Midnight Howlers - Howlin' The Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 36:47
Size: 85,1 MB
Label: Giant Bear Music
Styles: Blues/Country Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. That Damn Mnd - 3:34
 2. Devils Brew - 3:33
 3. All Day - 2:49
 4. One More Day - 2:36
 5. Poor Boy - 2:35
 6. Never Did - 2:20
 7. I'm Not Sure - 2:28
 8. Normans' Blues - 3:35
 9. It Ain't Down To You - 3:30
10. Dark Night - 2:55
11. Just In Time (Twist That Throttle Mix) - 2:37
12. Howlin' The Blues - 4:10

Midnight Howlers have a new Album out on 12th June 2020 called  "Howlin' the Blues" - 12 great new Blues tracks, played in a way only the Howlers could.

Howlin' the Blues

Len Gyrotron - Rasp

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 66:21
Size: 152,1 MB
Label: Paul Brown
Styles: Electronic/Сontemporary Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Last Spaceship To Kkoh - 4:40
 2. Lonesome Home - 4:37
 3. Toffee Blues - 4:24
 4. Missing You - 4:37
 5. X17 Factor - 5:35
 6. Get Stuck In - 2:25
 7. The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn - 4:52
 8. Pushin On - 3:25
 9. Building A Future - 4:08
10. Waiting Room - 3:29
11. Dreamtime - 3:38
12. White Boy Blues - 3:19
13. Lost in Lockdown - 4:24
14. The Places We Go - 4:05
15. Dance For An Electric Shaman - 3:31
16. Ayahausca Nights - 5:04

A collection of songs and tunes with a really good beat. Inspired and underpinned by the Blues. So if you like your Blues with a Beat these are for you/

Rasp

Stephen Dale Petit - 2020 Visions

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 59:59
Size: 137,5 MB
Label: 333 Records
Styles: Blues/Blues Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. 2020 Visions - 3:34
 2. The Fall Of America - 9:11
 3. Roxie's Song - 3:59
 4. Soul Of A Man - 2:49
 5. On Top - 1:24
 6. Long Tall Shorty - 4:04
 7. Raw - 3:41
 8. Tinderbox - 3:56
 9. The Ending Of The End - 7:13
10. Steppin' Out - 2:37
11. Makin' It - 4:18
12. Sputnik Days - 3:54
13. Zombie Train - 9:14

Singer/guitarist Stephen Dale Petit’s 2020 Visions is throwback rock and roll, with nods to blues and glam rock. The album is all over the place, not in a disorganized way, but rather like an epic drive where you’re constantly changing the radio station and never finding a bad song. Petit and his band are fluent in many styles and toggle through them, often within a single tune, resulting in complex tracks that still manage to make your heart race and your head bang.Petit is American-born but a fixture of the British blues rock scene, having played with Rolling Stones past and present Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood. You might expect someone with that kind of pedigree to have a little bit more of a laid-back vibe, but 2020 Visions, Petit’s sixth album, while never going full-on into metal, flirts hard with it. Petit might love the Stones, but he’s not trying to recreate their sound. Perhaps their spirit, but definitely not their sound. “Soul of a Man” is one of the album’s strongest tracks. Built upon a slow-but-heavy drum groove and a stinging Paul Jones harmonica riff, Petit manages to pull the song in two directions simultaneously, his distorted slide guitar pure modern blues and his vocals giving the song a punk rock snarl. But, as if that wasn’t enough, Shemekia Copeland, a truly talented Americana singer (seriously; go check her out), joins him for the chorus, which gives the tune a glammy sing-song quality, reminiscent of Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home” or Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City.” Somehow “Soul of a Man” is heavier, though, but also more rooted in the blues. Petit and his band are juggling a lot, keeping all of the balls in the air, managing to make it look easy. “Tinderbox” is the album’s fastest song. Featuring a pounding rhythm, Petit’s vocals are pure anger, and his guitar is all over the track. Where the rest of the album is more balanced, “Tinderbox” feels like it’s mostly made up of Petit’s guitar, with vocals and some drums backing things up from a safe distance. But one has the sense it wouldn’t be a substantially different song with just Petit’s feedback laden guitar and barking vocals.
Not all of 2020 Visions‘ is heavy, though. “The Ending of the End” is a slow blues that morphs into a ballad. Petit’s playing is straight-forward but also beautiful, bluesy bends resolving into jazzy runs, his tone having the impact of an intravenous shot of espresso. While it’s a strong Petit performance, his voice sounding both vulnerable and bratty, it’s hard to not be hypnotized by his gorgeous soloing. Guitarists can hide behind a lot in a fast song, but in a slower one, like this one, Petit is exposed and never blinks, delivering some emotional soloing. The album’s aggression is interesting, especially in Petit’s vocals. Blues and blues rock often repress explicit anger, or at least stash it away into guitar solos. But 2020 Visions doesn’t feel hopelessly bilious. The balance is possible because of the variety in the music; there are lots of shades of gray that temper Petit’s more intense moments, if not sanding off all of the dark, jagged edges, then certainly shining them so they catch the light. It also helps that he’s such a great singer and guitarist, which adds a tint of exhilaration to the entire album.

