Ruby Blues reviewed by Steve Jones

Ruby Blues
Stacia Petrie
Self-Released
www.sta-ciapetrie- .com
11 tracks/

Few blues artists are household names across America anymore. BB King and Buddy Guy are two of the big names everyone can recognize. Blues fans know many of the names in the industry, but I know that Stacia Petrie is not a household name outside of Detroit area blues fans. After listening to her fourth self-released CD, I think that she should be! This album contains 11 tracks that she has either written alone or with another Detroit artist. They are solid songs that showcase both her vocals and song writing skills. She also does some more than adequate acoustic guitar work on the CD.

Her bio shows that she has been busy since 1993 with both individual performances and her work with the seven-woman band the Detroit Women. She is well known in the Detroit blues scene and has won nearly a dozen awards there in the last 7 years. And the song "Face the Blues" on this CD, which is a collaboration Motor City Josh, won first place in the blues category in the 2007 Unisong International Song Contest and third place in the 2007 Great Lakes Song Contest. I see why it won- it is a great slow blues tune with super vocals by Stacia and some nice lead guitar by Motor City Josh.

Her voice is expressive from the slow, breathy numbers all the way to the driving, rocking songs. She writes of love gone wrong in tracks like “Long, Cold, Lonely Night” and, well, almost of the songs on the CD. Her blues are deep and heart felt. She gives us music and lyrics that are gripping and touching. In “Detroit Women” reminds be a little of Joanna Connor as she blasts out how they’re “gonna shake this ground, and if you can’t take the shakin’ you better sit yourself right down.” The down and dirty lead guitar here is by Roscoe, who also engineered the album.

I was very impressed with this CD. Petrie is a fine songwriter and performer. It is unfortunate that her previous solo CDs and four CDs she cut with The Detroit Women have not gotten much play. If they are as good as this one we’ve been missing a lot of great music. She’s a very, very good vocalist and songwriter whom I recommend that you check out!

Sean’s Blues - A Memorial Retrospective reviewed by Mark Thompson

Sean’s Blues - A Memorial Retrospective
Sean Costello
Landslide Records
www.landsliderecords.com
www.seancostellofund.org
20 tracks/75:31


The tragic death of Sean Costello last year, one day shy of his 29th birthday, robbed the music world of an incredible musician. Recording his first release at age sixteen, Costello seemed destined for stardom. As this compilation shows, Costello steadily developed as a vocalist and guitar player while creating some jaw-dropping performances.

The first three tracks are from Costello’s initial recording Call the Cops. The title cut is a brief but spirited effort with some fiery guitar licks. “Sail On” finds Sean on acoustic guitar and long-time band member Paul Linden delivering some quality harmonica work. Costello shows the swing influence in his playing on “Take Me Back”.

Another three songs are pulled from Costello’s release in the year 2000, Cuttin” In. His cover of the first Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Mellow Chick Swing” has a steady groove and a restrained vocal from the leader. Costello turns in a harrowing performance on the Otis Rush classic, “Double Trouble”. The intensity of his vocal is matched by the razor-sharp licks he pulls out of his guitar. The band romps through “Who’s Been Cheatin’ Who”, an up-tempo Costello original.

The 2002 recording, Moanin’ For Molasses., brought further acclaim to Costello with quality cuts including “Don’t be Reckless with My Heart” and “It Takes Time”, another Rush tune. Linden on harp and Matt Wauchope on piano make solid contributions on the first song . Costello, Linden on piano and Wauchope on organ share the spotlight on the second tune.

Long-time Costello fans will be very excited by the remaining twelve tracks, all unreleased material from a variety of sources. One stunning highlight is an awesome rendition of “Walking Blues” with former boss, Susan Tedeschi, on lead vocal. Costello’s guitar has a huge, gritty tone that matches the emotional level of Tedeschi’s singing. It was culled from a 1998 session in Atlanta along with four other tracks. “Tell Me Baby” is a tough rocker while Tedeschi is on rhythm guitar for a run-through of Bob Wills instrumental “Big Beaver”.

Three live tracks serve proof that Costello was a commanding performer on stage. He dips into the Otis Rush songbook one more time for “All Your Love (I Miss Loving)” and delivers the goods on “Mojo Boogie”. Recorded in Marquette, MI in 2000, both songs show that Costello had really developed as a singer by this point in his career. “Motor Head Baby” was recorded the following year in Chicago and while the recording quality isn’t quite as good as the rest of the disc, you can hear the audience shouting out encouragement as Costello delivers a smoking-hot guitar solo.

