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 Mattson 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!
No comments:
Post a Comment