2020 Visions

Home Sweet Psychedelic - H.S.P

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 47:03
Size: 107,9 MB
Label: Self Released
Styles: Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Blues Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Solitary Heart Blues - 5:11
 2. Sacrificial Politician - 5:30
 3. Delta Blues - 2:39
 4. Ive Tried So Hard To Forget You - 5:23
 5. Won't You Be My Lover - 5:40
 6. Going To The Sun - 5:52
 7. Free Love - 2:50
 8. Down South - 5:46
 9. If You Want - 2:51
10. H.S.P (Home Sweet Psychedelic) - 5:16

In a time where electronic music is taking over the scene and musicians don't have to play an instrument to be called musicians, a band stands out of the crowd with their raw explosive sound.
Coming out of the beautiful city of San Diego, Home Sweet Psychedelic brings a new wave of music with their Blues/Rock&Roll roots that cannot be ignored.

Home Sweet Psychedelic

Andy Fleet (feat.Andre Canniere) - The Sleepless Kind

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 35:34
Size: 82,4 MB
Label: Low Vinyl Records
Styles: Jazz/Blues/Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. The Sleepless Kind, Pt. 1 - 2:05
 2. Been There Drunk That - 4:12
 3. All Broke Out with the Blues - 3:35
 4. Stolen Years - 4:43
 5. The Hobbyist - 2:46
 6. Through Closed Eyes - 7:44
 7. Loves Enemy - 3:27
 8. I've Had It All - 4:26
 9. The Sleepless Kind, Pt. 2 - 2:30

THE NAME of trumpeter Andre Canniere is familiar across the UK contemporary jazz scene; but perhaps less so, the jazz-inflected pop of pianist, vocalist and songwriter Andy Fleet. Following his previous albums The Night Falls Fast and Takin’ Aim, Fleet’s The Sleepless Kind picks up a theme which seems to permeate his musical output – an ‘ode to the night’ which (presumably reflecting his years as a lounge pianist) ‘recounts tales of the sticky lights of Soho in the small hours’. As before, it’s Canniere’s muted, Paolo Fresu-style trumpet which strongly evokes jazz-bar auras; and alongside bassist Zane Maertens and drummer Joe Evans, there are appearances from electric guitarist Pete Kershaw, saxophonist/flautist Chez Taylor and backing vocalist Sarah Doe.   Andy Fleet’s straight-ahead approach is beguiling, not least because the riffs and sequences of these songs subtly imply inspiration from previous decades, and it can take the memory some persuading to deliver the result! But also, his MOR vocals possess an almost reassuring ‘glow’ – listen to the gentle bop of Stolen Years to imagine Colin Blunstone, or the soft, storytelling wistfulness of I’ve Had It All to recall the chart hits of Dean Friedman. There’s even a fond reminder of Gilbert O’Sullivan in bluesy, up-tempo “don’t wanna seem like a drama queen” Been There, Drunk That.
The telephone-line opening to All Broke Out With The Blues may feel a little obvious, but its smoky solace – again with Canniere’s sultry improvisation – is reminiscent of Randy Newman’s finest. Rock-grooving Love’s Enemy (Supertramp meets Bryan Adams) confidently struts; and there’s even a hint of Neil Tennant in gentle, memorable Through Closed Eyes, its 1980s backing vocal and flute intimating the fragile hope of a poignant movie scene. If this all sounds like a disconnected melange, Andy Fleet actually has the ability to cohesively fashion new soft-pop/rock, complemented by the jazz inflections of Andre Canniere, into an album which I’ve now replayed many times. In the afterglow, pour a dram and ease back to this retro-styled songbook.   Released on 31 March 2020 and available as CD or digital download from Bandcamp.

