MARCH 2005 PLAY LIST

1) Joe Bonamassa "A New Day Yesterday" Provogue Records
JBonamassa.com

Joe Bonamassa has been touted as the next big thing in the Rock Blues World, and on the evidence of this he has every chance to fulfil those glowing predictions. Joe is heavily into the British 60’s Rock Blues explosion (from Cream, to Tull - hence the album title track) but quickly makes a fine statement of his own intentions on the expansive ''Miss You, Hate You', and the tough funk rocking of 'Colour & Shape'

This album is already 4 years old, being recorded in December 2001 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. And on the evidence of this live set, it will surely not be too long before Joe shifts from Mid West America to major headline slots via sell out Euro tours.

He effortlessly teases out an awesome tone on the 'Jam Intro' track and adds big stadium dynamics on 'Walk In My Shadows'. Only his slightly nasal vocal style holds him back from having it all.

On 'New Day Yesterday', Joe shows he can both burn out as on 'Cradle Rock' and wring out every last drop of blues as he does on 'If Heartaches Were Nickels'. By the time of the closing salvo on 'Don’t Burn That Bridge' there’s an undeniable swagger born of concluding a 60 days tour, which will surely be the first of many more.

Here are some audio clips from A New Day Yesterday Live :	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Miss You, Hate You
Walk In My Shadows
If Heartaches Were Nickels

 

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2) Rocky Athas "Voodoo Moon" Armadillo Records
RockyAthas.com

Rocky Athas has been around for about 20 years now, and while his career has stopped and started , his playing has matured like a fine wine.

Together with superb vocalist Larry Samford, Rocky delivers a wide ranging set of superb contemporary moon of which the title track is hugely impressive meaty shuffle, to match the steely licks of “Muddy Water Blues.”

This is an album best described as well crafted, full of restraint, dynamics, polished songs and above all the understated power of Rocky’s Texas shuffles, hard hitting blues – a player with enough variety in his salvo to rescue a ordinary tune such as “Aint No Doubt “ with a stunning solo.

Voted into the Top Ten Texas Guitar players poll, Rocky is about to tour the UK in an effort to get this album played by the more discerning music outlets. Once you’ve heard this album, you will probably wish to both purchase another copy and go and catch the band at Beards in Tooting!

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3) Robin Trower "Living Out Of Time" Manhaton Records
TrowerPower.com

It’s been a long time with several false dawns along the way including cancelled tours and a blues album on which Robin misguidedly sang.

Armed with a new batch of songs and confident Scots vocalist Davey Pattison, Robin breaks new ground stylistically. Sure there’s still the heavy presence of his big toned guitar but clearly there’s been a refinement and refocus of his material.

“Step into The Sun" for example is a solid enough rocker that cleverly employs an Eastern sounding (Kula Shaker) style guitar line., while “Another Time, Another Place” is an impressive slow burning bluesy outing on which vocalist Pattison dredges up the ghost of James Dewar and Trower adds a sumptuous solo. The following “Sweet Angel” comes close to Trower’s early career post Hendrix style, but it’s the ballad “Ain’t Gonna Wait” that impresses, as Robin’s song-writing takes on a new dimension. Similarly the closing bluesy ballad “I Want ToTake You With Me” is another fine example of a mature blues rocker, teasing out some real feel in both his playing and in his lyrical content. The extended guitar led outro is all that long time Trower fans could have asked for.

It’s been a long time but I’m pleased to report the wait has been worthwhile.

Here are some audio clips from Living Out Of Time:	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Another Time, Another Place
Ain't Gonna Wait
I Want To Take You With Me

 

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4) Leslie West "Got Blooze " Provogue Records Mascot-Provogue.com This album should have been titled ‘Sledgehammer Blues”, or perhaps as Leslie puts is “blooze”. For the Meister of power riffs and America’s late 60’s answer to Cream continues to deliver some big toned notes and adds new stylistic departure with some mesmerising up front slide guitar Leslie is all bluster and controlled power on guitar and tough vocals, along side the busy rhythm section of exiled British blues veteran drummer Aynsley Dunbar and Vanilla Fudge bass man Tom Bogert. There’s little continuity or originality in the choice of material but he does spring the occasional surprise such as Free’s “Walk In My Shadow”, and the closing solo interpretation of “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Baby Please Don’t Go” is a raucous opener, underpinned by a thunderous rhythm track over which he adds impressive slide and big notes. Things get unimaginably heavier on “Third Degree”, but there’s a sense of dynamics on “I Can’t Quit You”, and on the curious acoustic opening and coda on “House of the Rising Sun”. It’s a nice touch, even if it does rob the song of its original climactic outro and fade. There’s also real feel in West’s playing on “The Sky is Crying” and a similar sense of refined production, breathing space – gasp, even blues feel - on the echo reverb friendly “The Thrill is Gone”. Les adds a snarly growl throughout, plays some of his best guitar lines to the max and this is arguably his best effort years. Here are some audio clips from Got Blooze : Broadband (CD quality) Dial-Up (AM radio) Third Degree I Can't Quit You The Thrill Is Gone

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5). Topeka "Land Rush" Lopie Records
lopie.com/topeka.htm

In between the big guns of this months play list Fletcher Harrington holds his own with some quite compelling sings, and a real presence that song writers take years to nail down.

Topeka are all about the angular alt.Americana roots music of one Fletcher Harrington, the wonderful voice of Tanya Livingstone, and the multi instrumental talent of Brit Collins.

