CD Review Archives - Page 23 of 25 - Cascade Blues Association

Will Porter

Tick Tock Tick
Gramafono Sound

The first release by Will Porter, 2003’s Happy, was produced by the legendary New Orleans master Wardell Quezergue, and it featured a number of stellar musicians. The album received high praise despite low distribution, and it was soon realized that a second recording should be in the works. Over time Porter’s silky-smooth vocals have been heard working with a number of artists and he has himself been behind the scenes alongside longtime friends like Dr John, Leo Nocentelli, and Jimmy Haslip. Many recordings for Porter’s follow-up project were put together throughout the years while working with Quezergue and yet it still took another five years after the producer’s passing in 2011 to finally get the mixes and production just right to be unleashed upon the public. But without question, that wait was certainly worth the time. Tick Tock Tick is an astounding collection of ever so sweet vocals combined with the right musicians to perfection.

The album opens with the title track, one of the two Porter and Dr John collaborative pieces, and it melds the very distinct opposite vocal styles of the two friends. It is a funky little piece that also shows just how diverse in approach this recording truly is. Much of these differences in sound is the product of whoever happens to be accompanying Porter on an individual number, and that in itself is quite impressive to say the least. Whether it is a ballad like “Why Do We Get Blue?” with The Yellowjackets’ Jimmy Haslip, a Bob Dylan number, “Make You feel My Love,” sung with Bettye LaVette, or any one of the songs where The Womack Brothers join him on vocals, such as Ike Turner’s “I’m Blue (Shoo Be Do)” or the gospel inflected “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” Unfortunately like Quezergue, both Curtis and Bobby Womack have passed on prior to the release of this disc.

Aside from those already mentioned, Tick Tock Tick is packed full of great musicians adding their impact to the quality of this album. They inlcude Tower of Power’s Mic Gillette, The Meters’ Leo Nocentelli, Johnny Bamont from Huey Lewis & The News, even The Louisiana Philharmonic Strings.

But when it is all said and done, it is Will Porter himself who shines above all else. He possesses the kind of voice that only rarely comes around. It is highlighted on every single number included, but especially stands out on “Don’t Go To Strangers.” His baritone voice will melt your heart. It comes across with strings in the background as a classic love piece that you may expect from other enriched vocalists the likes of Lou Rawls, Johnny Adams, or Bill Withers. Yes, Porter ranks right in that same class. Tick Tock Tick is a soul masterpiece, a fitting tribute to the genius of the late Wardell Quezergue and shouts to the world that Will Porter will be heard — so listen up now!

Total Time: 45:38

Tick Tock Tick / Why Do We Get Blue? / When The battle Is Over / Make You Feel My Love / I’m Blue (Shoo Be Do) / This California Sun / I Can Do Bad By Myself / Don’t Go To Strangers / Treadin’ Water / Tear It Up / Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

Big Head Blues Club

CD Review

Way Down Inside
Big Records

In 2011, Todd Park Mohr gathered a group of established blues giants alongside his own band Big Head Todd & The Monsters. Calling themselves the Big Head Blues Club, they released the tribute album 100 Years of Robert Johnson that was an incredible recreation of the Johnson’s material and also garnered a Blues Music Award nomination.

Well, guess what? He’s back with a whole new line-up of the Big Head Blues Club. Along with The Monsters, Mohr has been joined by Mud Morganfield, Billy Branch, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Denver-based vocalist Erica Brown who spent a few years playing with Dan Treanor. And this time Big head Blues Club is taking on another of the blues world’s most recognized songwriters, Willie Dixon.

Titled Way Down Inside, the songs included read just like the blueprint for the genre. And that’s because they pretty much are having been recorded by the giants of the blues from Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf to the rock icons The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and many others. Willie Dixon set the standard for writing blues music and this disc pays tribute in aces, hitting it square on target with every number. There is one exception here, with the inclusion of the JB Lenoir penned piece “Good Advice,” but it still fits the musical flow nicely and features Mohr, Morganfield, Branch, and Brooks sharing the vocal lines.

There’s lot of juicy good readings here. Popular numbers such as “Hidden Charms,” “Bring It On Home,” “Crazy Mixed Up Kid,” “The Seventh Son” and “I Want To Be Loved” are all included and maybe a few not as well known. A definite highlight is the pairing of Mohr and Brown on “The Same Thing,” that even mixes in a little bit of another Dixon composition “Insane Asylum” that is not mentioned in the track listing.

