They say what goes round, comes round, and in that respect "Full Circle" is the perfect title for Walter Trout's first bone fide blues album. Of course there is still much to come from the prolific Walter Trout who already boasts an 15 album solo career, and while "Full Circle" is Walter's first studio album for five years (though the whole of the live relentless album was new material), this 13 track outing finds Walter in the company of high profile blues compatriots who have punctuated the last 16 years of his solo career.

And they don't come much higher profile than John Mayall who was Walter's employer for five years. The opening slow blues finds Walter big tone guitar and passionate vocals set alongside John's delicate piano lines and edgy vocal style. "She Takes More Than She Gives" is a classic slow blues and is followed the by the altogether tougher, riff heavy single Jeff Healy collaboration." Working Overtime". It's tempting to draw attention to the many album highlights, but suffice to say that Walter's crowing achievement here is the way he has written or arranged songs to fit in with his chosen guest. Thus the jump blues of "Slap Happy" mirrors the career of Walter's former Canned Heat compatriot Junior Watson, while a passionate reading of Luther Allison's "When Will It Ever Change" is the perfect vehicle for both Walter and Bernard Allison.

Of course much will be made of the closing climactic Trout/Bonamassa "Clouds on The Horizon", but as with his inclusion of his band The Radicals on various tracks, Trout's achievement here is to unravel an on going musical journey that includes blues, rocking, blues, jump blues, r&b, swing and of course lashings of guitar that make Walter Trout one of the most popular cross over artists of the day.

"Keep On Crinting", is an excellent EMI compilation of the legendary Welsh guitar bands finest work. The double cd set comes together with some excellent liner notes, unseen photos and 3 previously un-released tracks (albeit two tracks have seen the light of day on limited edition releases).

It's strange to think that this excellent double CD compilation only covers 4 years from the band's 38 year career (including a touring hiatus of some 8 years).

In fact the '71-75 time-span covers the band's most successful and some would say most creative period. That said, Man's myriad line-up changes made for an ever changing musical canvas
Through an enthusiastic willingness to jam at the drop of a hat, Man made their reputation as Wales's answer to the Grateful Dead. And yet as much of Micky Jones's admirable guitar work here shows, those influences stretched as far as Zappa, Steve Miller and Quicksilver. Fellow guitarist Deke Leonard, Micky's long time sparring partner always pursued a slightly more straight ahead rock & roll focus, though even he shows a penchant for jamming on the excellent "7171 511".

Overall, this collection impresses with the inclusion of the twin guitar riff driven "Spunk Rock", which like the later more psychedelic live take of "C'mon" was recorded at the Roundhouse. Also included is a previously unreleased live version of "The Storm", the band's tip of the hat to Steve Miller, and the surprising abortive attempt at a single "I'm Dreaming" which later transmuted into "Breaking Up Once Again".

The original version of the band's would be hippy anthem "Bananas" is also included as well as the whole of side two of the west coast sounding "Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics" album, plus the Deke /Malcolm Morley collaboration "California Silks & Satins".

The re-mastering is excellent throughout, and unlike previous half hearted attempts this Man compilation offers both coherence and some great musical highlights.

This single album release is not to be confused with the recent best selling 5 CD box set, also on Mystic. "Old Songs" was of course Family's only compilation album, and was originally intended as a filler for the US market in lieu of the band's disastrous US tour that all but ended with the Chappo/Bill Graham microphone incident. Suffice it to say that Family came back home, sacked their manager John Gilbert, and headed to the studio to remix some old album tracks, including "The Weavers Answer" which was to chart at number 11.

The 11 tracks here also demonstrate the full range of Family's dichotomous style of music which could be delicate or heavy by turns.

