Blues Roadhouse

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

Jovin Webb — “Son of a Sinner” — Blind Pig Records

Jovin Webb — a furiously talented Baton Rouge-based, harmonica-playing bluesman — delivers a back-to-the-future message in his second album, “Son of a Sinner.”

Webb digs deeply into the past for the primeval passions of the blues while exploring the future with his personal songwriting and musical vision blending blues, gospel and Southern rock.

Webb says that “Drifter” was: “Me trying to figure out religion, women, my career, and everything I’ve gone through.” That personal rawness continues in “Sinner,” as Webb seems to be working out life’s pain and pleasure in his songs.

Webb explains his musical development: “At a young age, the longing and pain expressed by Southern Black Baptist church music spoke to me, but as I experienced my own trials and tribulations, I felt the pull of the blues. I soon realized that gospel and blues are related. Someone with the blues is in a low place, and when you seek salvation, you’re also usually in a low place.”

“Son of a Sinner” is Webb’s struggle to explore the means of his salvation.

The album is filled with five Webb originals, four original songs from veteran blues producer Tom Hambrige with Richard Fleming and two crackling-good covers that Webb re-creates as his own.

The band includes Webb on harmonica; Hambridge on drums, background vocals and percussion; Kenny Greenberg on guitar; Mike Rojas on keyboards and Tommy MacDonald on bass.

He tears it all open with the ferocious blue-rock assault of “Gunpowder & Lead,” with band cranked up behind its lyrical warning: “If you hold your neighbor’s wife / And love her as your own / You just bought a ticket / To fire and brimstone.” The swampy, bayou-drenched confessional of “Pray for Me” seeks salvation in the thematic title song: “Pray for me, pray for me / I’m just a son of a sinner / Pray for me.”

Webb adds raw emotion and soaring harp to “Every Time I Roll the Dice,” one of those great songs from the Delbert McClinton songbook filled with memorable wordplay: “She got a big Oldsmobile / She got a dog that won’t bite / She got a heart I can steal / Just like a thief in the night.” There’s a more soulful turn on “I Started Young,” before funkiness sets in on “These Boots.”

“Pull ‘Em In” is homespun advice with a pounding rhythm. “After the Rain” and “When I’m Gone” pair up to explore love, loss and starting over. “It’s Alright” is a joyous reminder that it is alright: “But I’m strong enough to fight / And it’s alright, it’s alright to have the blues.” In “Crybaby,” a roving lover gets his comeuppance, with a tasty piano solo. The closer is a rock-hard version of Gregg Allman’s classic “Whipping Post.”

​Jovin Webb’s “Son of a Sinner” invokes the pain and pleasure of the blues in a searing quest for personal salvation that scorches his musical landscape with raw emotion. If you’ve never experienced his music, treat yourself to this powerful reminder that the blues is still all right. If you’re already a fan, add this experience to your life. ​

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Here’s an interview with Jovin Webb by Michael Limnios at Blues.Gr.

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Here’s “Every Time I Roll the Dice,” from the album:

Tracklist:

1. Gunpowder & Lead (Tom Hambridge, Richard Fleming) — 3:11
2. Pray for Me (Jovin Webb) — 4:24
3. Every Time I Roll the Dice (Max Barnes, Troy Seals) — 4:42
4. I Started Young (Tom Hambridge, Richard Fleming) — 3:25
5. These Boots (Jovin Webb, Tom Hambridge, Richard Fleming) — 3:25
6. Pull ‘Em In (Tom Hambridge, Richard Fleming) — 3:12
7. After the Rain (Jovin Webb) — 6:05
8. When I’m Gone (Jovin Webb) — 4:50
9. It’s Alright (Jovin Webb) — 3:47
10. Crybaby (Jovin Webb) — 4:28
11. Whipping Post (Gregg Allman) — 4:20

Big Harp George — “No Shortcuts” — Blues Mountain Records

On the surface, Big Harp George is easily described as a San Francisco Bay Area blues singer and songwriter who plays the chromatic harmonica.

Just beneath that veneer, you’ll find George Bisharat, a former law professor and Mideast analyst whose creative songwriting ranges from biting humor to passionate social commentary, all driven by his mastery of the distinctive chromatic.

There’s no shortage of that sharp lyricism and harp wizardry on the 16 original tracks that make up Bisharat’s eighth album, the artfully crafted No Shortcuts.

He skillfully blends hard-hitting observations with complex musical creativity featuring 20 artists using a variety of ancient and modern instruments.

Bisharat comes out swinging hard on the first of four instrumentals, aptly titled Come Out Swinging, urging his chromatic into sax-like runs. Supplement Life follows, a whimsical, blues-tinged guide to store-bought health: “Mushroom powder gonna do wonders for you.” Yes Dear! Is a musical romp offering marital advice with a bite: “Here’s another pearl I swear is true / You hate that nagging but it’s best for you.” Sun Drifting is an elegant slow-blues instrumental that speaks through its chromatic soul.