Big Head Blues Club is such a winning formula. Add in the Willie Dixon songbook and they’ve once again delivered a refreshing and exciting take on something all too familiar in a very loving and well-crafted tribute.

Total Time: 51:28

Hidden Charms / The Seventh Son / You Need Love / Bring It On Home / Let Me Love You Baby / Pretty Thing / Good Advice / Crazy Mixed Up World / The Same Thing / My Love Will Never Die / It Don’t Make Sense You Can’t Make Peace / I Want To Be Loved / Sittin’ And Cryin’ The Blues

John Nemeth And The Blue Dreamers

CD Review

Feelin’ Freaky
Self Produced

You won’t find John Nemeth’s new album on the shelves at your local record store or available through CDBaby, on Amazon or anywhere else on line for that matter. If you want it, you’re going to have to purchase it directly through him, most likely at one of his performances. Disenchanted with the sales and download accessibility of his previous releases on the internet, including his acclaimed recording Memphis Grease that should have flown off the shelves (well, as much as a blues disc might nowadays), he decided to sell his latest release Feelin’ Freaky, through the old school means of self-distribution. That is to say directly from John at one of his shows. And it’s more than worth picking up if you have that chance. John Nemeth at his routine top notch best. What else would you expect?

Feelin’ Freaky was recorded with production and engineering from Luther Dickinson, Kevin Houston, and Boo Mitchell at both Zebra Ranch and Royal Studios. Nemeth penned eleven original tracks that present his always soulful voice and tremendous harmonica licks. Assisting on the musical end was a top-flight band, most who are working with him on the road, called The Blue Dreamers: Johnny Rhoades on guitar, Danny Banks on drums, Matthew Wilson hitting both bass and guitar with Art Edmonson and Marc Franklin providing horns and Charles Hodges on Hammond for a trio of tracks.

That soulfulness is captured right out of the gate with the opening number “Long Black Cadillac.” There is kind of a Robert Cray feel behind the emotional number as Nemeth mourns as that titled vehicle takes his baby away. You can feel his pain. That pain is still evident in the next number, “Rainy Day,” as nothing seems to be there to bring him happiness after losing his love. The number seems to show that Nemeth has learned a lot about his adopted home of Memphis as this one could’ve been released during the city’s early-70s period of hit soul releases. With the next track the mood picks up, though it is still rough being “Under The Gun,” as he explains that it really hard living the blues, so stick a fork in him as he is done. Back on his Name The Day! album, Nemeth asked the question, “Do You Really Want That Woman?” Well, he shows he really does with a follow up here titled “You Really Do Want That Woman,” as he lets you know he’s ready to give up on his vices and change his ways just for her. “My Sweet Love” is a tender piece that has a catchy rhythm to it with his crisp harmonica setting the tone as he talks about everything that his love means to him. Nemeth grabs his chromatic harp as he belts out “Feelin’ Freaky,” and it makes you want to jump and dance along. Certainly a stand-out offering on this excellent disc. Looking at the cover of Feelin’ Freaky you might wonder what’s with the red pickle pictured? Well, it’s all answered in his song “Kool Aid Pickle,” where he finds himself with life going from sweet to sour to wrong. Closing out the album is “S T O N E D,” a song he told me he came up while driving somewhere between gigs in Indiana or perhaps somewhere else in the Midwest. It is another reflection on how he feels as a performer and what his music can bring him.

Overall, Feelin’ Freaky is exactly what you would expect from John Nemeth. It is filled with great tunes and musicianship. The type that has brought so many accolades and awards his way. It proves once again that he is one of the best artists working and at the peak of his creativity that doesn’t seem to see any downhill in his work anytime soon. Make a point to catch John Nemeth live. You’re always going to walk away smiling and it’s the only place you’re able to get yourself a copy of this outstanding recording; at least for now. Exceptionally amazing once again!

Total Time: 34:16

Long Black Cadillac / Rainy Day / Under The Gun / Gave Up On You / You Really Do Want That Woman / My Sweet Love / I’m Funkin’ Out / Feelin’ Freaky / Get Offa That Butt / Kool Aid Pickle / S T O N E D

Mitch Kashmar

CD Review

West Coast Toast
Delta Groove Music

Mitch Kashmar delves deeply into the sound of West Coast blues with his latest release West Coast Toast — and it’s something that he should be quite familiar with as he has been a longtime mainstay on that scene from his early days with The Pontiax to his current position atop the blues community in Portland, Oregon. For this disc, however, he returns to Southern California and is joined by an all-star cast of familiar names and lays down some of the most dynamic harmonica to be heard from anyone, anywhere.

