Blues Roadhouse

Sue Foley — “alone (together) A Holiday Companion” — FOMZ Records / Guitar Woman Records

Sue Foley wants to be your holiday companion.

And she’s bringing her guitar.

Foley is taking a different approach to the holiday albums usually filled with jingling bells, rockin’ Rudolphs and traditional songs.

She’s wondering how you’re coping. Or if you’re alone. And if you are, she says:

“I made this album for people who find the holidays difficult, especially those who are spending them alone. It’s meant to be a companion, to bring a little comfort and connection at a time of year that can be hard for a lot of people. For anyone spending the holidays alone, this is for you.”

It’s a gorgeous album, filled with eight bluesy, laid-back, late-night musical libations to keep you company and soothe your soul. If the album cover holds a hint, your libation need not be solely musical. That lonely little decoration speaks volumes.

The music includes three new Foley songs and five inspired covers, all ???? out by her elegantly spare band: Jon Penner on bass and background vocals; Reo Casey on guitar, keyboards and background vocals, and Arjuna Contreras and Chris Hunter on drums. Foley’s high-lonesome guitar and plaintive ?? vocals ??

The low-down tone of “Merry Christmas Darling” sets the mood with a stark guitar intro to its lonely lament. Foley’s “‘Tis the Season” heralds the blues as the reason: “‘Tis the season, no better reason, for the blues.” Christmas day is “Just Another Day” in another deep-blue original.

The original “Jingle Blues (Cha-Cha)” is a melodic instrumental interlude before the smoothness of Brook Benton’s “I’ll Take Care of You,” although not a traditional holiday theme, it fits right into the “alone together” groove. The thematic “Christmas Blues” and “Santa Claus Do You Ever Get the Blues?” round out the tracks until the closer, a masterful transformation of AC/DC’s “Ride On” into a primeval blues: “One of these days I’ll changes my evil ways, but until then I’ll just ride on.”

Foley describes the inclusion of “Ride On” — “(It) is classic Bon Scott era AC/DC, but at its heart it’s straight-up blues. We wanted to take that raw, blues-rock edge of the original and pull it back toward something more like Jimmy Reed: lowdown, hypnotic and laid-back. It felt completely natural to me. It’s a great blues song.”

Put it all together and you have an invitation to ease your troubled mind with a holiday companion for any day of the year.

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Here’s “Merry Christmas Darling” from the album:

Tracklist:

1. Merry Christmas Darling (Harding “Hop” Wilson, Ivory Lee Semien; Cicadelic Music LLC, BMI) (5:32)
2. ’Tis the Season (Sue Foley; Mechanicsville Music, ASCAP, SOCAN) (3:57)
3. Christmas Blues (Sammy Cahn, David Jack Holt; Cahn Music Company / Ten Four Music, ASCAP, GEMA) (2:52)
4. Just Another Day (Sue Foley; Mechanicsville Music, ASCAP, SOCAN) (7:13)
5. Santa Claus Do You Ever Get the Blues? (Christopher W. Vachon; Easy Vee Music / BMG Bumblebee, BMI, ASCAP) (4:34)
6. Jingle Blues (Cha-Cha) (Sue Foley; Mechanicsville Music, ASCAP, SOCAN) (4:28)
7. I’ll Take Care of You (Brook Benton; Clyde Otis Music Group Inc., BMI) (6:14)
8. Ride On (Bon Scott, Angus Young, Malcolm Young; J. Albert & Son Pty Ltd / Australian Music Corp, ASCAP, BMI, GEMA) (4:47)
VINYL: SIDE A – TRACKS 1-4 | SIDE B – TRACKS 5-8

Michael Lee — “Michael Lee & the Wartime Limousine” — Skylark Soul Co.

Ever since he was a teenager, teaching himself to play guitar and sneaking out of the house to hear blues in Bedford, Texas, bars, Michael Lee was fascinated by the music. “I was so focused on like, ‘How do I do better at this? How do I write songs? How do I sing?’ It was a great education.”

“My very first concert was Buddy Guy and B.B. King, and I remember being pulled out of school to go. All my friends in high school would be listening to modern music at the time, like Nickelback or whatever it was. I was like, ‘But where are the goosebumps?’”

Lee played in classic rock bands but later joined regional blues and soul groups, playing six nights a week. Videos of his showmanship surfaced on YouTube, where producers of the NBC reality show, The Voice, noticed him. He was invited to audition for the competition in 2018.

Following his departure from The Voice, Lee performed with B.B. King’s Blues Band in 2019, and recorded on their tribute album, “Soul of the King.”

Riding that early success, the Fort Worth-based Lee released his self-titled album “Michael Lee” in 2019 on Ruf Records, and now is back with another self-titled session, this one with his band, “Michael Lee & the Wartime Limousine,” on the Skylark Soul label.

Following his love of “older music,” Lee’s latest album effortlessly blends a smooth variety of songs with a soulful heritage, ranging from Motown to Stax to Al Green (he’s a genre all by himself), to vintage R&B and a touch of country. It was recorded live in studio with Wartime Limousine members that include keyboardists Chad Stockslager and Jordache Grant, pedal steel player Will Van Horn, bassist Daniel Balis and drummer Matt Trimble.

The album floats along on its lyrical content, 11 original songs filled with Lee’s musical exploration of the human heart. “The core of this album is love, lost and won,” Lee says. “Understanding everything, we’ll be fine! I want people to experience that optimism and resilience through the music, and hopefully even find themselves in these stories of old love lost and new love found.”

His music here is as personal as it is profoundly moving: “It should be easy, being in a relationship, at least that’s what the matriarchs of my family always told me, “Lee says. “I’ve never had that until now. From the lyrics to the musical choices on this album, there is an overall sense of ease that I’d say stems from the love I have with my wife.”