The Sleepless Kind

The Jeremy Edge Project - The Jeremy Edge Project

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 34:53
Size: 80,0 MB
Label: Self Released
Styles: Rock/Blues Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Firedancer (Intro) - 0:49
 2. Firedancer - 4:04
 3. Hot Lava - 3:21
 4. Sing My Blues - 4:15
 5. Breath - 1:05
 6. Holding In - 3:48
 7. Lies - 6:03
 8. Indifferent - 3:45
 9. Outlive Yesterday - 3:53
10. Sunrise - 3:44

Jeremy Cubert is a multi-instrumentalist from the Washington, DC area. He has collaborated with artists such as Jon Anderson and Billy Sherwood. He plays in the band Apothecary and the Alan Scott Band in addition to solo performances on Chapman Stick.

The Jeremy Edge Project

Old Chicago Blues Band - Fourth Anniversary

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1996
Time: 54:37
Size: 126,0 MB
Label: Speakeasy
Styles: Blues/Electric Blues
Art: Front+ Back

Tracks Listing:
 1. Cat Nap Later - 3:25
 2. Why Get Up - 4:09
 3. Someday, Someway - 4:13
 4. Thank You - 5:30
 5. I Thank The Fool - 3:39
 6. All Your Love - 4:21
 7. Bad Attitude - 4:40
 8. Bad News - 3:15
 9. Low Rider - 5:42
10. I Can Hear You Calling - 3:06
11. Too Tired - 3:33
12. Don't Lose Your Cool - 3:33
13. Superstition - 5:27

