This release by Rhythm Bomb Records veteran Duportal dates back to the winter of 2017. This French singer, guitarist and songwriter and his Rhythm Dudes have long been some of the finest purveyors of vintage American music. Nico and his band are fun, hip, swinging and soulful. On Dealing With My Blues they offer up thirteen original tunes mostly written by Duportal. Original ideas rooted in several traditional musical idioms, including blues, flow out of this ensemble like a Parisian fountain. Steller musicianship by this great ensemble offers up a sturdy musical foundation for their leader and he builds upon that to make timeless music. This CD has been a favorite out here at the JUNCTION since its release.

This hard-charging Swedish quintet has done it again. After last year's Artificial Natural release, which was another real favorite at BLUES JUNCTON, they come right back at us with this exciting spring 2017 offering. Twelve original tunes all written by bassist Magnus Lanshammar are at times poignant, A Wasted Day is Lost Forever, and also fun, I’m Your Plumber, and at times even silly, Girl From The Moon. The vocal duties are shared by guitarist Martin Abrahamsson and harp man Harmonica Sam. Lead guitarist Ronni Busack Boysen makes tasty choices throughout and drummer Daniel Winero keeps things swinging. This band is a true ensemble whose members all make indispensable contributions.

This veteran Italian ensemble is one of the world’s leading practitioners of the Chicago style of blues. They have been compared to the Aces. I really don’t think that is much of a stretch. This, the band’s Rhythm Bomb Records debut, features the album’s producer Little Victor playing guitar on seven of the album’s fourteen tracks. He even steps up to the mic and sings on two songs. The other special guest is pianist Carl Sonny Leyland. He contributes his prodigious talents to eight tunes here. The band itself is the real star as each member of the quartet contributes mightily to the proceedings. They are Ingala of course on vocals and harmonica, guitarist Marco “The Kid” Gisfredi, bassist Max Pitardi and drummer Enrico “Henry” Soverini. These cats speak that esoteric and often misunderstood language of the blues with articulated nuance and are as good as anybody at projecting this through their recordings.

This Norwegian ensemble also reached out to the ubiquitous Little Victor, who produced this fine CD. This, the band’s debut album, has this great live band settling down in the studio to make a great old school blues album. Terrific song selection by a variety of blues men from Roosevelt Sykes, Big Walter Horton, Otis Spann, Tampa Red and others highlight this exceptional set. A few originals keep things fresh. The Jelly Roll Men are Kent Erik on harp and vocals, Thomas “Pee Wee” Grim on guitar and vocals, Big Martin Rosten on upright bass and Kai Evans is behind the drum kit. The album was mixed in San Diego, California, by Danny Michael. This is a very impressive debut. I’m looking forward to following the career of The Jelly Roll Men.

aWhile we are visiting the kingdom of Norway, lets pay a visit to the capital, and largest city of this unitary monarchy, Oslo. That’s where you will find Joakim Tinderholt. He is a guitarist and vocalist who is a prodigious talent. Hold On will have listeners holding on as Tinderholt races up and down the back roads of Americana gathering up musical ideas he can incorporate into his own great material.  Along the way he even finds some old discarded items in need of refurbishing. Tunes like Don and Dewey’s Farmer John and the Billy Robinson penned classic Number 9 Train, which was a hit for Tarheel Slim, stand beside some great originals like Tinderholt’s homage to Bo Diddley, Jungle Bo and Anything is Better Than Nothing. This is Tinderholt’s second CD and first for the Rhythm Bomb label. It is a beauty.

Shaw, a British baby boomer of the 1950’s, and his band play a low-down style of traditional blues without concessions to more r&b oriented material or various strains of West Coast or jump blues traditions. Theirs is a gritty, down-home blues style that owes much of its influence to early Jimmy Rogers, Robert Jr. Lockwood or Willie Johnson. Shaw is a guitarist and bassist. He is joined by childhood friend, the great Steve “West” Weston on harmonica of Trickbag renown, as well as vocalist Jeremiah Marques. Pianist Pete Sonny Nash and drummer Mike Thorne help to round out this veteran blues band. Four Muddy Waters penned tunes are included here along with songs written by Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers, Howlin’ Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor and others. These fit nicely with a couple of originals penned by Marques, Shaw and Nash. There is the title track, a Shaw guitar driven instrumental entitled, Dexin’ that is thrown into the mix as well.