But the music itself is not syrupy sentiment. It’s filed with Lee’s passion and emotion, joyfully expressed by his pleasantly???? upper-register vocals. It all begins with “Starlight Serenade” a funk-filled admonishment to “listen to the starlight.” Then “We’ll Be Fine” kicks in with its own horn-fueled groove. Both tracks are jouous musical celebrations.

“Drowning” is intensely personal; a poignant counterpoint to its throbbing R&B beat: “It’s about that ‘come to Jesus’ moment you eventually have to face when you’re caught up in your own debauchery,” Lee says. “It’s the harsh realization that no one else is coming to save you, and you have to do the hard work of purging your soul to save yourself.” As the lyric says, “Drinking holy water, drowning the devil in me.”

“You and I” is a soulful ballad that reaches back for inspiration and forward with its message: “Earth angel, tell me you are mine.” “Caught It” has a tasty Al Green flavor, and “Lesser Than a Better Man” is a sensual, soulful ballad. “Wild Out of Me” is a pledge to remain free and unfettered. Lee continues to pour out his soulful magic on “End of the Line,” “Outta My Head,” “Living High,” and brings it to a gorgeous finale on “I Am Yours,” a tender love ballad glistening with Lee’s luminous falsetto.

Michael Lee has filled this album with the kind of sweet soul music that breathes new life into that classic genre. He no longer needs to ask “Where are the goosebumps?” He’s made his own.

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Here’s “Drowning” from the album:

Tracklist:

1. Starlight
2. We’ll Be Fine
3. Drowning
4. You and I
5. Caught It
6. Lesser Than A Better Man
7. End of the Line
8. Outta My Head
9. Living High
10. I Am Yours

Dudley Taft — “Fire Horse” — Self-release

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the year of the fire horse, which only occurs every 60 years. The veteran Cincinnati-based blues-rocker Dudley Taft just happens to have been born during the last fire horse year – 1966.

After learning about his fire horse origins last year, he decided to celebrate that fact with his next musical conception. So this year, another Fire Horse, his eleventh album, was born.

Fire horse the year is seen as a time filled with hope and positive energy, a year of action and movement. Fire Horse the album comes alive with the positive energy of Taft’s fiery guitar work, evocative songwriting and expressive vocals.

Taft’s co-conspirators in this inspired session of 11 original songs include Nick Owsianka on drums, Bennett Holland on keyboards, Dave Marks on bass, additional keys and percussion, and Ashley Charmae on backup vocals. Co-producers are Taft and Dave Marks.

Fire Horse races out of the gate with the playfully pulsating Warmup Song, developed from a guitar riff played at a soundcheck. It sets the mood for what follows: “Me and the boys, we’ve been working hard to play the best we can for you.”

The Fire Inside is alight with the spirit of the fire horse with its thunderous rhythm and expressive lyrics: “Keep the fire burning / Keep that young man alive / When the drive is strong, let him ride free to be the man he needs to be.” In the hard-driving Wasted Land, Taft searches for his place in a life between what one thinks is heaven and what is hell: “For you and me, chasing our dreams / Find a place in between.

”The topical Sleeping at the Wheel passionately laments a political climate endangered by apathy: “We’ve been sleeping at the wheel / Lost our way between the champagne and streaming.” She Loves Me rides its gentle, uplifting chord progression into a lyrically gorgeous love song “She is the dream and I’m sleepwalking And she loves me, she loves me.” With its fiery guitar intro, I Raise a Glass to the Brave is Taft’s stirring salute to those he appreciates as fire horses; those who left their comfort zone to explore the world: “I raise a glass to the brave, / Keep fighting on into the wind / You’ll fly under a flag of your own.”

The elegant rocker, One by One,is a tribute to Taft’s fallen musical heroes, whose music lives on: “Dead not gone / And the music lives on / In our ears, minds and in our hearts.” It Speaks to Me is the inner voice, the experience that serves as a mystical guide to decisions, pierced by a stinging guitar solo: “All the things you solved, did it feed your brain? Then you know what I mean when I say: It speaks to me!” So Empty decries the danger of letting things happen that we should not allow. His ethereal vocal holds a worldly message: “Everything you want is out of reach / Nothing you do is what they preach / Get it while you can.”

Taft’s nearly whispered vocals grace the eloquent yearning of the lovely Stolen Days: “So few times a year we get to disappear / Won’t you disappear with me?” The closer, Duel in the Desert, is Taft’s first instrumental, created to flash his dueling guitar chops, a battle between what he calls “the slinky fuzz monster and the classic ’70s rocker.”

Fire Horse blends Dudley Taft’s cool blues-rock swagger with the warmth of his perceptive lyricism, capturing the hope and positive energy of its mythical namesake. Climb on and enjoy a ride on the real deal!

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Here’s a track from a previous Dudley Taft Album:

Tracklist:

Warmup Song — 03:05
The Fire Inside — 04:27
Wasted Land — 04:12
Sleeping at the Wheel — 04:25
She Loves Me — 04:01
I Raise a Glass to the Brave — 05:24
One by One — 03:11
It Speaks to Me — 03:50
So Empty — 03:24
Stolen Days — 03:37
Duel in the Desert — 05:59

Derrick Procell — “My Incredible Heart” — Catfood Records

The heartbeat of Derrick Procell’s life for four decades has been pumping out songs that pulsate with soulful blues and hard-driving R&B.

He brings it all home with powerhouse vocals, razor-sharp harp and two-fisted piano rhythms. Procell has kept that beat going strong on his latest album, My Incredible Heart, which he calls “a celebration of resilience and strength.”