The Old Chicago Blues Band's Third Anniversary CD could improve your love life. Sax player Chris Murphy tells the story of a male patron he knew who hadn't had a date in three years. Standing at the bar on a Thursday night holding a copy of the CD, a woman approached the man and said she'd love to hear it but didn't have a CD player. "So the guy is thinking fast, and invites her back to his place, makes her a cup of coffe and plays the CD for here," relays Murphy. "Saturday night he comes back to the bar, girl on his arm, first date in three years, a little spring in his step. That made me feel good." For three years the band - Murphy, drummer John Knapp, bassist Colin Stewart, and guitarist Doug Varty - has been bluesing up the Old Chicago Speakeasy and Grill on Carling Street in downtown London , backing dozens of guest artists, many featured on the new disc. Six months after their inception, talk of a CD surfaced, but personnel changes, financial and scheduling constraints delayed the project until February of this year when they descended on Paul Venesoen's Studio 107 here in town for five Sunday sessions. The fourteen tracks are a sort of greatest hits of the band's live gigs, and the nie lead singers got to choose their favourite songs. "A lot of artists picked their own songs," says Murphy. "We really wanted to do Mustang Sally and Sweet Home Chicago, because they're very popular and they sort of define what the band is about." He feels Mustang Sally has been a big selling point, because everyone knows the song, but few fans they talked to actually had it in their record collection. "We do it faster and funkier. The original was half the speed." Mike West's Dark End of the Street was the first songs Murphy had ever heard him sing, so it seemed a natural choice. On Broadway always opens Ben Shane's show, so he does it on the CD. The Old Chicago staff picked I Ain't Drunk for Murphy to front since it was one of their favourites. He was also scheduled to sing Older Woman, but that plan changed. "Originally I sang it, and I did such a great job that we brought Chicago Pete in to sing it (laughs). The ringer, the experienced pro. And he changed the whole direction of the song." Other leads include Richard Knight on Downhome Blues, and Let's Straighten It Out, Doug Varty with Let Me Love You Baby and I Gotcha. Tim Woodcock on Boom Bapa Boom, Colin Stewart singing Mercury Blues, Andi Hardy on You'll Lose a Good Thing, Chicago Pete on Sweet Home Chicago, and Murphy and his father Phil jamming saxes on Instrumental Blues. "The jam with me and my Dad just sort of happened in the studio," he says. "That was fun. They all went pretty quickly. We recorded as much as we could live, and then we went back and did things. There are some songs where I played keys and two saxes." Despite having played these songs countless times on stage, the band imported Jim Neil, sound man at the Grand Theatre, to produce the album. Murphy says his touch was a tremendous help and calls him a "secret little treasure in London. Really a world class talent." "One reason we needed a producer was just to make sure that because we've been playng the songs so long we needed someone from outside the band to say 'yeah, they're good'. Some of the things he actually changed in the studio. Becasue we work togethter all the time, we nneded someone from outside the band to defray any kind of differences of opinion, so that we could still get along when we went to work. It just helped to have a person that was objective. We needed to have someone who cuold take all the different artists, and make sure that when it came out on the album it had a little bit of cohesiveness.....

Fourth Anniversary

Jay Gordon's Blues Venom - Slide Rules !

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2019
Time: 58:59
Size: 135,2 MB
Label: Self Released
Styles: Blues/Blues Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Dripping Blues - 4:38
 2. Pain - 6:23
 3. Lost In Time - 4:01
 4. Lucky 13 - 3:37
 5. Dockery's Plantation - 7:25
 6. Stranger Blues - 3:56
 7. Voodoo Boogie - 3:35
 8. El Diablos Blues - 3:41
 9. Travelin Riverside Blues - 3:45
10. Pure Grain Alcohol - 4:58
11. Six String Outlaw - 4:42
12. Sweetheart Blues - 4:24
13. Train Train - 3:49

Jay Gordon and Blues Venom continue and expand upon their lifelong love for the raw, real blues on a blazing new album called Slide Rules. Released in November of 2019 by Shuttle Music, Slide Rules is a masterful set of rough-edged, roadhouse-style blues/rock that leans more than a little toward a sound Gordon himself, calls “extremely dangerous.” Gordon is a ferocious slide guitarist and singer with a live, in-the-moment style that’s impossible to ignore. He effortlessly generates that delicious ragged-edge feeling of someone going so hard that you expect him to crash and burn at any moment but never does. His sound is informed by players including Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, and Stevie Ray Vaughan but isn’t imitative in the least. Like all true legends, Gordon puts his blues down his own way.
Originally from Chicago, Gordon developed his slashing manner and overwhelming presence over the course of 15 albums and countless nights on the road. He was selected by Eric Clapton to perform at the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival and has played with or opened for a slew of A-List artists that includes Johnny Winter, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paul Rogers and Bad Co., .38 Special, B.B. King, Def Leppard, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, and Montgomery Gentry. He’s won a trophy case full of awards and has had his music used on TV and in a major motion picture. He’s an entertaining and engaging musician who makes records that sound like he’s playing in the same room with you.
Slide Rules kicks off with slow and intense “Dripping Blues.” Gordon’s bold guitar tone and loud-and-proud vocals fill in all the air inherent in the trio format he employs and go down like brown liquor in a dirty glass. Gordon is instantly hypnotic, fearless, and larger-than-life. His slide guitar vocabulary is expressive and unending and Gordon relentlessly drops new ideas in much the same way Johnny Winter did. “Pain” follows at a similar low-down tempo but hits even harder and displays more melodic inventiveness. You can feel Gordon building up steam from track to track and it’s a soul-cleansing experience. Bassist Sharon Butcher is the perfect foil to Gordon’s wildman style, laying down a huge, steady pocket that gives him all the support he needs to burn the house down.
“Lucky 13” is an invigorating blast of upbeat boogie full of blues attitude and rock energy. Gordon comes on strong and plays with a sense of wild abandon that’s refreshing and real. “Voodoo Boogie” ups the ante even further with an audaciously overdriven guitar sound that drives Gordon to new, soul-drenched heights. Gordon has given his life to the blues and that fact is more than evident in moments like this. “El Diablo Blues” borders on lo-fi garage rock like The White Stripes and washes over you like a tidal wave of pounding drums and tough slide guitar. “Six String Outlaw” is more straight-on rock and roll that features Gordon riffing hard and shouting with the fervor of a barroom preacher.
Every second of Slide Rules explodes with a sense of life lived for adventure and Gordon’s brand of modern primitive blues/rock is captivating and authentic. He’s the kind of player who reminds people that they’re still alive and there’s still real music out there to jam to. If you haven’t heard Jay Gordon, cue this platter up and make your own day. If you have, you already understand.

