Schaap. Returning to his hometown of Seattle, he teamed up with Isaac Scott, appearing on two albums with the legendary guitarist. Field spent several years fronting the Slamhound Hunters, whose performances and recordings were strongly received in both Europe and the United States. In recent years, Field has performed and recorded steadily with his celebrated Seattle-based band, the Mighty Titans of Tone. During his long career Field has appeared on bills with such rhythm and blues legends as Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Gregg Allman, James Cotton, Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, the Righteous Brothers, Walter Horton, and Big Mama Thornton. He has appeared at the San Francisco Blues Festival, in New York City’s Central Park, at Portland’s Waterfront Rhythm and Blues Festival, at the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival, and at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival, where he was a featured performer seven years running. Field’s songs have appeared in the soundtracks of two feature films. Field is also the author of Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathing (Rowman and Littlefield) and co-author of The Blues Dream of Billy Boy Arnold (University of Chicago Press).

Don't Need But One

Aki Kumar - God Bless The USA

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:49:48 
Size:114,8 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Harp Blues/Mix 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Should I Stay - 3:18
 2. A Plea to Be Free - 4:06
 3. I Just Want to Make Love - 2:57
 4. Jarvos Woman - 4:07
 5. Desi Strut - 3:59
 6. Time Will Tell - 3:49
 7. Thoughts and Prayers - 3:54
 8. God Bless the USA - 3:26
 9. It Is What It Is - 5:13
10. Man of Constant Sorrow - 3:40
11. Hard to Get - 3:48
12. Save a Bread - 3:34
13. Harp Tuah - 3:51

Since Charlie Musselwhite planted roots on the West Coast decades ago, San Francisco has evolved into a hotbed of sensational harmonica players, most notably Rick Estrin, Mark Hummel and the late Norton Buffalo. But as most locals already know, there’s a new reed-bender in town, and he’s ready to make a name for himself on a broader scale. Born in Mumbai, India, and only working as a musician full-time for the past six years or so, Akarsha “Aki” Kumar is the real deal if you love traditional blues harp with an extra dose of originality. As a teen, he studied keyboards and tabla (Indian drums) before picking up a tremolo harmonica, instrument commonly used in popular Hindi music. Now in his mid-30s, Kumar emigrated to the U.S. in 1996 to study software engineering, settling first in Oklahoma City before transferring to San Jose State University, where he earned a degree that landed him a job in the industry. Aki’s love for the harmonica eventually lead him to the San Jose School of the Blues, where master instructor Dave Barrett quickly turned him onto to the works of Little Walter Jacobs, George “Harmonica” Smith and James Cotton. Kumar burst onto the West Coast scene in 2009, fronting one of the Bay Area’s favorite bands, Tip Of The Top. He now fronts his own tight ensemble and also does service with Little Jonny And The Giants. ~~Marty Gunther

God Bless The USA

Chris Whynaught - Heard Him On The Radio

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1999
Time:55:31 
Size:127,7 MB 
Label:Bad Daddy 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. I Was Used to Being Alone (Radio Edit) - 3:07
 2. Look What You've Done for Me (Raido Edit) - 3:53
 3. Heard Him on the Radio (Raido Edit) - 5:07
 4. I Confess (Raido Edit) - 3:15
 5. Blame It on a Woman (Radio Edit) - 3:07
 6. Virginia Creeper (Radio Edit) - 3:10
 7. Pyramid of Love (Radio Edit) - 5:26
 8. My Heart Broke for the Last Time (Radio Edit) - 2:44
 9. You Don't Want Me (Radio Edit) - 4:11
10. Seems Like a Good Time to Sing the Blues (Radio Edit) - 4:12
11. This Ol' House (Radio Edit) - 4:01
12. Broken Man (Radio Edit) - 3:44
13. Dark Lonely Street (Radio Edit) - 6:27
14. Working Man's Hands (Radio Edit) - 3:01

Throughout his childhood and young adulthood, contemporary blues musician Chris Whynaught divided his attention between his two great loves, music and baseball. Gaining his first performance experience as a child in southern gospel choirs and playing in his first band, Soul Syndicate at age 17, Whynaught also played minor league baseball and was scouted by the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angelos Dodgers. He claims that hearing a Bobby "Blue" Bland song, "In Poverty," on the radio gave him an epiphany and caused him to choose music over baseball.A series of jobs in bands followed, playing R&B, jazz, funk and rock music. Whynaught played in band called Premium Stuff which led to his being asked to tour with Jimmy Witherspoon's band. Witherspoon was a great mentor to Whynaught and would have a great impact on his future sound. A decade later, his band Tough Times landed a record deal with United Artists, which resulted in a few high-profile performances. He would later play with Mike Morgan and the Crawl. Their 1996 album Looky Here, sold over 100,000 copies and provided Whynaught with the resources to venture out on his own.
Heard Him on the Radio, Whynaught's debut solo album, pulls from a wide spectrum of his former experience and shows the influence of a number of classic blues musicians, including Brook Benton and Bobby Blue Bland -- the title of the album makes reference to the moment when Whynaught heard "In Poverty" on the radio and dedicated his life to music. Backed by a talented group of session musicians called the Reasons Why, Heard It on the Radio delivered a collection of songs about love and the hard life that showed a distinct R&B influence but remained rooted in the blues. ~ Stacia Proefrock

Heard Him On The Radio

Shari Puorto - Why Is The Grass Always Greener?

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2005
Time:33:44 
Size:77,5 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Voodoo Woman -  5:48
 2. Why Is the Grass Always Greener? -  3:34
 3. Good Evil Girl -  4:29
 4. Angel From Montgomery -  5:15
 5. Get Around -  3:30
 6. Leave Your Hat On - 11:06

Unique powerful vocals, BIG guitar, feel-good, groove-oriented rock & roll with a full dropper of Blues coloring. If you can't see them live you must get their CD, 'Why is the Grass Always Greener?'! Southern California's contemporary Rock / Blues Band, Shari Puorto, Flatfoot & The Rhythm Addicts attracts all ages and genders with their high-energy, adrenaline pumpin', grass roots style and contemporary sound. Their performances tie together what we remember from the good classic rock-n-roll performers with today's modern sense of style seemingly lost in today's live performing bands. Once you hear them, you will never forget them. Lead vocalist, Shari Puorto (2004 Best Female Vocalist winner @ SBMA*) has been compared to such artists as, Melissa Ethridge, Janis Joplin, and Bonnie Raitt. Not only is her passion for music transparent; but she quickly forms a bond with her audience (she's likely to steal your heart if you get too close!). The combination of powerful, sultry vocals with lead guitarist/vocalist, Michael (aka Flatfoot) Iba's classic rock sense, creative hooks and leads, makes this duo one-of-a-kind. Drummer/Percussionist, Leon Abner's [Chamber Brothers, Michael Jackson tour] deep-pocket and rhythmic sense along with bassist/vocalist, David Abercrombie's 6-string fretless unique style supports this band to a level that will keep you wanting more. Considering that each section of this band is more than physically powerful (from vocals to bass), there is plenty of space within the band's material for intense and muscular soloing from each member. *South Bay Music Awards ============== Shari Puorto - Bio If you combined Etta James, Melissa Ethridge, Bonnie Raitt, and the soul of Janis Joplin, what would you get? You'd get Shari Puorto that's who. Not only was Shari recently awarded 'Best Female Vocalist' at the South Bay Music Awards Show (2004), but 'Shari's amazing vocal strength and soulful delivery combined with her high energy live performance is a combination that makes her one of today's hottest performers.' - Ken Andrews, Executive Producer of the South Bay Music Awards. You would think she'd been doing this forever. Shari has the sensibility of an old soul reborn and is undeniably passionate. She is a powerful, and dynamic live performer who quickly and quite naturally connects with her audience. It's hard not to be pulled in. Her intensity and warm nature shines through her singing and performances. (Something just not seen in today's live performances). Shari and her band perform to a constantly growing fan base at such venues as, The Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, to Ojai's Deer Lodge; once small thinly populated bars now packed with adoring fans. Shari has been performing to sold out venues attracting local and national attention by opening and gracing the stage with such performers as, Dickey Betts, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, Coco Montoya, Ike Turner Review, Dave Mason, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, Billy Vera & the Beaters - the list keeps growing. What can we say about Shari's performances: raw and pure in emotion.