And yet as this CD clearly shows there was more to the band than Roger Chapman's gloriously manic vibrato and Charlie Whitney's considered guitar playing. Rob Townsend on drums for example thunders away on the caustic opener "Hung up Down", and tops and tails the set with real venom on the rockier section of "Weavers". The whole band swings on "The Cat & The Rat", and both violinist Willy Weider and Charlie Whitney hold sway on the frantic "No Mules Fool". But always there is the inescapable voice of Roger Chapman who stars from the opening red raw "Hung Up Down" and "Drowned in Wine" to the reflective narrative of "Good Friend of Mine" and "Hometown". Family were always more than just a good underground rock band of the time, and even though this compilation was originally a hotchpotch that retailed at £1.49p, there's so much good stuff here, that this premier CD release is an essential purchase.

Hailing from Verona, Italy you could be forgiven for mistaking guitarist Rudy Rotta as an American purveyor of the blues. He is no such thing, but is arguably closer to the source of the music than many American blues players. Rudy is similar in style to one of great heroes Peter Green being the master of understated dynamics and the occasional haunting lick, and on this album he infuses his delicate touch with a recurring rock solid funk groove.

"Winds of Louisiana" is a real slow burner that grows with repeated listens, and is a classic case of if Mohammed won't come to the mountain, then the Mountain sure as hell will seek out Mohammed. In short Rudy's enduring love affair with blues is consummated by this album which was recroded in New Orleans with the city's best musicians, most notably the estimable anglophile John Cleary on keys.

The funky opener "Lookin' Good" and the Al Green/Curtis Mayfield influenced and very soulful "Look Out Your Window" are truly authentic slices of a soulful blues genre that Rotta mines so well. The strength of the playing here lies in its true feel. And on those occasions when the material doesn't quite cut it, there's enough of a groove going down to keep you interested. The most obvious example of this is on the self explanatory "I'm in the Groove", a lovely laid back piece topped by inconsequential lyrics that are languidly punctuated by both keyboard and guitar breaks over some precise "tick tock" percussion. The number is nothing startling, but the feel is very real. On "Your Gone" for example, Rudy's vocals are no more than adequate but the gentle undulating feel to the piece is wonderful. Rudy adds some delicious acoustic lines over a sparse but sympathetic rhythm track courtesy of Nick Daniels on bass and drummer Chad Cromwell.

Unlike so many other contemporary blues albums, the music here expresses every nuance twist and turn through some beautiful interplay and an intuitive band performance - amazing really when you consider Rudy brought everyone together just for this project. Listen to the bottleneck slide and delicate piano runs and sampled Bv's on "Leave Me Alone" and you are hearing deep blues Louisiana style, and given the aims of the album you can't ask for any more than that.

This cracking fun filled live set would probably sit proudly in the top 3 were it not for the fact that the music is over 20 years old and never meant for release. But here it is, and it's a joy. Quite simply this is a superb r&b album played by a bunch of top class players (Chapman always uses the best), who when not hitting the road as The Shortlist were to be found in the UK playing the clubs as Chick Farley and as on this occasion - sometime in Hamburg in a mispronounced venue - complete with vocalist Roger Chapman as the Riffburglars.

And what a line-up it is. The Burglars featured within are Chappo on vocals, Geoff Whitehorn and Steve Simpson on guitar, keyboard player Tim Hinkley, Bozo Burrell on bass, Alan Coulter on drums and Nic Pentelow on sax. And what you get is a trawl through some of the band's favourite r&b and soul classics and anything else that springs to mind.

You can feel the exuberance throughout the set, and you can hear Chappo having a wail of a time, even thought this sometimes means berating the hapless soundman.

Here are clips from Wang Dang Doodle and Strange Brew

There's everything here from Muddy Waters to Johnny Cash and some unlikely diversions into Tex Mex, all brilliantly climaxed with the motif from "The Sound of Music". The playing is superb throughout with Whitehorn and Simpson blazing away. In an age when live albums are anything but what they purport to be, this is a welcome example of a road tested band at the top of their powers having as much fun as the audience. Put simply this is real R&B to die for, played by real musicians in front of a real crowd, with the brilliant Roger Chapman leading the way. Simply great!