Slide Rules !

Andrew Alli - Hard Workin' Man

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 37:24
Size: 86,0 MB
Label: EllerSoul Records
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Hard Workin' Man - 3:20
 2. Aa Boogie - 2:15
 3. Good Things - 3:19
 4. Going Down South - 4:03
 5. Walters Sun - 2:03
 6. 30 Long Years - 3:38
 7. Chrome-A-Thick - 2:22
 8. Texas Woman - 3:19
 9. Walkin' Down - 3:00
10. Easy Going Man - 3:43
11. One More Chance - 2:58
12. So Long - 3:20

Ellersoul Records is proud and very excited to announce Andrew Alli's upcoming debut release, 'Hard Workin' Man'. Andrew's first recordings were two tracks on Ellersoul Records acclaimed harmonica compilation record, 'Blues For Big Walter', featuring top players from around the country. Andrews debut record was recorded at Jon Atkinson's 'Bigtone Studio'. Jon is a very talented musician, singer/songwriter, producer and a superb analog recording engineer. Jon used all vintage analog recording equipment and recorded direct to 2 track. They certainly captured the true traditional sound. The CD features 9 original songs and 3 classic covers from Little Walter, Big Walter and George Smith. Andrew Alli a Richmond, VA native began his music career after being inspired by a busker playing harmonica on the street. Andrew quickly took to the harmonica and was committed himself to learning the history of the instrument. He fell in love with the blues and began studying all the harmonica greats including Big Walter Horton, Little Walter,Sonny Boy Williams, Junior Wells, James Cotton and other blues harp pioneers. Andrew has developed his own unique playing style while still paying homage to all the greats that influenced him. He has toured with dozens of musicians both domestically and abroad. He currently leads the band 'Andrew Alli & the Mainline'. Andrew also plays in a duo with Georgie based guitarist / Grammy nominated artist Jontavious Willis. Andrew was also featured in Living Blues Magazine in Nov./Dec. 2016 issue with And for the last 5 years he's been an instructor at the very popular Augusta Blues and Heritage Week.

Hard Workin' Man

Benny Walker - Chosen Line

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 50:51
Size: 117,2 MB
Label: Self Released
Styles: Blues/Сontemporary Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. All Ya Gotta Do Is Call - 3:21
 2. Break Me Into Pieces - 3:14
 3. Chosen Line - 4:00
 4. Circles - 4:29
 5. Fragile - 4:00
 6. I Don't Blame You - 3:05
 7. I Don't Impress Myself - 2:51
 8. If You Want It You Got It - 3:36
 9. Like That - 3:10
10. Money And Fools - 3:50
11. Real Enough - 3:59
12. Small Mind - 3:25
13. We're Home - 3:38
14. Your Place - 4:06