Why Is The Grass Always Greener?

Todd Sharpville - Touch Of Your Love

Bitrate:320K/s

Year:1993/2005
Time:58:07 
Size:133,7 MB 
Label:Red Lightnin' Ltd. 
Styles:Blues/British Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Makin' Love -  3:48
 2. Mandy's Swing -  6:57
 3. Gone Too Long -  4:22
 4. I'll Get By -  6:46
 5. Sharpville Shuffle -  4:11
 6. Can't Hold Out -  5:51
 7. Little Bit Worried -  5:10
 8. Touch Of Your Love -  3:15
 9. Gambling Woman Blues - 13:44
10. All Nite Long -  3:59

Todd Sharpville has been at the coalface of the British Blues Scene for 30 years. His first album “Touch Of Your Love” was released in 1992 on Red Lightnin Records, winning “Best Album” & “Best Guitarist” in the British Blues Awards, marking the beginning of an international career that’s seen Todd & his band perform at the vast majority of blues venues & festivals across the globe. Originally turned onto the blues as a child thanks to the music of Freddie King, Todd’s burgeoning guitar style ended up being further inspired by the likes of T Bone Walker, BB King, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Eric Clapton, Lightnin Hopkins, Albert King, Otis Rush, Peter Green, & Magic Sam among others. He was mentored through his teens by Californian bluesman Joe Louis Walker, changing his life forever. The 90’s saw Todd regularly put together European backing bands for visiting American artists, working with the likes of Hubert Sumlin, Ike Turner & Byther Smith, and touring relentlessly; participating in Mick Ronson’s memorial concert at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in 1994 alongside Dana Gillespie, Gary Brooker, Bill Wyman, Ian Hunter, Roger Taylor, Roger Daltrey, and the decades since have seen him recording and performing with a plethora more luminaries, heroes, & household names. Standout career moments include playing with Taj Mahal, Peter Green, Little Milton, Lonnie Brooks, Duke Robillard, Little Charlie Baty, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi, Branford Marsalis, Anson Funderburgh, Lonnie Mack, Ronnie Earl, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Terence Simien. Todd was the first European artist to ever appear on the bill of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, and has subsequently performed at 8 of these floating Caribbean festivals alongside Koko Taylor, Taj Mahal, Dr John, Etta James, Little Milton, Otis Clay, Tyrone Davis, Shemekia Copeland, and a host of other luminaries.

Touch Of Your Love

Polly O'Keary and The Rhythm Method - Who Needs The Blues

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2007
Time:47:37 
Size:109,3 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Modern Electric Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. In My Father's House - 5:07
 2. Lion's Den - 4:40
 3. Bad Idea - 3:28
 4. Job Well Done - 5:22
 5. Who Needs The Blues - 5:08
 6. Sugar Daddy - 3:39
 7. My Time Has Come - 4:19
 8. The Loudest Thing - 7:32
 9. Yellow Pages - 3:34
10. Rolling And Tumbling - 4:44

A century ago, blues was born in the fields of the South, played on porches and in little backwoods bars by kerosene lamp. The times have changed, and it’s a rare blues musician who grew up picking cotton and going home to learn to play by the light of a kerosene lamp.
Polly O’Keary certainly didn’t. Well, that is, she didn’t pick cotton. She picked apples. But she learned to read music by kerosene lamp, in a log cabin in a remote part of Washington State. She started playing in ex-pat bars in Mexico at 16, and Eastern Washington watering holes for rural farm workers at the age of 17. She dropped out of school with an 8th grade education, married a prison-bound man at the age of 18 and by the time she was 21 had logged more stage hours than most musicians twice her age. She’d drunk as much as a fair number of them as well. At 28, upon seeing Jeff Healey at a friend’s bar in Canada, she became obsessed with blues, studying and practicing the genre until carpel tunnel syndrome temporarily rendered her hands nearly immobile, and she quickly came to the attention of the Pacific Northwest blues scene with her powerful and emotional voice and her frenetic stage presence. Today, she’s a PhD student, a world-traveled bassist, one of Washington State’s most highly-awarded female blues singers and songwriters (six-time Washington Blues Society Best Female Vocalist, four-time Best Blues Songwriter, etc.), doesn’t drink at all, and no longer visits lovers in prisons. But her music reflects the life of a modern blues woman; she’s seen the river rise and take everything more than once, and lived to laugh, sing, and write music about it.
Polly O’Keary is today’s blues woman, rooted in tradition, but informed by the 21st Century. Pulling in influences from zydeco, country, funk, jazz, rockabilly, surf and rock and roll, she and her trio, Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method, bring a searing and joyful performance of today’s blues to audiences across the U.S. and Canada.
Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method is the trio she built with her husband and drummer Tommy Cook, also a highly sought touring drummer and winner of the 2017 Washington Blues Society Blues Drummer award, with whom she shared rhythm section duties for international touring act Too Slim and the Taildraggers for four years.
Rounding out the trio is David Miller, who grew up listening to blues in Texas. At 17, then living in California, Miller met a piano player who was then working for Tommy Castro. The older musician recruited Miller to come play at several bars, and assured the young man that he could get him in, underage though he was. Miller became a regular in clubs in the Bay Area, sitting in with local and touring acts night after night. At 25, then living in San Luis Obispo, he assembled The Dave Miller Band, and for the next 18 years, he and the group went on to become one of Southern California’s most popular blues bands, leading one reviewer to describe his “jaw-dropping guitar licks” and praise his “extraordinary mixture of inspiring virtuosity both vocally and instrumentally.”

Who Needs The Blues

Vince Converse, Nathaniel Peterson, Jon Paris, Clas Yngstrom - Walking with The Kings

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2007
Time:65:33 
Size:150,8 MB 
Label:Audio Fidelity LLC 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. I Walked All Night Long - 3:53
 2. CC Baby - 4:29
 3. Gotta Move - 9:22
 4. Have You Ever Loved a Woman - 7:49
 5. Killing Floor - 4:51
 6. The Sky Is Crying - 9:53
 7. Everyday I Have the Blues - 6:53
 8. Hoochie Coochie Man - 6:01
 9. Rock Me Baby - 5:21
10. Born Under a Bad Sign - 6:58

On April 28, 2007, Houston-born blues guitarist Vince Converse, former Savoy Brown vocalist Nathaniel Peterson, guitarist Jon Paris, and Scandinavian bluesman Clas Yngstrom descend upon the New York stage for the once-in-a-lifetime all-star jam that would set the blues world ablaze. In this release featuring the performance in its entirety, fans who weren't able to make the show in person can now experience just what it was like to witness blues history in the making.
This all star jam session features Vince Converse, Nathaniel Peterson, Jon Paris and Clas Yngstrom, all playing the music of BB King, Freddie King, and Albert King! Four sensational blues guitarists jam to the music of the three kings - B.B. King, Albert King, and Freddie King - in this invigorating concert, recorded live in New York City. Included here are the songs "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Born Under A Bad Sign" and many others.

