A Night to Remember - Kingfish and Mathias Lattin Live!!

Photo by Paul Busby

Last weekend, my brother and I were able to catch a couple of young blues stars in action at a venue 25 miles away.  I haven't gotten to see a lot of live shows in the last ten years due to events that unavoidable, but things have gotten better in recent years.  There have been some great shows at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian, MS, which is about thirty miles from home, and the Ellis Theater in Philadelphia, MS, which is about 25 miles away.

The Ellis was opened in 1926 as a movie theatre until the late 50's and later repurposed for live performances.  It was revitalized and reopened in 2022 as part of Philadelphia native Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music.  It has hosted a variety of live acts during that time in the country and blues genres....one of the first acts to play the Ellis was the North Mississippi Allstars and my wife and I saw Dorothy Moore there a couple of years ago.

Last weekend the Ellis hosted Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, one of the rising stars of the blues.  About 12-15 years ago, my good friend Joe (who wrote a few posts here in the blog's early years) sent me a video one Monday morning.  He had traveled up to Clarksdale and had checked out the blues at Ground Zero.  The email said, "This guy is supposed to be 13 years old......unbelievable!!  They call him Kingfish."  The video, which I can't find now, just blew me away.  I mean, he looked like a pre-teenager up there, but he was playing guitar like a seasoned vet.

It's been really neat to watch this young man develop and show  up on television and videos across YouTube.  His albums for Alligator were great, especially the Live in London release in 2023, mainly because it showed him in his natural element, live performance.  In September of last year, he released Hard Road on his own Red Zero label (FBF reviewed it last fall) and I think it was his best studio release yet.

So, yeah, I was a little excited for the opportunity to see Kingfish in a live setting.  I've heard so many stories about him over the years that I grabbed up tickets the day that they went on sale back in January.  At the time, I didn't realize he would have anyone opening for him.  Last week, they announced that Mathias Lattin would be opening, which excited me even more.

(Note:  While I do take photos....all of the ones below......I don't usually record the music to share because #1 the sound is usually distorted, so you can't really hear it, #2 I'd rather hear it and experience it first-hand instead of playing it back later, and #3 because I feel kind of guilty doing it..... I guess that goes back to the What's Happening TV episode where Rerun tried to illegally record the Doobie Brothers' concert 😉)

The Houston-born Lattin won the 2023 International Blues Challenge and Best Guitarist.  He was 20 YEARS OLD, the youngest to ever win both awards.  He began playing around Houston when he was 12 and joined The Keeshea Pratt Band, who won the IBC in 2018.  He released Up Next not long after he won the IBC and it was one of my 20 favorite albums that year, along with Kingfish's Live in London.  Lattin, now 23 years old, was recently signed to Red Zero Records, so hopefully, we will be seeing a new release from him soon.

The theatre was packed when Lattin took the stage, backed by his longtime bassist and drummer.  They turned in an excellent 45 minute show, playing five or six songs.  Lattin is a triple threat as a songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist.  He played some great guitar that reminded me a lot of other Texas guitarists I'd heard over the years, but with his own distinctive touch.  He's also a great vocalist and the audience really enjoyed his back-and-forth with them.  He was certainly comfortable on stage and confident as a performer and my brother and I both figured he would be a hard act to follow.  He and his band did a marvelous job.

Kingfish followed after a short break and it was an incredible show.  He performed several songs from his Alligator releases and a few from Hard Road and it was pretty amazing.  His band also did a fine job....their bass player was relatively new to the band and he was an absolute monster.  Their regular keyboardist didn't make the show, so Buddy Guy's regular keyboardist Dan Souvigny sat in.  

Kingfish's music has continued to evolve over the years and while most of the guitar clips you've heard from him over the years are of him just shredding, you really need to check out his recordings for the big picture.  He's been incorporating different musical styles into his blues beyond rock, such as funk and soul on all his albums, but it's really evident on Hard Road.  All of those styles were present during his show.  His playing has such feel..... it's so far beyond that shredding that some people associate with him.  His guitar playing is like an extension of his soul and serves as his voice as much as his own voice does.  He left it all on the stage.....well, except for that 10-15 minute segment where he walked out and played in the audience, stopping about five feet from where we were standing.  

Mathias Lattin came out and joined Kingfish for the encore and they had a playful headcutting contest that was a lot of fun, not just for them but for the audience who stuck around.  I'm really excited about the future releases on Red Zero from both of them, and singer Dylan Triplett, another Red Zero signee.  