Hailing from regional Victoria, Indigenous singer/songwriter Benny Walker with a voice that is said to have the drag and timbre of a natural soul man …his music is pure blues-rock, buoyed by clean, lyrical guitar solos and the throb of electric organ. Benny's love songs and epic tales are mixed with passion for the land, the people and deep grooves that reach the soul.
Chosen Line is Benny Walker’s third studio album.  Produced by Jan Skubiszewski and Pip Norman the album features co-writes with both producers along with musicians George Carpenter [Your Place] and Desmond Masé / Rachael Lia Carne [We're Home].
Chosen Line is a full album experience and showcases both sides of Benny Walker. Tracks All Ya Gotta Do Is Call and I Don’t Blame You are both strong Blues bass tracks that have yielded Benny’s highest streaming figures to date. Current single We’re Home and title track Chosen Line showcase his more introverted soulful nature.
"Chosen Line" could've been called "Songline" or even "Unchosen Line". The title represents my "chosen" career path. I didn't really choose it. I embraced it. I come from a long line of storytellers and musicians, and they've all had a significant impact on the person I've become and the musician that I am. I'm a Yorta Yorta man and in our culture, we would call that my Songline. Yorta Yorta visual artist, John Patten, created the album artwork taking into account my songline and the Yorta Yorta totem the long-neck turtle as well as the river that also represents the fretboard of a guitar. says Benny Walker

Chosen Line

The Powder Blues - Incut

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1979
Time: 33:12
Size: 77,9 MB
Label: Blue Wave Records
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

Tracks Listing:
 1. Boppin With The Blues - 3:22
 2. Hear That Guitar Ring - 3:47
 3. Just A Little - 2:40
 4. The Rockchopper - 3:31
 5. Doin' It Right - 3:13
 6. Buzzard Luck - 3:04
 7. What've I Been Drinkin' - 3:19
 8. Personal Manager - 6:33
 9. Sweet Little Girl - 3:38

Uncut is the debut studio album released by Vancouver, British Columbia's Powder Blues Band and features the band's signature mix of swing, blues, jazz, rock & roll and R&B. It was originally released in December 1979 on the Blue Wave label. RCA re-issued the album in February 1980, with the song "Gimme Some Lovin'" removed from the album. Uncut was produced by Jack Lavin.The album was nominated at the 1981 Juno Awards for "Album of the Year", and the band won the Juno Award for "Most Promising Group of the Year" the same year. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncut_(album)

Incut

Alvin Draper - You Just Can't Keep Me Down

Bitrate: 320K/s

Year: 2009

Time: 35:12 

Size: 80,7 MB 

Label: BeatRecords

Styles: Blues/Electric Blues

Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:

 1. Alvin's Mellow G Shuffle - 2:25

 2. Skippin' Blues - 3:34

 3. Green Onions - 3:53

 4. Please Please - 3:44

 5. In The Open - 3:19

 6. Call It Stormy Monday - 5:09

 7. My Girl - 3:46

 8. Smilin' Shuffle - 3:17

 9. Confessin' The Blues - 2:54

10. San-Ho-Zay - 3:06

To listen to Alvin Draper, is to truly feel in the presence of one of the great original Blues men. He speaks it, lives it and definitely plays it. In his music you can hear the authenticity of the living Blues, its heart and soul.

But don’t be fooled, just when you feel like you’ve time-traveled into the 60s and 70s and must be listening to some down home Blues in the South, you hear his highly original and futuristic sounding solos in the middle of a classic standard.

Alvin has a particular style of picking his strings when he solos, he adds complex sounds, that resemble computer sounds, more like experimental new Jazz and his strings begin to speak a new language. And then he blends it all right back in, that’s when you realize you’re in California and it’s the 21st century. Alvin Draper has the music lover’s attention every second.

Alvin Draper was born in Lubbock, Texas, but raised in Goree Texas, where his mother lived. They had a big café where everybody who worked on a farm would go on the weekend, to have good time from Friday through Sunday. Alvin was just in diapers when the musicians in town came around to the café to play.