"Guitar Groove -A -Rama" is another cameo guitar master class from the former fabulous Thunderbirds/Roomful of Blues guitarist Duke Robbilard

And if the aim of this album is to trace the musical roots of his eclectic oeuvre then surely the achievement lies is in conjuring up his own personality through so many different styles.

For make no mistake Robillard is unique guitar player, and like JJ Cale before him seems completely oblivious to marketing concerns. On top of that he is a guitarist first and a singer a poor third, but being a master of his instrument what his vocals may lack in strength he makes up for with his guitar playing. Guitar fans of all persuasions will surely enjoys the forays into the blues, jazz and little historical cameos.

On the swampy Roy Buchanan sounding "Do the Memphis Grind", Duke takes you on a mind boggling journey of innovation, great playing and moments of true inspiration.

For example, there's an unusual jazzy interpretation of "Danny Boy" and Duke's delicate touch on three different guitars brings to life the old Temptations number 'Sewn Up'. He further excels himself on the thinly disguised 'No Way Out' - a slightly Latinesque version of Elmore James 'One Way Out'. The number is full of lovely tone colourations and guitar/cornet double lines, with the big guitar tone reminiscent of Albert Collins, but always Robillard at heart.

And so it gloriously continues on the startling "This Dream" which is a superb exploratory slice of mellow jazz that opens into a startling psychedelic end-piece that would not have disgraced the Grateful Dead. Further influences abound throughout a hugely enjoyable album that climaxes in the 16 minute party trick of working his way through the ten most influential blues guitarist from Muddy Waters through to Buddy Guy/Albert Collins. Perhaps most significantly the piece is top and tailed by Duke as himself. For Robillard is a master guitarist of many hues and colours, but ultimately as this album gloriously confirms, a magnificent guitarist in his own right.

Bob Brozman is a perplexing talent who obviously spends months of his life scouring the globe for the most esoteric and hugely enjoyable sounds that can be wrung from all manner of guitars. Unfortunately his beautiful obsession doesn't extend to his vocals which tend to obscure some of the most original blues/World music cross over on offer.

Much of the music here can roughly be described as acoustically driven blues but for every deep blues number such as the Mississippi style of "Death Comes Creeping", there are at least a brace of other efforts that puzzle, confound and enchant by turns.

I've not had the pleasure of catching a Bob Brozman show for quite some time, but his sense of mischief, and good humour and even irony are never far from the surface. "Rattlesnake Blues" for example, draws him into a bewildering number of directions, involving sudden tempo changes, unexpected stops and starts and fragmented rhythm sequences over self-accompanying percussion played mostly on guitar.
The Charlie Patton influenced 'Poor Me', is the kind of uncompromising track that will sort out the down-home blues fans from the rest. Though Bob's growling baritone vocals, generate a real sense of pathos and wonder by turns, like Loudon Wainwright before him he will struggle to go beyond a minority appeal.

On "Vieux Kanyar Blues" Bob uses Hawaiian guitars to formulate an Eastern sounding blues, and adds a curious but luscious lap style guitar on the Robert Johnson favoured "Little Tough Guy Blues". "Blues Reflex" suggests Bob is never going to be a contented traditional blues guitar player with little more than raking old themes to occupy his mind. Rather his music is the idiosyncratic triumph of spontaneity and creative restlessness as evidenced in the closing brace of instrumentals 'More Room At The Edge' - a delightful melange of percussion and guitar - and 'Workman's Song' . If it has to be said some of this album is hard going then so be it as there is so much to delight and unveil that.

While there is nothing actually new on this album - the whole set having been already issued complete with the same explanatory intersong introductions as part of the "Korgis Kollection" DVD - this "Unplugged" single cd is a timely reminder of the reappearance of the Korgis and Stackridge on the recording scene and the live circuit.

The core of the project as ever evolves around Andy Davis and James Warren who deliver 14 cut glass melodies with myriad twists and turns and the occasional sublime hook.

