Brian Setzer's Don't Mess With A Big Band, CD Review - by J. Blake

(New York, NY)

Brian Setzer has never been considered a “blues guitarist”, but as one of the most respected and revered players to ever pickup the instrument, he has always attacked the guitar with the passion and intensity of a bluesman and the virtuosity of a jazz player. His skill is arguably unparalleled in the world of “rock music” and he has done for both rockabilly and big band jazz, what the British players did for the blues in the 1960s.

His latest live release, The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s, aptly titled, DON’T MESS WITH A BIG BAND (2CD set) highlights many of the guitar-slinger’s biggest career hits and, as usual, some astounding musicianship. Disc 1 pulls almost entirely from his big band catalogue; with the exception of fun versions of the “Batman Theme” (for the 1960s ABC television series) and Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues”. Definite highlights here include the always breathtaking “Sleepwalk” (from 1998’s THE DIRTY BOOGIE) and Setzer’s unconventional take on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee”; a guitar tour de force titled “Honey Man” from 2007’s WOLFGANG’S BIG NIGHT OUT.

Disc 2 finds Setzer looking back to his days with The Stray Cats, as he tackles the bulk of their biggest hits with more recent big band swing arrangements. Crowd pleasers like “Stray Cat Strut”, “Rumble in Brighton” and “Rock This Town” sound huge here, recorded live with the 18-piece orchestra. The disc closes with Setzer and company blowing the roof off of the joint with a booming big band encore of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “The House Is Rockin’”.

DON’T MESS WITH A BIG BAND is a sizzling live of album from one of America’s greatest guitar heroes. Its only real noticeable flaw is that it doesn’t quite live up to the precedent set by The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 2004 live effort, THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION.

It may not be “blues”, but with 19 tracks of pedal to the metal, “no-holds-barred” rockabilly/swing…is it really that far off?


If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy: Jimmy Vaughan Live in NYC

Thanks and keep reading American Blues News and also check out Media Wah Wah for more of this writer’s thoughts and opinions about Movies, Music, TV & More.

NYC blues fans, make sure you check out Al Green live at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill on September 2nd and Jerry Lee Lewis on the 13th!!!

Copyright © 2010 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved

"Mississippi" Fred McDowell's Come And Found You Gone, CD Review - by J. Blake

(New York, NY)

Devil Down Records boldly throws their hat into the distribution ring with a great debut release; a previously unheard collection of “Mississippi” Fred McDowell recordings titled COME AND FOUND GONE: THE BILL FERRIS RECORDINGS.

Taken from the official press release:

“This release, the first from Devil Down Records, provides never before heard recordings of McDowell, and also include his wife Annie Mae, friend Napoleon Strickland (a legendary blues harmonica and fife player in his own right), and another unidentified musician. These recordings are different from any other of Fred McDowell due to their very nature: rather than conducted with the production of a record in mind, the recordings were made casually over the course of a night. McDowell is here heard at his best, relaxed and energetic, performing many of his most famous songs as well as songs never before heard. With the his foot tapping on the hardwood floor and laughter in the background, COME AND FOUND GONE brings the listener into that host night in August, 1967, immersing them in the world of the blues house party, and guiding them through the night as it unfolded.”

Given the circumstances of the recording, the sound quality is surprisingly good. Aside from the occasional bit of mic noise, one would never guess that these intimate performances were never intended for official release. McDowell and company are in fine form, serving up a collection of fantastic acoustic blues; with a raw and often fun energy that simply will never be duplicated. These are fascinating recordings that beautifully capture a moment in time.

In addition to 16 musical performances listeners are treated to an entertaining bit of banter between the musicians and a worthwhile audio interview with Dr. William Ferris; the world renowned blues scholar that is responsible for these recordings. The CD also features gorgeous packaging, wonderful photographs and informative liner notes from Dr. Ferris, Luther Dickinson (of the North Mississippi Allstars) and distinguished French blues scholar Vincent Joos.

This is a great first effort from Devil Down Records. If they put this kind of effort into their future releases, blues fans will have a lot to look forward to.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy: Geoff Muldaur's TEXAS SHEIKS

Thanks and keep reading American Blues News and also check out Media Wah Wah for more of this writer’s thoughts and opinions about Movies, Music, TV & More.

NYC blues fans, make sure you check out Al Green live at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill on September 2nd!!!

