Willie Jackson - Chosen by the Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Chosen by the Blues, from Willie Jackson and it's solid. Opening with Just An Old Dog, Willie Jackson sings the blues, old style joined by Dillon Young on lead guitar, Jon Willis on bass, (Paxton Eugene on drums and Ace Andersson on harp. On slow blues, Big Boned Woman, Jackson really delivers on vocals and also gives Young a chance to show his stuff as well. His articulate lead work, coupled with the harp work of Andersson makes this track one of my favorites on the release. Sleeping On The Job is a real cool, real time blues track with contemporary a theme but with old style roots, rich vocals and slid harp. Wrapping the release is up-tempo shuffle, Diggin' My Shovel with some strong innuendo. A lively guitar solo, and a firm bass line, this is a super closer with catchy lyrics that will certainly leave a memorable smile on many listeners faces.

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Heartfixer Music artist: Tinsley Ellis - Red Clay Soul - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (June 3, 2016), Red Clay Soul, from Tinsley Ellis and it's got real soul. Opening with All I Think About, Tinsley Ellis shows that he is continuing to spread his wings. The rocking country blues track, features Ellis on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Kevin McKendree on organ and piano, Lynn Williams on drums and Steve Mackey on bass. With a bit more R&B styling, Givin' You Up has strong commercial potential with a solid hook and instrumentation. Callin' has an easy soul feel with an almost Al Green sound. I really like the melody on this track and Ellis alternates his blues runs with his own vocals. Very nice. Anything But Go stays in the soul vein and Ellis does a real nice job of delivering on vocals. McKendree's rich keyboard work anchors this track and Ellis' own melodic riffs are contained and well placed. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Hungry Woman Blues, is a deep soul track with a strong blues twist. Mackey creates a solid bottom on bass and McKendree's keyboards the ambiance for a very strong WW Washington/JG Watson style track. Excellent! Circuit Rider has the structure of Albert King's "The Hunter" but Ellis' version has some really nicely stylized guitar riffs giving the track a special something. Very nice job. Don't Cut It is a solid rocker reinforced by Williams tight rhythm. Really nicely phrased guitar riffs with shades of Cray and shimmering chords sets this track firmly in the top few on the release. Party Of One is a quiet blues number with Ellis' vocals up front and somber guitar work and warm riffs by McKendree setting up the track. Nicely executed guitar lead on the second verse gives this track a really memorable feel. Very nice. Spanish influenced, Estero Noche has that Latin jazz/rock flavor that carried Santana's Supernatural to great heights. This is a really nice track with moving percussion and flavorful guitar melody. Excellent! Wrapping the release is The Bottle, The Book or the Gun. This track has a nice cadence featuring possibly the most tasty solo featuring super flat bent vibrato accents. A cool track and an excellent closer for a really solid release.




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Heartfixer Music artist: Tnisley Ellis - tough love - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, tough love, from Tinsley Ellis and he continues to write scorching riffs. Opening with Seven Years, a bluesy ballad, Ellis has a tone all his own with the soul of Robert Cray, the articulation of Mark Knopler and the the heat of SRV. Very cool. Midnight Ride has a romping blues feel with warm organ flow from Kevin McKendree, a driving bass line from Steve Mackey and tight percussion from Lynn Williams. A cool track with hot riffs, this one could catch the radio pretty easy. Give It Away is a quiet ballad featuring Ellis' vocal and acoustic slide techniques. Hard Work has more of a JJ Cale feel with an easy country blues drive. All In The Name Of Love has a really nice R&B feel with McKendree on electric keys. Another track with a particularly strong melody line also features Jim Hoke (sax) and Steve Herrman (trumpet) backing soulful guitar riffs. Should I Have Lied is one of my favorite tracks on the release with BB King like phrasing and a really tight guitar intro. This track sets up more nicely than any other on the release for a strong flexing of Ellis' more than killer guitar riffs. Leave Me has a rock beat but fluid bluesy overtones. A cool rhythm and nice organ work from McKendree opens the door for some real nice guitar riffs from Ellis. A tight number, another of my favorite tracks. The King Must Die definitely has a blues rock format but the underlying bass line on the melody by Mackey feels like Albert King. High tension lead guitar throughout makes this another of my fav's on the release. Everything has a standard 12 bar feel and Ellis whips out his harp for a little ride. Getting some really pretty nice tone from the harp and using the guitar as a secondary instrument isn't a bad thing here. Nice job! Wrapping the release is In From The Cold, a slow ballad with key strings and a lot of room for Ellis to ride the guitar light on the air in the style of David Gilmour. Excellent conclusion for this newest release from Ellis.  