Procell’s songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and Shemekia Copeland. His work has been featured on television and film, as well as supporting various charitable organizations.

After decades of performing and producing, Procell turned to recording in 2016 with Why I Choose To Sing The Blues, his first solo album of original songs. That success sparked the acclaimed Hello Mojo in 2022, which spent weeks atop of the Roots Music Report Soul Blues chart.

Now, with My Incredible Heart, Procell has delivered a personal album whose essence lies in his belief that: “No matter what life throws at you, the human spirit has an extraordinary capacity to endure, recover and keep moving forward.”

This heartfelt album features his All Star Mojo Band, adds the exceptional fiddle playing of Anne Harris and slide guitar of young master Zach Avery, all supporting Procell’s magnificently rich baritone. Procell and conspirators Terry Abrahamson and Bob Trenchard are the wordsmiths behind the eleven smartly crafted songs.

The album rocks open with the whimsical wordplay of Alabama Bambulance, with Avery on guitar, framed by kick-ass horns, in a name-dropping tribute to some of the masters of Southern soul needed to revive a downhearted friend: “She looked to be expirin’ / them cylinders got firin’ / and sparks flew off that wirin’ / and Aretha raised that siren.” My Incredible Heart soars in next, bearing the album’s big-hearted spirit on Procell’s uplifting vocal: “This heart will mend it, will ascend it, will rise and then it gon’ love again / that’s my incredible, my ‘no-regret’ able, my incredible heart.”

On Play My Soul, Procell opens his heart with a soulman’s mantra:“ I am here to play my soul / I am here to lift it to the sky.” The chunky rhythms of I’ll Take You Back pledge the devotion of undying love: “I will catch you when you fall/ Never let you down / You’ll never hit the ground / I’ll take you back.” Procell’s rollicking piano leads into the ageless problems of Gettin’ Old, with its sexy sax solo:“ I’d ask ya back to my place, but I think I mighta lost my key / Yeah, gettin’ old.”

The mood shifts to the more contemplative I Was in the Room, advising everyone to pay attention to what’s going on: “It’s amazing what gets mentioned / It’s surprising what gets learnt / By who been payin’ attention / When all the others weren’t.” Harris’s sparkling fiddle and a gospel-flavored chorus add depth to its musical vision.

Heal Me is a soulful plea for love sparked by a fiery guitar solo: “Let’s see what love can do ‘cause only love is real i know that love can heal.” Use What U Got (To Do What U Can) urges everyone to take advantage of their gifts, however simple they might be: “If all you got is your heart, my friend, you can share it with a soul in need.”

The upbeat You Could Be Doin’ Better, with its stinging guitar solo, is a wry observation about choices: “You could be doin’ better / It could be you and me,” with Procell’s spirited harp leading the way out. All Cried Out heralds recovery from a lost love “You know I’m all cried out. Feel my spirit elevatin’ feel that sunshine radiatin’ / sea of teardrops evaporatin’.”

Procell blows rock-hard harp on the closer, Too Much, with its philosophical parting shot: “Too much for one man to hold / Too much for anyone to control / Too much for the asking / A little too much of everything.”

More than four decades later, however, it’s not too much for Derrick Procell’s Incredible Heart to continue pumping out his music to fill your heart. 

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Here’s “Alabama Bambulance” from the album:

Tracklist:

Alabama Bambulance — 4:27
My Incredible Heart — 3:52
Play My Soul — 3:55
I’ll Take You Back — 3:19
Gettin’ Old — 3:55
I Was in the Room — 4:58
Heal Me — 3:33
Use What U Got (To Do What U Can) — 4:47
You Could Be Doin’ Better — 3:54
All Cried Out — 3:08
Too Much — 4:36

Max Higtower — “The Blues Chooses You” — MoMojo Records

Max Hightower has a good reason why his latest album is called “The Blues Chooses You.”

“I believe everybody who loves this music has a story about how the blues found them. I sure wasn’t looking for it—I didn’t even know what it was.”

The Upstate, South Carolina native found out what it was when he was just 12, and he bought his first blues on cassette tape (yes, that was once a thing!), “Muddy Mississippi Live” by Muddy Waters.

He tried out this fascinating “new” music on his grandmother’s Silvertone guitar, but eventually picked up the harmonica, and soon became one with the blues harp. He went on to add the piano and guitar to his talents, as well as songwriting and producing. To top it all off, Hightower added his tough, gritty vocal style. Today, that’s one helluva combination he’s chosen.

Since those early years, Hightower has shared the stage with the world of bluesmen who stirred his earliest passion, including Hubert Sumlin, Willie Smith, Bob Margolin, Bob Stroger, Eddie Shaw, Leon Everette, Steve Guyger, Kim Wilson and Bobby Rush. And he was a founding member of Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues band He was a key member of Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues, cranking out harmonica, guitar, and piano for frontman Arnold.

“The Blues Chooses You” follows Hightowers’s 2025 release, “Nothin’ But the TRUTH.” He’s joined here by Chicago blues guitar wizard Joe Moss, pianist Rob Davis, bassist Stedman “Fleetwood” Williams Sr., and drummer Brandon Phelps. The session gets a down and dirty, authentic feel from its live-to-analog-tape recording at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, produced by Hightower. The 12-song album is nine originals (one is reprised in an extended version), and two classic blues covers.

The album kicks of with the sprightly “Dedicated Fool,” its rollicking piano intro, and Hightower growling about his status as the title character. “Train Smoke” chugs along on a tough blues harp track, leading in to the title track, “The Blues Chooses You,” with a fiery guitar intro and a lyrical ode to his journey while the blues chose him.