Copyright © 2010 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved

Derek Truck's Roadsongs, CD Review - by J. Blake

(New York, NY)

I recently observed an interesting thing while attending Fathom Event’s “one-night-only” screening of Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival. Of all the magnificent talented featured in the “film”, the only one to elicit applause was Derek Trucks (and his band). Watching a concert in a movie theater is an odd experience. It is like being there, but at the same time it is far from it. On July 27th, 2010 an NYC audience sat quietly, watching a 2hour+ HD presentation that included a whole lot of blues and even more guitar. Proper movie theater etiquette was being observed until the Derek Trucks-Susan Tedeschi Band took the stage (with guests that included Warren Haynes). It was only then that the audience, collectively, forgot where they were and lost themselves in the music. It was actually an amazing thing to witness and I’m pleased to say that The Derek Trucks Band’s latest CD captures at least some of that magic and energy.

ROADSONGS marks The Derek Trucks Band’s first live album since 2004’s LIVE AT GEORGIE THEATRE and is by far, Trucks’ most sonically satisfying live recording to date. The slide-guitar virtuoso and his group of talented collaborators are in fine form here, delivering 14 tracks (on 2 discs) that span the entirety of his career; with a definite bias toward 2009’s Grammy-winning ALREADY FREE.

Recorded over two nights at Chicago’s Park West, ROADSONGS exhibits the band’s proclivity for brilliant dynamics and their amazing ability to straddle the line between complete control and raw, spontaneous live energy; things that are never more present than on the album’s 14 and a half minute version of "Afro Blue" and its 13 minute (blues turned funk) medley of "Get Out My Life Woman/Who Knows”. Other highlights include the blues standard “Key to the Highway”, covers of Bob Dylan’s "Down in the Flood", Bob Marley’s "Rastaman Chant" and Eric Clapton’s "Anyday" as well bluesy DTB originals "Get What You Deserve" and "Don’t Miss Me".

Derek Trucks continues to shine as a compelling live performer and as a (somewhat) recently crowned “Guitar God”. His specific way of melding blues, jazz, rock and soul creates a sound that is uniquely his and ROADSONGS captures it and his (and his band’s) talent beautifully. This particular lineup of the band may be currently on hiatus as Trucks tours North America with his wife Susan Tedeschi, but this latest live release gives us something exciting to cherish until the DTB is touring again.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy: ALREADY FREE CD Review

Thanks and keep reading American Blues News and also check out Media Wah Wah for more of this writer’s thoughts and opinions about Movies, Music, TV & More.

NYC blues fans, make sure you check out Al Green live at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill on September 2nd!!!

Copyright © 2010 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved

Lance Lopez by Nelson Onofre

What's up my fellow Blues fans! This week I am featuring photos of fiery bluesman Lance Lopez from Dallas, Texas. These photos are from a show at the BB King Blues Club in New York back in June of this year. Also on the bill for this show was Larry McCray and I'll post those photos at a later date. Lance was joined by special guests Baron Raymonde on sax, Paul Caruso on harp and 11 year old bassist Kaitlin. On drums was Tony Beard and on bass was Billy Cristiani. I've had the pleasure of seeing Lance a few times now and he always delivers the goods. If you read the bio on his website you'll see that Lance has been a busy man and has become a seasoned performer in the process.

Look at his MySpace page to see what some well known and respected guitarists have had to say about Lance. He's still a young man and I'd have to say the future looks quite bright for Lance. Give a listen to his latest CD, Salvation from Sundown, and check him out when he hits your neck of the woods. If you like powerhouse electric blues then Lance is right up your alley. Tell him Nelson sent you. : )

Thanks again to Laura Becker of Big Machine Media for the guest list/photo pass credentials at BB King's.

Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
my websites: http://www.electriceyes.us/
http://electriceyesphotography.blogspot.com/

all photos: Nelson G. Onofre © 2010 Copyright
All Rights Reserved
click on images for a larger view

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez with 11 year old guest bassist Kaitlin
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez with 11 year old guest bassist Kaitlin
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez with 11 year old guest bassist Kaitlin
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez with guest Paul Caruso on harp
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez w/Baron Raymonde and Larry McCray
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez with Baron Raymonde
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

Lance Lopez
BB King Blues Club, NY, June 2010
http://lance-lopez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lancelopez

you might also like Robin Trower here
come back often and bring your fellow Blues lovers

Bettye LaVette's Interpretations, CD Review - by J. Blake

(New York, NY)

When I first heard that Detroit soul-singer Bettye LaVette was putting out an album of British rock covers, I was a little skeptical. LaVette’s voice has never been one of my favorites and in recent years it has taken on an even more raspy quality that is just not my cup of tea. The thought of her belting out songs from Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd seemed like a horrible idea to me, but as the album quickly climbed to number one on the Billboard Blues Charts upon its release, I have to admit I got a little curious.

