Album & Single Reviews Archives - Page 2 of 51

Review: Ben Poole Trio /// Live ’19

By Tom O’Connor

Start your new year with a blast of new generation blues/rock power with the January 31^st release of Ben Poole Trio Live ’19. In the classic tradition of “double live” albums, this 2-CD collection of live tracks, recorded over three nights, includes highlights from previous studio albums and does double duty as both a gift to ardent fans already in-the-know and an introduction to the uninitiated.

While still young and on the rise, singer/guitarist Ben Poole has been climbing the competitive [Read More]

By Martine Ehrenclou|2020-01-16T11:22:35-08:00January 15th, 2020|Album & Single Reviews|0 Comments

Review: Jay Gordon and Blues Venom ‘Slide Rules’

By Mike O’Cull

Jay Gordon and Blues Venom continue and expand upon their lifelong love for the raw, real blues on a blazing new album called Slide Rules. Released in November of 2019 by Shuttle Music, Slide Rules is a masterful set of rough-edged, roadhouse-style blues/rock that leans more than a little toward a sound Gordon himself, calls “extremely dangerous.” Gordon is a ferocious slide guitarist and singer with a live, in-the-moment style that’s impossible to ignore. He effortlessly generates that [Read More]

By Martine Ehrenclou|2020-01-13T11:03:55-08:00January 13th, 2020|Album & Single Reviews|0 Comments

Review Big Band of Brothers A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band

By Mike O’Cull

Big Band of Brothers’ A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band is nothing short of a landmark record that lovingly interprets the music of the ABB in a 15-piece big band setting. Released in November of 2019 by New West Records and produced by Mark Lanter, Charles Driebe, and John Harvey, the set plays up the deep jazz influence the Allmans always had. High-profile guests like vocalists Marc Broussard and Ruthie Foster, [Read More]

By Martine Ehrenclou|2020-01-08T14:35:14-08:00January 8th, 2020|Album & Single Reviews|0 Comments

Review: ‘Peace in Pieces’ by The Betty Fox Band

Photo: Savannah Lauren

By Martine Ehrenclou

The long awaited third studio album Peace in Pieces by powerhouse, blues and roots singer-songwriter Betty Fox, is released January 10^th, and produced by Fox, John Nelms and Barry Williams. Recorded at FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, this 14-track album includes 13 originals and one spiritual. It’s a blend of Southern soul, blues, gospel and funk with one tremendous vocalist at the helm.

Featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame pianist/organist Spooner [Read More]

By Martine Ehrenclou|2020-01-08T09:37:06-08:00January 8th, 2020|Album & Single Reviews|1 Comment

Review: Frank Bey All My Dues Are Paid

By Tom O’Connor

Nola Blue Records starts your new year off right with the January 17th release of soul-blues crooner Frank Bey’s much anticipated and accurately titled All My Dues Are Paid. This collection of covers is a showcase for Bey’s heartfelt, sincerely delivered vocals and a reminder that you have to be brave enough to fight for your dreams. Collaborating with Kid Andersen and Rick Estrin at Greaseland Studios, along with an all-star cast of multi-Grammy [Read More]

By Martine Ehrenclou|2020-01-06T09:39:12-08:00January 6th, 2020|Album & Single Reviews|3 Comments

Review: 11 Guys Quartet ‘Small Blues and Grooves’

By Mike O’Cull

The 11 Guys Quartet delivers a vocal-free treat with its new record Small Blues and Grooves. Set to be released January 10th, 2020 by the VizzTone Label Group, Small Blues and Grooves is an exceptionally listenable 14-song set of blues instrumentals that shows the band to have a masterful, nuanced touch with any style of blues music it takes on. The record was tracked live in the studio in 2008 and each cut is an unaltered document of [Read More]

By Martine Ehrenclou|2020-01-07T20:18:49-08:00January 7th, 2020|Album & Single Reviews|0 Comments

Top 20 Blues, Rock, Roots Albums of 2019

Top 20 Blues, Rock, Roots Albums of 2019

2019 brought so many outstanding blues, rock and roots music albums that we had a hard time choosing the top 20. With true respect and admiration for all of these artists and many more who aren’t on this list, we are grateful for so many talented artists.

We polled our readers, editorial staff, and the Rock and Blues Muse Group on Facebook for albums that we have reviewed for our “Top 20 [Read More]

By Martine Ehrenclou|2019-12-21T06:28:47-08:00December 19th, 2019|Album & Single Reviews, Music News|15 Comments