“Relationship Man” is driven along by Davis’s piano and a soaring harp solo midway. The Johnny Shines song, “I Don’t Know,” takes a tough, splendid six-minute trip deep into the rawness of the blues with a spine-tingling Moss solo and Hightower’s harp burning. Guitar Slim’s ageless blues standard, “Things I Used to Do,” rides Hightower’s scorching vocal and Moss’s devilish guitar to their proper conclusion. ????

“Do What You’re Gonna Do” has an old-time, hand-clapping feel as it charges along, before relaxing ever-so slightly before “The Hardest Thing” defines this musical relationship: “The hardest thing that I ever do baby, is play the blues.” “Stone Cool” throbs with a haunting bass line before yielding to the ?? of Hightower’s harp solo. “Moonshine and Magnolias” is an almost delicate love song that lets the band flow with elegant guitar lines and vibrant organ riffs.

“Sherlock Holmes” discovers a Latin flavor in its musical detective story: “Every time my baby leaves, I got a mystery goin’ on.” The closer is a two-minute extension of the title track, giving everyone a chance to lean into how “the blues chooses you.”

Hightower says that: “I believe everybody who loves this music has a story about how the blues found them. I sure wasn’t looking for it — I didn’t even know what it was.”

Now that Hightower knows what it is — he knows how to deliver it. “The Blues Chooses You” is driven by tough, gritty vocals and a forcefield of raw musical energy. Spoiler alert: The more you listen, the better it gets.

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Here’s an interview of Hightower by Michael Limnios in BluesGr.

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Here’s “Sherlock Holmes” from the album:

Tracklist:

1.Dedicated Fool 3:50
2. Train Smoke 4:26
3. The Blues Chooses You 5:01
4. Relationship Man 4:14
5. I Don’t Know 6:04
6. Things I Used to Do 5:53
7. Do What You’re Going to Do 3:04
8. The Hardest Thing 3:37 (dedicated to Scotty Hawkins, our old drummer who passed away)
9. Stone Cool 4:15
10. Moonshine & Magnolias 4:07
11. Sherlock Holmes 5:16
The Blues Chooses You 6:50 (extended version bonus track)

Max Hightower: Vocals, Harmonica, Rhythm Guitar (Tracks 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 11)
Joe Moss: Lead Guitar (1, 2,3,4,5,6,8,10 & Bonus track)
Rob Davis: Piano, Hammond B3, Wurlitzer
Steadman Fleetwood’ Williams, Sr.: Bass
Brandon Phelps: Drums, Talking Voice on “Stone Cool” Hand Claps on “Do What You’re Gonna Do”
Recorded live to analog tape at The Bomb Shelter Studio, Nashville, Tennessee

Mixed & Mastered by Jake Tillman 
All songs written by Max Hightower, © 2026 HightowerTone Publishing ℗ 2026 HightowerTone Publishing; Except: Things I Used to Do — Written by Eddie Jones (Guitar Slim); I Don’t Know — Written by Johnny Shines; Moonshine & Magnolias – Written by Max Hightower & Pam McShea; Train Smoke — Lyrics by Max Hightower. Original composition by Max Hightower, Jerry Austin Brashier, and Mac Arnold; Relationship Man — Lyrics by Max Hightower; Original composition by Max Hightower, Jerry Austin Brashier, and Mac Arnold

The Blues Chooses You Album Tracks – MoMojo Records (MMJ-415)1. Dedicated Fool 3:50
2. Train Smoke 4:26
3. The Blues Chooses You 5:01
4. Relationship Man 4:14
5. I Don’t Know 6:04
6. Things I Used to Do 5:53
7. Do What You’re Going to Do 3:04
8. The Hardest Thing 3:37 (dedicated to Scotty Hawkins, our old drummer who passed away)
9. Stone Cool 4:15
10. Moonshine & Magnolias 4:07
11. Sherlock Holmes 5:16
The Blues Chooses You 6:50 (extended version bonus track)

Steve Howell — “I Don’t Mind” — Out of the Past Music

Fingerpicking guitarist and songster Steve Howell is a man of many musical talents, but his secret power is time travel – scouring the past for music he loves in order to make it fresh again.

“Since I was very young, I have loved the music from the early twentieth century,” the East Texas native says. “This has been a constant in my life and been reflected in my repertoire.”

Howell was just 13 when he first heard Mississippi John Hurt’s finger-style country blues. That experience became a revelation that opened the door to a new musical universe – and his 30-year career exploring that universe.

“A big part of my musical mission is to present songs from the deep well of great songs that have been written over time,” Howell told interviewer Michael Limnios. ”I feel that many of these tunes need to be remembered and appreciated for their beauty, humor, and continuing human relevance and wisdom.”

That appreciation manifests itself on his latest album, I Don’t Mind, as Howell dips into the tuneful well of the last century for a delicious re-creation of a dozen wisely chosen songs with the consummate assistance of Dan Sumner on guitar and album-producer Jason Weinheimer on bass. Sumner is a Louisiana-based, internationally acclaimed guitarist, arranger and producer. Weinheimer records and produces albums at his studio, Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock, Ark.

I Don’t Mind explores classic jazz, folk and blues styles with Howell’s unique talents: “I’ve always been drawn to finger-style guitar playing because it provides what seems to me to be a more complete sound and a more pianistic approach.”

Howell sets the tone for this session with the opener, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, a 1946 Louis Jordan jump blues hit, by creating his own stylish, swinging version. His take on the whimsical Fresno Shuffle was inspired by Dave Van Ronk’s 1971 recording of Erik Frandsen’s folky blues tune. Howell reincarnates the title track, I Don’t Mind, with the airy, jazzy rhythm of his rendition of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s 1944 creation.

