Produced by Billy Horton at Fort Horton Studios in Texas, this brash young band tackles early R&B, blues and rock & roll with the same intensity that Nick Curran brought to the game. Fronted by drummer & singer Lindsay Beaver, the band features Elliot Sowell on slash and burn guitar along with Jon Wong on sax. Covers of classics sit alongside originals in this 13 track party pack. – C.L.

Scott is a Minnesota based guitarist and vocalist who specializes in traditional acoustic blues. On his 2012 release he was joined by harmonica player Curtis Blake. This time out, it is pianist Raul Altamirano who accompanies Scott on four of the album’s ten tracks. Six Scott originals sit alongside tracks written by Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Bob Wills, Roosevelt Sykes and Willie Dixon. My favorites from Slidin’ Sideways include Scott originals such as the title track and Blue Blake Rag a tribute to Blind Blake. –D.M.

This is the debut album from veteran Nico Smoljan as a leader. This self titled release is a big helping of straight ahead, electric Chicago style blues. Smoljan is a first rate harmonica player who excels at both the diatonic and chromatic blues harp. This 35 year old is a native of Patagonia and is a long time resident of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Shakedancers are guitarist Matias Cipiliano, Mariano D’andrea on bass, drummer Pato Raffo and Gustavo Doreste on piano and Hammond B3. They are joined by Eddie Taylor Jr. Lurrie Bell and Mud Morganfield. You can read a detailed album review of this new CD in this edition of our ezine. - D.M.

One of the best stories to come out of the blues world way back in the fall of 2014 was the long awaited and much anticipated Headcutters tour of the United States. This band, which hails from the southern Brazilian, port city of Itajaí, in the State of Santa Catarina on the Atlantic Ocean, fulfilled a lifelong dream to play blues music in the country from which these sounds emanated. While on the California leg of the tour they recorded this album. The band specializes in post war, down home, electric Chicago Blues. Walkin’ In USA is The Headcutters’ finest album to date. It exceeded my loftiest expectations and receives my highest recommendation. The CD sits in this month’s Album Spotlight. – D.M.

Piano legend Henry Gray and harmonica man Bob Corritore have been actively
collaborating since 1996. This fourteen track collection comes from twelve different sessions from this nineteen year period. All but four tracks here are previously un-issued. Gray sings on nine tunes. The album is in the spirit of Corritore’s 2010 Delta Groove Music release Harmonica Blues in that the list of blues headliners and first call sidemen is as long as my arm.  – D.M.

Subtitled "Three Generations of South Bay Blues Harmonica", this set recorded at the Greaseland Studio, presents three sympathetic players who complement each other well.  Dave Barrett has run the SCHOOL OF THE BLUES in San Jose for decades and writes for Mel Bay publications.  He has almost done more for the harmonica than the guy who invented it.  Gary Smith has a long love of blues and has led some of the best blues bands in the South Bay for decades.  Aki Kumar has developed into a wonderful player and promoter of the music we love over the past couple years. – C.L.

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