Kashmar went into the studio and brought guitarist extraordinaire Junior Watson, keyboard master Fred Kaplan and bassist Bill Stuve, all whom he states he met back in 1985 while working on a project with the late William Clarke. On drums, he went to Bay Area skin-man Marty Dodson, who has worked endlessly with Mark Hummel. Kashmar himself is stellar with his work on both diatonic and chromatic harps. All of these are cats along with Kashmar know the West Coast blues sound like the back of their hands. They should as among them they’ve recorded some of the most important music ever to come out of California with a wide variety of bands

This is Kashmar’s fifth discs on the Delta Groove label, including a live album and re-release of an album from The Pontiax. The album opens with a burnin’ instrumental track, ”East Of 82nd Street,” a reference to the section of Southeast Portland where he now lives. It sets the pace for the following selections on this outstanding recording and is the first of four brilliant instrumentals offered (“Mood Indica,” “Makin’ Bacon,” and “Canoodlin’” are the others). Those harmonica-fueld numbers, as well as the entire recording, showcases the Chicago sound that developed into the West Coast sound and is a tribute to the master who helped create it on the Mississippi saxophone, George “Harmonica” Smith. Smith was a huge influence on just about every harp player out west, including the likes of the late William Clarke, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, and of course, Mitch Kashmar.

Kashmar takes on a social stance as he questions just how much money are we going to use in “The Petroleum Blues. And he gives another nod to his adopted home of Portland in “My Lil’ Stumptown Shack,” letting all of his Southern Californian pals know that he ain’t never coming back.

He also tackles a handful of covers that he brings out perfectly. They include Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Alcohol Blues,” Billy Boy Arnold’s “Don’t Stay Out All Night,” Willie Dixon’s “Too Many Cooks,” and the Rudy Toombs/Henry Glover piece “Young Girl.”

What you have with West Coast Toast is a keeper of a recording that you’re going to want to place next to all your favorites. It’ll grow consistently on you with each listen and you’ll easily feel it belongs among the best go-to discs in your collection. Hands down, Mitch Kashmar has created a remarkable album that is sure to stand the test of time.

Total Time: 48:35

East Of 82^nd Street / Too Many Cooks / Young Girl / The Petroleum Blues / Mood Indica / Don’t Stay Out All Night / My Lil’ Stumptown Shack / Makin’ Bacon / Alcohol Blues / Love Grows Cold / Canoodlin’

Terry Robb

CD Review

Cool On The Bloom
NiaSounds

Terry Robb without question is one of the finest guitarists playing the blues (or any other form of music for that matter) today. Adept at electric and acoustic guitars, he displays lightning quick, crisp flair on his instrument that is right on the money every time. His true forte is on acoustic and he is the master of both fingerpicking and bottleneck styles with expert original and innovative readings of Delta blues, rags, spirituals, and whatever else he puts his mind too musically.

Robb’s latest release, Cool On The Bloom, finds him on a new Portland-based label, NiaSounds. It is mostly a solo outing with only two vocal tracks. Terry Robb possesses the ability to completely captivate an audience without the need for any sidemen as he displays on seven numbers on the disc. But when he is joined by the likes of Albert Reda or Dave Kahl on bass, Jeff Minnick or Dennis Carter on drums, and guitar master Doug Smith, the music rises again to another level. Alone or accompanied, Terry Robb knows how to grab your ears and give you an intensely pleasurable listening experience.

All of the tracks on Cool On The Bloom are sensational examples of Robb’s skills. Opening with a light-hearted, sprightly rag titled “Soc Hop” that is surely bound to get your toes tapping right off the bat. The piece shows off Robb’s incredible dexterity at finger-picking. “Christmas in Istanbul” was first released on the O, Christmas Three album from the Acoustic Guitar Summit. Here he showcases some very classic approaches on this swinging number with Middle Eastern flavor, joined by one of his Acoustic Guitar Summit partners Doug Smith. Smith also accompanies Robb on two other songs on the album, “Watermelon Eye Patch Groove” and a beautifully-done instrumental take on The Turtles’ “You Showed Me.” “So Glad” and the cover of Rube Lacey’s “Ham Hound Crave” are the only two vocal numbers, and both are presented with a nice jovial approach, the latter kind of makes me hungry with all the mention of Southern food. “Late Night Kahl” is a jazzier offering, and “Honey One” has a moody feeling behind it; both are prime examples of just how diverse the music from Robb can be.

