Kara Grainger Grand And Green River Craving Records-KG01 * * * * This album mixes blues with Americana, topped off with superb vocals Australian born Kara Grainger comes across as a younger version of Bonnie Raitt. She sings blues with plenty of emotion and (when required) raunchiness, and as with Ms Raitt she plays a mean guitar. The slightly jazzy […]

Jared Tyler Blue Alleluia www.walkinglibertyrecords.com ***1/2 Singer-songwriter Jared Tyler is one of those acts who may defy your normal category pigeon holing, apart from that is, he fits into a box as naturally as frost lays on grass on a cold winter’s night—GOOD! There are not many relatively unheard acts that can boast such guests on their debut album as […]

Jake Le Botz Sing This To Yourself…And Other Personal Suggestions For A Personal Apocalypse Charnel Records CGR-109 *** Jake La Botz was born in 1968, the son of truck driver, union organiser and journalist who worked on the Chicago Defender. As a boy, young Jake listened to blues and hillbilly records and was influenced by bluesmen such as Maxwell […]

The Henry McCullough Band FBI Live ***** You may or may not have heard of Henry McCullough - although it’s more likely you will have - but it’s almost certain you’ll have heard him play. After cutting his teeth with various bands in his native Ireland, McCullough headed for the bright lights of London just as the British blues boom exploded. A […]

Gaither Vocal Band and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Together Gaither Gospel Series. DVD. SHDVD4781 **** A lively coming together of old and new in Southern Gospel! Having heard the CD previously, I was right in my assumption that the DVD would be a whole lot better. Recorded to a wildly enthusiastic crowd in Louisville, Kentucky, the coming together of […]

G Love & Special Sauce Superhero Brother Brushfire Records 1778050 **** Modern foot-tapping mix of country styles Right from the start, this album gets your feet tapping along to Communication followed by some head nodding with City Livin’ and by the third song, Wiggle Worm, there is some definite body swaying incorporated. SUPERHERO BROTHER is their third album on Jack […]

Edgar Winter Rebel Road Airline Records **** It’s somehow fitting that Edgar Winter has called his latest release REBEL ROAD. After all that’s pretty much the musical path he’s trod for 35 years. It’s debatable just how much of a compliment this is, but Edgar Winter is now surely a bona fide blues rock institution and REBEL ROAD is a tub-thumping, kick […]

Ecki Mono Product Records-PRODUCT035 *** Alternative sensibilities with pop overtures. A psychedelic dream-induced album, with the odd moments of raised tempo, as well as some fine kaleidoscopic sounds - this in a sentence is Ecki. A rhythmic drum beat intros the mellow Radar, with Ecki’s high vocal delivery sounding closer to Morrissey while the song builds to a frenzied crescendo, before […]

Dave Carter with Tracy Grammer When I Go Signature Sounds SIG1272 **** Poetic, complex and played with a deftness few can match. The late Dave Carter and his then sidekick, and now a recording act in her own right Tracy Grammer, made music to die for! Simple, stripped down and awash in folk and country roots, 2008 celebrates the 10th […]

Cory Morrow Vagrants & Kings Sustain 001143 *** Honest modern-day Texas barroom country Supported by his band, Texas singer-songwriter Cory Morrow delivers a set of material awash in feel good songs. Plied with hooky rhythms and backing that features not only guitars and percussion, but a little fiddle, B3, keyboards and brass the music easily flows. Among the album’s genuine […]