The twenty plus year association of Joe Kubek and B’nois King continues with the Dallas duo’s second outing on Delta Grove Music which hit the streets on September 17^th. The album appropriately entitled Road Dog’s Life has these blues-rockers demonstrating that you can actually have addition by subtraction. Gone are Kubek’s pedals, wa wa and otherwise. What this gives the listener is a rhythmic crunch in Kubek’s playing that was often absent in recent recordings. Additionally, it brings the taut, sinewy guitar lines from King out from under an avalanche of blues-rock histrionics which have plagued some of this band’s previous recordings with other labels. As always the warm voice of King is put to good use on mostly original material. Our Jukebox selection K9 Blues is one of these originals that also feature’s the harp playing of Kim Wilson who guests on three of the album’s twelve tracks. This is the strongest outing by the Texas tandem in years.

Big Chico is yet another artist who delivers a fine recording from the Chico Blues label out of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Big Chico should not be confused with label’s founder and owner who’s known as Chico Blues. By any other name the brand new album entitled, My New Blues is a healthy portion of just that, new blues Chicago style. Big Chico is a fine harp player and guitarist whose is an earnest singer. The album benefits greatly by having special guest Lurrie Bell on a few familiar covers such as a ten and a half minute version of the Bob Geddins’ penned Tin Pan Alley, which features Bell on guitar and vocals. Our jukebox selection however is a Big Chico original, the self explanatory instrumental, Chromatic Style.

Frank Bey & The Anthony Paule Band already have a live album which came out earlier this year. Their latest, Soul for Your Blues on Blue Dot Records is a strong contender for soul-blues album of the year. Like the other front runner for that distinction, Finis Tasby’s latest, this record was recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California. Vocalist Bey and guitarist Paule again are in the company of a whole host of top flight bay area musicians who are part of Paule’s great band. Bey’s delivery and the accompianent puts me in mind of Clarence Carter’s late 60’s Fame Studios period. A great example of this is the tune It’s Good To Have Your Company. This tune was written by the songwriting team of Christine Vitale and Karen Falker. 

Guy Davis’ latest release on M.C. Records, Juba Dance features Italian harmonica player Fabrizio Poggi. Davis overdubs two guitar parts on most tracks as well as various percussion elements, ranging from foot stomps, handclaps, cowbell, tambourine and wooden spoons. This acoustic country blues album is a mix of covers and Davis originals. The duo goes it alone save one tune where they are joined by The Blind Boys of Alabama. My jukebox selection is a Davis original Black Coffee, which is done in the spirit of John Lee Hooker’s late 50’s Vee-Jay recordings. 

The Silver Kings are Southern California based revivalists who are intent on recreating the sounds of early post war electric blues. On their brand new CD Tough Times that is exactly what they do. This trio consists of the album’s producer Mark Mumea on guitar, vocals and suitcase drum and Big Jon Atkinson, who is featured in this month’s BLUES JUNCTION, on vocals, harmonica and guitar. Upright acoustic bass chores are handled by Jerry Careaga. Strict attention to vintage recording techniques and equipment give the entire proceedings an authenticity that is startling. The album’s closing track Goin’ Down to Eli’s is my jukebox pick.

Carl Sonny Leyland is one of the great blues pianists of his generation. He is deeply informed in several pre-war piano idioms and seems to excel at all of them. His latest project Ready To Boogie is billed as the Carl Sonny Leyland Trio and features the great veteran jazz drummer Jeff Hamilton and long time Leyland bassist Marty Eggers. This sixteen song program was recorded over a three day span this past May. The trio touches on some songs by the likes of Ivory Joe Hunter, Roosevelt Sykes and others as well as original material. The CD offers a mix of instrumentals and tunes with vocals, including Leyland’s take on the old W.C. Handy penned composition Beale Street Blues. Leyland’s singing puts me in mind of Jimmy Rushing and that, of course, is a very good thing.  

The Hound Kings is trio of musicians from the talent rich San Francisco Bay area. They are the very busy veteran guitarist Anthony Paul, Scot Brenton on harmonica and Michael Benjamin who goes by the moniker Alabama Mike on vocals. This all acoustic album of mostly original material entitled, Unleashed features some well written and well crafted material. The song Recession Blues is one of these originals credited to all three band members. This is one of two excellent albums released by San Francisco based 9Below Records in 2013. The other being the very strong outing by Steve Freund.

The long awaited and much anticipated Holland K. Smith album has arrived. The Eller Soul Records release Cobalt features several shades of blues. For the third time in his career, the Fort Worth Texas native brings Anson Funderburgh into the studio to produce this, his first CD in almost a decade. Also on board are long time Funderburgh sidekicks Wes Starr on drums and keyboard player Gentleman John Street who also served as the album’s engineer. Ronnie James Webber handles the lion’s share of the bass duties. Smith, who is an accomplished guitarist and vocalist, wrote fourteen of the album’s fifteen tracks. It is one of his original tunes, You Get What You Deserve which has Smith stepping aside to let his hero Anson Funderburgh play guitar. That is my jukebox selection from this eclectic and ambitious project.

Sugar Ray Rayford is a relative newcomer to the blues scene. He is a Texan who has a background in gospel music. He has been based out of Southern California for a few years and most recently has become a member of Delta Groove Music’s “house band” The Mannish Boys. Rayford has a commanding stage presence and the question remains whether that could translate to this, his first solo CD, Dangerous, which was released on September 17th. It is a solid effort that features a mix of originals and covers. Two of the original tunes were written by another Sugar Ray, that being the highly acclaimed and accomplished Norcia who is along for the ride. Three songs were written by the album’s co-producer and label president Randy Chortkoff. My runaway favorite however is the Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown tune Depression Blues that features Ron Dziubla doubling up on tenor saxophone and Dave Melton doing the same on trumpet. The song also features the guitar of Chris “Kid” Andersen. This tune represents this CD’s high water mark.

Our October Monthly Artist Spotlight feature is an in depth interview with Kid Andersen. The Norwegian ex-pat is the guitarist for the band Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. He also is the main man behind Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, where one terrific album after another is being made. One of the best of the best to come out of Greaseland this year (or any year) is Snap Your Fingers which is billed as Finis Tasby and Kid Andersen.  This Bluebeat Music release has that late 60’s, early 70’s Bobby Bland, Z.Z. Hill, B.B. King sound. Tasby is at the absolute top of his game for this outing. An all-star blues band gives perfect support for the veteran vocalist who gives new luster to eleven sterling blues gems. A personal favorite and my jukebox pick is an updated version of the Bobby Bland classic, Rockin’ in the Same Old Boat.

Click here to view thousands of Blues titles