This past month all eyes have been on Brazil with the World Cup. but my ears have been enjoying a Carnival of sound since the release of Tia Carroll’s newest CD entitled, Brazil Sessions. The Northern Californian went to the Southern Hemisphere to record some southern soul music with some of the greatest blues musicians on any continent, The Igor Prado Band. Tia Carroll is a Bay Area revelation who first hit my ears when her soulful voice came out of my speakers on the Igor Prado Band’s 2012 outstanding release entitled The Blues and Soul Sessions. Three of the eleven tracks from this release appeared on The Blues and Soul Sessions and are marvelous I went with a tune from one of the sessions that was recorded this past spring. It is Tia’s take on the Al Green classic Love and Happiness which was co-written by the guitarist on that session, Mabon Lewis “Teenie” Hodges who passed away this past June 22^nd.  

Common Ground is the name of the June 3^rd release by Dave & Phil Alvin on Yep Roc Records. If there was anyone well suited to cover Big Bill Broonzy, it’s the brothers Alvin.  This 12 track exploration into the music of Big Bill is full of tunes that sound fresh and hip, even though some date back to the 30’s and 40s.  The brothers wanted to cover a broad expanse of Broonzy’s long and successful recording career and they succeeded.  The album has a little bit of this and a lot of that from Broonzy’s song book and is a showcase of guitar and vocal work for both Dave and Phil.  Gene Taylor, formerly of the Blasters, backs the boys on piano on six of the album’s tracks. The rhythm section duties are shared by bassists Bob Glaub and Brad Fordham, with drummers Don Heffington and Lisa Pankratz each taking a turn or two behind the drum kit.  While there isn’t a tune on this album we don’t like, we’ve been spinning Trucking Little Woman over and over again.  Phil’s voice and Dave’s guitar solo make this a sweet little number.  We dare you to try to not dance when you hear it.  - T.L.M.

Andy T/Nick Nixon Band’s June 17^th release, Livin’ it Up on Delta Groove Music is their second CD in as many years on the L.A based label. It is a solid outing that simmers for fifty three minutes, yet never quite comes to a boil. This thirteen track collection of mostly original material features the tasteful guitar of Andy T and the rich vocals of Nick Nixon. This collection of mostly mid-tempo numbers was again produced by Anson Funderburgh. The song My Baby is Now on my Mind is an Aaron Thibeaux Walker original in which the band puts a great Texas shuffle underneath a fine vocal performance by Nixon and some tasty T-Bone inspired licks by Andy T. 

The Bo-Keys are the prolific Memphis soul revivalists led by bassist Scott Bomar and they are at it again. They have yet another offering in the market place, The Electrophonic Singles Vol. 1.  This time out the band backs the great Percy Wiggins who sings on four of this EP’s six tracks. He is joined by his dad, the legendary Spencer Wiggins on the Dan Penn/Chips Moman classic The Dark End of the Street. The album features original material primarily written by Bomar and also has two instrumentals. One of these is Ennio Morrcone’s title theme to the movie The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The other is a “Green Onions-esque” work out entitled Wind Up Monkey that, like almost everything this group does, is a virtual homage to Booker T and the MGs, which is just fine by me.  It’s this tune that we have queued up on the JUKEBOX.

In recent years The Paladins have moved from a cult phenomenon to the status of legends. Much of this shift in perception comes from a nearly decade long hiatus as the band’s guitarist and principal vocalist Dave Gonzalez pursued a wonderful project called The Hacienda Brothers with a like-minded musical chameleon by the name of Chris Gaffney. After Gaffney’s passing in 2008, Gonzalez began working with Austin, Texas, based vocalist Mike Barfield in a band they called The Stone River Boys. In the past few years Gonzalez began making some very rare appearances with the other two members of The Paladins, bassist Thomas Yearsley and drummer Brian Fahey. Now they have a great re-issue of sorts as More of the Best Vol. 1 on Lux Records was just released. This CD compilation features many of the early, hard to find releases from this dynamic genre bending trio. Our jukebox selection was penned by the late great John “Juke” Logan and is the title track to what just might be their best and certainly most blues oriented album, 1990’s Let’s Buzz.

If you thought Laura Rain and the Caesars were over the top on Electrified, wait until you hear their sophomore album Closer.  This 11 track, self-released album of all original tunes written by Rain and guitarist George Friend will take you straight to Detroit for a soul, funk musical experience you won’t soon forget.  Rain’s vocal style has been compared to a young Aretha Franklin, and that is even more evident on this album.  We love Meet Me in the Middle for just that reason.  Sophomore albums are often a disappointment for fans and sometimes indicate the end of the run, but with Closer, Laura Rain and the Caesars have shown us they are just getting started. – T.L.M.

With Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters most folks pretty much know what they are going to get; jazz and soul infused blues instrumentals and lots of them. Earl, and his long time backing band, the Broadcasters’ latest release, Good News on Stony Plain Records is just that for long time fans of this East Coast guitar virtuoso. I have always been conflicted by Earl’s music as I recognize his talent, yet for me it’s always about song before solo. Whether or not these guitar workouts are inspiring is pretty much up to the inspired. The record does have a couple of vocal tracks featuring some nice work by Dianne Blue including Sam Cooke’s A Change is Going to Come which was originally released 50 years ago by Cooke on his album entitled, Ain’t That Good News.

Raoul and the Big Time is a Toronto based band led by vocalist and harmonica player Raoul Bhaneja. Their new album entitled Hollywood Blvd. features the cream of the west coast blues crop of mega-talent. Various tracks toggle between guitarist Rick Holmstrom and his trio made up of multi-instrumentalist Jeff Turmes, who on these sessions plays electric bass, and percussionist extraordinaire, Stephen Hodges on drums. The other sessions are anchored by guitarist Junior Watson, Fred Kaplan on piano, bassist Larry Taylor and Richard Innes on drums. It simply doesn’t get any better than that. Of the instrumentals, which are the standout tracks on this record, there is one called, Left Coast Fred and it features some tasty piano playing by Kaplan, great guitar work by Watson and of course the swinging rhythm section of Larry Taylor and the great Richard Innes.  

Chicago’s own Dave Specter has his first offering out since 2010’s Spectified. This 2014 Delmark Records release is entitled Message in Blue. It is mega mix of modern Chicago blues. The album has mostly Specter originals mixed in nicely with a few select covers. The real treat here is that the guitarist is joined on three tracks by vocalist Otis Clay. Three more tracks feature the vocals of the band’s versatile keyboard player Brother John Kattke. Bob Corritore blows harp on two tracks. As per usual, Specter has a healthy smattering of some real tasty original instrumentals thrown into the mix. These include New West Side Stroll, Funkified, The Stinger, Jefferson Stomp and Opus De Swamp. One of my favorites however is Spectifyin’ Samba which is a lot of fun.

Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers return to Blind Pig Records where they recorded their CD entitled Keeping It Real a few years back. This June release, Emergency Situation, is the band’s strongest in many years. The current line-up of the Flyers, which has been intact for a few years now, includes the piano pounding Miss Honey, guitarist Henry Carvajal, drummer Dave Kida and Norm Gonzalez on bass. These sides are bolstered and benefit greatly from the addition of the two piece horn section of Ron Dziubla and Jim Jedikin. The strength of a Rod Piazza album, like anything else, depends on the material original or otherwise. On Emergency Situation the covers carry the day with some simply outstanding and creative choices. One of these is the band’s take on an old Big Walter Price number called, Gambling Woman.

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