This is the second release by this down home group from the Netherlands. Their first outing Big Fish Boogie was a terrific recording. On Tailgatin’ this band proves that they are more than a one trick pony.  Working in the classic territory of Mississippi delta and Chicago groove, the band plays intentionally raggedy without sounding inexperienced. They quote many classics in their originals from the eerie vocal style of Skip James to the aggressive guitar tones of Cobra era Otis Rush.  Vocalist and harp man Machiel Meijers and guitarist Willem Van Dullemen wrote eight of the thirteen sides with good covers of Johnny Shines, Tommy Johnson and Big Bill Broonzy and a real swampy instrumental by the entire band. – C.L.

West Coast Toast represents the triumphant return to the studio for the consummate blues musician Mitch Kashmar. It also signals the latest triumph from Delta Groove Music. This is their third release of 2016 and continues a marvelous trend, following on the heels of their stunning spring offering from John Long and the tremendous collaboration between Big Jon Atkinson and Bob Corritore. Mitch Kashmar’s West Coast Toast is a masterpiece. You can read a full album review here in the November edition of BLUES JUNCTION. – D.M.

Here is another big slab of down home, electric Chicago blues from that little band from Itajai, Brazil, on the South Atlantic. The band sports two vocalists, harmonica man Joe Marhofer and guitarist Ricardo Maca. The band is anchored by bassist Arthur “Catuto” Garcia and drummer Leandro “Cavera” Barbeta. Argentine harp man Nico Smoljan guests on Big Bill Broonzy’s I Had a Dream. This, their fourth album on Chico Blues Records out of Sao Paulo, mines familiar territory and should be a treat for fans who like their blues performed the straight, natural way. Great stuff all the way around.  – D.M.

Hypnotized! is the third album from this extremely talented Ukrainian harmonica player. This all instrumental affair has what Kolesnichenko describes as having that elusive, sentimental feeling. This entire CD lives in that wonderful place where jazz and blues gets all mixed up. This was recorded back in August of this year and will remind listeners of those wonderful Prestige and Blue Note albums from the late 50’s and early 60’s. Guitarist Paul Seedorenko and organist Mikhail Lyshenko make wonderful contributions to this intoxicating album.  Picture listening to Grant Green, Lou Donaldson, Bill Jennings or Jack McDuff with a diatonic harp and you get the picture. This is tasty stuff to be sure. – D.M.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, native and Vancouver, British Columbia, resident Harpdog Brown has put together a talent laden album appropriately entitled Travelin’ with the Blues. The CD was recorded at Big Jon Atkinson’s Big Tone Studios in Hayward, California, save two tracks which were recorded in nearby San Jose at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios. The record was produced by the well traveled Little Victor who is currently residing in England. Guests include pianist Carl Sonny Leyland, Big Jon, Kid, Rusty Zinn and Charlie Musselwhite. Despite the album’s west coast pedigree, the record has a decidedly Chicago blues feel where some well selected covers sit beside some fun originals such as Facebook Mama, a song to which many of us can relate. – D.M.

Big Creek Slim, a.k.a. Marc Rune, was born and raised in Ikast, a small town in Central Denmark. He traveled in the United States for a spell around 2008, playing music and writing songs. He now lives with his family in Florianopolis, Brazil, in a cabin by the ocean. On his latest CD he is joined by Nathan James and Peter Nande who co-produced the sessions that make up this release of rural down home blues and spirituals.  Nande is an outstanding harp player and Nathan James is one of the bright lights of contemporary blues on guitar.  Slim has a natural voice that carries the tunes which range from covers of classics to some real authentic originals. – C.L.

This Chico Blues CD release is part of a multi-media offering by the 38 year old Austrian master of the Hammond B3 organ and Brazilian guitar phenom Igor Prado. Wressnig considers himself a multi-genre artist and that pretty much describes the music on The Soul Connection. Blues, jazz, funk and soul get stirred up into a tasty gumbo of groove. Vocalists Wee Willie Walker, David Hudson and Leon Beale all take turns between tasty instrumental workouts by Wressnig and Prado. The band is comprised of the rhythm section of the Igor Prado Band which is brother Yuri on drums and Rodrigo Mantovani on bass. As always, they are superb. Frequent collaborator, “Sax” Gordon Beadle, handles tenor duties and does all the horn arrangements. (For a complete review see our November Monthly Album Spotlight) – D.M.

The latest offering by British soul man Si Cranstoun mines familiar territory which is good news for fans of this retro revelator of cool. Cranstoun is a scintillating live performer whose attributes as an entertainer don’t completely translate to his CDs, but his recorded offerings are always fun nonetheless. Here Cranstoun does his thing despite being on a label notorious for its miserable dirge like blues-rock output.  He made this record without their influence or input. He had the whole thing in the can and was picked up by Ruf. So Old School is in no way reflective of the crap this label normally peddles. – D.M.  

This French ensemble plays everything from vintage rock&roll to rockabilly with blues flavoring and they do it with original ideas and some fine chops. It might be blues with rockabilly and vintage rock&roll flavoring, but who cares. It is simply great music. Songs like French Car, A Pen to a Swine and Thorn Tree show that sardonic wit goes a long way to making music fun. Led by Zimmerlin Guillaume aka Bone Tee, this is a band worthy of your attention. – D.M.

The latest offering by blues troubadour Don Scott is an enjoyable ten song program which drives through the America of a bygone era. Scott is joined here by Rosanne Licciardi on the Cajon octo-snare. This Minnesota vocalist, guitarist and song writer shares his take on song by Jimmy Rogers’ What Have I Done, Chris Kenner’s Something You Got and even Chuck Berry’s Too Much Monkey Business as well as others. However, like on previous efforts, it is Scott’s own original tunes that captured my attention and are the album highlights on Glad to Have These Blues. I’m glad to hear Don Scott play these blues. – D.M.

This live recording from Norway in 2016 captures the raw soul of Willie Walker. It is as good as any of his studio recordings. This CD features the talents of Kid Andersen and special guest Rick Estrin. Using the Nightcats as the rhythm section and featuring an outstanding Norwegian horn section, the performance crackles with fire and enthusiasm. Producers Kid Andersen and Jim Pugh both are featured and always add the right flavor to the song without overpowering the vocals. Covers of Sam Cooke, The Beatles and Bobby Rush sit alongside updated versions of his 60's classics and round out this snapshot of this talented singer in his prime. This is another fine offering from Pugh’s Little Village Foundation. – C. L. 

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