Howell’s relaxed vocal lends an air of refreshing innocence to Cole Porter’s once-controverisal 1930’s Love For Sale, and then he reaches deep into blues history for the classic St. Louis Blues, published by W.C. Handy in 1914, and since covered by just about everyone. Hummin’ To Myself was a hit in 1932 for Connee Boswell, who sang with the Dorsey Brothers, and Howell makes it sound as though it was written just for his laid-back style.

Howell flexes his guitar’s pianistic side for In Walked Bud, written by jazz piano legend Thelonious Monk in 1947 for his friend Bud Powell, with John Hendricks’ lyrics paying tribute to other giants of the genre. An Ellington instrumental from 1940 was titled Never No Lament until Bob Russell wrote the lyrics in 1942, and it became the classic Don’t Get Around Much Anymore. Howell captures the magic of both efforts in his jazz-enriched version.

Howell’s elegant guitar work captures the gentle instrumental lyricism of The Shadow of Your Smile, a song from the1965 film The Sandpipers that won an Academy Award for Best Song. Howell’s delicate balladry caresses Once In a While, a No. 1 hit for Tommy Dorsey in 1937.

Ellington earns another breezy tribute on Howell’s rhythmic It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), swinging back to 1932. The closer is Howell’s eloquent instrumental interpretation of the jazz standard, Out of Nowhere, first popularized by Bing Crosby in 1931.

Steve Howell has summoned the essence of classic American jazz into the grooves of I Don’t Mind, crafting an evocative session where musical memories come alive in its tracks. It’s a masterful musician’s back-to-the-future journey – with its soundtrack of great music.

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I couldn’t find a track from this album, but here’s Howell playing another jazz standard, “Lover, Come Back To Me”

“I Don’t Mind” Tracklist, credits and Howell’s comments:

Choo Choo Ch’Boogie – Vaughn Horton, Denver Darling, and Milt Gabler
This song was released by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five in 1946 and topped the R&B charts. It is one of the ‘jump
blues’ songs that foreshadowed rock ‘n ‘roll and is from the point of view of a guy returning home from the Second
World War.
The Fresno Shuffle – Erik Frandsen
I first heard this song from 1971 done by Dave Van Ronk. He learned it from the composer, Eric Frandsen, guitarist,
singer, songwriter, and actor from New York City.
I Don’t Mind – Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn
Recorded by the Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra in 1944, this song featured the great Ivie Anderson on vocals.
It was also done brilliantly by Bob Dorough in 1957.
Love For Sale – Cole Porter
This song was written by Cole Porter for the Broadway show “The New Yorkers” in 1930. It was considered by the press
to be “in bad taste” and radio stations avoided broadcasting it. Porter took it to the Cotton Club in Harlem where it
became a staple in the repertoire of Elizabeth Welch.
St. Louis Blues – W.C. Handy
Published in 1914 by W.C. Handy, this song was one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song. The song has
been called “the jazzman’s Hamlet” and has been recorded by Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Benny
Goodman, and countless other blues and jazz musicians. The 1925 version sung by Bessie Smith, with Louis Armstrong
Hummin’ To Myself – Herb Magidson and Monty Siegel (add’l lyrics by Dan Hicks) / Sammy Fain
This song was a big hit in 1932 for Connee Boswell with the Dorsey Brothers. It was also performed by Betty Boop in the 1933
short film Betty Boop’s Birthday Party. Great versions have also been recorded by Dan Hicks, Kay Starr, Linda Ronstadt, and others.
In Walked Bud – John Hendricks / Thelonious Monk
Composed in 1947 by Thelonious Monk in honor of his friend, the great jazz pianist, Bud Powell. This song is a contrafaction
of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” John Hendricks’ lyrics refer to jazz musicians Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, Don Byas,
Thelonious Monk, and Bud Powell.
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore – Bob Russell / Duke Ellington
This song was originally an instrumental entitled “Never No Lament,” and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra
in 1940. It became a hit after Bob Russell wrote the “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” lyrics for it in 1942.
The Shadow Of Your Smile – Paul Francis Webster / Johnny Mandel
This tune from 1965 is from the film The Sandpipers and won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1966. Notable versions have
been recorded by Tony Bennett, Astrud Gilberto, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, and Oscar Peterson, as well as many others.
Once In A While – Bud Green / Michael Edwards
From 1937, this tune was a number one hit for Tommy Dorsey. It has been recorded by everyone from Louis Armstrong
and Sarah Vaughan to Mose Allison and Fats Domino.
It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) – Bubber Miley / Duke Ellington
This 1931 Duke Ellington composition was said to be the credo of the genius trumpeter, Bubber Miley, who was dying of
tuberculosis at the time. Miley died the year the song was released. Ivie Anderson sang the vocal on the first recording in 1932.
Out Of Nowhere – Edward Heyman / Johnny Green
Popularized by Bing Crosby in 1931, this great tune has been done by Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, Chet Baker,

Sherman Holmes — “One Step Ahead of the Blues” — Nola Blue Records

Sherman Holmes is the sole survivor of that fabulous soul, blues and gospel trio, The Holmes Brothers.

He’s also a soul survivor, who, as the title of his magnificent new album so elegantly affirms, is still “One Step Ahead of the Blues.”

Holmes is now 87, and his soulful pipes are rich with the wisdom of his years and the depth of a musical career that began in 1959 when he left Virginia State University for a job playing with singer Jimmy Jones (of “Handy Man” fame) in New York. His younger brother Wendell joined him after completing high school.