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Lefty Williams' ALL IN To Be Released 8/21 Via Tree Leaf Music

                                                                                                                                          

LEFTY WILLIAMS AND TREE LEAF MUSIC

ANNOUNCE AUGUST 21 RELEASE DATE FOR ALL IN

Atlanta, GA --- Lefty Williams, Producer Ashley Dennis and Tree Leaf Music have announced an August 21 release date for the singer/songwriter/guitarist's upcoming release ALL IN.  Williams shares, "Paul Diaz and I have been friends for years. About two years ago when he heard the demos he signed me on the spot.  I could not be happier to be a part of the new label Tree Leaf Music has launched." Diaz echoes these sentiments offering, "Lefty is a uniquely talented writer and performer with wonderful, heartfelt lyrics, and amazing riff oriented guitar playing. We are blessed to be able to help him realize his musical vision at Tree."

The sessions were Produced and Mixed by Ashley Dennis who also represents Williams as management. Williams reflects, "Once we started working together we realized that we think the same way, and share a lot of the same ideas. So we would get into the studio and I would say 'this song needs..' and he would finish my thought and vice-versa. With the new partnership having yielded such immediate and successful results, and with his knowledge and experience working with some of the top artists in The World I was often asking for advice and he was always willing to offer guidance.  In an effort to take this to another level, it seemed like a logical step to hire him to manage me." Dennis adds, "Lefty always impressed me.  His great musicianship and work ethic exhibits that he has found his true Passion.  He always is having fun when he plays.  I was super busy and not looking for any new projects, but one night at a local Jam he hosted in Atlanta he convinced me to listen to some rough ideas of songs he had been working on.  Man, I was blown-away!  I felt a real connection to the songs, and went right to work staying up almost all night in my home studio, mixing the roughs, and plotting a course to build the songs into something huge and wonderful just like Lefty's personality.  When you get to know him - huge heart, wonderful guy to be around, truly inspiring. The next day I called Lefty, advising I can make something happen with these songs for sure, but if we are gonna do it, we have to be 'All in.'  No skimping, do it right, or don't do it at all. Lefty agreed, and with hard work and some favors from great people, the demos turned into a deal with Tree Leaf Music / Paul Diaz, and subsequently recording and mixing at the amazing, world renowned Treesound Studios.  I feel like we accomplished our Mission - good, honest, soulful, heartfelt music from the gut performed by men of flesh and bone with instruments of wood and steel.  I can't wait for the rest of The World to hear and enjoy the great talent that is Lefty Williams."

Lefty Williams has established a respected and endearing reputation as a great rock guitarist and songwriter through the age-old adage of building an audience one fan at a time.  Over the last decade, this legion of supporters has grown exponentially with purity.  His songs have real depth and power.  They are more than just catchy pop numbers that speak to the heart about issues of life and the experiences we all share in the passage of life.  His playing is reminiscent of Jimmy Page, Dickey Betts and Eric Johnson, while at the same time frequently receiving comparison to the great lineage of Georgia reared guitarists that include Robert Cray and Duane Allman.  With the release of ALL IN, and a new relationship with Tree Leaf Music, his future continues to thrive.

Williams released his first CD, BIG PLANS in 2006.  It was produced by John Keane (REM, Widespread Panic), who said, ”Lefty’s sound is a compelling combination of honest, heartfelt lyrics and masterful rhythm and blues muscle."  His next offering SNAKE OIL, issued in 2008, was nominated for Album of the Year by the Homegrown Music Network. His latest ALL IN marks the start of a new alliance with Tree Leaf Music.  The songs are soulful, and exhibit an artist wherein the fact that Williams has only one hand should be nothing more than an afterthought.  The vocals are reminiscent of Plant, Redding and Allman in their expressiveness.  Lyrically, The track "Crescent" captures a story of meeting a girl on a train headed to New Orleans, loosely based on his wife Rayanne taking Williams on a birthday trip on the Crescent Line.  With "You Know I Love You," he pays tribute to his wife on their 10th anniversary and shares, "She puts up with me being on the road all the time, and I wanted her to know that I know we can make it through anything that life throws at us."  "Let It Roll On" is simply a happy song about waking up in a good mood, while "You Don’t Tell Me" is the antithesis as Williams reveals, "I wrote this song in the middle of an argument with my wife."  He continues, "I was ironing my clothes and I was going over the argument in my head. I have always been fond of saying “You don't tell me...I tell you” I'm not sure where it came from but I've said it for years. So when I said it to myself it occurred to me that everybody knows what it's like to go through a break up. At some point everyone wants out of a relationship. Even though I wasn't considering leaving my wife, I decided to write a song about breaking up with someone but not being mad at them, just over it."

Blues stalwart Tinsley Ellis, who played on SNAKE OIL, once shared, "I was knocked out by Lefty the first time I heard his music. I just knew that I had to seek him out and hear more of his stuff. He is a veritable triple threat on certainly guitar, but also as a soulful vocalist and clever songwriter. The fact that he is out there winning over fans one at a time with his nonstop touring schedule is definitely something that I can relate to.”  And with the success he now enjoys, Williams remains humble.  He reflects, "I do not aspire to sell out arenas or be on the cover of Rolling Stone. I will be perfectly happy playing in theaters and touring all over the world. My biggest hope is to get out of the van and into a bus and be able to make a comfortable living playing my guitar. I want to take care of my family, my band members, and the people on my team to the best of my abilities. And, I want to connect with my audience on a deeply personal level that allows me to make life-long fans." If karma plays a part in the existence of humankind, Williams has a lot of good coming back his way as he enters the next chapter of his career with the release of ALL IN.