If I had to pick out one stand-out track (which is essentially impossible when everything here is so unbelievable!), it just might be the bottleneck slide work on “”Holy Spirit, Father And Son.” This song sounds like Robb just stepped from behind the sun, jumped over the levee, crossed the cotton fields and sat down on the porch at the local juke with his guitar. Pour the sweet tea, this is as down home as you can get people!

Cool On The Bloom is an exceptional presentation of Terry Robb that shows you just how much he is as one with his guitar, whether using vocals or not. When you have the talent to use your instrument as your voice as Robb does, it is completely exhilarating and often mind-blowing. This album offers all of that and more. Repeated listens will become mandatory; you won’t be able to avoid it.

Total Time: 39:30

Soc Hop / Cool On The Bloom / Christmas In Istanbul / Watermelon Eye Patch Groove / So Glad / Soggy Foot Rag / You Showed Me / Holy Spirit, Father And Son / Ham Hound Crave / Late Night Kahl / Honey One / Grama Jean

Thunder Brothers

CD Review

Eponymous EP
Self produced

The Thunder Brothers eponymously titled debut recording is a four song EP chock full of powerful, driving rocking blues. Made up of four of Portland’s most talented and respected musicians, they each have a resume that could fill a warehouse with their historical contributions to Portland’s music scene and beyond. And on this disc these guys don’t just play music, they bring it alive. They’ve unleashed a maelstrom of musical fury that holds nothing back and consumes you with a desire to hear more and more.

The Thunder Brothers are made up of guitarists Michael Quinby and Doug Rowell, with the super pulsating rhythm section of bassist Timmer Blakely and drummer Edwin Coleman III. They play off one another to perfection and you can easily catch the individual contributions by the players on every track; no one overplays his hand, a true sign of a cohesive unit and working outfit.

Quinby and Rowell each created two of the four tracks. They are filled with expressive and fluid lyrics that are ear-catching and memorable, with no let-down from one song leading into the next. You’re hooked right off the bat with the opening guitar riff on “You Scare Me” and pretty quickly find yourself singing along on the chorus. That is followed up by Rowell telling you that if you’re going to hurt me, “Hurt Me Good” and then intensifying his statement with a blistering guitar solo that stresses the point, letting you know that he’ll be coming back for more. Quinby then returns with a tale of the woman he is attracted to whose skin is like “Molasses” and eyes as black as night and she’s a bit on the wild side. He can’t understand what she sees in him, but he is definitely going to stick around and see. Rowell then returns with the closing number, “Turn and Walk Away,” that opens with fire on his instrument’s strings, rattling the senses with sizzling and ferociousness guitar playing throughout. The full band is pouring their all into the spirit of the song and you’re taken on a rocking ride that just keeps getting better the further into the song you go. It’ll leave you breathless by the end and asking why there isn’t more!

If power blues is something you enjoy, this is definitely a recording you don’t want to pass up. Thunder Brothers is without doubt an appropriate name for this band, they’re bringing out all of the full force of a thunder storm and then some. Play this one loud and be prepared to have your senses stimulated on all fronts. BOOM! This one hits it right!

Total Time: 18:02

You Scare Me / Hurt Me Good / Molasses / Turn And Walk Away

Chase Walker Band

CD Review

Not Quite Legal
Revved Up Records

The Chase Walker Band’s second release, Not Quite Legal, is a great indication that these teen-aged musicians were not just another flash in the pan group of youngsters trying their hand at the blues. They really mean their place in the genre and their rocking it big time with their approach, while showing that they’re still growing as a band, too. It is kind of scary just how good these kids are, as songwriters as well as musicians.

Band leader Chase Walker is already quite an accomplished guitarist. He also has plenty of savvy and sass as a songwriter and vocalist. There is a bit of adult language that crops up occasionally in a couple numbers, “Cold Hearted” and “Don’t F It Up” and its earned the release a parental advisory warning label, but even these songs display a creative musical drive that belies the band member’s ages.