The two brothers played in a few bands before forming The Sevilles in 1963. The group lasted three years, and after disbanding, Sherman, Wendell and a fellow Virginian, drummer William “Popsy” Dixon, continued to play in a variety of bands.

In 1979, that trio became the Holmes Brothers, with Sherman playing bass, Wendell on guitar and piano, and Dixon on drums. They all shared the vocals, drawing on the spirit of blues, soul and gospel music. Both brothers, like many blues and soul artists, had sung in their church choir. Their lengthy career was fill with a multitude of honors and much great music.

 Following the deaths of bandmates Wendell and Dixon in 2015, Sherman formed The Sherman Holmes Project, releasing “The Richmond Sessions” in 2017. He’s still going strong with “One Step Ahead of the Blues,” a splendid new collection that includes two previously unrecorded Wendell Holmes originals.

Why has Sherman spent his life making music? Sherman was kind enough to answer that question for me after an email request through Nola Blue’s blues maven Sallie Bengtson. His answer illuminates the spirit that drives musical creation:

“From a very young age, music was my outlet to express myself and also a way to do something fun with a group of friends. My brother Wendell and I started playing at our Cousin Herman’s juke joint in Virginia and there was no looking back. After attending college for a while, I hit the road with an r&b group as soon as I could. I recruited Wendell as soon as he was out of school and the rest, as they say, was history! My joy for making music has been fueling me for all my life.”

“One Step” reveals how that powerful his joy remains for making great music. The album shines a light on the distinctive blues, soul, gospel voice and spirit of Sherman Holmes. The stellar production by Andreas Werner surrounds Holmes with musicians and backup singers who create a sound that’s rich and soulful.

Werner’s studio band, the Funky Chester Rhythm Section, includes Lynn Williams on drums, Paul Ossola on bass, Harvey Thompson Jr. on keyboards and Werner on guitar, and the Muscle Shoals Horns add their own punch. The Blind Boys of Alabama bring their gospel-soaked voices to a pair of songs, and the “Honorary Holmes Sisters” — Catherine Russell, Joan Osborne, Ada Dyer and Amy Helm — add their joyous spirit on two tracks.

Those horns punch out the opener, the spirited title track, in what might well be a personal mantra: “I’m movin’, I’m movin’ down the road / I’ll keep on groovin’, trying to stay one step ahead of the blues.” Thompson’s B3 fuels “Your Livin’ Does Your Preachin’,” as The Blind Boys of Alabama elevate Sherman on the gospel-flavored track.

“Voices in the Hall,” the first of the three Sherman Holmes originals, has a personal feel, driven along on a percussive groove.“Strike While the Iron Is Hot” is a Wendell Holmes song, a sturdy blues shuffle, followed by “The Blues Done Got My Soul,” a tribute to the power of the blues.

Sherman’s “Oh America (Still Standing)” has an anthemic feel, lifted by the gorgeous harmonies of the Holmes Sisters. The Sisters return to add a joyous chorus to the uplifting “One More Go ‘Round,” as Sherman jubilantly declares he’s “got more miles to ride.” “Prophet in Another Land” brings back the horns to create a more delicate backdrop for Sherman’s vocals. Sherman moves down-home on Wendell’s stripped-down, deep-blue acoustic gem, “Fair to Midland.”

Sherman turns intensely soulful on his own heartbreaking “I’m So Lonely,” with Thompson’s luxurious blues piano backing.
The spiritual “Change My Heart” closes the session with the Blind Boys of Alabama surrounding Sherman’s emotional plea.

With the magnificent “One Step Ahead of the Blues,” Sherman Holmes takes us on life-affirming journey through the music that “has been fueling me for all my life.” It’s ageless music from a gifted artist that producer Werner calls: “A true blues philosopher.” It’s meant to move that blues philosophy from his soul into yours.

And it’s damn fine music!

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Here’s “One Step Ahead of the Blues”:

Tracklist:

One Step Ahead Of The Blues — Jon Tiven & Andreas Werner (2:55)
Your Livin’ Does Your Preachin’ — Mark Narmore & Andreas Werner (2:47)
Voices In The Hall — Sherman Holmes (3:32)
Strike While The Iron Is Hot — Wendell Holmes (3:38)
The Blues Done Got My Soul — Mark Narmore & Andreas Werner (4:15)
Oh America (Still Standing) — Sherman Holmes (4:08)
One More Go ’Round — Mickey Buckins & Andreas Werner (3:43)
Prophet In Another Land — Andreas Werner (2:59)
Fair To Midland — Wendell Holmes (4:39)
I’m So Lonely — Sherman Holmes (4:26)
Change My Heart — Charlie Taylor & Andreas Werner (3:47)

Credits:
Funky Chester Rhythm Section Lynn Williams – drums & percussion Paul Ossola – electric bass & upright bass Harvey Thompson Jr. – piano, Wurlitzer electric piano & Hammond B3 organ Andreas Werner – electric guitar & acoustic guitar, harmony vocals on “One Step Ahead Of The Blues.”
The Honorary Holmes Sisters Catherine Russell, Joan Osborne, Ada Dyer & Amy Helm on “Oh America (Still Standing)” & “One More Go ’Round”
The Blind Boys Of Alabama Jimmy Carter, Ricky McKinnie, Joey Williams, Rev. Julius Love & Jackie Banks on “Change My Heart” & “Your Livin’ Does Your Preachin’”
The Muscle Shoals Horns Charles Rose – trombone & horn arrangements Steve Herrman – trumpet & flugelhorn Tom McGinley – baritone sax Jim Hoke – tenor sax on “One Step Ahead Of The Blues” & “Prophet In Another Land”

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Here’s a sample of the Holmes Brothers:

Christopher Wyze & The Tellers — “Naptown Blues” — Big Radio Records

Christopher Wyze & The Tellers are an Indianapolis-based blues band whose latest album, “Naptown Blues,” is a delightful tribute to another Indianapolis blues combo whose music helped shape the early years of blues nearly a century ago — Leroy Carr and Srapper Blackwell.

