Sue Foley sings and Pinky talks on Pinky’s Blues a Wonderful album of new songs and old songs delivered in a new way and always entertaining with sufficient soloing to satisfy my inner guitar geek.
Elly Wininger promises The Blues Never End a great listen for quality acoustic blues from someone who really understands the genre and its many twists and turns and how to transpose that understanding into a modern take on covers and originals.
The Porkroll Project are cooking on Papa Didn’t Raise Me Right a great listen for some quality bluesy rock, rock’n’roll and blues performed impeccably by a band that know each other so well.
Daniels & Miller & Marsh support Denver on What We Did a great listen for some surprising covers executed impeccably by a quality band. Not so much of the blues but still plenty to be enjoyed as those choices were informed by the very special cause the performances were in aid of.
Joanne Shaw Taylor Spinning Blues on The Blues Album a Stupendous album that may be covers, but one that also illustrates how perfect a musician Joanne is and how she continues to grow and brings the blues bang up to date by using her smoky vocals and stunning techniques to brilliant effect.
Five Points Gang have an APB on Wanted a great listen for an album of quality blues with a few other flavours mixed subtly in. It may not be earth-shatteringly new but they feed their influences and write new old songs: that is very difficult to do and they do it very well.
Big Daddy Wilson shares his Hard Time Blues a great listen; varied, skilled instrumentation and vocals with blues aplenty and some soul shining through on a couple of tracks.
Eric Bibb's Letter starts Dear America beautiful musicianship combines with lyrics that are times are difficult. This is a true love letter for 2021 as Eric Bibb delivers tough love with charm.
Joe Louis Walker plays Eclectic Electric a great listen that delivers the promise of the title: it is eclectic and JLW’s mastery of the guitar (with a few stellar guests) provides the beguiling electric side.
Samantha Fish shows her guitar licks on Faster - a Wonderful album of hybridised blues-rock that works and works very well indeed with Samantha’s trademark guitar sound still preserved and her vocals stronger than ever…buy it and listen multiple times to appreciate the many and varied levels this ‘new direction’ reveals; then sit back and enjoy.