Walking with The Kings

Crosscut - No Easy Way to Work

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:41:19 
Size:94,9 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Electric Blues/Harmonica Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. No Easy Way to Work - 4:57
 2. Come Go Dancing - 4:17
 3. Sinners Blues - 5:03
 4. Been There Done That Blues - 5:20
 5. Sorry Try Again - 5:35
 6. Come Around to the Blues - 4:42
 7. She's Gone to Stay - 6:30
 8. Don't Harp on Me - 4:51

Although Crosscut formed in Texas and makes its base of operations in Dallas, the band is right at home in neighboring Louisiana, the birthplace of swamp pop. The four-man group has many ties to the Pelican State, not the least of which is the spicy dash of zydeco and Cajun music in its songs, as well as a generous helping of blues and some country. More tangible ties exist, as well. Crosscut's lead singer and guitarist, Jerry Sartain, formerly played in the city of Lafayette with another group called Showdown. Lavell Jones, the band's drummer, traces his family's roots to Baton Rouge. So, too, does Jimmy Rogers, who produced the band's Destination Anywhere album in 2001 for CSP Records, a label located in Forney, TX. In keeping with the spirit of Louisiana, veteran Cajun artists Wayne Toups and Van Broussard are featured on the release. The CSP label also put out the band's first recording, an eponymous album that was split between cover songs and original material, during the summer of 1999. Other members of the band include bass player Terry Vieregge, and keyboardist and harmonica player Chuck Mabrey. Jones did not join the band until 2000, when he took over on drums for Erin Baker, who played on the band's self-titled debut. © Linda Seida /TiVo

No Easy Way to Work

Crash Kole & The BlueSouls - Two Weeks Notice

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2007
Time:38:13 
Size:87,8 MB 
Label:CM Kolehmainen 
Styles:Blues/Modern Electric Blues/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Lord Knows - 3:35
 2. Sidewinder - 2:29
 3. Left Coast Blues - 2:48
 4. Angry Woman Blues - 3:39
 5. Tired and Broke - 3:48
 6. Tupelo - 5:50
 7. Down and Out - 3:30
 8. Best Stop Messin' Around - 5:16
 9. Same Old Blues - 3:25
10. Blues Ain't No Trouble - 3:49

"Crash Kole was drawn to the blues like an alcoholic to a whisky bottle. When he was growing up, his father would play old Lighting Hopkins and T-Bone Walker records and Crash was mesmerized. As a teen, he would sneak into the Chicago blues clubs and play guitar with anyone who was willing to jam with him. Eventually, Crash started leading his own bands and became a regular performer at many of Chicago’s world-class blues clubs, including the infamous Wise Fools Pub.

In 1998, Crash relocated to Memphis and formed Crash Kole and the BlueSouls. In addition to touring, the band performs regularly on Beale Street and at many other local hotspots. Crash is well-known for his scorching guitar work and the raw emotion

Soulful, funky contemporary blues with a rock edge. Intriguing arrangements coupled with raw and powerful musicianship make

Crash Kole and the BlueSouls a must-hear" ~ Source Rippin Frog.

Two Weeks Notice

Coupe De Villes - Burning Blues

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1992
Time:52:17 
Size:120,3 MB 
Label:Ichiban Records/After Hours Records 
Styles:Blues/Chicago Blues/Electric Blues 
Art:Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Sweet Sweet Man - 4:23
 2. The Crush - 3:44
 3. So Many Reasons - 7:34
 4. Burning - 4:54
 5. Just Give Me Some Time - 4:56
 6. Someone's Got it Out For Me - 4:33
 7. Good Grief and Gravy - 4:13
 8. Tuff Life - 4:31
 9. Geraldine - 3:39
10. Mean Streak - 6:10
11. Time for You to Pay - 3:35

The Coupe de Villes are a contemporary Rhythm & Blues band from Rochester, N.Y.
The Coupe De Villes Are:
LEX BYERS: Lead vocals
TOMMY BIANCHI: Guitars, vocals
JOHN CIANCIOLA: Keyboards, vocals
JEFF MORRISON: Bass, vocals
GEORGE DeMOTT: Drums
In this age of hype and music driven by popular fads, The Coupe De Villes, with their devotion to pure, driving rhythm & blues, come as a welcomed breath of fresh air. Although they owe a great debt to a number of popular blues styles, The Coupes (as they are commonly called by their fans) have molded their own unique sound, blending the pure emotion of Chicago blues with the driving power of rock. The result is a hot mix of passionate vocals, rock solid rhythm, and scorching, yet tasteful solos.

With the worldwide release of Burnin' Blues (After Hours, Ichiban Records), it's clear The Coupe De Villes have paid their dues. From "Sweet Sweet Man" and "Geraldine" to the slow cryin' blues of "So Many Reasons" and "Mean Streak", it's one of those albums that just hooks you and keeps getting better with each listen.
The five piece ensemble features vocalist Lex Byers, whose gravelly voice transcends the medium to evoke searing emotion. The blistering guitar work of Tommy Bianchi has become a trademark of the band. The rock solid blues of The Coupe De Villes remains firmly anchored with the rhythm section of bassist Jeff Morrison and drummer George DeMott. Keyboardist John Cianciola,( who, along with Bianchi, writes most of the band's material), provides some of the most fluid piano and gritty Hammond B-3 organ fills, to be recorded by a blues band in years.
One of the highlights of Burnin' Blues is a special appearance by ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who played with The Stones 1967 - 1975, during their most fertile period. He delivers brilliant guitar work to "So Many Reasons."
Burnin' Blues has been warmly embraced by industry insiders and consumers, alike. It was added on 48 US radio stations (rare for a straight ahead blues release) and has become one of the biggest selling records by a Western NY based act.
Formed as a "jam session" ensemble in October of 1985, in Rochester, N.Y., The Coupes are comprised of veteran players. The group started as a off-night outlet for the player's, who, had become frustrated at playing Top 40 covers. Since all the members were already committed to popular area cover bands, The Coupe De Villes gigged only occasionally.
Gradually, however, their popularity began to grow, and eventually the members left their lucrative cover bands to concentrate on rhythm & blues - the music they really loved making.
The audience for this style of music was larger than many club owners had known, and suddenly the group was drawing large crowds to a steady circuit of nightclubs.
By the end of 1988, the group had recorded and released their first album, Tuff Life. The title song, written by keyboardist John Cianciola was inspired after watching a TV documentary on the homeless. The Coupes felt so strongly about the issue that they donated all the proceeds from the single to The Rochester Area Foundation for The Homeless Fund.
The song came to the attention of comedian Whoopi Goldberg who liked it so much, she had it incorporated as one of the theme songs for the HBO special, Comic Relief 90, also starring Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. It was also used on Comic Relief V, in 1993.
The Coupe De Villes also have received a Certificate of Achievement from Billboard Magazine for their independently released song, "Time For You To Pay". In 1990, they ventured to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Festival, were they took home Third Place honors
In late 1995, The Coupe De Villes entered Dynamic Recording Studios with Chuck Mangione and Spyro Gyra audio whiz, Neil Stadtmiller, to begin work on the band's long awaited follow up to Burnin' Blues. The new album "Blues For You" has received critical acclaim with a Documentation of Certification for a Grammy.
The group continues today with a promise to make great blues. The band has had the honor of being opening act for artists such as B.B. King, George Thorogood and Delbert McClinton. With strong song writing talents, look for a Coupe De Villes release in the near future.