Ain’t My Circus juggles sideshow music with political metaphor sparked with a stinging guitar solo: “Carnival barker strutting in his booth / Spouting lies through a megaphone,red, white and blue.” I Will Find You shifts the tone with a dirge-like Mideastern intro to its soaring promise: “They came from lands of cross and crown / Where prayers were hushed and books burned down / My kin pled for mercy across the sea / And I swore to send a hand to free.” Bury My Head hides the frustration of frantic daily life behind its jaunty melody: “Can you back off for God’s sake / I need to take a break / I’m gonna bury my head in the sand.”

Struck Out Again is frustration on a more personal level behind Kid Andersen’s late-night blues guitar and a mournful harp solo: “Well I drain me one last double / Slide off my barstool to face the rain …. Knowing that I struck out again.” Be Adorable sparkles with Dixieland jazz and advice on love featuring featuring Mike Olmos on trumpet and Lisa Leuschner Andersen’s sweet background vocals: “If you want to be adored be adorable / Just ain’t no shortcuts to love.” Do You Remember? Is a gorgeous, wistful duet with Andersen: “Living today means having to pay / With everything you once held dear.”

Last Trip to Itaipu is a lovely Latin-flavored instrumental dedicated to Bisharat’s late friend Roberto Kant de Lima, who “introduced me to Brazil and its incredibly inspiring music traditions.” Then an upbeat, jazzy tune answers the philosophic question, What’s Wrong with Dying?: “Don’t have to be stupid, don’t throw life away / But what’s the use of staying if you can’t play?” Mista Boins! is a bouncy instrumental featuring the chromatic dueling with roiling organ by Chris Burns.

Bisharat wraps up this impressive album with three songs that serve as its emotional heart – their elegant lyricism defining vital human issues. And it’s all done with engaging musicality.

Rusty Spoon, dedicated to political prisoners worldwide, especially Palestinians, is gripping epic poetry set to music that evokes country gospel, featuring rousing violin by his brother and Grammy winner Charlie Bisharat: “You can chain the body, cage the mind / Breath of freedom the soul will find / Every wall’s just misery spoken / Ain’t no lock can’t be broken.”

Death Rattle of the Republic is an anthemic, bluesy shuffle, a contemporary counterpoint to its inspiration, the Battle Hymn of the Republic, serving up its own political metaphor: “Ain’t no glory here, no truth marching on / Just a death rattle dressed up as a song.” The finale, One Day, pits its gorgeous, gentle melody against its not-so-gentle observations: “Pray to your gods while bombing babies / Never once touched by a sense of shame / One day, you will be judged.”

George Bisharat has a lot to say on his powerful No Shortcuts, and he says it eloquently, with considerable Big Harp courage and style. His majestic chromatic flavors every song; his provocative lyrical content stimulates the imagination. Come for the music, stay for its message!

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Here’s “Death Rattle of the Republic” from the album:

Tracklist:

Come Out Swinging — 4:09
Supplement Life — 3:47
Yes Dear! — 3:41
Sun Drifting — 4:08
Ain’t My Circus — 4:53
I Will Find You — 4:02
Bury My Head — 4:01
Struck Out Again — 7:21
Be Adorable — 3:25
Do You Remember? — 4:26
Last Trip to Itaipu — 3:46
What’s Wrong with Dying? — 4:04
Mista Boins! — 3:31
Rusty Spoon — 5:21
Death Rattle of the Republic — 4:09
One Day — 3:07

Donna Herula — “Cold Feet” — Self Release (Sept. 18)

Donna Herula is — among other things — a Chicago-born blues singer, slide guitarist, songwriter and Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee.

Those “other things” include her award-winning 2021 release, Bang at the Door, which hit No. 1 on the 2021 Acoustic Blues Album Chart and was named Best Acoustic Blues Album by the 2022 Independent Blues Awards, where she was also named Best Traditional Blues Artist. The title song won Best AAA/Alternative Song in the 2022 International Acoustic Music Awards. She leads the acoustic folk-blues Donna Herula Trio and the Donna Herula Band, a six-piece electric blues band.

Herula has taken that success, including her formidable resonator slide guitar talents and her distinctively personal songwriting, and created the eloquent music that overflows into her fourth and latest album, Cold Feet

Herula’s sparkling guitar work throughout highlights eight sharply crafted originals and two stunning covers of classic blues. No matter what the style — Delta, finger-picking, slide — she brings an effortless authenticity to her music.

In the album liner notes, Herula says: “I am particularly proud of how I stretched myself artistically and vocally. I wrote songs in genres beyond acoustic blues, utilizing electric and acoustic styles while blending soul, pop, gospel, folk and Chicago blues influences.”

Herula’s band is Tony Wittrock on guitars, Marc Edelstein on bass, Alton Smith on organ, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums. Special guests include session producer Jon Shain on guitars, Alton Smith on keys, Anne Harris on violin, John Jochem on harmonica, Steve Eisen on sax, Rick Barnes on percussion, and Candy LaFlora, Kary Ream and Rebecca Toon on backup vocals.