Almost incredibly, most of the musicians were related to his grandparents. Lightin’ Hopkins was his grandmother’s nephew and Alvin’s dad was a great guitarist and vocalist. His name was Richard Draper. He taught the musicians that came through, so Richard Draper was pretty good, one can tell by just taking a look at some of his pupils: Sonny Boy Williams, Little Walter, T-Bone Walker, Gate Mouth Brown, John Lee Hooker, and many more.

At the age of fourteen Alvin's parents were divorced and he had to drop out of school to take care of his siblings. He worked at an auto shop and played his guitar in nightclubs. He loved music, but didn’t rely on it because times were hard and one didn’t get paid very much for gigs, so he always kept a 9-5 job. Alvin married his first wife at the age of 18, and moved to Palo Alto, CA. in 1968. His wife passed away in 1975. Alvin played all over the Bay Area Peninsula, and his first band was called Alvin and the Challengers.

Alvin has played with many well-known legendary musicians, to mention a few: Sam Cook, Little Willie John, T-Bone Walker, Bobby Bland, Etta James. His major musical influences were: James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Jimmy Reed, and Tyrone Davis. Alvin’s mom kept the young Alvin in church most of the time, and pretty much all day on Sundays.

As an adult he didn’t go very often but did play gospel music and attended church every now and then. One of the churches he attended was Zion in East Palo Alto, where the preacher asked him to play for the Lord. Alvin considers himself to be spiritual, and he believes that when he plays music people are healed whether it’s at church or in the nightclub. And as Alvin says: “If I know you guys love it, I’m happy too!”.

You Just Can't Keep Me Down

The Coldrail Blues Band - Blind Horizon

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2011
Time: 42:36
Size: 97,7 MB
Label: Self Released
Styles: Blues/Modern Electric Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Lead Footed Mama - 4:08
 2. Dog House - 4:32
 3. Blind Horizon - 5:10
 4. Bad Ass Jean - 3:45
 5. Yesterday - 4:33
 6. Prayin' The Blues - 3:44
 7. My Luck Is Gonna Turn - 2:34
 8. Blues Overtook Me - 4:33
 9. Black Cat Bone - 4:34
10. Messin' With The Kid - 5:00

Displaying the diversity of a band whose players are influenced by blues, rock, R&B, jazz and zydeco, The ColdRail Blues Band is laying down a solid fun groove and bringing new life to static feet everywhere they play. Celebrating their 5th year, members of The ColdRail Blues Band are no strangers to the local music scene, each having played with many other people and groups over the years. Still each was looking for an outlet for the music that inspired them most. From this, The ColdRail Blues Band was born. "We've been really fortunate finding the right people who love being together and creating fun music. Our drummer, Michael Gourley, is talented, fun and probably one of the easiest going people I've ever met.” When our harp player and co-vocalist, Glenn Woodhouse, joined us in our second year, our sound really came together... He rocks!" The newest addition to the band is John Rice who can really lay down a solid bottom end groove on the bass! The band has performed at the Moscow Farmer’s Market, the Renaissance Fair, Pullman’s Summer Concerts in the Park, BBQ & Blues, the Eastside Marketplace Music series, Barkeyhopper's "Brews and Blues" series, the Nez Perce County Fair, Wawawai Canyon Winery, Rooseter's Landing, the Palouse Spring Car Show, the Potlatch Blues Fest, private parties, and many other venues around the Palouse/Moscow/Pullman/LC Valley area. A soulful Strat, tasty Harp, and hard driving back line bring you great originals like "Dog House", "Lead Footed Mama", and "Blind Horizon" as well as classics from the likes of Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, Elmore James, B.B. King, Little Walter and other greats of the blues influenced genre. We look forward to bringing our high-energy mix of authentic blues to your stage.