Burning Blues

Cosmo St. Clair - Now Blues For Now People

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2002
Time:36:41 
Size:84,5 MB 
Label:Analog y Digi-tal Recordings 
Styles:Blues/Electric Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. The Things I'd Do For You - 4:04
 2. The Spider And The Fly - 3:38
 3. If You Love Me - 2:38
 4. Down Home Girl - 4:25
 5. Little Bit - 3:10
 6. Oh Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin') - 2:52
 7. Boom Boom - 3:05
 8. Jealous Man - 3:46
 9. Palm Of My Hand - 2:49
10. Sugar Coated Love - 2:59
11. Got Love If You Want It - 3:09

Musicians:
Cosmo St. Clair - vocals, bass, guitar
Larry Rott - bass
Doug Nahory - organ
Sunny Girl Yoko - harp
Rob Klonel - drums

This debut CD, Now Blues For Now People, by L.A.-based blues band, Cosmo St. Clair, is mind blowin' from beginning to end. It's high-energy blues, to say the least - a great party CD, for sure! From the first track to the last, this CD really has what it takes! Cosmo supplies all the guitar parts and lead vocals, as well as most of the bass parts on Now Blues ... That's one reason why the instrumentals blend so well together .. one blues-minded soul that knows where blues is at, callin' all the shots on the parts played and sung.
Now Blues .. starts off with "Things I'd Do For You" -- ("there is no end to the things I'd do for you.") A real rouser, guaranteed to please in every way! The Stones' "The Spider and the Fly", contains so much rousing blues pleasure in every note, it could almost be classified as 'musically illegal', on this very satisfying 'blues plate special'! Sunny Girl Yoko's harp parts can really get ya goin'! Spectacular Cosmo guitar leads, vocals and pumpin' bass lines, along with right-in-the-pocket drums supplied by Rob Klonel, will keep ya on the dance floor, or anywhere else ya wanna rock!
"If You Love Me" ("why d'ya treat me like ya do?"), features more awesome vocals, scorching leads, and wild Klonel drumming. Can't get 'no better, no how'! "say you'll never run, you'll never stay out late", sums up this universal sentiment, perfectly! "Down Home Girl" features more mouthwatering Sunny Girl Yoko blues harp, the way it's supposed to be played - right from the soul! More kick-ass drums, searing vocals, etc. Very impressive! This band knows how to groove, 'n rock up the blues. Muddy and Sonny Boy ll would be proud!
"Little Bit", asks for a "teeny little bit 'o your love", but gives 100% all the way! More excellent lead guitar, rousing percussion rhythms, etc. Cosmo's vocals click on every level. Doug Nahory's lilting organ riffs help "Little Bit", be a 'lot bit!" "Oh Baby, (We Got a Good Thing Goin')", rocks it up without constraint. Everything fuses nicely on this tune! Cosmo's vocals are A-1 all the way .. he's definitely got a good thing goin' on this one!
John Lee Hooker's "Boom, Boom", is the best you could ask for in this very cool rendition of one of Hooker's major compositions. (I can almost feel JLH is itchin' ta sit in with Cosmo's band!) My fingers are 'dancin' on the keypad' as I'm listening to this all-time blues classic. Scorching leads, rockin' skins, and very cool Cosmo vocals, send this well-known JLH tune into blues orbit! Just in case you can stand more of the best blues around, Cosmo delivers up more rousing vocals on the classic "Jealous Man", who's "crazy about my baby too much!", and "locks her in her room all night". This tune is 'knee-slappin' good, all the way! The Wiggles Hollywood, better known as Miss Kastle and Miss Elis, echo Cosmo's 'jealousy' with like-minded background vocals, while Larry Rott guests on melodic bottom-end bass lines that really help the energy flow along nicely. More unbelievable Sunny Girl Yoko harp coolness, combines with 'to die for' leads by Cosmo … I wanna hear 'em in my sleep! Cosmo's invigorating leads and vocals can hold ya in the 'palm of his hand', in "Palm of Your Hand". Sunny Girl Yoko's incredible harp technique gives strength to this musical winning 'hand'!
"Sugar Coated Love", is belted out by Cosmo, accompanied by his heavy-duty rhythm guitar and leads, that spell it out, in no uncertain terms. Like Cosmo says, "she's a real gone baby, I don't mean maybe, she's mine!" - I'm sure The Rockabilly Gods would approve!
The final tune on this unbelievably good CD, is "Got Love If You Want It!" Cosmo's leads on this tune, seem to spin into the blues cosmos -- where all good blues comes from. The same can be said about this whole CD. In my estimation, it's one of the best, rousing blues albums I've ever heard - a classic in it's own time! There aren't enough stars in the 'rating system' to do it justice!

Now Blues For Now People

The Ripcords - White Cadillac

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2024
Time:52:21 
Size:120,4 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Thirty Miles - 4:54
 2. Far From Any Road - 5:10
 3. Georgia - 4:36
 4. Smudgy's Blues - 4:06
 5. White Cadillac - 5:05
 6. If That's the Way It's Gotta Be - 4:13
 7. Still Got the Blues - 7:01
 8. Liza Jane - 4:46
 9. Worry Be Gone - 4:09
10. Senor Blues-     
11. Can't Buy Me Love - 3:39
12. Fast as You - 4:39

The Ripcords began as a project put together by Rex Lyons to explore some of his favorite music using some of his collaborators in The Roustabouts, another renowned roots band in CNY fronted by Dugan Henhawk. Dugan and Rex go way back to CNY’s seminal punk and roll band, Whiteboy and the Wagonburners, that set CNY afire in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Rex’s cousin, Irv Lyons Jr. was brought in to play guitar and sing along with Whiteboy alumni Phil Regan on the drums. Jay Gould, who holds down the bass, (also a Roustabout) and Tom Witkowski on keyboards round out the lineup. Both are veterans of the music scene. The Ripcords are two time NAMA winners for “Group of the Year” and “Best Blues Recording”. As well as two time “Best Americana” SAMMY winners (Syracuse Area Music Awards). As a road tested seasoned rocking juggernaut, the Ripcords are kicking off 2025 with their brand new release “White Cadillac”! The Ripcords have performed across the northeast to crowds in New York City and Boston as well as their home in Central New York for just about twenty years. Some of the many stages they’ve graced include: the New York State Blues Festival, Taste of Syracuse, Central New York Jazz Fest, the Inner Harbor Block Party, Performance Harlee Davidson, Stage of Nations Blue Rain ECOfest and the Ganondagan Native American Festival. Outside of New York The Ripcords have played the Lion’s Den NYC, Saratoga Race Track, Brockton Blues Festival, EarthDance Hog Farm Laytonville CA, St. Catherine’s Performing Art Center Ontario Canada. The band and its members have opened for and played on bills with such noted musicians as Santana, Steve Miller, Blues Traveler, Ry Cooder, Rick Derringer, Phish, John Lee Hooker, Edgar Winter, Leon Russell, Kim Simmonds, Terrance Simien, Gene Taylor, Bill Kirchen, and Chip Taylor over the years. Steve Palumbo joined the group November 2016 as the new drummer.

White Cadillac

Stratcat Willie & The Strays - Don't Slow Down!

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:46:48 
Size:107,9 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. I Ain't Got Nothin' - 4:58
 2. Demons Within - 3:51
 3. Slow Down - 3:30
 4. Go on Home - 4:14
 5. No Pleasin' You - 4:51
 6. Consuela - 3:21
 7. Ain't Gonna Change - 4:28
 8. I'm Down - 3:06
 9. Rollin' & Tumblin' - 5:06
10. Don't Let Him In - 5:27
11. Stratcat Boogie - 3:49