And if you can overcome the slightly nasal timbre of Harrington’s voice (often cleverly mixed into double vocal lines with Tanya), you will discover a wealth of impressionistic lyrics, musical textures and moods. Fletcher’s lyrics reflect a dark brooding psyche, the kind that was once explored by the likes of Loudon Wainwright, and might in contemporary times be almost best suited to a David Lynch style movie.

The songs themselves slip from a straight ahead folky feel as evidenced on the opening cut “Another Brilliant Day” and the very catchy Cymbaline, but in between there’s some of the most inventive, well crafted, delicate songs that its been my pleasure to hear for years. From the dense metaphors of “Sliding Scale” to the closing aching love songs “Ten Steps” there’s unrelenting craftsmanship at work. On top of that there’s also a clever inner structure at play with careful positioning of tracks based on tempo, feel, and pace.

The magnificent single “Winter 808” for example - complete with imposing repeated bass lines, percussion and echo reverb - hits a wonderful groove, and uses a late chord change to create a telling dynamic. The number is nicely juxtaposed by the edgy “Writing on The Wall”, and the sonorous “Like the Road That Rolls On by”. On the latter the accompanying restated chiming guitar riff, and beautifully muted trumpet manages to mirror the lyrical subject matter brilliantly.
Above all Fletcher is no ordinary song writer. His songs are undoubtedly based on a mix of personal experience, literary nuances, and personal melancholy that only he can really know about.
If you wonder for example exactly what he’s on, to come up with dense imagery of “Winter 808”, then he offers a teasing closing couplet to give you a part answer,

“Light a pipe, and cool your eyes,
Think like a panther on the prowl,
Drink another shot of Jim Beam
And drive a nail into your cross”.

Finally, a word about the band: If Fletcher with his delicate early Neil Young style vocals is the driving force, the band as I said at the outset is a very organic proposition with Tanya Livingstone adding haunting voice, and Brit Collins contributing intuitive guitar and keyboard parts.

Quite simply Topeka has produced a miniature classic. It could even be a macro monster but given Harrington’s weird take on things, he’s probably happiest with a micro success!

Here are some clips from Land Rush:	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Another Brilliant Day
Winter 808
Like The Road That Rolls On By

6) Bruce Katz Band "A Deeper Blue" Severn Records
BruceKatzBand.com

The organ/piano playing Bruce Katz has a fine pedigree including stints with Ronnie Earl (who appears on 2 tracks here), Barrence Whitfield, Johnny Adams and Bo Diddley to name a few, so it comes as no surprise that this album is a mature slice of smokin jazzy blues.

"Greasy Sticks" is an expected but superbly played shuffle while band guitarist Michael Williams adds guitar on the piano led, atmospheric deep blues, of the suitably titled “The Dark Room”” - a number that allows Bruce to impress on some delicately toned piano clusters, while Michael weaves in and out with some suitably delicate guitar lines.

Ronnie Earl pops up with a trebly tone on the guitar led shuffle “Yeah Maybe”, and somehow adds a tougher and more edgy tone to his mid number solo, while the bands swings effortlessly behind him. Ronnie returns for a tougher outing on the harder edged and hugely impressive “Blues In D Natural”

There’s cool jazz, with a lovely B3 outing over a walking bass and fine guitar parts on “Poptop”, a rare New Orleans feel on “The Stroll”, some goodtime boogie on the “Stovepipe Boogie” and a late night bluesy atmosphere on “Slinky”.

Whichever way you look there is great playing, a measured sense of dynamics, and tone colour in abundance. In short nothing less than you would expect from muso’s with such pedigree, the trick as Bruce effortlessly demonstrates is in keeping it all interesting!

Here are some clips from A Deeper Blue :	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
The Dark Room
Blues In D Natural
The Stroll

Over a decade’s worth of the very best of Walter Trout, chosen by the man himself…

The passing of time was never better illustrated than on the last Walter Trout tour, when the powerhouse guitarist turned to his huge London audience and thanked them for the last 14 years. And it will shortly be 15 years since Walter made his name in Europe in his own right.

For newer Euro Trout fans - and they grow by the day - .this album marks a timely pit stop in the ascendancy of one of the best blues rockers in the world. And while "Deep Trout" cannot draw any tracks from Walter's one album deal that led to very underrated "Tellin Stories", this collection (which mainly draws on the bulk of his "Provogue Years" is good enough.

Opening with a characteristic brusque blues rocker "Put It Right Back On You", the album takes in Walter multi faceted persona as the blazing guitarist, the reflective balladeer, the cutting edge blues man, even Trout the Latino rocker plus there is one off his earliest efforts as a 21 year old, which nicely follows his role a classy sideman for multi-instrumentalist chum Freebo.

Longer time fans will once again thrill to the Santana style grooves, and the poignant Jimmy Trap lyrics of "Sweet As A Flower", while the New Orleans groove of "Victor The Cajun" recalls one of many career highlights.

It's good to hear the now seldom heard, but one time stage favourite "Motivation of Love" and the Marie Trout/band effort that made "Fast Movin'Traffic" (both from "Transition") one of the stand out tracks on the original album.

Trout fans will have their own choices, but quite simply there is so much good stuff here, they will doubtless return to this timely compilation again and again.

Here are some clips from Deep Trout :	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
If You Just Try
Victor The Cajun

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