All in all, the show was one that I won't soon forget, actually one of the best I've seen in a long time, and I hope that I get the chance to see them again soon.

Friday Blues Picks (4/10/26)

I was one of those folks who made regular trips to the record store on Tuesdays, and later Fridays to see what new albums were hitting the racks.  That was always exciting for me, not so much to find what was expected but to run across something that I wasn't aware of while I was browsing.....not necessarily new, but maybe a disc or two that I missed along the way.  Sadly, those days are pretty much gone and a lot of music seems kind of throwaway these days as far as things go, but I still love to get my hands on an actual recording and hold it in my hands, pop it in my CD player and just sit back and listen.  I know that there doesn't seem to be many of us left who prefer to listen to music that way, but I certainly will until there aren't any more physical copies of recordings left.  Anyway, here are a few new releases for blues fans to check out......however you choose to check them out.

Selwyn Birchwood - Electric Swamp Funkin' Blues (Alligator Records):  Birchwood started playing guitar at 13, mostly rock, before discovering Hendrix and the legendary guitarist's blues influences.  He toured with Sonny Rhodes after high school, attending college in the process and earning an MBA. He formed his own band after graduating and they won the 2013 I.B.C. and signed with Alligator.  This is their fifth Alligator effort (eighth release overall), the title indicates Birchwood's description of the band's music, a mix of blues, funk, jazz, soul, and whatever else strikes his fancy.  He produced this one himself and it has a more earthy, funky feel than his previous efforts.  There's a little Chicago blues, a bit of the Delta, a little Piedmont flavor to one track, and deep soul as well.  He's a masterful guitarist and a strong vocalist and his mix of traditional sounds with contemporary blues will appeal to every blues fan that I know.  Here's the title track, which pretty much serves as Selwyn Birchwood's mission statement.  It will knock your socks off!

Bob Corritore & Friends - Ernestine Blues (VizzTone/SWMAF Records):  I love Corritore's collections of recordings with all the guest stars.  He either releases a set "From the Vault" that he's done over the past 20-30 years, or he releases a set of more recently recorded songs.  This is one of the latter collections, with songs cut between 2023 and 2025.  The guest star list is most impressive, with tracks from Pat Thomas, Sugaray Rayford, Bob Stroger, Tia Carroll, Johnny Rawls, Oscar Wilson, Tony Coleman, Charles Wilson, Willie Buck, Jimi "Primetime" Smith, Carla Denise, and Teeny Tucker with instrumentalists Ben Levin, Bob Margolin, Johnny Rapp, Kid Ramos, Nick Moss, Billy Flynn, Anthony Geraci, and many many more.  There's not a bad track in the bunch and it's all good old traditional blues.  Corritore provides his usual superb harmonica throughout the disc and this is one that blues fans will really enjoy from start to finish.  Here's the first single from the album from Corritore and soul/blues master Rawls, "I Love The South."  By the way, I love the comic book-like covers that are such a cool part of Corritore's albums.

Laura Chavez - My Voice (Ruf Records):  I first heard guitarist Chavez backing Candye Kane on some of the late vocalist's releases and I was impressed with her style, precision, and power.  She's backed a host of artists such as Nikki Hill, Deborah Coleman,, Dani Wilde, The Mannish Boys, Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter, and Vanessa Collier, to name just a few, but she's never releases an album of her own until now.  She doesn't sing, preferring to let her guitar be her "voice," and boy, does she ever do that on these ten instrumental tracks.  She wrote five of them and the covers all have special meaning to her as well....a CCR track (her father's favorite band), a couple of cool Memphis-styled tracks, including a Booker T & the MGs tune, a Blasters cover, and a couple of Mexican tracks that reflect her heritage.  These tracks move from Latin flavors to jazz to the aforementioned Memphis soul to rock n' roll to urban blues.  Chavez won the 2023 BMA for Instrumentalist - Guitar and it was certainly a well-deserved honor.  This excellent set goes even further to prove that it was a wise choice.