StratCat Willie Hayes is an old-school bluesman who has been writing and playing for over sixty years. Some of his earliest influences included T-Bone Walker, Mike Bloomfield, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, and Duke Robillard. In 1995, after several years of gigging in local clubs and fronting many cover bands, his affinity for and love of the blues led him to form a band that would allow him to focus exclusively on the blues. “Blues Plate Special” was a harmonica driven blues band that covered everyone from Little Charlie & the Nightcats to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, as well as writing and recording original songs. With Blues Plate Special, he worked hard to keep the blues alive in the Southern Tier of New York, recording three studio albums  along with one live album. In 2019, in an effort to explore other styles of the blues, he pulled several players together that had been with him for many of those fifty-plus years to form “StratCat Willie & the Strays”.
In 2020, armed with thirteen original tunes, he took the Strays into the studio. The result was “On The Prowl”, which debuted on SiriusXM BLUESVILLE’s “Rack of Blues” and remained on the Roots Music Report charts for six consecutive months, finishing #52 on the RMR “Top 200 Contemporary Blues Album Chart for 2021”.
Following up on that success, late in 2021 StratCat Willie brought the same players together to record “On A Hot Tin Roof”. Comprised of twelve new original tunes written entirely during the pandemic, the music not only reflects the darkness of the times, it also reflects the “Good News of the Blues” and the joy of classic swing/jump blues by tapping into the rich sound of a backing horn section and soulful background vocals. This album also enjoyed widespread popularity and earned a slot on BLUESVILLE’S “Rack of Blues”.
In the Fall of 2022, just as they were ready to dive into their next studio project, one of the Strays died unexpectedly. Following that 
were some other unexpected personnel changes, as well as the ravages of time. So in late 2023, StratCat Willie pulled together the Strays the he was gigging with most and recorded his third studio album, “Don’t Slow Down!”, a hard driving, guitar-centric project which addressed the challenges raised by those losses and the relentless passage of time. Over his fifty plus year career, StratCat Willie has shared the stage with many musicians across the United States, from New Orleans, where he has jammed with legends like Walter “Wolfman” Washington, to San Francisco, Memphis, and Nashville, always looking to meet and play with different folks.
StratCat Willie not only enjoys the spontaneity of a good blues jam, he revels in the opportunity to bring new players together and “make a statement”. Continuing the influences of the old masters, with his swinging, lyrical, upbeat style while always paying tribute to and recognizing those great African-American men and women who gave us this amazing art form.

Don't Slow Down!

Terry Hanck - Grease to Gravy

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:53:30 
Size:123,2 MB 
Label:Little Village 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You - 4:52
 2. If a Politician Was a Doctor - 4:05
 3. Best Years of My Life - 5:15
 4. Come Back Baby - 3:30
 5. Goin' Way Back Home Tonight - 4:29
 6. Overall Junction - 4:07
 7. Run Run Baby - 4:20
 8. Sick and Tired - 4:29
 9. Going Down Slow - 6:24
10. When I Get My Shit Together - 4:08
11. Pins and Needles - 4:00
12. Midnight on the Reef - 3:46

As saxophonist, singer, bandleader, and songwriter, the tall, tan Chicago-born, South-Florida-based Hanck knows it’s good to live in a world of classic New Orleans R&B, steamy strolls, gorgeous soul ballads and West Coast jump blues!
This past year we’ve been working on a brand new album, Terry’s first since 2019’s I Still Get Excited.
This will be Terry’s first release on his longtime friend Jim Pugh’s highly regarded label.

Grease to Gravy

Big Dave & The Dutchmen - Big Dave & The Dutchmen

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:43:37 
Size:101,1 MB 
Label:NAKED Records 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Never Love Again - 5:05
 2. I Dig You Baby - 3:58
 3. Screwdriver - 5:50
 4. Daring Haring - 2:41
 5. Trouble Of The World - 3:35
 6. Lonesome - 3:42
 7. So Sweet - 4:27
 8. This Work - 3:06
 9. Never Love Again (Upbeat) - 4:28
10. When You Go To Sleep - 3:44
11. Blues Jumps In - 2:56

Big Dave & the Dutchmen is a new top blues band founded in 2023. Big Dave Reniers (known from Electric Kings, Dizzy Dave Band) is a master of the harmonica and a charismatic singer and frontman. He takes you into the nostalgic sounds of the blues from the 50s and 60s. What really sets this band apart is their ability to bring blues songs with feeling and respect for the origins, without simply copying them. The line-up also consists of well-known 'cracks' in the genre: Roel Spanjers (Luther Allison, Smokey Wilson), piano and vocals, Mischa den Haring (T-99, Chung Kings) on guitars and vocals, Darryl Ciggaar (Dry Riverbed Trio, Ian Siegal) on drums and vocals and Dusty Ciggaar (Ian Siegal, The Rhythm Chiefs), bass guitar and vocals. Each band member contributes to the unique sound of the band; soulful harmonica, ‘Down Home’ blues piano, expressive guitar work supported by a very smooth rhythm section. This band sounds like the raw, smoky clubs of early Chicago blues, where the whiskey flowed freely and the day only ended when the sun came up again. Performances by Big Dave & The Dutchmen show not only individual virtuosity, but also a collective ‘Boogie’ that is irresistible and unstoppable…

Big Dave & The Dutchmen

Crystal Shawanda - Sing Pretty Blues

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:51:39 
Size:119,2 MB 
Label:New Sun Music Records 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Preaching Blues - 4:36
 2. Stop Funkin Me Around - 3:48
 3. Would You Know Love - 4:40
 4. I Gave up Everything for You, 'cept the Blues - 4:49
 5. Sing Pretty Blues - 4:17
 6. Don't Let Me Be Lonely - 4:55
 7. If That's All It Takes - 3:33
 8. Waitin for My Lover to Call - 3:29
 9. Changes (For Snowflake) - 4:54
10. Honey Bee - 3:50
11. Too Far to Turn Around - 4:02
12. Dirty (for Jc) - 4:41

JUNO Award-winning powerhouse Crystal Shawanda is back with her latest studio album, Sing Pretty Blues, out April 11 via New Sun Records. Crystal takes her fans on a sonic adventure, weaving together the rich fibers of blues and southern country soul, while paying homage to the legendary sounds of Stax, Chess and Motown. The songs have a commonality of strength and self-discovery – exploring themes of resilience, self-worth and refusing to settle in love, life, and business. “It’s been three years since my last album, and so much has happened, so there’s a lot of life in this music,” says Crystal. “The good, the bad, the redemption and healing can be messy, and life is not always pretty. That’s the Sing Pretty Blues.” The album is the follow-up to 2022’s Midnight Blues, which earned Crystal a JUNO Award nomination in the Blues Album of the Year category, the 8th of her career. She became the first Indigenous woman to appear in the Top 10 of the American Billboard Blues chart upon the album’s release when it debuted at #8. Produced by her husband and long-time collaborator Dewayne Strobel, Sing Pretty Blues is a thrilling mix of original songs – like the sassy standout “Stop Funking Me Around” and the sultry “Waiting For My Lover to Call” – alongside genre and era-spanning covers of Tom Petty’s “Honey Bee,” Son House’s “Preaching Blues” and Black Sabbath’s “Changes,” the latter recorded in tribute to a late fan and devoted friend. “She grew up just down the road, back home on the Rez,” says Crystal. “She had a beautiful heart and just wanted to be loved, and people took advantage of that. Addiction is killing our communities, and her death triggered a lot of emotions about old friends who have passed and loved ones currently in active addiction. I needed to sing this song, to mourn, to grieve, because she mattered, and she was loved.” Sing Pretty Blues is preceded by the album’s heartfelt first single, “Would You Know Love,” which was released in January and blends Crystal’s signature raspy vocals with the raw emotion of blues and the storytelling soul of country.
“It sounds like it’s from somewhere in between, where old meets new, and the blues meets country, kind of like me,” she says. “It’s honest, vulnerable and soulful. When I sing it, I think about who wouldn’t be in my life, if I had let love slip on by. I think sometimes people walk away from love too easily when it gets tough, but that’s what makes it love. It endures.” Born and raised in Wikwemikong First Nation, on Manitoulin Island, in Northern Ontario, Crystal was introduced to the blues by her eldest brother and to old-time country by her parents. “I was also into other styles of music that led me to the blues,” she says, citing everything from Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” written by Big Mama Thornton, to R&B-pop star Monica’s “Misty Blue,” by Dorothy Moore. 
And yet Crystal’s first foray as a professional singer was in country music, not blues. She was in her early 20s and had immediate success after signing a U.S. record deal with RCA Nashville. 2008’s Dawn of a New Day, featuring the single “You Can Let Go,” reached No. 1 on the Canadian Country Album chart and No. 16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums, the highest charting album by a full-blooded Canadian Indigenous country artist (in the SoundScan-era). The following year she left the label and created her own, New Sun Records. Her first release was the holiday album I’ll Be Home For Christmas. Her next country album was 2010’s Just Like You, which won a 2013 JUNO Award for Best Aboriginal Album, before she made the change to the blues with 2014’s The Whole World’s Got The Blues. Two years later, in quick succession, came 2016’s Fish Out of Water and 2017’s Voodoo Woman, then recognition as a bonafide blues talent with 2020’s Church House Blues, which won the 2021 JUNO Award for Best Blues album.
Crystal will celebrate the release with an album launch party on April 10 at Lula Lounge in Toronto. Tickets are available here. Fans can catch Crystal all summer long across Canada. A full list of tour dates can be found below.