Alfie Harpo Feat. Papa Joe Band

Alfie Harpo (born under the name Alfredo Barranco) brought his smoking Harmonica riffs to America and immediately earned a small nomination at the 1999 Handy Music Award in Memphis, TN as part of the Glendora Harp Summit "Sonny Boy Williamson Tribute", Best Communication and Harmonica Teaching and Live Performances. This event was also nominated for a 1999 Keeping The Blues Alive Award at the W.C. Handy Awards, in the categories of education, historical preservation, and Internet communications. http://www.southernmusic.net/summit.htm With each riveting performance, Alfie proves why he is so honored. His American tour began with The Sonny Boy Williamson Tribute during which he performed with such guests as Sugar Blue, Lee Oskar, Rockin' Jake, Jumpin' Johnny Samson, Blind Mississippi Morris, Arthur Williams, Billy Gibson and Paul D'Lay. He went on to rock Florida's Tobacco Road and dominated the stage with Joey Gilmore Band. Had The Courage To Follow Paul D'Lay at The BB King Blues Club in Memphis, TN. December 04, 1998. Toured in South America from 1992 to 1997. Has established as a National American Act, after touring in New Orleans (LA), Los Angeles (CA), Seattle (WA), Everett (Wa), Vancouver (Wa), Bellingham (Wa), Spoken (Wa), Yakima (Wa) and Deming (Wa). In 2007 started touring with Leon Hendrix, Brother of Guitar Legend "Jimi Hendrix", following 2009 and 2010 at Rock Festivals and played with Leon at 40Th Memorial of Jimi Hendrix in September of 2010 at Jimi Hendrix Park in Seattle, WA. Since 2002 till 2013 has been through stages in Biloxi (MS), Ocean Spring (MS), Miami (FL), Fort Lauderdale (FL), Fort Myers (FL). Alfie Harpo is currently established in Atlanta,GA as his operations base, from where he is reaching over the Southeast Region and developing his forthcoming original production.

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Heartfixer Music artist: Tinsley Ellis - Midnight Blue - New release Review

Just received the newest release (January 14, 2014), Midnight Blue, from Tinsley Ellis and it's a smoker! Hot on the heels of instrumental release Get It!, Ellis comes hot out of the chute with If The River Keeps Rising, opening easy with vocal and acoustic guitar but then letting the dogs out with overdriven electric guitar and solid bottomed bass and drums. Fat slide solo's always make me happy and this is a good one! On Mouth Turns Dry, Ellis uses a classic blues rhythm (The Hunter) with a twist and a forward driving blues rocker with solid vocals and frenzied guitar work. Super track! Surrender has a smoother radio play style with nice bass lines from Ted Pecchio. Solid R&B style blues giving Ellis a great opportunity to show his fluid chops. It's Not Funny has a Louisiana beat and sound with cool resophonic slide sound. This is a cool take on the New Orleans sound and pianist Kevin McKendree and drummer Lynn Williams creat a great theatre for this funky track. See No Harm is a rich slow blues track with gospel like piano work....excellent. Ellis digs in for some of his most soulful guitar riffs in a long time and his vocals are complimentary to the nearly perfect track! The Only Thing is a really nice track with a basis similar to Dixon's (Jeff Beck's) Ain't Superstitious. This more modern take with a new twist (it is really a different track altogether) is a a nice groove and Ellis really has it going. Peace and Love has a real warm homey feeling with interesting key work. I like Ellis' vocal work on this track which has a strong melodic hook and hot guitar riffs. That's My Story has a country / blues// rock sound with a twist of Dire Straits. The most straightforward rocker on the release, Ellis lays down some really nice rock riffs and stretches his legs a bit. My favorite track on the release, and also the closer, is Kiss of Death. This is a really smokey hot blues track... think Blue Jeans Blues (ZZ Top). If you don't like this... you don't love modern blues! This is a spectacular ending to a very well done release!

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Here's Ellis at work:

Cripple Creek/Ida Red /John Henry - Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers

James Gideon Tanner (June 6, 1885 – May 13, 1960) was an American old time fiddler and one of the earliest stars of what would come to be known as country music. His band, the Skillet Lickers, was one of the most innovative and influential string bands of the 1920s and 1930s. Its most notable members were Clayton McMichen (fiddle and vocal) and the blind Riley Puckett (guitar and vocal). Gid Tanner was born at Thomas Bridge near Monroe, Georgia. He made a living as a chicken farmer for most of his life. He learned to play the fiddle at the age of 14 and quickly established a reputation as one of the finest musicians in Georgia. Early on, he participated in several fiddle conventions together with his rival Fiddlin' John Carson, what one of them didn't win, the other would. Tanner reportedly had a repertoire of more than 2000 songs. Tanner and Puckett traveled to New York City in March 1924 to make the first of a series of duet recordings for Columbia Records. The first recording made with the Skillet Lickers was "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane," recorded in Atlanta on April 17, 1926, when the country music scene in Atlanta rivaled Nashville's. It was released by Columbia on a 78rpm disc backed with “Watermelon On the Vine". The group would eventually record more than 100 songs for Columbia before splitting up in 1931. Three years later, Tanner and Puckett reformed the Skillet Lickers and had several releases on Bluebird Records. Tanner stopped making records in 1934, but continued performing into his seventies. He died in Dacula, Georgia.