The final four tracks were done in Atlanta in 2002 and they mark another maturation point in Costello’s career. His voice has grown thicker and now has a deeper tone. On a cover of Robert Ward’s “Your Love is Amazing”, Costello is able to express the soulful longing captured in the song’s lyrics. His stunning version of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” finds his vocal and guitar work merging together in an extended expression of emotion. The closing track, “She Changed My Mind”, was written by Costello and Linden. Sean sings his heart out, accompanied by Wauchope on organ and his main rhythm section of Terence Prather on drums and Melvin Zachary on bass.

One can only imagine the directions Costello would taken had his life not been cut short. As you track his growth over the span of this disc, it is clear that his vocal prowess grew by leaps and bounds while his guitar playing gained tighter focus. His final release, We Can Get Together on the Delta Groove label, shows that Costello continued to develop as a vocalist , moving towards soul-infused style with great results. While his journey was cut short, we can rejoice that Landslide Records has given us the opportunity to add this powerful testament to Sean Costello talent to our musical libraries.

- A portion of the royalties from the sale of this release will benefit the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bi-Polar Research.

Many Shades of Blue reviewed by Mark Thompson

Many Shades of Blue
Gary Allegretto
Big Fiore Records
www.garyallegretto.com
www.harmonikids.com
14 tracks/55:13


This is the third release for Gary Allegretto, yet it is a safe bet that even die-hard blues fans remain in the dark about this talented musician. His interest in blues music was sparked at a young age when he attended a live performance by acoustic bluesman John Jackson. After spending years satisfying his wanderlust, Allegretto now focuses on music, including his non-profit organization, Harmonikids, that brings music to special needs children. He is a talented singer with a warm tone and a skilled harp player who is equally comfortable playing in electric and acoustic styles.

On “She Speaks to Me”, Allegretto sings the praises of his instrument to a Jimmy Reed-style arrangement that finds him playing effectively in the upper register. Tracks like “Good to Go” and Chuck Berry’s “Back to Memphis” are straight-ahead rockers with Allegretto blowing hot licks with full, rich tone over the driving beats. Steve F’dor adds some sparkling piano parts on both tracks. On “Bad Man”, Allegretto plays the part of a sweet lovin’ daddy on a scale equal to Jesse James and Billy the Kid. He spins a humorous tale on his original tune about a woman with honesty issues on “Tattoo of Truth”. His harp dances around the melody, spinning out a rich, inventive solo.

Four tracks finds Gary paired with the late John Cephas. “Saddle Pony” utilizes some standard blues lyrics but Cephas picks out an intricate pattern on acoustic guitar while Allegretto blows some fine country licks. Another Allegretto original, “Hurry Down Rounder”, is a folk blues made for dancing with the two men harmonizing on the chorus. The duo takes a similar approach on Hank Williams’ “Mind Your Own Business”, with Rich DelGrosso adding his mandolin to the mix.

Other special guests include Janiva Magness, who adds backing vocals on “Risk of Love”, a track that also has Ivan Neville on Hammond organ and a great slide guitar solo from Tommy Kay. Magness and Neville handle the lead vocals on “Four Days Late”, a heart-breaking song that chronicles the delayed response by all levels of government to the disaster wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Doug MacLeod enlivens “Somerset” with his usual superb picking on his national resonator guitar and more outstanding piano from F’Dor.

Many Shades of Blue certainly lives up to its title. Allegretto’s heady brew ranges from Piedmont style acoustic blues to hard rockin’ electric numbers. He has put together a stunning package that marks him as a compelling songwriter, a masterful harpist and a strong singer. While his more famous friends make significant contributions to this project, it is Allegretto’s vision that burns the brightest. It’s hard to believe that he has not garnered more attention up to this point. This recording, which has received Grammy consideration, should finally get him the recognition that he deserves. This one is highly recommended !!!

Escape from the Chicken Coop reviewed by Steve Jones

Escape from the Chicken Coop
Watermelon Slim
Northern Blues Music
www.watermelonslim.com
13 tracks

Well, he did it. Watermelon Slim has been hankering to release a country CD and he finally did. This is not at all a blues album in any respect nor was it intended to be. Bill Homans gives us 13 tracks (10 of which he wrote) of full blown corn pone, chocked full of whining Caterpillar engines, skinny women, fat cigars, highway wrecks, friends on the porch, homage to Hank Williams, American wives, long roads ahead and 18 wheelers. The album is dedicated to Dave Dudley, of whom Mr. Homans respects deeply.