I managed to get my hands on a copy of LaVette’s INTERPRETATIONS: THE BRITISH ROCK SONGBOOK over a month ago and I wish I could say that I fell in love with it the minute I slipped it into my player, but if that were the case you would’ve read a review of it weeks ago. The truth is I wasn’t thrilled with it upon my first listen. I was willing to give her credit for rearranging an amazing collection of British rock standards and making them her own, but it wasn’t a vibe I was feeling at the time and seeing how it was not really a “blues album”, I didn’t really feel that it was worth shining the American Blues News spotlight on; especially in a negative way.

With that said it has now had time to settle and I’ve gone back and given it a few more listens; not because I felt I should, but because I wanted to. So I’m here to confess that INTERPRETATIONS: THE BRITISH ROCK SONGBOOK has grown on me. It is still not a blues album, why it is on the blues charts I’m not sure, but it is often an emotionally moving meditation on the words and melodies of some of the finest songwriters of the 2nd half of the 20th century.

At age 64, LaVette brings a soulful feminine maturity to tracks like “Isn’t It A Pity” (Harrison), “Wish You Were Here” (Gilmour/Waters), “Maybe I’m Amazed” (McCartney), “Salt Of The Earth” (Jagger/Richards), “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” (John/Taupin) and “Love Reign O’Er Me (Townshend); giving a new emotional weight to material that was originally written by British white guys in their 20s.

On the other end of the spectrum, slightly more upbeat material like “The Word” (Lennon/McCartney) and “Why Does Love Got To Be Sad?” (Clapton/Whitlock) get the funk treatment as “All Of My Love” (Jones/Plant”) takes on a more traditional Detroit soul attitude. But perhaps the biggest surprise is that the album’s highlight comes in the form of a Ringo Starr composition! “It Don’t Come Easy” is redefined with a slow and bluesy slide-driven groove that leaves you longing for more.

With LaVette’s aptly titled exploration into the British rock songbook, the key word really is “interpretation”. Even though every new arrangement may not be a gem, the fact that she successfully managed to make such well-defined material truly her own, is more than commendable. It may prove to be an acquired taste, but with a little time and patience, I believe that most music fans will find INTERPRETATIONS: THE BRITISH ROCK SONGBOOK to be a rewarding listening experience.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy: Beck & Clapton Rock NYC!!!

Thanks and keep reading American Blues News and also check out Media Wah Wah for more of this writer’s thoughts and opinions about Movies, Music, TV & More.

NYC blues fans, make sure you check out Jack Bruce & Joey Molland live at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill on August 10th and John Mayall on the 13th!!!

Copyright © 2010 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved

Tommy Emmanuel by Nelson Onofre

What's up my fellow Blues fans! This week I am going to feature an artist that is not exactly a Blues player but is an extraordinary talent nonetheless. That man is Tommy Emmanuel. Just like I recently got hip to Tommy maybe there are some of you out there that are not familiar with Tommy's work. Hopefully my images will inspire you to check out some of his music. Some of the people I know from BB King's told me how good Tommy was and that I should check him out when he played BB's. I took their advice and I'm glad I did. Tommy blew me away with his amazing skills on the acoustic guitar.

I'm used to seeing multiple amps, speaker cabinets and drums on BB's stage but there was none of that for Tommy's show. He came out with an acoustic guitar that showed signs of heavy use and he proceeded to play the heck out of it. After a few minutes it was clear that he did not need any other instrumentation onstage with him. Not only is Tommy a great musician he is also a veteran performer that interacts beautifully with the audience. This was a fun show.

In between taking my photos I found myself just sitting there and marveling at his great skill on the acoustic guitar. Towards the end of the show he brought out a few other acoustic players and played duets with them and that was also very entertaining. I wish I had gotten their names but I didn't. Needless to say they were all very good. I highly recommend to everyone to go and see this great talent when he's in your town. He'll do things on the acoustic that will amaze you.

Thanks again to Laura Becker of Big Machine Media for the guest list/photo pass credentials at BB King's.

Nelson G. Onofre
e-mail: nelson@electriceyes.us
my websites: http://www.electriceyes.us/
http://electriceyesphotography.blogspot.com/

all photos: Nelson G. Onofre © 2010 Copyright
All Rights Reserved
click on images for a larger view

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

Tommy Emmanuel
BB King Blues Club, NY, July 2010
http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

you might also like Eric Bibb here
come back often and bring your fellow Blues lovers