Sing Pretty Blues

Calibre 12 Band - It Is What It Is

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2022
Time:49:12 
Size:113,2 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Southern Rock/Blues Rock/Americana 
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Ride the Horizon - 6:16
 2. 57's Boogie - 4:33
 3. Alone in the Way - 3:54
 4. The Graybar Hotel - 6:15
 5. Cold Beer and Hot Chicks - 4:06
 6. Drifting Thoughts - 4:26
 7. Here They Come - 4:55
 8. Running My Life Insane - 3:59
 9. Guitar Freak - 4:30
10. It Is What It Is - 6:15

Musicians:
Jean Marie Coron - guitar, slide; 
Christophe Finck - guitar, vocals; 
Laurent Montero - bass; 
Jean Luc Gauthier - drums. 

CALIBRE 12 is a Southern Rock band from France, founded in the 90s, first album released in 1997.This CD (released 2022) is their first album since 9 years, a great comeback in style early 38 SPECIAL and BLACKBERRY SMOKE.

It Is What It Is

Hughes Taylor - Roasted

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2025
Time:42:15 
Size:97,8 MB 
Label:Bent Note Records 
Styles:Blues Rock/Southern Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Moondance Baby - 4:04
 2. Ballad of Big Bill McGuire - 4:42
 3. Until It Hits - 4:17
 4. Midnight Angel - 5:16
 5. From the Other Side - 2:41
 6. (In the Morning) When It's Over - 3:36
 7. Beautiful Stranger - 3:15
 8. When Love Comes Home - 4:54
 9. Before You Fall - 3:34
10. Hangin On - 2:29
11. Rochester - 3:23

Musicians:
Personnel:
Hughes Taylor- Guitar, Vocals
Ben Alford- Bass, BVs on “Big Bill”
Zach Wilson- Keys on 1, 3, 4, 6, 7
Nich Gannon- Drums
Emily Lynn- Vocal solo on “Midnight Angel,” BVs on 1, 4, 6,
Evie Somogyi- BVs on Until it Hits

An old soul hailing from Macon Georgia USA, Hughes Taylor was immediately drawn to the blues when he first picked up the guitar. Today an accomplished guitar player with a voice that is bigger than he is, Hughes has developed his signature style: a fiery brand of blues-rock whose lineage stretches back to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Cream.
On his Facebook he is introduced as follows: “HUGHES TAYLOR puts his own spin on modern blues with echoes of Hendrix, SRV, Stax and Southern rock…”. Hughes is a talented songwriter, singer and guitarist from Macon (GA). He knew from the age of 13 that he wanted to be a musician. In 2016 he made his debut with ‘Hear My Melody’. After graduating in 2017, just before marrying the love of his life, Evy, he released ‘Restless’ (2018) and in 2018 he released ‘Good Blues, Fast’ with the Hughes Taylor Band. In 2020 Taylor toured the UK with the Heather Findlay Band. Hughes’ music is a mix of blues, blues/rock and Southern rock. ‘Modern Nostalgia’ (2021) was Hughes Taylor’s fourth studio album and for some, his best to date. It was recorded at the legendary Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon (GA). Four years after ‘Modern Nostalgia’ (2021), HUGHES TAYLOR’s latest project is ‘ROASTED’ (2025). The studio album combines the soul of blues rock with raw, exciting energy. ‘Roasted’ is a fusion of two parts. The 5-track EP ‘Roasted, Pt. 1: Dark Roast’ (2024) that was released earlier, which dives deep into the heavier, darker side of blues rock and the other part (which would logically be called ‘Roasted, Pt. 2: Light Roast’, but which I didn’t find as an EP): the remaining songs, which embrace a more cheerful, lively energy. Together, these two “halves” form a complete musical experience that shows Hughes’ growth as a guitarist and songwriter. Roasted combines raw guitar riffs, soulful grooves and expressive vocals into a sound that feels both fresh and familiar. Besides Hughes Taylor (vocals, guitar) the following were also in the studio: Ben Alford (bass, bvs), Nich Gannon (drums), Zach Wilson (keys), Emily Lynn (vocals, bvs) & Evie Somogy (bvs). On ‘ROASTED, Pt.1: DARK ROAST’ were “From the Other Side”, “Midnight Angel”, “Ballad of Big Bill McGuire”, “(In the Morning) When it's Over” and “When Love Comes Home”. The songs are heavier blues rock guitar songs, which mainly summarize Hughes as a versatile artist. “Midnight Angel” and “Ballad of Big Bill McGuire” both stand out because of the riff with the catchy groove and the backing vocals (Emily Lynn & Ben Alford). “(In the Morning) When it's Over” continues the line with guitar over organ (Zach Wilson) and “When Love Comes Home” mixes psychedelic and hard rock over an infectious driving groove. Of the remaining tracks, the uptempo “Moondance Baby” is more funky and “Until It Hits” is a quiet ballad. Together, ‘ROASTED’ is more of a great rock album from the seventies, rather than a pure blues album.

Roasted

Chris Zalez - Texas Cantina

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2004
Time:45:40 
Size:106,1 MB 
Label:Pacific Blues Recording Company 
Styles:Electric Blues/Texas Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. I Love You Honey - 4:18
 2. Knockin' Blues - 3:57
 3. Justine - 4:05
 4. Never Let You Go - 4:32
 5. Sugar Mama - 4:00
 6. All About My Girl - 3:20
 7. Sittin' & Drinkin' - 6:08
 8. I'm In Love - 4:02
 9. Give Me A Break - 5:00
10. All My Love - 4:11
11. Something Right For Me - 2:03

Chris Zalez guitarist, singer, song-writer, born in Dallas,Texas. Zalez' music has been on the top of the Americana and Texas music charts. Chris is the original founder of the Tejas Brothers but parted from the band in 2009. Schooled in blues and country, with influences that range from Freddie Fender, T-bone Walker, Buck Owens, Gatemouth Brown, Buddy Holly, and Lazy Lester...to name a few. Listening to Chris's music gives you a glimpse into his soul. He stays true to his American Chicano roots by mixing Tejano, Blues, and country music, to capture a sound that is distinctively his own.