Stefan Hillesheim Band - Live at the Chicago Blues Festival (Stella Blue Music):  German-born singer/guitarist Hillesheim has been in the U.S. since 2014, making his way to the Windy City about four years ago.  He's always loved the blues, so the move was a perfect fit.  He's also a talented songwriter and vocalist and an outstanding guitarist.  This set was recorded at last year's festival and Hillesheim is backed by Dionte McMusick (drums), Darryl Wright (bass), and Sumito "Ariyo" Ariyoshi (keys).  As mentioned, the guitarist's original tunes are top notch, mixing blues, soul, jazz, and funk, and the band, particularly "Ariyo" on piano and organ, provides great support.  There are eight original tracks and two covers - "Big Legged Woman" and "It Hurts Me Too."  I have to admit that I knew little about Stefan Hillesheim prior to hearing this release, but he impressed me enough that I'm going to follow him from now on.

Friday Blues Picks (Looking Back)

I'm currently working on new album reviews for the April issue of Blues Bytes, so we will be talking about them in a couple of weeks in that issue, which should be out around mid-month.  Meanwhile, let's take a look at a couple of older releases from a few years back that I completely missed the first time.  I used to do a Five Discs That You Might Have Missed post occasionally here, but two will have to do this time around, so here we go.....

I'm not sure how I missed M.C. Records' 2022 Big Jack Johnson release.  Johnson was one of the first blues men I listened to, beginning with his first Earwig Records release, The Oil Man, in the mid 80's.  He had one of the most distinctive guitar tones and big vocals to go with it.  

After hearing The Oil Man, I found his Jelly Roll Kings release on Earwig with Sam Carr and Frank Frost (Rockin' The Juke Joint Down) and loved it as well, so I tried to keep up with his career the best that I could, following him to M.C. Records in the 90's, where he released some fine albums as well, as well as his Rooster Blues sides that were released to limited distribution by P-Vine Records in Japan, and a couple of independent albums he did on his own.  

Johnson passed away in 2011, but I still listen to his music a lot, so I was surprised when I saw a picture of the album cover for Stripped Down In Memphis, which M.C. Records released in 2022.  It consists of sides recorded in 1998 with Wild Child Butler and 2000 with Kim Wilson and let me tell you that it warmed my heart to hear The Oil Man like I'd never heard him before in unplugged format.

There are nine tracks on the disc, Wilson and Johnson on five and Butler and Johnson on the rest.  The tracks are a mix of covers and three Big Jack originals.  The Butler/Johnson tracks are all original, with each writing two, and Butler provides vocals on one of his track.  Their good-natured banter is a highlight.  

The Wilson/Johnson tracks are all cover tunes recorded during their The Memphis Barbecue Sessions collaboration, which won a Handy Award for Acoustic Album of the Year.  The pair had never played together before, but you'd never know it.  Johnson plays mandolin on a cover of "Part Time Love," and Wilson plays only acoustic harmonica on these tracks.

All of these tracks are great listening and the musical interplay between the two duos is dynamite.  If you did acoustic blues played right, then check out Stripped Down In Memphis.

True Blues was originally released in 2013 on Telarc Records and it's a collaboration between Taj Mahal, Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Shemekia Copeland, and Phil Wiggins.  It consists of thirteen tracks recorded live at multiple locations across the U.S.  The set list is a mix of originals and some terrific covers and each artists appears on at least a couple of tracks.

There are a number of highlights as all of these performers are on the top of their game during these shows.  Among the highlights are Shemekia Copeland covering her father Johnny's song "Bring Your Fine Self Home" (backed by Harris, Hart, and Wiggins), Harris doing Sleepy John Estes' "Everybody Ought To Make A Change," and the closer, Robert Johnson's "Ramblin' On My Mind," which features Harris, Copeland, Hart, and Wiggins.

True Blues is another one that acoustic fans should seek out and they should be on the lookout for the sequel, which will be released in a couple of weeks on Yellow Dog Records featuring Harris, Hart, and Davis.  We'll be looking at that release in a few weeks and, trust me, it's really good, too!

I can't believe I missed both of these albums when they were first released.  Glad I was able to backtrack and pick them up, so I didn't have to miss out on this wonderful music.

Friday Blues Picks (3/27/26)

We're back again with a few new albums to look for, along with one you might have missed.  As always, expanded reviews of these releases can be found in past, present, or upcoming issues of Blues Bytes. 

