Joanne Shaw Taylor – “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?”
The blues don’t run any deeper than family loss and grief, in this case the passing of Joanne’s mother, expressed with an intensely haunting heartbroken vibe.
As Joanne explains, “This song was a way for me to process some of the emotions I’ve been feeling. At the start of this year, I lost another family member, which brought me back to those early, raw days of grief after losing my mom. Writing ‘Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?’ has been part of my journey in working through that pain and moving forward.”
With anguished lyrics, “I’ve called your name in every room in this house/ Until my tears dried up and my breath gave out,” Joanne bares her soul in this deeply personal song.
Michael Messer & Chas Jankel – “Visions Of Hope”
From two of Britain’s finest musicians recording together for the first time on the Mostly We Drive album, this track is ‘world blues’ at its very best. From the first notes played on an African thumb piano to Michael’s atmospheric guitar riffs and unique rhythms, this call for social and environmental change is a masterpiece. Michael assesses the song’s central message:
“Chaz had created a beautiful African-influenced instrumental piece. The words came to me while watching the COP26 climate conference. The leaders of Western countries were probably spending more on lunch than the representatives of the small countries – proudly wearing national costumes and actually believing they could achieve something – had spent on the whole trip. Unless we do something about climate change, we are heading for disaster.”
The lyrics are a mixture of hope and despair:
Politicians talk of emissions All they do is feed their own ambitions Which way to go, who can we trust While all those liars think only of lust
Dave Ferra – “19 Blues”
From the album, The Mr Apollo Sessions, UK Blues Awards, the lesser-known acoustic bluesman has established a reputation as a cross between Mississippi John Hurt and the Reverend Gary Davis whilst retaining a unique style of his own. Dave’s vocals roll effortlessly along over his neat finger picking guitar style despite him experiencing the trauma of a “fever on my mind.”
Other tracks on the Sessions album highlight his versatility as a harmonica player, resonator guitarist, slide technician and clever lyricist who covers the full range of blues from walking to talking, Delta to Chicago.
Liz Jones & Broken Windows – “Johnny Knows The Roads”
The accompanying video to “Johnny Knows The Roads” is a roller coaster ride through Scotland’s capital Edinburgh (‘Auld Reekie’), inspired by John Bruce’s erratic driving. The single, from the blockbusting Double Measures album sets the scene perfectly with its lively upbeat vibe. Jones’ striding, stunning, soulful vocals and John Bruce’s trademark inventive guitar solos.
The rest of the band is steeped in the blues too, and Suzy Cargill is a world-class percussionist. No wonder Liz is one of the most prodigious UK talents to emerge in 2024, having worked tirelessly for over a decade to reach this dizzy height as an independent artist.
Mick Clarke – “One More Time”
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Mick has been a stalwart of the British blues scene for six decades during which time he released a couple of dozen solo albums.
Mick says of his latest single, “Here’s a kind of Latin blues jam, hard to define but I like it a lot. Four and a bit minutes of funky blues groove. The street art on the cover is by Brazilian artist Milo Tchais. I’ve also put the instrumental track out, nice background music without the angst-ridden vocals. All good – I hope you enjoy the music.”
That more or less sums up this single, plus neat guitar phrasing, tasteful solos and a lifetime playing the blues. The Southern California Blues Society called Mick, “One of the finest blues players to come out of England.” While in the USA he appeared with Johnny Winter, Canned Heat and CJ Chenier.