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Same Thing All Over - Billy Young

Billy Young was discovered by Otis Redding, Like Otis, he was a Macon native. Along with Loretta Williams and Arthur Conley, he recorded one of the four Otis' and Joe Galkin own JOTIS singles, in 1965. The JOTIS singles were distributed by Atlantic like Stax and recorded some at Stax, some at Fame in Muscleshoals. He died 8/18/1999. On this particular track, recorded at Fame, the second voice is thought to be Otis Redding himself but I've been told it's Art (pee wee) Wilson .  

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Ruf Records artist: Skinny Molly - Haywire Riot - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Hayride Riot, from Skinny Molly and it's a kick ass rocker. The release opens with If You Don't Care which has the explosiveness of one of my favorite southern rockers, I Ain't The One. Parallels may be drawn from Skynyrd but this band has a sound of it's own. The similarities are a solid cocky singer and blazing guitar riffs laid down on a strong rock beat. Devil In The Bottle is more of a liad back ballad along the lines of earlier Charlie Daniels. The band is filled out by Jay Johnson on lead guitar, Kurt Pietro on drums and Luke Bradshaw on bass. Two Good Wheels is a bit of a country rocker and has a great hook. This is a track that is likely to hit the airwaves hard. Too Bad To Be True is a hard driving rocker with back to back ripping guitar solos. Judge Parker has a real southern rock swagger and Bitin' The Dog kicks dirt in your face. Lie To Me is a ballad more along the lines of John Bon Jovi (if he had any grit). Dodgin' Bullets is a great closing track for this set summing the intensity and grit shown throughout the release. This is a band not straying far from the origin of that southern rock vein but carving it's own path with some great tunes. You want butt kicking rock with a blues edge and a southern drawl...this is it!

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Ragged but Right - RILEY PUCKETT

George Riley Puckett (May 7, 1894 - July 13, 1946) was an American country music pioneer mostly known for being a member of Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers. Puckett was born in Alpharetta, Georgia. An accident during infancy left him blind. He had his formal education at the Georgia School for the Blind in Macon, Georgia. He sang and played guitar and banjo. He was first heard on the radio as a part of Clayton McMichen's Hometown Band. His vocalizing was a regular feature at the Georgia Old-Time Fiddlers Conventions. Newspaper reporters covering these events referred to him as the "Bald Mountain Caruso" in admiration of his renditions of such songs as "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" and "Sleep, Baby, Sleep". For several years Puckett played and sang with the Home Town Boys, a string-band ensemble composed of Atlanta-area musicians. They made their debut on Atlanta's six-month-old radio station, WSB, on September 18, 1922. Until going off the air in 1926, they remained one of the station's most popular acts. In 1924 Puckett accompanied fiddler Gid Tanner to New York, where, on March 7 and 8, they recorded twelve songs and tunes for the Columbia Phonograph Company. They were the first country-music artists to record for that firm. These recording sessions yielded vocal selections by Puckett and fiddle tunes by Tanner. One of Puckett's songs, "Rock All Our Babies to Sleep",(Columbia-#107-D, with "Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane, on the reverse side), established him as probably the first country-music artist to yodel on records. Yodeling was employed as an embellishment by numerous country music vocalists well into the 1940s. From 1929 Nov.4 Clayton McMichen, Riley Puckett, Lowe Stokes, Fate Norris, Bert Layne, Uncle Fuzz (prob. Frank Walker, Tom Dorsey (aka Dan Hornsby) recorded in Atlanta "A Night in a Blind Tiger" pt. 2. on Columbia Records and continued recording together on Blue Bird Records, March 1934, San Antonio, Texas. Puckett was a charter member of the influential string band Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers and continued to record with the group through their last session in 1934. Puckett recorded as a solo artist into the early 1940s, creating a discography of more than 200 records on such labels as Columbia, Decca, and Bluebird. His repertoire included novelty songs, religious songs, traditional folk songs, cowboy songs, and ballads from the field of popular music. Riley Puckett was one of the nationally known pioneer country music artists who gained experience and exposure at the Georgia Old-Time Fiddlers Conventions, held in Atlanta between 1913 and 1935. Puckett's most famous songs were "Ragged but Right" and "The Darky's Wail". His dynamic single-string guitar playing, featuring dramatic bass runs, earned for him an enviable reputation as an instrumentalist. Many aspiring guitarists who followed him have studied and copied his style. Although he was an accomplished musician on several instruments, his singing was most responsible for establishing him as an important figure in the history of country music. In addition to making records, he appeared in stage shows and worked on radio stations in Atlanta and other Georgia cities, as well as selected eastern and midwestern cities. Riley Puckett was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1986. He died of blood poisoning on July 13, 1946, in East Point, Georgia.

