Silver Bullet Bluegrass – Various Artists Thirteen of Bob Seger’s rock classics get new life on Silver Bullet Bluegrass (on Lonesome Day Records). They are given the bluegrass treatment and it’s remarkable the degree to which they stand up successfully in the style. Seger’s compositions have always been smart—in subject matter and, especially in their arrangement—and these … Continue reading
Just when you might have thought that authentic country music might have disappeared for good, along comes Alex Miller and his recent release, My Daddy’s Dad, and suddenly there’s hope once again. How exciting to discover Miller and his bonafide rural sound in this 5-track collection that is inspired by his raising. Whether it’s 4-H, … Continue reading
If sweet vibes sound good to you, then pay attention to Nowhere To Hide, the upcoming release from soul/blues dynamo Ollee Owens. The album delivers eleven tracks that cover a range of emotional territory, and, in doing so, allow Owens to display her gift for conveying present ideas with classic soulful undercurrents. Owens successfully offers … Continue reading
(Release date: October 18, 2024) Sometimes there’s nothing as comforting as a penetrating blues song. There’s a recognition, an acceptance, and a message of hope just from its truth. Therefore, no matter what challenges face us, we can always look forward to an album release from Blues/Roots legend Eric Bibb. His latest offering, In The … Continue reading
When a song is that catchy, when the featured musicians that inspiring, and when the lead vocal is that inviting, you just find yourself grateful for whoever invented the “repeat” button on the CD player. Such was my response to “(Feels Like) I Just Got Started”—the opener on Jimmy Carpenter‘s new album, Just Got Started. … Continue reading
That’s the album cover of a guy who has something on his mind. And on his latest release, Chasing The Sun, blues rocker Colin James does just that. The album’s eleven tracks (produced and arranged by Colin James and Colin Linden) are evidence to uphold the commonly-held notion that James is a “musician’s musician.” Joining … Continue reading
If you are lucky enough to encounter an actual record store these days, I bet there’d be an entire Duke Robbilard section. And that is as it should be. Is there a musician around whose art is as prolific and consistently high-quality as the blues guitarist? His multiple Grammy nominations and his four Blues Music … Continue reading
Randy Lee Riviere‘s new album, Concrete Blues, is a throughly satisfying blues/roots/rock experience. It is best played over and over again with, perhaps, slightly increased volume each time. It’s the kind of music that can take (and deserves) such respect. There’s a unity of purpose driving this recording and the results are phenomenal. With songs … Continue reading
It’s a beautiful thing when the song is true and the voice trustworthy. Such is the case with Ruthie Purves Smith as she shares the characters, stories, melodies (and plenty of wisdom) of her latest album, Piano In The Field. With a decidely rural perspective, Smith distills everyday emotions with symphonic importance, giving them instantly … Continue reading
Billie Holiday, Anita O’Day, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Jo Stafford, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, and others. Early in their careers, they were “canaries” — women singing with the great Big Bands of Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, and others. But these women were birds of a feather in more ways than one. They … Continue reading
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