Texas Cantina

Chris Mawer Band - Boxcar Special

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2008
Time:31:38 
Size:73,6 MB 
Label:Black Market Music 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Break Out a Party - 2:38
 2. I Don't Care - 3:46
 3. Anything to Please You - 3:40
 4. Payin' the Price - 3:49
 5. Boxcar Special - 3:27
 6. So What's Wrong With You - 4:08
 7. Rain Is a Bringdown - 6:07
 8. Please Come Home - 3:59

Grindin', jumpin', hollerin', blues. Chris Mawer is one of the premier talents in modern day blues music, has performed at major events and festivals around the world, has shuffled through cities, remote areas, promoting his unique blend of blues, jump and swing. Chris has had an interesting and colourful music career spanning well over a decade, and has performed, recorded and toured extensively with many Australian and International blues acts. Independently released, 'one way ticket' is the second album from Chris Mawer and features some new uptempo blues and swing tunes as well as some blues favourites. Chris' music has been influenced by such greats as Albert King, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Ray Charles and other greats of the style and you can catch him turning his hand to many different instruments, having played professionally on drums, guitars, as a vocalist and most at home on upright and electric basses. This allows Chris great scope and knowledge as a band leader and arranger/producer. In recent years, he's also spent some time producing works for some other top line Australian talents, and recently founded his own record label for the projects. "Blues music has been a huge part of my life, it's been a great job from the start, it's a straight up style, hard to take and hard to fake." says chris. "It's awesome to be able to travel and tell the story and meet the folk, hear the joke."
In 2010, Chris and the band will be taking the show to the US and Canada If you're a fan of blues be sure to check out the hip shakin' rhythms of the Chris Mawer Band. "Music to put you in the mood – for anything." - Spirit FM -"Excellent Night, Awesome performance" - Bidgee Blues Club -"Undoubtedly one of the great singer bass players" - Harry Brus -“Chris Mawer is one of my new blues heroes. it might as well be from deep down in Mississippi” - Sun Media (Canada) -"Cleverly crafted... it will get them all moving” - Blues Matters (UK) -"It was one of the best nights we have had for near on a year with the place just humming" - Lonnie's Blues Club

Boxcar Special

Carol Fran & Clarence Hollimon - Soul Sensation!

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1992
Time:56:01 
Size:130,0 MB 
Label:Black Top 
Styles:Blues
Art:Front+Back 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Golden Girl - 3:00
 2. Push-Pull - 4:00
 3. I'll Make Your Life Sunshine - 3:31
 4. Blues For Carol - 3:56
 5. Box With A Hole In The Middle - 2:33
 6. My Happiness - 3:31
 7. I Needs To Be Be'd With - 3:00
 8. Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere - 4:13
 9. Forgive Me, But My Heart Is Broken - 3:09
10. Bring It On Home To Me - Old Folks Jam - 4:43
11. I Had A Talk With My Man - 3:57
12. Gristle - 3:28
13. Mother's Love - 3:05
14. Tin-Tin-De-O - 4:44
15. This Little Light - 5:04

Soul-blues diva Carol Fran was born October 23, 1933, in Lafayette, Louisiana. After beginning her career as a teen singing jump blues with the Don Conway Orchestra, she eventually landed in New Orleans, marrying saxophonist Bob Francois. Abbreviating her married name to simply Fran, she became a constant presence on the Bourbon Street club circuit before mounting an extended tour of Mexico. In 1957, she cut her first sides for the R&B label Excello, scoring a regional smash with her debut single, "Emmitt Lee." Though she recorded extensively for Excello, only three more singles were released during Fran's abbreviated tenure with the label, and she soon signed on as a featured vocalist with blues legend Guitar Slim. She continued touring with the group in the wake of Slim's 1959 death, appearing alongside various substitutes, including Nappy Brown, Lee Dorsey, and Joe Tex. 
In 1962, Fran signed to Lyric and released a pair of singles, including a swamp pop rendition of "The Great Pretender"; she spent two more years on the road before catching on with the Jubilee subsidiary Port for a 1964 cover of the Orioles' classic "Crying in the Chapel." The single was then reissued on the Josie label, but it was lost in the shuffle when Elvis Presley scored with his own reading of the song soon after. Undaunted, Fran remained with Port for a series of smoldering soul sides spotlighting her crystalline vocals to magnificent effect. While the follow-up "You Can't Stop Me" featured a Sammy Lowe arrangement, her third effort for the label, the lovely "A World Without You," was penned by Bobby Darin. Sadly, both failed to make any commercial headway, however, and after one more single for Port, "Any Day Love Walks In," Fran returned to touring. She did not re-enter the studio until 1967, signing to Roulette for a cover of Brook Benton's "So Close." Despite cutting a surplus of material during her Roulette stay, the sessions remained in the can. Embittered by her label experiences and stung by years of ill-informed financial dealings, she returned to Louisiana and spent over a decade confining her activities to small clubs. In 1982, Fran was reunited with Clarence Holliman, a noted studio guitarist she'd briefly dated a quarter century earlier; the couple eventually married and relocated to Texas, appearing live together and in 1992 signing to Black Top to issue the album Soul Sensation. See There followed two years later, and after a long studio hiatus, Fran and Holliman resurfaced on JSP with the aptly titled 2000 release It's About Time. Carol Fran died on September 2, 2021, from complications of the COVID-19 virus; she was 87 years old. ~ Jason Ankeny

Soul Sensation!

Whisky Legs - Have a Shot

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2014
Time:17:55 
Size:41,4 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Hit the Ground Running - 3:57
 2. Scarlet - 4:41
 3. Too Late - 4:01
 4. Bastard Child (Live) - 5:14

Musucians:
Maude Brochu - Lead vocal & management;
Guillaume Méthot - Guitars;
Louis Fernandez - Bass & 12 string guitar
Pascal Denis - Drums, guitars & back vocals.

Less than two years after their debut, Whisky Legs is on a roll. Also known as ‘’Fifty Shades of the Blues’’, the band offers a modern take on traditional sounds, melding strength and emotional depth. The warm and powerful voice of their leader, heavy pounding rock and deep soulful grooves have made them Quebec’s Blues Discovery of the Year! (Winner at Lys Blues Awards 2015). Lead singer Maude Brochu also received a nomination for Female Artist of the Year, alongside Dawn Tyler Watson and Angel Forest. Based in the heart of Quebec City’s storied St-Roch quarter, WL inhabits a rich and vibrant world, finding inspiration in the work of many artists, including Amy Winehouse, Led Zeppelin, Alabama Shakes, The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr., Tedeschi Trucks Band, to name just a few.  Their independent EP, “Have A Shot”, released June 2014, sold almost 1500 copies and had them playing all over Quebec during the last year, including performances at the Festival d’Été de Québec and the Tremblant Blues Festival. Being named favorite band of the year in late 2014 by the promoter’s association of Eastern Quebec (ROSEQ) also gave them the chance, even as an unknown act, to play major venues in a tour of the Gaspé region this winter. Performing both as a duo and as a four-piece band, they have also rounded out their touring in the last few months with first-time appearances in Toronto and New Brunswick.

Have a Shot

Mike Whellans - Swingtime Johnny Red

Bitrate:320K/s

Year:1991/2008
Time:54:21 
Size:125,4 MB 
Label:Temple Records 
Styles:Electric Blues/Rock-n-Roll 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Living In A Nightmare - 3:57
 2. Sweet Little Jenny - 3:23
 3. Same Sweet Thing - 6:06
 4. Down And Outa Hand - 5:49
 5. Movers And Shakers - 3:49
 6. Howling For My Baby - 5:22
 7. Swingtime Johnny Red - 4:12
 8. Thinking About You Baby - 5:05
 9. Too Close For Comfort - 3:18
10. Sweet Suspicion - 3:56
11. Chicago And Southside - 2:59
12. Desperate Desire - 6:18

A long time fixture on the British and European club, concert, TV, radio & festival circuit, as a solo performer, band leader and session musician, and having toured in Canada and the USA, Mike Whellans is once again making his mark in the UK - topped off by going down a storm at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival
Born in the Borders at the end of WW2, Mike began his musical life in the late 1950s/early 1960s playing his fathers drum kit, and by the age of 14 was playing in local dance bands. In 1969 he decided to turn professional and very soon released a first solo album.
Aly & Mike, Tivoli, 1970's In the early 1970s, Mike was a member of the traditional Scots-Irish band, Boys of the Lough, and worked in a duo with fellow-Boy Aly Bain for about three years, playing amazingly clean and crisp flat-pick guitar behind Aly's fiddle; a very dynamic duo!
In the 1980's and 90's, Mike then moved to live in Denmark and toured all over Scandinavia and in Germany and the Low Countries, as well as working back in the UK with those madcap Scottish musos, The Vindscreen Vipers Skiffle Group (Tich Frier, Bill Nolan, Malky McCormack and the late Danny Kyle). 
Now, Mike's living back in the Scottish Borders again and working as Scotland's only (as far as we know) one-man blues band and there aren't that many in the UK either - with his guitars, mouth-harps, vocals and drum-kit and of course his show-stopping, "mouth percussion"; a real tour de force.
Mike is an astounding guitar picker, equally at home on 6, 12 string or electric guitars, and is an amazing mouth-harp player too. And the other things he can do with his mouth? Well, you've just got to see and hear his vocal percussion to be convinced. Added to this; he sings, is a drummer of no slight talent, writes songs, seems to have boundless energy, and you've got a great entertainment in prospect with the most dynamic one-man blues band any side of the Forth delta. 