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Sweet Home Chicago - Lil' Joe Burton w/ Mudcat

Joe Burton, affectionately known as "Lil" Joe from Chicago, is the quintessential Blues instrumentalist in a class of his own. "Lil" Joe's career began in 1964 with the late, great Junior Wells. Joe's relationship with Junior continued for years but he also toured with other great acts such as, B.B. King, Bobby Womack, Joe Tex, Otis Clay and many others. He has appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, Midnight Special, Soul Train and a host of others. Joe is well known throughout Europe and the United States for his heart-wrenching solos and tasteful high-energy performances. His uniquely versatile approach to traditional and contemporary Blues is legendary. He effortlessly blends fat round tones of his trombone with various styles and formats of Roots Music. His recordings include (BB King's) Lucille Talks Back, Guess Who, Mississippi Seeds, L.A. Midnight, BB King & Bobby Bland for the First Time, (Junior Wells) Junior Wells Live at Buddy Guys Legends (which was nominated for a Grammy in 1997) and Junior Wells Live around the World. The Mess is On & Get Your House in Order with Mudcat.  

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Blues For Monet - George Adams

George Rufus Adams (April 29, 1940 Covington, Georgia – November 14, 1992 New York City, New York) was an American jazz musician who played tenor saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. He is best known for his work with Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Roy Haynes and in the quartet he co-led with pianist Don Pullen, featuring bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Dannie Richmond. He was also known for his idiosyncratic singing. George Adams's musical style was rooted in the blues and in primarily that of African-American popular music. As a saxophonist his greatest influences seem to have been Rahsaan Roland Kirk, with whom he played in Mingus's band on occasion, as well as the adventurous edginess of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. He played with tremendous intensity and passion, as well as lyricism and subtlety. At times he bent over backwards when playing, almost ending up on his back. His singing varied from wild wailing blues to ballads.[citation needed] Adams and Don Pullen shared a musical vision and their quartet straddled the range from R&B to the avant-garde. (The quartet was sometimes known as the "George Adams–Don Pullen Quartet", and sometimes as the "Don Pullen–George Adams Quartet"). After Adams' death, Pullen dedicated to his memory the 1993 CD Ode To Life, recorded by his African-Brazilian Connection, and in particular the ballad "Ah George, We Hardly Knew Ya". One of his last recordings was America on the Blue Note label. This album consists of classic American songs like "Tennessee Waltz", "You Are My Sunshine" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as well as a few original songs that articulate Adams's positive view of his country and the gifts it had given him. It also includes "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful". George Adams was a member of the band that played Epitaph by Charles Mingus.

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Landslide Records artist: Tinsley Ellis - Get It! - New Release Review

I just got a copy of the newest Tinsley Ellis release, Get It! and it's really strong! Ellis has put together a 10 track all instrumental recording and he demonstrates that you can say a lot without uttering a word. Opening with Front Street Freeze, Ellis cranks up the funk accompanied by Kevin McKendree on keys, Lynn Williams on drums and Ted Pecchio on bass. Ellis plays smokin guitar that he is known for and adds a little Albert Collins sting. Sassy Strat is another track with a funky bottom. Speaking with his own guitar voice and a bit of wah, Ellis takes a Beck, lay back and let it come to me approach on his melodic lead. McKendree keeps the flame hot with Billy Preston like richness. The Milky Way is a very solitude track with quiet drums and organ on the bottom and single line leads not unlike those seen from Dutch guitar great Jan Akkerman. This is a really nice track with a strong melody and smart use of the fretboard. Detour is a twistin' Texas infused surf track with great guitar riffs, double stops, reverb and effects. Is there beach in Texas... damn straight! This track should see a lot of airplay due to it's refreshing sound and cool beat. Anthem For A Fallen Hero is a classic guitar ballad... the kind of stuff that has made Bonamassa and Moore rich and famous. It is nicely constructed and crisply played. Get It! is a hot Texas style loping blues track with great guitar sounds. McKendree adds just the right amount of keys to Williams drumming to give Ellis a great platform to lay down the goods. This is one of the hottest tracks on the release! Fuzzbuster is a blues rock reminding me quite a bit of ZZ Top in attack but with some real great fuzzy guitar riffs. McKendree has the piano rolling and Ellis doesn't hold back on this track at all. This is definitely one not to miss with Williams keeping you on the path with simple solid beat structure. Freddy's Midnight Dream is another guitar ballad but this time with a country twist really calling to mind Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton or young Arlen Roth in composition. This is a great track with layers of key work paving the way for Ellis to show his mastery of soul, blues and country all at once. Berry Tossin' has a bit of Chuck Berry flavor mixed into a basic 12 bar structure as thought by Freddie King and then well digested in technicolor by Ellis. McKendree plays some particularly cool piano riffs on this track as well so take note. Catalunya crosses another bridge altogether... David Gilmore's brother born in Atlanta, and jammed with Santana? Ellis takes from what he hears and does an excellent job of creating his own sound from bits of life. On this track with it's Latin rhythm and searing guitar riffs, Ellis creates a sound unique to him. It is an excellent conclusion to a very strong blues guitar release. You like guitar? You like Blues? This is a real good release!