I am not a big country music fan, so let me start out by giving you that warning. I like the classic stuff like Johnny Cash, Hank William’s songs (but maybe not his delivery) and other artists in that genre. Pop country like Garth and Keith and Faith is just that, pop. What we have here is closer to the classics than pop, but it just seems to be a little bit sappy and sentimental like country can be, without the glitz and glamour of pop country. Slim is adept at delivering a convincing country song and he does it 13 times. Often the twang and hick-ieness get a bit overbearing for me, but Slim is convincing in delivering traditional country fried lyrics, and country fans will enjoy his approach as will Slim’s dedicated blues fans.

Highlights of this album include a nice duet with Jenny Littleton on “You See Me Like I See You”, where her vocals are delivered in high-Dolly Parton style with the two of them trading lyrics back and forth. Slim follows that with a dirge-like “Wreck on the Highway” where his deep baritone gets down into your soul. “Should Have Done More” is another darker number and Slim delivers it with great conviction as he does with “300 Miles”. He closes out with two more upbeat tracks, “Truck Drivin’ Songs” and “18, 18 Wheeler”, where my toes tapped to the beat no matter how hard I tried not to.

I’m still not a deep country fan, but I kind of liked this album because it ran the gamut of upbeat and down home to dark and almost sinister stuff. Slim is a pretty cool guy and with this CD he is paying tribute to the fellow truckers and highway warriors who he drove with for many years. If you need to go down to the country, Bill “Watermelon Slim” Homans gives you the vehicle to get there with this CD. And be warned now that there will be more vehicles in the fleet, because he laid down a total of 21 tracks in his four days of Nashville studio time. Slim always gave us a little twang with his previous albums with the Workers backup band, and here we have it cranked up and delivered all the way with a fine set of supporting country artists behind him.

Ten Till Midnight reviewed by Rick Davis

Ten Till Midnight
Sean Chambers
Blue Heat Records
http://www.seanchambers.com/
10 Tracks

At the age of 10 Sean Chambers knew he was destined to play the blues. After only a few years of experience, he began touring with B.B. King, Robert Cray, and Buddy Guy. He has currently been touring with Hubert Sumlin as a musical director and guitarist for Sumlin.

His guitar style is electrifying on his new CD Ten Till Midnight . The band wanted to create a sound as close to a live concert as possible. He opens the cd with the title track "Ten Till Midnight". On drums he is joined by Paul Broderick, with Tim Blair on bass and Ben Crider on the Hammond B3. He is absolutely amazing on guitar and equally experienced on vocals. He continues with "Blues & Rock N Roll" accompanied by Gary Keith on Harmonica. He rips into a guitar solo that would leave most audiences breathless. His version of Luther Allison's "All The Kings Horses" would equal Luther himself. His slide guitar on "You're Gonna Miss Me" written by Eddie ("Guitar Slim") Jones is as high powered as any slide guitar I have ever heard. Featured on this cut is Jack Henriquez playing his honky-tonk style piano. "In The Winter" really establishes Chambers as one of the premier high-energy guitarists today. “Too Much Blues” has a slightly different mix than the rest of the CD. In keeping with a live sound, the band liked the way it sounded so it was recorded as it turned out. “Make It Go” is really representational of the way the band sounds live. ZZ Top’s “Brown Sugar” is a number the band has wanted to do some day. The song was recorded live in the studio with the slide part added later. “When I Get Lonely” is another slide guitar number equaling his other slide guitar work. The last song on the cd “I Don’t Know Why” features Gary Keith again on harmonica with Chambers on a National/Steel Resonator guitar, giving this tune more of a delta sound.

If you like blues with intensity and fire, this cd is must! Chambers can absolutely burn up the fret board. He has also mastered the acoustic guitar as you will hear on the last cut. For his high-powered guitar style, I would compare him to Gary Moore. If this cd is an indication of the band’s live sound, count me in!

Blues Woman reviewed by Rick Davis

Blues Woman
Fiona Boyes
Yellow Dog Records
http://yellowdogrecords.com/
15 Tracks

Boyes, a native Australian, is being recognized as one of the premier blues songwriters and performers today with the release of this her second album . Over the past three years, she has been nominated for major Blues Music Awards nominations.

Blues Woman is the second album for Fiona Boyes on Yellow Dog Records. It delivers some of the finest contemporary blues with a wide range of styles from acoustic to electric guitar. The album was recorded in Austin Texas with a complete band featuring Antone's house guitarist Derek O'Brien, bassist Ronnie James, and Jimi Bott on drums. Also featured on the cd are guest artists Marcia Ball, Pinetop Perkins, and Watermelon Slim.