Aside from Walker, the band features drummer Matt Fyke and bassist Randon Davitt, who contributes his own songwriting skills and vocals on the track “Changed.” Backing vocals from Jade Bennet-Mateo and April Stephenson also add exceptional soulful contributions to the band’s sound.

Enjoyable covers of Toots & The Maytall’s ska piece “54-46” and a rootsy version of The Wood Brothers’ “Honey Jar” enhance the musical diversity of the album. Then there is “Red House”; this Jimi Hendrix number may make many people say, “Oh boy, that old song? Everybody and their mother has done that one. Here we go again.” But rest assured, this is a superbly rendered take of the song, starting out with Walker working with solid resonator guitar playing that builds up the drive as the band joins in. It shows a lot of respect to Hendrix’ tradition without sounding like every other band who has covered the song. And the distorted vocals brings it all home. Well done!

The band throws in a hidden track at the end of the disc titled “Yabba Dabba” that really shows off the trio working in a jam feeling. They may be young, but they’ve been working together enough to grab each others’ feel and approach to the music. And it just keeps getting better. Keep your eye on the Chase Walker Band, these kids have got it going on and bring across on both recording and in live settings! Wow!

Total Time: 49:33

Done Loving You / Red House / The Walk / New State Of Mind / I Warned You / Cold Hearted / Don’t F It Up / 54-46 / Changed / It’ll Pass / Honey Jar / Living On Thin Ice

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

CD Review

Live in ’67 — Volume Two
Forty Below Records
By Randy Murphy

Last summer, I reviewed John Mayall’s new album chronicling a series of live dates in various London clubs during the spring of 1967. Now, Mayall and his pals at Forty Below Records have released, on honest-to-goodness vinyl no less, the next volume of these remarkable recordings.

To review how these historical performances came to light: Tom Huissen, a 16-year-old Dutch blues devotee, shadowed Mayall and this particular edition of The Bluesbreakers — Mayall on organ and vocals, John McVie on bass, Peter Green on guitar and vocals, and Mick Fleetwood on drums (and in this album, R&B singer Ronnie Jones sitting in on “Double Trouble”), around London during April and May of 1967 while toting his single-channel, reel-to-reel tape deck. Thankfully, Huissen captured on these priceless tapes a small taste of the nascent blues scene of mid-sixties Britain.

Just as the first release, these recordings are not close to high-fidelity, though to my ears this second volume on vinyl sounds a bit warmer than the first volume on CD — besides, listening to this music on a turntable, well, just feels right.

The performances Huissen captured here are invigorating and potent. While there’re no clunkers in the batch, there are a couple of soul-stirring highlights. The first cut, Mayall’s “Tears In My Eyes” showcases Peter Green’s ability to shift his guitar playing flawlessly from soulful into combustible in just a few short bars. “Greeny” a full-tilt, straight-ahead boogie number is another highlight, as is John McVie’s bass solo on “Chicago Line.”

But again, the whole album is terrific and it’s difficult to single out one or two tracks for recognition. It would also be quite difficult to underestimate the value of these recordings, and the only thing that overshadows their historical importance and cultural legacy is their musicality. Besides, how can blues tunes recorded in London’s Marquee Club or the Ram Jam in 1967 possibly go wrong?

So, my advice is to buy these albums, spend a few pleasant days listening to them, and then go see Mayall live at the Aladdin on November 7.

1:13:08

Tears In My Eyes / Your Funeral And My Trial / So Many Roads / Bye Bye Bird / Please Don’t Tell / Sweet Little Angel / Talk To your Daughter / Bad Boy / Stormy Monday / Greeny / Ridin’ On The L&N / Chicago Line / Double Trouble.

Chase Walker Band

CD Review

Not Quite Legal
Revved Up Records

The Chase Walker Band’s second release, Not Quite Legal, is a great indication that these teen-aged musicians were not just another flash in the pan group of youngsters trying their hand at the blues. They really mean their place in the genre and their rocking it big time with their approach, while showing that they’re still growing as a band, too. It is kind of scary just how good these kids are, as songwriters as well as musicians.

Band leader Chase Walker is already quite an accomplished guitarist. He also has plenty of savvy and sass as a songwriter and vocalist. There is a bit of adult language that crops up occasionally in a couple numbers, “Cold Hearted” and “Don’t F It Up” and its earned the release a parental advisory warning label, but even these songs display a creative musical drive that belies the band member’s ages.