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If I Lose Let Me Loose - John Lee Ziegler

Ziegler’s recordings appear on the following collections: Georgia Blues Today (issued by Flyright in 1981 and reissued by Fat Possum), John Lee Ziegler: The George Mitchell Collection Vol. 6 (the same tracks appear on The George Mitchell Collection 7-CD box set) plus Expressin’ The Blues, Blues Sweet Blues, Georgia Blues Today and Cames So Far all on the Music Maker label. Part of John Lee Ziegler’s unorthodox style comes from the fact that he was a left-handed guitarist who played a right-handed guitar upside-down, with the bass strings at the bottom. Born in 1929 in Houston County, Ziegler started playing guitar at age 15 as a fluke: when his parents couldn’t find him the bicycle he requested as a gift, they returned from Macon with a guitar instead. It didn’t take Ziegler long to get good enough to play local clubs and house parties; he even spent some time in New York playing with a band. He also told Mitchell he’d spent some time with John Lee Hooker in Hawkinsville, Georgia. When Mitchell came across him in the late 1970s, Ziegler was still residing in Houston County, working as a plumber and playing at his house for any neighbors interested in stopping by to hear. He had one of the most diverse repertories of any Chattahoochee performer Mitchell encountered, playing John Lee Hooker songs, Sam Cooke’s pop hits, and traditional Chattahoochee songs like “If I Lose Let Me Lose” all in his distinctive style.

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Devon Allman Exclusive Video Premiere April 15th on Relix.com

Devon Allman Exclusive Video Premiere April 15^th on Relix.com

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”

From Solo-Debut CD: Turquoise

Atlanta, GA- Relix.com presents the exclusive premiere of the Devon Allman video, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, from his Ruf Records release, Turquoise, on Monday, April 15. A five day exclusive run will coincide with him and his band, Royal Southern Brotherhood and their appearance at the Wanee Festival on April 18^th, ending on Friday, April 19^th. This rock classic is a duet with label mate and Blues Music Award winner, Samantha Fish, whose vocals are sassy and smart; melding with Devon’s strong rich voice.

“Tom Petty has always been one of my favorite artists,” says Devon. “This song totally takes me back to my youth. I'm really pleased Samantha and I get to turn on a new generation to this classic tune. We slowed it down a bit and made it a little sexier.  New Orleans is the most photogenic city in America, so the video shoot was effortless.”

Directed by Mark Bergeron with Nate Tape as Director of Photography and Arthur Reed as producer, the three were able to use the city of New Orleans and all its romance to give the desperate song some vivid color. For the video shoot, they took to the streets of New Orleans, where the “romantic couple” are walking the streets trying to find each other. They filmed it at various points, the famous Chickie Wah Wah’s music club, a little streetcar riding and cameos were made by Royal Southern Brotherhood members, Cyril Neville and Charlie Wooton.

Turquoise was released on February 12 on Ruf Records to glowing reviews from USA TODAY, Texas Music Magazine, Hittin’ the Note, and of course, Relix. “These songs are very special to me,” says Allman. “It’s part ‘dusty road driving music’ and part ‘tropical getaway’ music. These are the stories, feelings and reflections from my last couple of decades of forging my musical path.” The CD was produced and mixed by multi-Grammy winner Jim Gaines and recorded at his Bessie Blue Studios in Stantonville, Tennessee, as well as at Ardent Studios in Memphis. Ruf Records is distributed by Allegro worldwide.

So tune in to Relix.com come Monday for the Premiere of Devon Allman “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”!

It's Too Late - Chuck Willis

Harold "Chuck" Willis (January 31, 1928 – April 10, 1958) was an American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll singer and songwriter. His biggest hits, "C. C. Rider" (1957) and "What Am I Living For" (1958), both reached No.1 on the Billboard R&B chart. He was known as The King of the Stroll for his performance of the 1950s dance The Stroll. Willis was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Willis was spotted at a talent contest by Atlanta radio disc jockey Zenas Sears, who became his manager and helped him to sign with Columbia Records in 1951. After one single, Willis began recording on a Columbia subsidiary, Okeh. During his stay at Okeh, he established himself as a popular R&B singer and songwriter. In 1956, he moved to Atlantic Records where he had immediate success with "It's Too Late (She's Gone)", "Juanita" and "Love Me Cherry". His most successful recording was "C.C. Rider", which topped the US Billboard R&B chart in 1957 and also crossed over and sold well in the pop market. "C.C. Rider" was a remake of a twelve-bar blues, performed by Ma Rainey in Atlanta before Willis was born. Its relaxed beat, combined with a mellow vibraphone backing and chorus, inspired the emergence of the popular dance, The Stroll. Willis's follow-up was "Betty and Dupree", another "stroll" song, which also did well. Willis' single "Going to the River", a song by Fats Domino, was a prototype for his "stroll" sound, reaching No.4 on the R&B chart. Willis, who had suffered from stomach ulcers for many years, died during surgery in Chicago of peritonitis while at the peak of his career, just after the release of his last single, "What Am I Living For?", backed by "Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes". "What Am I Living For?" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It was also the top R&B disc of 1958. His hit, the blues ballad "It's Too Late (She's Gone)" was covered by other artists, including Otis Redding, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominos and the Jerry Garcia Band. In 2005, it was heavily sampled by Kanye West on Late Registration's "Gone". Elvis Presley covered "I Feel So Bad" and "C. C. Rider" and Ruth Brown and Conway Twitty had hits with "Oh What a Dream". Willis's cousin is Chick Willis.  