Wyze’s own music is lyrically literate; he’s a smartly articulate teller of original tales filled with the essence of the blues. His harmonica stylings help shape his musical expressions. “Naptown Blues” is his way of honoring the Carr-Blackwell legacy by re-creating a session based on their timeless music.

Carr was a piano player whose sophisticated vocal style influenced such singers as T-Bone Walker, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn, Jimmy Witherspoon and Ray Charles.

Francis “Scrapper” Blackwell’s guitar work was light and often jazz-like in its lyrical style but could also be raw and assertive. Blackwell’s influence was widespread, and Lonnie Johnson, who would become one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century, credited Blackwell as one of his key inspirations

Music historian Elijah Wald has called Carr “the most influential male blues singer and songwriter of the first half of the 20th century,” and has described Carr and Blackwell’s sound as “a hip, urban club style that signaled a new era in popular music.”

The term Naptown as a nickname for Indianapolis is about as old as the Blackwell-Carr recordings. References to Naptown appear as early as 1927 in an Indianapolis Recorder article about jazz musicians. The Indianapolis Recorder was then, like today, the city’s highest-circulating African-American newspaper, says Jill Weiss Simins, a historian at the Indiana Historical Bureau. Throughout the 1930s, Naptown was used regularly to refer to Indianapolis in articles about music, baseball and social events, not the sleepy connotation it might suggest. It was the home of Vocalion Records, where the duo recorded.

All of this history is interesting, but the real magic lives in the music.

Wyze and the Tellers — John Boyle III on guitar and Hammond organ, and Gerry Murphy on acoustic bass — have created a thoughtful and enjoyable album that reaches back to display the musical and lyrical eloquence that Carr and Blackwell brought to the blues in the late 1920s and ’30s.

They’ve chosen some of their favorite Carr-Blackwell songs for the session, leading off with a crisp Wyze vocal, spiced with his harp work on “I’m Going Back to Tennessee” — “Ain’t got nobody, to care for me / Gonna pack my trunk and go back to Tennessee.” The joyous title track follows, with Naptown’s pleasures felt through the music of Carr and Blackwell, all reflected through Wyze’s natural vocals and down-home harp: “When you get to Naptown, the blues won’t last very long, long / Because they have their pleasure, and they sure do carry on, on.”

“How Long, How Long Blues” is a classic blues with a gorgeous melody that inspired countless covers and later compositions, including the Mississippi Sheiks’ “Sitting on Top of the World” and Robert Johnson’s “Come On in My Kitchen.” Muddy Waters has said that it was the first song he learned to play “off the Leroy Carr record.” Wyze delivers with a respectfully quiet vocal and mournful harp.

Wyze has included another pair of blues standards: the plaintive “Midnight Hour Blues” and “Kokomo Blues,” later turned into “Sweet Home Chicago” by Robert Johnson. Other tracks, all masterfully done, include “The Truth About the Thing,” “My Own Lonesome Blues,” “Tired of Your Low Down Ways,” “You Got to Reap What You Sow” and “Prison Bound Blues.”

The closer, “Birthday in Jail,” is a Wyze lyrical adaption of Carr/Blackwell’s “Christmas in Jail – Ain’t That a Pain,” by Floyd Thompson and J.E. Guernsey, styled to fit perfectly at the conclusion of this excellent album.

“We made this record,” Wyze says, “because Carr and Blackwell made great music – first in our hometown, then
elsewhere – because their music traveled across the country, around the world, and because it still travels and enlivens blues lovers to this day.” The album was recorded in Indianapolis at a downtown studio located just a couple miles from where Carr and Blackwell first recorded in June 1928.

With “Naptown Blues,” Christopher Wyze reminds us of the elegant simplicity of the best blues music, played as it was meant to be heard. His unpretentious, natural feel for the music lends it an authenticity that speaks to its universal appeal, and to our continued enjoyment. Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell created songs worth listening to in 1928. Their contribution to America’s classical music is still vital a century later.

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Here’s an interview with Chrisopher Wyze about the genesis of the album, from Essentially Pop

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As fate, or the blues, would have it, I had written about Carr and Blackwell’s importance earlier this year. Here’s that post.

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Here’s “Naptown Blues” from the album:

Tracklist:

1. I’m Going Back to Tennessee – 4:03
2. Naptown Blues – 2:54
3. How Long – How Long Blues – 4:21
4. The Truth About the Thing – 3:12
5. My Own Lonesome Blues – 2:51
6. Midnight Hour Blues – 3:28
7. Kokomo Blues – 3:52
8. Tired of Your Low Down Ways – 3:06
9. You Got to Reap What You Sow – 3:09
10. Prison Bound Blues – 4:39
11. Birthday in Jail — 4:06

Here’s the original:

BB & the Bullets — “Wrong Side of the River” — Overton Music

BB & the Bullets is a New Zealand blues-rock power trio whose leader, Brian Baker (BB), conjures evocative tales with his gritty vocals, sparked by his searing guitar.

He’s backed by bassist Stu Duncan and drummer Brad McMillan, who complete the Bullets with a rock-steady groove and their always-on-target background vocals.

The band, known for its high-voltage style and relentless gigging in New Zealand, has released its second album, Wrong Side Of The River, a follow to its acclaimed debut, 2025’s High Tide, on the French Dixiefrog label. It charted in New Zealand and Australia and hit No.1 on the Roots Music Report Blues Rock Album chart.