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Future Soul (Fantasy):  I've followed Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi since they were in their formidable years and truly enjoyed their individual work.  That being said, some of their collaborative work has not really clicked with me as much as their early efforts.  As TTB, they have been very prolific, and I have to say that I've enjoyed most of their releases, especially their live albums, but to be honest, there are a couple that I don't really go back and play much once I've heard them.  However, this release is one that I will play again and again, and already have.  Everything really seems to fall into place perfectly with this album.  I think this is their best set of tunes overall, and they're delivered in the band's usual mix of blues, rock, and soul.  None of the tunes clock in over five minutes, but not to worry..... I'm sure they would stretch out nicely in live performances.  Trucks' guitar work is phenomenal as always (there's just never enough of it for me), Tedeschi has one of the best voices in the music world (and she's a great guitarist as well), vocalist extraordinaire Mike Mattison even gets a lead vocal, which is always a good thing, and the band is marvelous.  

 

Pontchartrain Shakers - Love, Peace & Chicken Grease (Southland Records):  This group's self-titled debut release was one of my favorite releases in 2024, and this one looks to be one of my choices for 2026.  The Shakers are out of Louisiana and they play a tasty mix of Louisiana blues and soul with a touch of Mississippi Delta thrown in for good measure.  Led by singer/guitarists Amadee "A5" Frederick and Jojjo Wight, both of whom come from musical families, the Shakers turn out a potent mix of blues and soul that will make you smile, tap your toe, or shake your groove thing.  Frederick's father, Amadee Frederick IV, sings one tune and Wight's parents add cornet and trombone to one track.  A5 is a really soulful vocalist who sells everything he sings 100%, Wight is a prodigious guitarist, and their rhythm section is first rate.  Their first two releases include fun original songs about family, food, fishing, and love, so after you check this one out (by the way, the album title is how they usually sign off to the audience after their shows), you might want to check out their debut.  You can thank me later.

Charlie Barath - Issaquena Getaway: Barath, from Pittsburgh, worked as a carpenter for years, playing harmonica on the side, but retired a while back to focus on his music.  He has developed a sound that encompasses blues, roots, and Americana and he also works as an educator in addition to performing and recording.  This is his second release and it was recorded in Clarksdale, MS.  He wrote 12 of the 14 tracks, with two instrumentals written by Ike Turner and Stanley Turrentine.  The tunes touch on Delta blues, swamp blues, Chicago-styled shuffles, Latin-flavored numbers, urban blues, and jazz.  Barath's harmonica work and vocals are outstanding and he gets great support from a superb band that includes guitarists Johnny Burgin and Andrew Sherer.  Barath also released a 2021 album, Just Me and My Friend(s), that's worth your time as well.  

Brother John - Black Crow:  Brother John is the duo of singer/guitarist Johnny Never and harmonica player John Colgan-Davis, both based in Philadelphia.  Never specializes in Delta and Piedmont blues styles, while Colgan-Davis has played and recorded with Bonnie Raitt.  Their new release is acoustic blues, 12 originals from Never and a cover of his favorite Charley Patton song.  there are some guest musicians, including Chicago Carl Snyder on piano, on selected tracks, but this is pretty much a duo album.  Never's songs are powerful, sometimes playful and sometimes poignant, and one could easily hear the blues artists of the 20's and 30's recording them.  Never has a weather-worn voice that's a snug fit with the songs he writes and you really get the feel of those century-old recordings with his new tunes.  I think anyone who digs country blues of the pre- or post-war variety will enjoy this album.

Luther Dickinson with Datrian Johnson - Dead Blues Vol. 1 (Strolling Bones Records):  Our "older" release is actually not that old....it came out last fall, but I wasn't aware of it until a couple of months ago after listening to a podcast where Dickinson was discussing it.  He and his brother Cody were invited to play with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh in Lesh's Phil & Friends group.  The longer they performed together, Dickinson realized how many old blues songs were part of the Dead's repertoire.  Inspired by Lesh, he began working on an instrumental album during the pandemic and brought in friends to help flesh out the tracks.  Keyboardist John Medeski introduced Dickinson to North Carolina singer Datrian Johnson and Dickinson was inspired to let Johnson sing the lyrics of some of those classic blues songs over these instrumental tracks.  Other musicians appearing on the tracks are Cody Dickinson, Lesh's son Grahame, Boo Mitchell, Steve Selvidge, and fellow Allstar Ray Ray Hollomon.  These are really cool tracks and while they were inspired by the Grateful Dead's repertoire, they don't really sound like Dead tunes.... Dickinson has re-interpreted these tunes in a way that would probably make Phil Lesh smile.  Similar to Dickinson's work with North Mississippi Allstars, these tunes fuse blues, R&B, funk and soul in equal measures and I can tell you that I'm hopeful that there is a Dead Blues Vol 2 in the works sometime soon.

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back for more blues reviews next week!