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Who Stole de Lock - CURLEY WEAVER

Curley James Weaver (March 25, 1906 - September 20, 1962) was an American blues musician, also known as Slim Gordon. He was born in Covington, Georgia, United States, and raised on a farm near Porterdale. His mother, Savannah "Dip" Shepard Weaver, was a well-respected pianist and guitarist, who taught Curley together with her friend's sons, "Barbecue Bob" Hicks and Charlie Hicks. The three formed a group with harmonica player Eddie Mapp, and played in the local area. In 1925 Weaver moved to Atlanta, working as a laborer and playing on the streets and at various social events. In 1928, he first recorded with Columbia Records, later releasing records on several different record labels. Although he recorded on his own during the 1920s and 1930s, first in the style taught by his mother and later with the spreading Piedmont style, he was best known for duets with Blind Willie McTell - with whom he worked until the 1950s - as well as Barbecue Bob, Fred McMullen, and harmonica and guitar player Buddy Moss. He was also a member of the recording groups The Georgia Browns (Weaver, Moss, McMullen) and The Georgia Cotton Pickers (Bob, Weaver, Moss), examples of the sort of bands that played house parties in those days. After World War II he recorded in New York and Atlanta both solo, and with McTell. His final recordings were in 1949. Weaver lost his sight in the 1950s after working on the railroad, and died of uremia in Almon, Georgia, in 1962, at the age of 56.

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Taxes On The Farmers Feeds Them All - Fiddlin John Carson

Fiddlin' John Carson (March 23, 1868 – December 11, 1949) was an American old time fiddler and an early-recorded country musician. Carson was born in (or near) Fannin County, Georgia, and grew up on a farm there. His father worked as a section foreman for the W&A Railroad Company. In his teens, Carson learned to play the fiddle, using an old Stradivari-copy violin brought from Ireland in the early 18th century. When he was eleven years old he used to roam the streets of Copperhill playing for tips. In his teens, he worked as a racehorse jockey. In 1894, he was married and a couple of years later, in 1900, he began working for the Exposition Cotton Mill in Atlanta followed by work in other cotton mills of the Atlanta area for the next twenty years, eventually he was promoted to be a foreman. In 1911, Carson's family moved to Cabbagetown, Georgia and he and his children began working for the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill. Three years later, in 1914, the workers of the cotton mill went on strike for their right to form a union, and Carson had nothing else to do but to perform for a living in the streets of North Atlanta. In these days, he wrote many songs and he used to print copies and sell them in the streets for a nickel or a dime. Some of the songs he wrote dealt with real life drama like the murder ballad "Mary Phagan". Because the governor of Georgia, John Marshall Slaton, commuted the death sentence of the accused murderer of Mary Phagan to a life sentence, Carson, in outrage, wrote another version of "Mary Phagan" where he accused the governor of being paid a million dollars from a New York bank to change the verdict. Carson was thrown in jail for slander. (The accused killer, Leo Frank, was lynched; decades later, a witness gave testimony indicating that the killer had probably been another man, Jim Conley.) On April 1, 1913 Carson performed at the first annual "Georgia Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention", held at the Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta, where he only became fourth. But between 1914 and 1922 he was proclaimed "Champion Fiddler of Georgia" seven times. The governor of Tennessee, Robert L. Taylor dubbed him "Fiddlin' John". In 1919, Carson began touring, mostly the areas north of Atlanta, with his newly formed band the Cronies. He became associated with many politicians of Georgia, like Tom Watson, Herman Talmadge and Eugene Talmadge, relations that gave rise to new songs like "Tom Watson Special". Carson and his daughter Rosa Lee began a series of performances for different political campaigns: for the Tom Watson U.S. Senate Campaign in 1920, for all of the Gene Talmadge's campaigns, and for the Herman Talmadge governor campaign. On September 9, 1922, Carson made his radio debut at Atlanta Journal's radio station WSB in Atlanta, It was reported by the Atlanta Journal that Carson's fame quickly spread all over the United States following his broadcast at WSB. In early June 1923, Polk C. Brockman, an Atlanta furniture store owner, who had been instrumental in the distribution of records for Okeh, went to New York to work out a new business deal with Okeh Records. Later, in New York, he was asked if he knew of any artist in Atlanta that could justify a recording trip to Georgia. Brockman promised to return with an answer. A few days later, he was watching a movie followed by a silent newsreel at the Palace Theater in Times Square. The newsreel contained footage of Fiddlin' John Carson from an old time fiddler's contest in Virginia. Brockman wrote in his notebook: "Record Fiddlin' John Carson". At his next meeting with Okeh Records Board, he persuaded Ralph Peer to go ahead and record Carson. About June 14, 1923 (date is uncertain), Carson made his recording debut in an empty building on Nassau Street in Atlanta, cutting two sides, "The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane" and "The Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's going to Crow." Peer didn't like the singing style of Carson and described it "pluperfect awful" but he was persuaded by Brockman to press five hundred for him to distribute. The recording was immediately sold out from the stage of the next Fiddler's convention on July 13, 1923. Peer, realizing Carson's potential, immediately invited Carson to New York for another recording session. Fiddlin' John Carson ceased recording temporarily in 1931 but resumed in 1934, now for the Victor label. Between 1923 and 1931, Carson recorded almost 150 songs, mostly together with the "Virginia Reelers" or his daughter Rosa Lee Carson, who performed with him as "Moonshine Kate". He wrote more than 150 songs in his life but only nine were ever copyrighted. Because Carson couldn't read sheet music he had his songs transferred to standard notation by the stepdaughter of preacher Andrew Jenkins, Irene Spain. Carson was involved in several copyright issues with both Okeh Records and other musicians during his active career. In his later years, he worked for the local government as an elevator operator in Atlanta, a job he had obtained through his friendship with governor Herman Talmadge. He died in 1949 in Atlanta, Georgia, and is buried in Sylvester Cemetery in the East Atlanta neighborhood of Atlanta. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Woman, You Don't Have To Go - Luther 'Snake Boy''Johnson