Aside from Walker, the band features drummer Matt Fyke and bassist Randon Davitt, who contributes his own songwriting skills and vocals on the track “Changed.” Backing vocals from Jade Bennet-Mateo and April Stephenson also add exceptional soulful contributions to the band’s sound.

Enjoyable covers of Toots & The Maytall’s ska piece “54-46” and a rootsy version of The Wood Brothers’ “Honey Jar” enhance the musical diversity of the album. Then there is “Red House”; this Jimi Hendrix number may make many people say, “Oh boy, that old song? Everybody and their mother has done that one. Here we go again.” But rest assured, this is a superbly rendered take of the song, starting out with Walker working with solid resonator guitar playing that builds up the drive as the band joins in. It shows a lot of respect to Hendrix’ tradition without sounding like every other band who has covered the song. And the distorted vocals brings it all home. Well done!

The band throws in a hidden track at the end of the disc titled “Yabba Dabba” that really shows off the trio working in a jam feeling. They may be young, but they’ve been working together enough to grab each others’ feel and approach to the music. And it just keeps getting better. Keep your eye on the Chase Walker Band, these kids have got it going on and bring across on both recording and in live settings! Wow!

Total Time: 49:33

Done Loving You / Red House / The Walk / New State Of Mind / I Warned You / Cold Hearted / Don’t F It Up / 54-46 / Changed / It’ll Pass / Honey Jar / Living On Thin Ice

John Blues Boyd

CD Review

Introducing John Blues Boyd: The Real Deal
Little Village Foundation

If you listen to just one new artist this year, you should direct your attention to John Blues Boyd. At the age of 71 he has released his debut disc with the urging and guidance of the Little Village Foundation. Boyd claims that he always had a feeling for the blues, but life had to come first, making ends meet to cover his expenses. It wasn’t until his wife of 49 years, Dona Mae, passed away in 2014 after an extended illness, that Boyd was finally able to look into the blues — not only as a means of coping with his loss, but as a profession.

The album, appropriately titled Introducing John Blues Boyd: The Real Deal, was recorded in Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios in San Jose. There is a lot of autobiography behind the songs presented here. The album opens with a bit of retrospective on Boyd’s life, “I Am The Real Deal,” and the closing piece “John, The Blues Is Calling You” brings the events of his life up to date. The love for his wife and her suffering is documented in three tunes, “I’m So Weak Right Now,” “When Your Eyes Met Mine” and “Screaming In The Night.” A fourth number, written by Kid Andersen and Rick Estrin, is yet another tribute to her, titled “Dona Mae.” Of the songs included on the album, all but three were penned by Boyd. The only exceptions (aside from the already mentioned “Dona Mae”) were written by Rick Estrin, including an outstanding take on Estrin’s humorous “That’s Big!”

Every track on the album is pure blues that resonates with every note. The Real Deal is just that; blues played at its absolute best in traditional electric Chicago or Delta fashion. And having spent a great deal of his life living in Mississippi, the exposure was there. Not to mention his cousin was the late legendary bluesman Eddie Boyd.

Being released by Little Village Foundation, Boyd was accompanied in the studio by a gathering of the talented musicians that have become go-to artists for the group. They include such well-known blues greats as label leader Jim Pugh, Rick Estrin, Kid Andersen, Aki Kumar, Big Jon Atkinson, June Core, Terry Hanck, D’Mar Martin, Frankie Ramos, and Robert Welsh to name just a handful. Bringing John Blues Boyd into the studio is another prime example of the label’s drive to bring lesser known or overlooked musicians to the forefront. And we should all be happy that John Blues Boyd now has music that we can all hear! And from the sounds of it, we should be hearing a great deal more from this new 71-year-old artist as he has claimed in a recent article that he has already recorded 52 songs and has another 60 ready to lay down. This is without doubt, one of the best blues releases of the year! And though the term has been overused, mostly for people undeserving, John Blues Boyd truly is “The Real Deal.”

Total Time: 45:33

I Am The Real Deal / You Will Discover / I’m Like A Stranger To You / That’s Big! / The Smoking Pig / That Certain Boy / Dona Mae / I’m So Weak Right Now / When Your Eyes Met Mine / Screaming In The Night / (Have You Ever Been To) Marvin Gardens / Be Careful With Your Love / John, The Blues Is Calling You