Wrong Side Of The River overflows with ten smartly crafted Baker originals plus a roaring cover of Peter Green’s classic Oh Well. Every track is driven hard by the fully locked-and-loaded Bullets, burnished by Baker’s fiery axe and the trio’s relentless groove.

The Bullets open with the hard-driving, blues-shrouded mystery of Midnight Rider, staring darkly into the future: “Midnight rider / You’re coming way too fast / Now I know my life wasn’t meant to last.“ Baker’s up-front vocal drives the jazzier taste of Wild Honey: “When I’m sad and lonely / And feeling hazy blue / One thing can make me smile / And that’s a little taste of you.”

Freak Show backs cryptic lyrics with a trance-like groove that pulls you into its depths: “There’s a face in the mirror don’t believe it’s mine / There’s tears dripping down the laughter lines.” Wrong Side of the River slows the tempo, but steps up the passion in a torchy anthem of unreachable love: “We got different lives / So from any point of view / I’m on the wrong side of the river from you.”

Get a Little Real creates a tapestry of vocals and lyrical guitar trying to define a relationship: “Her attitude just tells me / Let’s see your truth show through your actions boy / Let’s get a little real.” The Bullets then explode into Peter Green’s classic Fleetwood Mac song, Oh Well, with razor-sharp guitar and furious drumming. A satisfied laugh at the very end captures the sheer enjoyment of this magnificent effort. Next, the hypnotic propulsion of Sometimes You Lose Yourself builds around the self-reflection of its lyrics: “Sometimes you lose yourself / Sometimes you lose everything else.”

Black Crow soars in with a driving beat, delivering its apocalyptic prophecies: “There’s no escape when the black crow comes / That bird wants meat and all you’ve got is crumbs.” Baker’s stinging guitar pierces the heart of The Buddha Song with its eloquent message: “Hatred is never conquered by hatred / But is overthrown by love alone.” She Knows leans on a catchy beat and and rhythmic wordplay to explain that he’s always the last to know: “She’s a leg and a foot out the door / But he never saw it coming / No he never saw it coming / Now he’s smoking on the floor.“

Crawl Right In closes the album with a joyous invitation: “Open up my heart now honey and crawl right in / I don’t know where you come from / I don’t care where you been.”

BB & the Bullets have loaded their energetic intensity into Wrong Side of the River to create this high-caliber blues-rock festival. Join the crowd and cheer them on!

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Here’s “Midnight Rider” from the album:

Tracklist:

1. Midnight Rider — 3:50
2. Wild Honey — 2:38
3. Freak Show — 4:46
4. Wrong Side of the River — 3:46
5. Get A Little Real — 3:11
6. Oh Well — 3:39
7. Sometimes You Lose Yourself — 3:35
8. Black Crow — 3:28
9. The Buddha Song — 3:29
10. She Knows — 3:15
11. Crawl Right In — 3:51

Vaneese Thomas — “Window to My Soul” — Overton Music

Vaneese Thomas has deep roots in a musical family — daughter of the legendary Rufus Thomas, sister of Carla Thomas — as well as deep roots in the soulful music she so effortlessly creates.

The multiple BMA nominee has honed her craft for over four decades, working as a background vocalist, songwriter, writer, producer, arranger, and as solo performer blending contemporary blues, gospel and R&B into her own unique vocal stylings.

Thomas also has the unerring ability to turn her thoughts and feelings into emotional statements expressed in song – in this case, in her latest album, very appropriately titled “Window To My Soul.”

Her tight-knit musical backers here serve as a perfect complement to the variety of styles that flow easily through the tracks.

The core band is Thomas on keyboards, Paul Adamy on bass, Al Orlo on guitar and Ross Pederson on drums. Dave Keyes lights up “I Still Got the Blues,” with piano and organ, and Rob Paparozzi’s harmonica sparkles on “Ain’t No Reason (For A Man Like You).” A four-piece horn section and four background vocalists add depth and texture on select tracks. Thomas wrote or co-wrote all the songs except “I’m a Diamond.”

The hard-driving “I Still Got the Blues” opens the session with the authority needed to assert its reassuring message with Thomas’s fiery vocal. “Every Moment Is a Lifetime” opens with a stinging guitar intro as Thomas pours out a soulful ballad of hope and optimism, spurred by soaring horns. The metaphorical “I’m a Diamond” projects a feeling of self-worth,of the ability to shine under pressure.

On the R&B-flavored, horn-powered “Ain’t Gonna Be No One’s Fool,” Thomas clearly means what she says in a defiant demand for respect. Paparazzi’s blues harp sparks the angry fire of “Ain’t No Reason (For a Man Like You).” “That’s A Woman” is a smoldering ballad declaring her pride and dignity. Keye’s church-like organ invokes a gospel flavor on the prayerful “Save Me” as Thomas appeals for saving — “from myself.”

The closer reveals Thomas at her soulful best on the torchy slow blues of “Livin’ With a Lie,” elegantly gift-wrapped in a wistful clarinet by Andy Drelles and a mournfully sensuous trumpet solo by Tim Ouimette.

Vaneese Thomas has opened this simply gorgeous window to her soul to let the power and passion of her musical vision shine on you. Soulful blues doesn’t get any better than this. Keep that window open.

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Here’s “I Still Got the Blues” from the album:

Tracklist:

I Still Got The Blues 4:39
Every Moment Is A Lifetime 4:36
I’m A Diamond 3:59
Ain’t Gonna Be No None’s Fool 3:41
Ain’t No Reason (For A Man Like You) 2:45
That’s A Woman 4:21
Save Me 4:28
Livin’ With A Lie 4:04