Luther "Snake Boy" Johnson (August 30, 1934 – March 18, 1976) was an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was also known as Luther "Snake" Johnson or Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson, and was otherwise billed as both Luther King and Little Luther (under the latter he recorded for Chess Records in the 1960s). Allmusic journalist, Ron Wynn, stated "Johnson's own inimitable vocals, raspy lines and tart guitar eventually create his own aura... a good, occasionally outstanding blues artist."[ He is not to be confused with Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson. He was born Lucious Brinson in Davisboro, Georgia, United States. He was raised on a farm and taught himself to play guitar. After service in the US Army up to 1953, Johnson played guitar with a local gospel group called the Milwaukee Supreme Angels. However, he graduated towards blues and set up his own trio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before relocating to Chicago, Illinois in the early 1960s. He backed Elmore James prior to his death, and in 1964, released a solo single on the Chess Records label entitled "The Twirl", billed as Little Luther. He then joined Muddy Waters backing band in 1966. Johnson worked with various musicians over this period, including Chicago Bob Nelson, before recording his debut album, Come on Home in 1969. In 1970, Johnson moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and found work on the blues festival and college circuits for the next few years. Black & Blue Records released Johnson's Born in Georgia in 1972, and this was followed by Chicken Shack (1974), Lonesome in My Bedroom (1975), and the final album issued in his lifetime, Get Down to the Nitty Gritty (1976). Johnson died of cancer in Boston in March 1976, aged 41. He was interred at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan, Massachusetts. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Easy Rider - Sonny Terry

Saunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry (24 October 1911 - 11 March 1986) was a blind American Piedmont blues musician. He was widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts. Terry was born in Greensboro, Georgia. His father, a farmer, taught him to play basic blues harp as a youth. He sustained injuries to his eyes and lost his sight by the time he was 16, which prevented him from doing farm work himself. In order to earn a living Terry was forced to play music. He began playing in Shelby, North Carolina. After his father died he began playing in the trio of Piedmont blues-style guitarist Blind Boy Fuller. When Fuller died in 1941, he established a long-standing musical relationship with Brownie McGhee, and the pair recorded numerous songs together. The duo became well-known among white audiences, as they joined the growing folk movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This included collaborations with Styve Homnick, Woody Guthrie and Moses Asch, producing Folkways Records (now Smithsonian/Folkways) classic recordings. In 1938 Terry was invited to play at Carnegie Hall for the first From Spirituals to Swing concert, and later that year he recorded for the Library of Congress. In 1940 Terry recorded his first commercial sides. Some of his most famous works include "Old Jabo" a song about a man bitten by a snake and "Lost John" in this he demonstrates his amazing breath control . Despite their fame as "pure" folk artists, in the 1940s, Terry and McGhee fronted a jump blues combo with honking saxophone and rolling piano that was variously called Brownie McGhee and his Jook House Rockers or Sonny Terry and his Buckshot Five. Terry was also in the 1947 original cast of the Broadway musical comedy, Finian's Rainbow. Terry died from natural causes at Mineola, New York, in March 1986, the year he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He died three days before Crossroads was released in theaters.

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