The most curious aspect of their superb music is that the writing/singing partnership was all but hidden away under the humorous and downright wacky countenance of Stackridge. And yet after the latter reformed a few years ago they quickly gave a clue as to some of their wonderful song writing cannon. And with a little not insubstantial help from the third member of the trio John Baker, the Korgis have come up with a superb set of undiluted sings.

The unplugged setting suits the material and helps focus squarely on the songs and poignant lyrics. The stripped down versions of for example, the million selling "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" and "Dumb Waiters" are an interesting take on the previously recorded efforts, while the excellent 3 part harmonies come to the fore in the biting irony of "Young 'n' Russian" .

Clealry there will always be room at the inn for great song writers and given the impressive unplugged songs and fine performances here, the Korgis or Stackridge or whatever they wish to call themselves in the future, still have much to offer.

This South East London funky blues outfit have been paying their dues by opening for a number of high profile tour bands such as Carvin Jones and Sherman Robertson to name but two, and on the evidence of this 4 track debut they have quickly learnt their trade.

The Matt Bullard in question is a young fiery funky blues guitarist who also posses a soulful voice, and writes a significant amount of the band's material. That said, the strongest song on the album, the lyrically biting "Throw Em To the Lions" is a co write with bass player Roger Wagner, who adds a strong vocal performance. Significantly perhaps "Lions" is the band's show stopping number in their live set, and is also the number on which the whole band sound happiest and most confident. Matt teases out a delicate inter verse solo before delivering a blistering slide solo.

Almost by contrast the opening laid back blues of "Liar 5 Times" is an all too rare example of an understated blues song. While Matt offers some tough vocal lines and the band slip dutifully into a rock solid groove he doesn't deliver the kind of authoritative guitar break that would spark the number into overdrive. That said this is a song that will doubtlessly become a live staple over time.

In fact the booming outro that is so missing in the above is to be in the following funky "Baby's A Player". The band is tight, confident and buoyed by an excellent rhythm section of drummer Fred Cresswell and bass player Roger Wagner. As a consequence Matt has the confidence to solo twice over Dave Harris rhythm guitar. And if the Freddie King influenced cover of Don Nix's "Going Down' doesn't really offer anything new, it offers a big clue as to the band's influences.

Given that this is Matt Bullard and TTB's official 4 track EP/CD debut offering, it suggests that given more studio experience the band will have much more to offer.

Mitch Woods is a San Francisco based pianist and purveyor of west coast swing, jump blues and of course big band boogie woogie.

"Big Easy Boogie" is an ambitious project in which he has cut an album and DVD to trace the musical roots of the above and sits in with the original players that put New Orleans on the blues map.

As Mitch dutifully explains the musical history on the DVD, the original players such as drummer Earl Palmer, trumpeter Herb Hardesty and producer Dave Bartholomew - doubling on trumpet - who were the core elements of both Fats Domino's band and New Orleans sound, do their thing under Bartholomew's guidance. Mitch incorporates the guests into his big band at the 2002 New Orleans Jazz festival for the DVD shoot and brings to life the Louisiana musical heritage, the de facto link between Jazz, Cajun and the nascent R&B, Blues and Boogie.

But excellent and versatile boogie pianist that he is, (and despite his knowledge and love of Professor Longhair/ and the New Orleans tradition) this confident band leader has a thin vocal style that stops this laudable project from being a truly memorable affair.

On the piano led, horn accentuated "Counting the Days" for example, the mid range vocals mean the song can't stretch any sense of a dynamic. This is the exact opposite to the more successful boogie outing "Crescent City Flyer", which demonstrates Mitch's considerable keyboard skills and is all pumping horns, and a tight rhythm section. The successful mix is repeated on 'Short Sweet & Tender' which is a tip of the hat to the roots of rock & roll.

Here's a track from the DVD: Mojo Mambo (the track is also on the CD).

Mitch shows his own New Orleans inspired musical roots on "I Left My Baby at the Mardi Gras Cryin" and the album closes with a very clever historical rap "The Ballad of Dr Daddy O". All good fun then, but played with as sense of occasion, style and reverence, no mean feat when you are ripping it up goodtime boogie style!