THE MELT

Strange to call this a slow burner as it hits you right between the eyes, but after three months, I keep coming back to it, and now Rock Blues fans have the chance to catch the band at the Boom Boom Club on Sunday the 16th of November. A rare case of the live band being even better than their hugely impressive debut album.

Every now and then a band pops up and sweeps the board like a breath of fresh air. Working in the rock blues idiom The Melt offer much much more. It’s not just the energy, the crucial guitar riffs, the heavy duty blues harp, or even the powerful rhythm section. No, the reason The Melt impress aside from a very contemporary approach to their rocking blues, is both the originality of their songs and above all that little thing called enthusiasm.

Imagine the drive of the early Hoax, the raw gut power of Johnny Lang, the riffs of Kenny Wayne Sheppard, the passion of Walter Trout, and you are getting close to the sheer frisson of this young band.

The Melt hail from Skegness, take no prisoners and will shortly be hitting London, don’t miss them!

TheMelt.co.uk

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers & Friends

It's when you realise that Mayall is the junior partner (at 70 years of age) to the veteran trombonist Chris Barber, and that the likes of Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor are now middle aged "juniors", that you realise British Blues has at last matured!
This double album throws up few surprises, in either the material or the players, but if nothing else demonstrates the resilience, and sheer drive of the greatest white catalyst of the blues to ever come out of Britain.

JohnMayall.com

WALTER TROUT BAND

Some interesting things on the DVD, including an interview with both Walter and Marie Trout, but the CD remains the essential document of a great live set with all new material.

A third month running in the play list, Please see below for previous comments, but let it be noted that after listening to over 40 albums in the last few weeks, “Relentless” is way ahead of the field. Here is a great guitarist with songs to match, all performed live as a world premier without a safety net in sight.

Top of the pile for three months running with two different albums, Walter Trout's music is something very special. Where "Life In The Jungle" was a timely reminder of where it all started for Walter in terms of a solo career, "Relentless" is as close as you are going to get to the mature musician and song-writer. That said, "Relentless" is as exciting an album as Walter has ever produced.
The title relates to life on the road, rather than Walter's burgeoning guitar solos, and the album proves beyond doubt that he writes songs as good as he plays his guitar.

The autobiographical "The Life I Chose", and the quite superb "Jericho Road" set the standard, that is surpassed further still on the gospel feel of "Cry If You Want To", poignant rocker "Chatroom Girl" and the guitar led "Helpin' Hand"

Recorded over two nights in front of admiring Dutch crowd, Walter took a big chance, by premiering a whole album of new material at a live gig. Happily "Relentless" is an absolute triumph and sets Walter ahead of any contemporaries I can think of. This is quality of the relentless kind!

WalterTroutBand.com

Ian Parker

The essential Ian Parker who after a couple of false starts, or promising beginnings, fulfills his potential - albeit in a slightly introspective way. "Inside" is full of deep emotional songs of which "Misfits & Fools" is an impressive funky older song, while "The Love I Have" is a metaphor for an artist with plenty to say.

Listen to parts of Misfits & Fools and The Love I Have - there are clips from all the tracks on Ian's website and in higher download quality.

IanParkerBand.com

Robert Randolph

Together with brother Marcus and John Ginty on hammond, pedal steel player and spontaneous guitarist Randolph takes over where the Dead and The Allmans left off, as he jamms the night away in front of a suitably excited crowd. A new left field guitar hero for the age.

RobertRandolph.net

Otis Grand

First up is a double compilation of the best of the gentle Giant of the blues as he traces his history from the swing band era of "Always Hot" to the guitar led "Grand Union". The live set on Mystic is rawer but is a true document of a great live act, and real champion of the blues.

OtisGrand.com

Robben Ford

Continuing his penchant for a jazzy hue, Roben impresses as ever with some studied licks, some understated class, in the company of his regular band, plus guests of the calibre of Vinnie Coluita and Jimmy Earl.
This will impress the fans but won't unfortunately cross over.

RobbenFord.com

Craig Erickson & The Voodoo Brothers

Absolutely stunning. Here is a rare phenomenon of a stupendous guitarist teaming up with a great vocalist with both delivering some superb material with panache and excitement.

Firstly the playing is incredible, Craig rocks out, adds funk, beautifully uses the wah wah to its maximum potential and leaves you in no doubt as to his credentials as an intuitive player

Rob Lomothe comes across as a bluesier version of former Erickson cohort, Glen Hughes. Overall this has to be one of the finds of the year. If you only listen to the playing on “Ride”, it’s a track that encapsulates one of Erickson’s and his label Provogue’s best ever releases.

Craig-Erickson.com

John Lee Hooker

A kind of posthumous album, that was in part completed before his death, "Face To Face" was in fact completed with the production help of Hooker's daughter Zakiya.

Essentially a trawl through his back pages with friends such as Canned Heat, George Thorogood, Johnny Winter , Robert Cray and Van Morrison, this album breaks no new ground, but still send shivers down the spine as the octogenarian works "Dimples" and "Boogie Chillen", one last time.

VirginRecords.com/Hooker

Colosseum

So what are we to make of the pioneers of 70's Jazz Rock super stars Colosseum 30 years on? Well, "Tomorrow's Blues" is an apt title as blues holds centre stage with Chris Farlowe giving vent to his enduring vocal prowess, and guitarist Clem Clempson playing some lines as delicate as porcelain.
In between that there's some jazzy workouts such as Dave Greenslade's "Arena In The Sun", and the recently hospitalised Dick-Heckstall Smith shines on "Come Right Back".
A polished effort for long time fans.

Temple-Music.com