Blind Horizon

Bluesball - Bluesball

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2003
Time: 39:08
Size: 90,5 MB
Label: Doghouse Records
Styles: Blues/Blues Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. She's On A Roll - 3:27
 2. I Know Why - 4:08
 3. Her Memory - 3:10
 4. These Blues - 3:28
 5. Can't Get Over You - 3:17
 6. What Has Changed - 4:49
 7. You're The Reason I Got The Blues - 3:31
 8. The One Who Loved Me - 3:48
 9. Fool - 4:49
10. Let Him Cry - 4:38

The group has been on stage for many years, performing a real bluesrock! More details at https://www.facebook.com/BluesBall/

Bluesball

Mike Zito - Quarantine Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2020
Time: 48:58
Size: 112,8 MB
Label: Gulf Coast Records
Styles: Blues/Blues Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Don't Let The World Get You Down - 3:56
 2. Looking Out This Window - 4:13
 3. Don't Touch Me - 4:00
 4. Quarantine Blues - 3:26
 5. Walking The Street - 4:38
 6. Dark Raven - 5:23
 7. Dust Up - 4:18
 8. Call Of The Wild - 4:38
 9. After The Storm - 6:33
10. Hurts My Heart - 4:24
11. What It Used To Be - 3:25

One of the many things to appreciate about singer/guitarist/producer Mike Zito is his meticulous preparation. Nothing ever feels under thought, which is what allows him to excel in a very tough industry. So when coronavirus shut down the world, including Zito’s European tour, he quickly pivoted to a plan B, which is Quarantine Blues, a rocking album made during Zito and his band’s quarantine after returning home (the album is available for free via SoundCloud, but Zito is accepting donations to support the too-many artists losing money because of the pandemic). The quick-fire nature of the album results in a different Zito energy that rocks with an uncharacteristic, and straight-up fun, abandon.For instance, the album has a hard rock distinct vein running through it. Which isn’t to say this is Zito’s metal masterpiece, but rather that he explores less blues-oriented songs and performances, with an emphasis on speed and intensity. Having said that, one of the album’s best tracks, “Don’t Touch Me,” features hard rock stalwart Tracii Guns, of L.A. Guns. Guns and Zito trade squealing riffs over a chugging groove, Zito’s bass voice keeping the anthemic track comfortably between hair metal and grunge. Guns’ playing gives the track an 80s flair, which isn’t a knock. The 80s had some killer guitar and it’s great hearing it updated for our times. It’s also nice to hear Guns featured, as he’s a truly underrated guitarist.
“Dark Raven” is another metallic tune, living up to its title. The song sounds fresh and contemporary but also has some serious Led Zeppelin influences, from the trippy John Bonham-esque drum beat to the guitar sirens that take you back to “Dazed and Confused.” The guitar is harmonized, giving the song a creepy air, like Zito has somehow hypnotized an army of guitar lines. And here too, his vocals are low and grungy. Yet, there’s still a blues rock underpinning to it all.
There’s also more traditional Zito songwriting. The title track is a pounding blues with some wild slide guitar. Zito’s vocal is more fire-and-brimstone preacher than singing, which is perfect for the tune. “What It Used to Be” is the closing acoustic number, something between folk, country, rock, and even flamenco. But lyrically, it’s pure Zito, as he tries to make sense of the pandemic by thinking about these kinds of events in a larger historical context. While the theme might feel academic, the vocal performance is all heart.
The thing that grabs you about Quarantine Blues is its immediacy. It doesn’t feel unfinished, but it’s not particularly polished. It has a wonderful live feeling. Also, a nice side effect of the recording process, where Zito layed down demos and sent them out to his band so they could add their parts separately, is that Zito’s guitar work is the backbone of every song. You can hear the song’s origins in his playing. If you stripped everyone else off of the tracks, keeping just Zito’s voice and guitar, you’d still have a very strong sense of the songs. Free albums like this are often seen as disposable but Quarantine Blues, while perhaps slightly atypical of Zito, is a strong work showing a different side of him. I hope when this is all over he takes these songs on the road. Quarantine Blues is great company and worth paying for.

Quarantine Blues