As many of our readers are aware Tomi Leino has been a ubiquitous presence on the contemporary blues music scene for several years now. The Helsinki based guitar player owns and operates his own analog studio, Suprovox in that Finnish capital city. Leino was a long-time member of the currently defunct international, Swedish based supergroup, Trickbag. He, along with members of that band, even backed a handful of American blues men in live performances and in the studio. James Harman and Steve Guyger are just two notable examples who spring immediately to mind. Leino is currently a member of Knockout Greg and the Scandinavian Blue Flames. In between all of this activity, Leino was able to record three excellent albums under the banner of the Tomi Leino Trio, 2013’s Get on Down, 2016’s Hip Shootin’ and finally his 2022 release Play That Thing! All three of these releases are excellent examples of straight-ahead natural blues played with the verve in which the music was originally intended. A combination of originals and carefully selected covers highlight Leino’s 2022 stripped down, groove laden offering. Highly recommended...

Editor’s note: All three Tomi Leino Trio albums are available at Bluebeat Music.                                                                                                                                                           

This is the first release of new material from this Mississippi native in 12 years. Passing away at the age of 70 eleven years ago may have something to do with this. If you asked Johnson, the musical question, 'Where were you in ’62?,' the guitarist would have to answer that he, along with harp man Frank Frost and drummer Sam Carr formed the seminal Delta blues band the Jelly Roll Kings. This durable band played for decades. Occasionally Big Jack Johnson, along with the other members of that band, stepped out to record under their own names. Stripped Down In Memphis represents two such occasions for Johnson that took place in 1998 and 2000. They are the legendary, Memphis BBQ Sessions with Kim Wilson which have never been previously released. Also included here are tracks recorded with George “Wild Child” Butler. This release is a welcome surprise for fans of low-down acoustic blues.



A long-time favorite here at the JUNCTION, San Pedro Slim’s music represents a timeless joy that is always welcome in our home. Here Slim (aka David Kiefer) has released a limited number of these CDs through Bluebeat Music. As the album title suggests, these recordings date back to the early years of his career. The album is a combination of live and studio tracks. Slim is a terrific singer and harp player. This collection features guitar heavyweights Rick Holmstrom, Henry Carvajal and Nathan James with whom Slim has worked with for many years. Kid Andersen is also is featured here. Drummers Stephen Hodges and Bob “Pacemaker” Newham appear on various tracks. Tyler Pedersen and Art Kratz handle the bass duties. I have always thought of San Pedro Slim as the Charles Bukowski of the blues, as his original tunes (underscore the word original) often speak to the flip side of the California dream.



Gary Smith has been a fixture on the "south bay" blues scene for over 40 years. He is an experienced and exciting harp player and singer.  The Houserockers started out in the 1980's and got revitalized in the new millennium with original members Frank Derose, Sid Morris and Jack Sanford. This new release was recorded live at the Poor House Bistro in San Jose on Sept. 4th, 2021. It shows the band at its best.  Smith's harp skills have always been stellar and this new recording shows that things get better with age.  - C.L.  

Mike Morgan is back. He was a stalwart on the Dallas music scene in the halcyon days of the 80’s, and especially 90’s, blues revival that revved at full throttle in the Lone Star State and everywhere else for that matter. His first album since 2008’s Stronger Every Day is a wildly unfocused and eclectic affair that somehow works in spite of itself. Morgan wrote 10 of the 13 tracks here. Morgan is backed by no less than 13 musicians who are credited in the album’s liner notes and play on various tracks. Enumerating their contributions here would be an exercise in tedium but Reo Casey in particular should be singled out for his contributions. The young Dallas based phenom contributes his prodigious multi-instrumental talents on seven different tracks on The Lights Went Out In Dallas. It is good that Mike Morgan has turned his light on again. It is great to bask in that luminescence.                                                                                                         

Captured during 12 recording sessions between 2018 and 2022, these 16 tracks deliver unvarnished blues with understated production capturing the urgency of a live performance and the finishing touch to make complete, memorable songs. The glue that holds it all together is the combination of Corritore's focused production work and his expressive “serve the song” harmonica style. Featured vocalists on this set include Alabama Mike, Johnny Rawls, Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry, Oscar Wilson, Sugaray Rayford, Diunna Greenleaf, Jimi “Primetime” Smith, Bob Stroger, Francine Reed, and Willie Buck. – C.L. 

If you took the formidable blues force of the one-man band of Gerry Hundt and his prodigious talents and combined that with a songwriter of immense talent and seemingly endless creativity, not to mention guitar prowess like Andrew Duncanson, with the harp of Ronnie Shellist who simply reeks of blues chops that might give you some idea of what is in store for listeners of The Dig 3. But that is just the nuts and bolts. What the eponymously named new album by this trio of like-minded musicians sounds like is both familiar and fresh at the same time. It takes timeless traditional blues and makes a new statement in our post pandemic world of 2022. This album is a strong contender for BLUES JUNCTION Productions Album of the Year and comes to you with my highest recommendation.

This French ensemble has just released their fifth album and their second offering sans the uber talented guitarist Thomas Hircsh who left to pursue a solo career. Here on their 2022 outing they continue to soldier on behind the strength of their leader, Norman Rosaia. He is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and principal songwriter who penned the lion's share of this all-original program. The quartet also includes guitarist, Jo’ Nosalik, bassist Herve’ Parent and the drumming of Sebastien Courti. The band toggles between jazz infused numbers and more traditional blues faire via some contemplative ballads.



This veteran singer and harp man is set to drop his most recent release on September 16^th. Here Nemeth offers up his best non-Love Light Orchestra CD in years. After several missteps it is good to report that John Nemeth has got his groove back. He returns to the soul, blues, gospel influenced material that put him on my radar in the first- place, way back in 2002, with his Jack of Harps album. Here Nemeth, always an exceptional singer, blows more harp than in recent efforts helping to give the album that blues edge, that was so lacking recently. The album was recorded at Greaseland Studios and was mixed and mastered by Kid Andersen.



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