JP Soars: Brick by Brick Review
JP Soars is a known quantity in blues circles; in 2009 he won the International Blues Challenge and the Albert King guitar award, and he’s been nominated for and/or won half a dozen prestigious accolades in the genre. His new album Brick by Brick with the Little Village foundation is fun, easy listening. The collaborations […]
Ruthie Foster releases “That’s All Right” video featuring Tyler Bryant
Seventy years later at Sun Studios, in the very same room that Elvis Presley recorded “That’s All Right,” Ruthie Foster, accompanied by producer Tyler Bryant (Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown), performed her slow-burn version of the Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup classic. Here, Foster reprises her sultry Delta blues-styled rendition, which appears on her Sun Records debut, Mileage. That release, her […]
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band announces new album
The new album from Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Honeysuckle, is scheduled for independent release on February 21, 2025, via Family Owned Record/Amplified Distribution. Often called “the greatest front-porch blues band in the world,” the Big Damn Band is led by Reverend Peyton, who is considered to be the premier finger picker playing today. Rev has […]
GRAMMY® Nominee Ruthie Foster Releases ‘That’s All Right’ Performance Video From Famed Studio Where Elvis Recorded His Version
In a full-circle moment of musical history, Ruthie Foster took to the same Sun Studios room where Elvis Presley first recorded “That’s All Right” – the track that helped propel both the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Sun Records into superstardom. Backed by producer Tyler Bryant (of Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown), Foster delivered […]
Grace Bowers: Wine On Venus Review
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads, Grand Ole Opry on your birthday, Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS Morning Show, kicking off the 30th Telluride Blues and Brews Festival are just a few noteworthy appearances in Grace Bowers’ rise to prominence. A YouTube sensation during the pandemic, her extraordinary guitar skills have raised some prominent eyebrows in the industry. Grace […]
SATCHVAI BAND featuring Joe Satriani & Steve Vai announce “Surfing With The Hydra” June 2025 UK Tour
For the first time in their nearly 50-year musical careers, legendary guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have united to form The SATCHVAI Band. The iconic guitarists will embark on an electrifying summer tour across the UK and Europe. The UK leg of the tour will kick off at the York Barbican (June 13) followed by dates at London Eventim Apollo (June 14), Glasgow Royal […]
Live review – Beth Hart, Brighton Dome, November 30th 2024
Beth Hart simply grows in stature with each passing year, not to say gig. Hitting the stage at another sold-out UK gig in Brighton, she replicated her last visit in 2023, with a hugely excited full-house crowd and her usual sashaying vibe. Words: Iain Patience Images: Cris Watkins and Louise Phillips Having seen Hart many […]
Gene D. Plumber Delivers His ‘Swinging-Honky-Tonk-A-Billy’ Twist on Holiday Classics
Gene D. Plumber brings his signature “swinging-honky-tonk-a-billy” style to a selection of holiday favorites (along with a brand-new original track poised to become a seasonal classic) with Gene D. Plumber Celebrates Christmas, his second album on Bar-None Records. This six-song collection blends Texas swing with a rootsy Americana twist on classic crooning, evoking the spirit of […]
Reggie Harris: Folk Music in Black and White
I’ve always thought it rather ironic that blues rarely tackles the civil rights movement, whereas it’s a recurring theme in the folk community made up of mostly white people. For half a century Reggie Harris, an African-American folk singer, has run counter to that trend. “(My partner) Kim and I became a couple in 1975 […]
10 Unforgettable Blues Rock Bands of the 1980s
The 1980s saw blues rock evolve in fascinating ways, blending traditional blues with rock’s edgier and more experimental tendencies. This decade produced an array of unforgettable bands that kept the spirit of the blues alive while pushing the genre into exciting new territories. Here are ten blues rock bands from the 1980s that left a […]