Our June mid-month feature will be about the King of West Coast Cool, Lynwood Slim. Slim is making his making his triumphant return to the concert stage on June 24^th at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, CA. He has overcome a series of very serious health problems and after a two year absence from the scene is itching to return. His most recent album came out in November of 2010. It is a Delta Groove Music release called, Brazilian Kicks. Slim produced the CD, sings, plays harp and flute. He is backed by some fabulous young musicians out of Sao Paulo, The Igor Prado Band. One of my favorite tunes on the album is the Jimmy Nelson tune, I Sat and Cried.

Red Lotus Revue just released their debut full length CD in May. The self produced, self- released disc is entitled Fourteen Stories. Half the tracks were written by the band's vocalist/harmonica player Karl Cabbage and guitarist Jimmy Zollo. Guitarist Pete Fazzini and drummer Kurt Kalker round out this San Diego based quartet who deliver a post war Chicago sound that is deeply rooted in that tradition. The album also features wonderfully obscure covers of Otis Smothers, Johnny Shines, Jimmy Reed and others. I chose an original tune called Barkin’ that sounds like it could have been recorded 60 years ago. Check out the feature story on this fine band and their engaging front man, Karl Cabbage.   

Lil “A” & The Allnighters CD Special Project is a 2010 recording by this Southern California based quintet. The official release of the CD coincided with the band's appearance on the main stage at the enormous Doheny Blues Festival a couple of weeks ago. The band is made up of Southern California based veterans guitarists Joe Conde and Anthony Contreras, bassist Kenny Huff and A.J. Martel on drums. Out front is vocalist and harmonica sensation Alex Lil’ “A” Woodson.  My favorite is the band's treatment of the Amos Milburn tune that is a toe tappin’, boot heel smackin’, hand clappin, finger snappin’, hip shakin’, show stopper entitled, Chicken Shack.

Trickbag’s most recent CD is a 2011 release entitled Goin’ Downtown. The Swedish based band is led by vocalist Tommy Moberg and bassist Lars Nasman. The album features Chicago piano great Barrelhouse Chuck, British harmonica phenom Wes Weston and fellow Swede, the Godfather of the modern Scandinavian blues scene, guitarist, Sven Zetterberg who is featured on the tune written by George “Harmonica” Smith, Nobody Knows. The Stockholm based band just completed a five date Southern California tour including two shows at the prestigious Doheny Blues Festival and a Thursday night performance at the world famous Tiki Bar.

Enrico Crivellaro’s brand new album on Electro-Fi Records is entitled Free Wheelin’. The record is just that. The great Italian blues guitarist stretches out with a batch of instrumentals. The CD is a mix of original material written by Crivello and his very talented keyboard player Pietro Taucer who moves effortlessly between a grand piano, a Hammond C3 and a Fender Rhodes. There is also a pair of interesting covers including Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood. I have been grooving to the Earl Hooker penned tune Universal Rock which gets the Crivellaro treatment.

Fred Kaplan’s brand new self released CD entitled, Hold My Mule is a generous 17 song helping of originals all written by the great pianist. The entire record was recorded live in the studio. The CD features long time Kaplan collaborators, guitarist Junior Watson and drummer Richard Innes. They are joined bassist Kedar Roy and exceptionally talented sax man, Gordon Beadle. What makes the greatest blues songs and albums special is a timeless quality. This recording is very special for the same reason. The CD receives my highest recommendation. I could have gone in any number of directions but I dropped a nickel on a calypso imbibed blues number, entitled Tropical Ivories where both Watson and Beadle take simply beautiful solos.

When the guitar Gods made Junior Watson they broke the mold. His attack on the instrument is like no one who has ever played. Sure he owes a great deal to his idols Oscar Moore, Earl Hooker, Bill Jennings, Pee Wee Crayton and especially, Tiny Grimes, but Watson formed his own voice years ago and subsequently has become one of the most influential and respected guitarists of his generation. His brand new release Jumpin’ Wit’ Junior is only the third solo recording in his long career. It is in many ways the companion piece to Fred Kaplan’s brand new album in that each record shares many of the same players. Kaplan’s piano playing for instance is all over this record. Of the album's 15 tracks, all but three are instrumentals. I have been grooving to the tune Velvet Mood where you can hear Watson’s influences coalesce around his own spontaneous voice. Fred Kaplan’s exceptional piano playing is also featured on this number.

Li’l Ronnie and the Grand Dukes' June 5^th release on Eller Soul Records, Gotta Strange Feeling is the third album by this group of Virginia based veterans led by vocalist/harmonica player Ronnie Owens. This 14 song collection features 12 originals written primarily by Owens and the Grand Dukes’ guitarist Ivan Appelrouth. The two covers on this CD are Louis Jordan’s Buzz Me and Chuck Berry’s C’est la vie. I went with an Owen/Appelrouth original instrumental entitled Fat City. This album is traditional blues done right by east coasters with a little west coast blues in their soul.  

West Coast Guitar Killers: Volume 3 is the latest installment of this great series of compilation CDs. The May 18, 2012, release is from Charlie’s Blue Beat Music. The CD features twenty five somewhat obscure gems that span the years 1949 - 1976. The album even has a live tune recorded at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium featuring guitarist Johnny Rogers who is backed by Roy Milton’s Solid Senders. It includes an introduction by L.A. Jazz impresario Gene Norman. My favorite track on this album is a tough choice. I went with, Young Date by pianist Lloyd Glen. It is an instrumental recorded in Los Angeles in 1962 for the Imperial label. It features Jesse Irvin on guitar. 

Gary Primich Just a Little Bit More...with Omar Dykes was released on April 17, 2012. This two disc box set is a wonderful compilation put together by the late great harmonica players dad, Jack Primich. This twenty three song collection of tunes includes tracks from Gary’s 1994 release Travelin’ Mood, his 1994 album Mr. Freeze and his 2006 release Ridin’ The Dark Horse. There are seven previously unreleased tracks courtesy of vocalist/guitarist Omar Kent Dykes that feature Primich in the role of a sideman. He lends his incredible harmonica to these cuts. One of these is the Dykes' penned tune entitled Hoo Doo Ball. The song with the big Bo Diddley beat also has Nick Connelly on organ, Gary Pharaoh Felton on Bass and the great George Rains on drums. The tragic loss of Gary Primich is something that will always leave a void for fans of his music like me and of course to his family and friends. One of those friends, Cathi Norton did an exemplary job in writing the liner notes. Thanks to Jack Primich and everyone else involved in giving us just a little bit more of Gary’s incredible music.