Swingtime Johnny Red

Billy Stapleton - Slide Swiped

Bitrate:320K/s

Year:2006
Time:43:24 
Size:99,9 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Could Not Sleep - 3:43
 2. The Devil Came Home Early - 4:54
 3. Sun Shine On - 4:23
 4. Somedays Are Better Than Most - 2:21
 5. Hold My Hand - 3:45
 6. Bible on the Hood - 2:36
 7. Showbiz - 5:07
 8. On the Prairie - 6:05
 9. Turkey in the Mayonnaise - 2:04
10. Amazing Grace - 4:03
11. Walkin' Cane (Live) - 4:18

It was a great pleasure to hear Billy Stapleton's offering, Slide Swiped, which, as you might guess, is an all slide guitar CD. The veteran guitarist is happily responsible for writing all but two tracks on the CD, and he is joined by a talented cast of friends, each bringing his own skills to blend with the maestro.The crew is Tommy Morgan and Alan Isaacson on drums; "Little Bill" Englehart on Fender 5 string bass; Dick Powell and Mark Ross on keyboards; John Hodgkin providing his inimitable and phenomenal vocals; Kelly Leifer on Fender bass; Bobby Vega on '60 Fender jazz bass; and of course, Billy in high style on his smorgasbord of guitars: a '54 Tele & Frankencaster slide, Fender Strat slide, 1932 National Style O Resophonic, '42 Gibson Southern Jumbo, Pocket Steel, Les Paul Special and Fender Mongrel Strat slide.
The album has 11 tracks, launching with "Could Not Sleep," dedicated to his wife Roni, which has a solid rhythm and gutsy vocals, and the guitar sliding and swerving over and under the vocals like a Corvette on a busy highway. "The Devil Came Home Early" weaves a more sensuous tempo with some classic keyboard work accentuating the sway and strop of the guitars, not so much a pussycat rubbing around your legs looking for milk, but a cougar wanting more cream! "Some Days are Better Than Most" opens with a country lilt, slipping into a classic, almost religious blues twang -- a couple of minutes of pure nostalgia, which is picked up and given a shot of bourbon in "Bible on the Hood," vocals by its writer, Little Bill. The keyboards are punchy, the drums domineering, yet above all the guitars combine to give the song the real kick and burn. The mood mellows again in "Showbiz," and there is a perfect balance between the thought-provoking lyrics and the buzzing, thrumming guitars and their occasional forays into the stratosphere. "On the Prairie" -- the longest track at over 6 minutes -- opens with a brilliant evocation of wind and the wild coyote howls, leading the listener into the open spaces defined by Fender Mongrel and bass, striding through the grasses, alone in the wilderness, under roiling skies, the thunder and lightning never far away, until you are drenched in sound and rain both. Stapleton alters the mood with a swift rendition of "Turkey in the Mayonnaise," and closes the album with "Amazing Grace" and "Walkin' Cane." The former, a solo performance by Billy on the 1932 National Style O Resophonic, demonstrates fingerpicking skills that, I would imagine, are thanks in practice for the Seattle Hand Surgery Group; a tribute to the musician's determination in the face of pain and adversity; and proof that Billy Stapleton is still and again a master in charge of the diverse instruments which fall under the category of guitar. The latter concludes in gentle tempo, a foot-tapper and finger drummer, but mellow, musing and with care not to spill your favourite tipple.This is a triumph of an album, proof that sequels need not be of lesser quality than introductions, and a welcome return of stylish blues.

Slide Swiped

W.C. Spencer - Over Time

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1998
Time:54:11 
Size:124,9 MB 
Label:Bluescat Music 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Born Under A Bad Sign - 4:33
 2. Some of the Things - 4:41
 3. Atlanta Blues - 5:53
 4. Goodboy Blues - 3:23
 5. Talk To Me - 3:00
 6. My Old Home - 3:43
 7. Got My Mojo Workin' - 4:24
 8. Flying Crow Blues - 2:53
 9. The Jump - 3:39
10. Sugar Momma - 4:09
11. The Country Minstrel - 3:07
12. I'm Your Monkey - 3:46
13. Killer Filler - 3:32
14. Groundhog Stew - 3:22

In Over Time, W.C. Spencer covers a wide range of blues styles, from the classic to the modern, in an excellent album that will appeal equally to blues fans and novices. Over half of the 14 songs are originals, and the covers include familiar tunes like "Got My Mojo Workin'" and the classic "Atlanta Blues" from 1915.Spencer not only sings but plays almost all of the instruments on this album -- apparently all at the same time, at least in concert, including guitar, foot bass, harmonica and drums. Other instruments on the album are Marty Canelli's organ and Mookie Seigel's keyboards. The one-man-band aspect sounds like a gimmick, though, and while it would fascinating to see, the point of an album is the sound. Over Time is not a gimmick CD. It's a solid selection of real blues, and Spencer does not compromise the sound to improve the playability. His harmonica playing, in particular, is some of the best I've heard; he knows just when to elaborate and when to hold back for effect. "Atlanta Blues" is an interesting piece for Celtic music fans, incorporating as it does much of the melody of "Amazing Grace" but in a firmly bluesy style. "Born Under a Bad Sign," with its classic line "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all" is a great song, and Spencer's version of it is solid, although it's a bit understated for the lyrics. "Got My Mojo Workin'" is a favorite of mine, and Spencer's take on it is excellent with a great walking bass line making it rock. "Flying Crow Blues" takes us back to really classic blues, its guitar and voice both with a old-time sound; its position on the album, between two more updated pieces, really sets it off. "Sugar Momma" and "Goodboy Blues" are more old-time blues, with "Sugar Momma" recorded in a live performance. "Talk to Me" combines blues conventions with a modern plea to a lover to talk about what's going wrong rather than just walking away. I love the juxtaposition, as well as the sentiment! "Some of the Things" has a wistful tone, listing all the luxuries a man would like to heap on the woman he loves (although his $700 budget precludes most of them, and his promise not to look at another woman "but even if I do" does make one wonder about his sincerity). "I'm Your Monkey" is an interesting twist on the love/addiction theme, this time taking the perspective of the monkey on someone else's back. The instrumental pieces are equally good. "My Old Home" features intricate harmonica and guitar in a sound that combines blues with a bit of bluegrass. "The Country Minstrel" also has some bluegrass in the mix, for those who are reasonably familiar with both genres. "The Jump" simply rocks! The piano and walking bass remind me of rock's origins in blues. "Killer Filler" is dense instrumentally, with a jazzy sound, and "Groundhog Stew" has a quiet ragtime feel. I wish the liner notes had been more extensive, although a lot of information is packed into a very small space. The uncredited designer of the package did an excellent job, including far more information than one would have thought possible in a small space, and making it look great -- in fact, this is one of the most effective uses of two-color design I've seen. One of my favorite parts of reviewing is increasing my appreciation of the rich tapestry of interrelationships between styles of music, like this album does. Spencer has done a wonderful job of pacing the album, using nice contrasts between styles to advantage. I heartily recommend this album to new and old blues fans!

Over Time