She opens with "Woman Ain't a Mule" making a statement for women's rights. She emphatically informs her man that she is taking him "back to school" when comes to treating her with respect. She continues with the Mississippi Hill county tune "Howlin' At Your Door" inspired by Robert 'Wolfman' Belfour, a Mississippi bluesman. She growls out great lyrics combined with an almost hypnotic electric guitar sound on this tune. Boyes transforms an early JB Lenoir tune "I Want To Go" into an energetic acoustic boogie on the next cut. "Train To Hopesville" incorporates great back up vocals, the piano of Marcia Ball, B-3 organ bass of Nick Connolly, and Texas Horns into a tune about traveling that lonely train of hope. "Look Out Love", written by Australian blues musician Chris Wilson, is done as a shuffle featuring Watermelon on dobro guitar.
Chicago blues number "Got My Eye On You" features Kaz Kazanoff on sax with Fiona giving fans a sample of her slide guitar work. Fiona really slow things down with her ballad "Do You Feel Better". "The Barrelhouse Funeral" reaches us from the pulpit with Watermelon Slim opening like a Hell-fire and brimstone Southern Preacher, Fiona joining in, Marcia Ball on piano, Watermelon following up with harmonica, and The Congregation providing the background vocals. "Place of Milk and Honey", influenced by Fred McDowell, is some of the finest acoustic guitar tunes by Fiona on the cd. The song is all about the stressful life of making a living as a musician on the road. Up tempo "Waiting For Some Good News" features the producer Kaz Kazanoff on harmonica throughout the entire song. "Precious Time" tells us time is too precious to waste on some relationship that is going nowhere! Grabbing a fishing pole and heading to the "Fishin' Hole" would be the advice given by Fiona as she once again entertains us with her resonator guitar and authoritative vocals. Her electric guitar expertise is best performed in the tune "City Born County Gal". Her only solo on resonator guitar, "Juke Joint On Moses Lane", is a song about the Bradfordville Blues Club, a favorite blues spot outside Tallahassee. On the final cut of the cd "Old Time Ways", Pinetop Perkins opens with a few words followed by Fiona rollin' and tumblin' on guitar and Pinetop still pounding the keyboard at 96.

I don't think I have heard a CD with such variety of guitar styles both electric and acoustic. This magnificent CD is proof that Fiona Boyes will be preaching the blues for a long time.
The following quote is a statement by Fiona Boyes about the blues. "I am very proud to be a part of the blues tradition". "And I believe that it is vital and exciting and growing, and I'm doing my best to keep it that way".

I.C. SpecialJoe Filisko & Eric Noden reviewed by Karl Dahlin

I.C. SpecialJoe Filisko & Eric Noden

Self Released

www.ericnoden.com/Filisko_Noden

www.cdbaby.com/cd/jfen

15 tracks/61:51

Joe Filisko & Eric Noden are paired up once again on I.C. Special (self released record label). This is their second CD together and they really complement each others acoustic blues style. Eric is a well schooled acoustic guitar player and Joe is a extremely talented harp player. They play all original tunes on this CD. All the songs sound and feel like they stepped right out of the hay day of the acoustic/folk blues in 1920's or 1930's.

The CD starts out with I.C. Special (title track). Its a song that really captures the sound and impression of riding the Illinois Central rail from the Delta to Chicago. Joe's harp closes the song with a grinding slow down of the massive locomotive coming to halt in the rail yards somewhere in Northern Illinois. Eric & Joe work their way to the next tune which is a song about modern time Gridlock Blues. Eric's slide work on his National resonator guitar and Joe's driving harp make this one of my favorites on the CD. On the fourth track Me & Sonny you genuinely get the feel of the easy going ambiance as Eric sings about traveling through out Europe with buddy Sonny Stovepipe a.k. Joe.

Joe and Eric trade off vocals on tracks as they take you through the songs of the CD. Their music covers angry woman, drinking too much, world traveling, breaking up and dieing. Each tune has its own unique sound and the CD flows from one subject to the next keeping the feel of the early times of the Blues going strong. One big difference from old blues recordings and this one is the great sound quality which allows you to hear all the intricate guitar and harp sounds clear as a bell. Its easy to get a sense of sitting on a old country porch and listening to the influences of all those great harp players with Sonny in their name.

The CD has a great feel to it and is a prime example of blues from the past living on today. Being only their second CD together Joe and Eric sound like seasoned touring veterans. They are truly the rail carriers of acoustic/folk blues of yester year and today.