Herula’s acoustic virtuosity is on full display with her National Tricone slide work on the elegant instrumental opener, On My Way Home. The jaunty Cold Feet follows, a rocker sparked with electric slide and wedding-day blues: “The organ’s playing ‘Here Comes the Bride’ / I’m backed in a corner, running out of time / I got cold feet … And I’m keeping the ring.” Herula and Tony Wittrock co-wrote the country-flavored Honey Darlin’ Baby Please, with Herula’s standout vocal plea: “Honey darlin’ baby please / Pick up your phone and talk to me I know that I was wrong.”

Herula fires up her resonator and electric slide in a haunting re-creation of Skip James’ Cypress Grove Blues. A road trip with her band inspired the humor of Backseat Driver: “Backseat driver, you’re out of control / Who are you to tell me where I should go.” What You Gonna Do? features soulful sax from Eisen with Herula asking other-woman relationship questions: “I’ll wait and see what happens, you’ll have to decide / Will it be me – will it be her, that’ll be left behind.”

Wish I Could See You Again is a gorgeous acoustic guitar duet with John Shain, featuring Herula’s longing vocal: “Memories are on display / Graduation, wedding day / I’m packing all of them away / Wish I could see you again.” Things Can Change is rich with gospel overtones invoked by Herula’s commanding vocal with LaFlora’s backup, and Jochem’s flowing harp: “Only the Lord knows what will happen child / Things can change.”

Herula says her epic poetry in Float to Heaven is a “John Prine-style storytelling song that I am really proud of.” Her elegant finger-style guitar and Harris’ emotive violin create an impassioned tale of a man unable to shake his lifelong sense of blame for the death of a teenage friend: “So tomorrow I’m gonna take my boat / Down to the river and I’m gonna float / To heaven, I’m going to heaven.”

Herula shows off her deep Chicago blues influences on the rousing closer, the Elmore James/Robert Johnson classic, Dust My Broom, driven by her furious slide and Smith’s propulsive drumming.

There are no musical cold feet in Donna Herula’s sophisticated production of Cold Feet. She steps easily through a stylish blend of songs and genres that kick her eclectic influences into one artistic delight.

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Here’s a live version of “What You Gonna Do?” from the album:

Tracklist:

1.  On My Way Home
2.  Cold Feet
3.  Honey Darlin’ Baby Please
4.  Cypress Grove
5.  Backseat Driver
6.  What You Gonna Do?
7.  Wish I Could See You Again
8.  Things Can Change
9.  Float to Heaven
10. Dust My Broom

Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour — “Watching the Tide” — Provogue

This just a brief post to alert Steve Cropper fans (everyone should be one!) about the posthumous release of his final album, “Watching the Tide,” completed just before his death in December of 2025.

It’s a splendid album, a tribute to his musical skills, his massive influence, and the longevity of his great music.

The band’s name, and of course, the album title both reflect songs written by Cropper and Wilson Pickett — “In the Midnight Hour” and “Dock of the Bay” — both giant hits for Pickett.

Here’s a Wikipedia entry about the recording of “Midnight Hour”:

Wilson Pickett recorded “In the Midnight Hour” at Stax Studios, Memphis, May 12, 1965. The song’s co-writer Steve Cropper recalls: “[Atlantic Records president] Jerry Wexler said he was going to bring down this great singer Wilson Pickett to record at Stax Studio (where Cropper was a session guitarist) and I didn’t know what groups he’d been in or whatever. But I used to work in [a] record shop, and I found some gospel songs that Wilson Pickett had sung on. On a couple [at] the end, he goes: ‘I’ll see my Jesus in the midnight hour! Oh, in the midnight hour. I’ll see my Jesus in the midnight hour.'”, and Cropper got the idea of using the phrase “in the midnight hour” as the basis for an R&B song.^[3] More likely, Cropper was remembering The Falcons’ 1962 song “I Found a Love,” on which Pickett sings lead and says “And sometimes I call in the midnight hour!” The only gospel record Pickett had appeared on before this was the Violinaires’ “Sign of the Judgement,” which includes no such phrase.

But Cropper is remembered for much more. Cropper and his now legendary band, Booker T. and the MG’s, built the foundation of Southern soul as the house band at Stax Records. Cropper was its heart and soul.

Packed with quality songs, superb musicianship and memorable guest appearances, Watching The Tide is a fitting celebration of one of music’s true greats.

Don’t just listen to this exceptional album; find more of Cropper’s legacy and enjoy. It’s American music history — and music — at its finest.

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Here’s a track from the album:

Tracklist:
01 – Tandoori Chicken
02 – Ticket First
03 – My Angels Are Calling
04 – Until Now
05 – Blood From A Stone
06 – Here & Gone
07 – It’s Gonna Get Worse
08 – Down & Out
09 – Stand Right Here
10 – Tip Off To The Rip Off
11 – House Of Cards