Marc Rune aka Big Creek Slim is a Danish blues man who recently moved to Brazil and has recorded yet another marvelous album. First Born comes on the heels of two outstanding 2017 releases. This time out he recorded the CD with the Sao Paulo based Chico Blues family of blues musicians and has made yet another thrilling record. He is accompanied by the album’s producer and bass player Rodrigo Mantovani. This Chico Blues Records offering is scheduled for a September 27^th release date. It features a mix of Big Creek Slim originals and some thoughtful covers that fall into the rural/ country blues spectrum. Big Creek Slim is an accomplished blues singer and instrumentalist who plays dobro as well as twelve string, electric and acoustic guitars and even a banjo on one track. This record represents blues music at its finest and receives my highest recommendation. – D.M. 

The latest release on our Bluebeatmusic label is a collaboration with Big Jon Atkinson and his studio, Big Tone Records. Recorded in 2017, this set features Darrell playing and singing straight blues with a killer band that includes Danny Michel, Ronnie Smith, Robert Welsh and Marty Dodson.  Darrell has always made great records and this could be the finest blues recordings he has made since his band Texas Heat.  Recorded using vintage equipment and knowledgeable players the set reflects a deep-seated understanding of what to play and how it should sound. – C.L.

It's been seven years since Little Victor had a new release and this CD captures the sound he has become known for.  The first twelve tracks were recorded at Tomi Leino’s Supravox studio in Finland and feature Little Victor and Jo Buddy as the "distorted duo."  The sound is raw and basic with a rough lo-fi edge and the original songs have a fresh "off the wall" approach.  A few of the recordings were done at Big Jon Atkinson’s Big Tone Studio with guests Kim Wilson, Carl Sonny Leyland and Steve Lucky. - C.L.                                                                                               

Pianist and organist Anthony Geraci is a gifted and hard-working blues man who has been at this a very long time. He is that rare individual who seems to keep getting better at his craft. Why Did You Have To Go is just the latest example of this. This 40-year veteran of the New England blues scene is a founding and current member of Sugar Ray and the Bluetones and of the original Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. Through the years he has played with the greatest blues musicians in the world. He brings them to the studio for this fine album. It is his original songwriting and his choice of vocalists that really shine which separates this recording from the pack. (For a complete album review check out our Monthly Album Spotlight feature) - D.M.                                                                                                                                                                  

This collection of songs comes from three different recording sessions over the past few years.  The first two tracks are from a session in Austin, Texas, featuring the late Nick Curran, as well as the amazing and eclectic Johnny Moeller.  Most of the others were recorded at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, or at Barking Jack Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The roster reads like a who's who of contemporary blues with appearances by Kid Andersen, Rusty Zinn, Jeremy Johnson, Jon Lawton, Nick Connolly, June Core, Ronnie James, Bob Welsh, Wes Star and others. As usual, RJ plays it straight with unforced and relaxed vocals with harp that fits the song. – C.L.

On this wonderful album, excellent musicianship doesn’t get in the way of a good time. Here Boom, Belgium, based singer and guitarist Tim Ielegems takes some original ideas and applies them to the sounds of traditional blues. This twelve-song adventure of mostly lelegems' originals was produced by none other than James Harman. He blows harp on three of the album's twelve tracks and even contributes an original song to the proceedings Icepick’s Shakedown Th’owdown. Gene Taylor plays piano on six tracks on this brand-new Rhythm Bomb Records release. Along with the terrific guitar playing of Ielegems, the tenor and baritone sax of Bart Stone adds a wonderful sonic dynamic to this album. The teaming of Shakedown Tim & The Rhythm Revue with Taylor and Harman makes an already great band even better. Shakedown’s Th’owdown is a potent cocktail of vintage cool. Highly recommended… - D.M. 

What makes Never Too Soon is the voice and delivery of Marina Crouse. She wields a naturalistic instrument which is imbibed with warmth. It has an unaffected expressiveness that is simply refreshing. Her singing carries with it none of the vocal histrionics and clichés that mar so many female vocalists in this field. They, unlike Crouse, have never taken the time to learn the elusive and subtle dialect of the blues. She performs in two languages, yet seamlessly blends both to deliver missives in the international language of music. (Enjoy an in-depth interview I conducted with this artist that appears here in the current September edition of BLUES JUNCTION.)  - D.M. 

One’s affection for this album directly depends on whether or not you can stand one full hour of blues harp instrumentals. This CD is full of Hummel’s “hand-picked” selections from various stages of his long career. These sit beside some newly recorded, live and previously unreleased tracks. Guitar legends Anson Funderburgh, Little Charlie Baty, Rusty Zinn, Billy Flynn and Chris “Kid” Andersen all make nice contributions to this harp heavy affair.  Hummel puts on display his prodigious talent on one  of his two main instruments, the harmonica, of which he is a master. Harpbreaker is Mark Hummel’s very best album to date, as he doesn’t burden his  audience with that other instrument, his singing.  If you are a blues harp freak this album is for you.

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