As always, most of these albums have already been or will soon be reviewed in much more detail at the site where I regularly contribute, Blues Bytes, so be sure to check those out when you get a chance. Bill Mitchell has done an outstanding job on the site for nearly 30 years. He also does a weekly blues show on various stations, a mix of new and classic blues, that is a great listen for any blues fan, so check it out. Stations are listed at Blues Bytes' website. 
If you like New Orleans piano, you will find a lot to love with A Night In New Orleans - Live & Solo at Snug Harbor (MoMojo Records) by the amazing Mitch Woods. This was actually recorded just a few months ago, in late April during Jazz Fest activities, so the crowd is pretty enthusiastic and Woods is obviously having a ball himself as he rips through a mix of originals and New Orleans favorites that surely had the audience moving and grooving and will do the same for you if you have a pulse.
Another great keyboardist in the New Orleans tradition is John "Papa" Gros, who's been active for over 30 years in the Crescent City. Gros got his start with George Porter Jr.'s Runnin' Pardners and he later formed and led Papa Grows Funk from 2000-2013, a funk/jam band who released several albums during that time. Gros has released several solo albums, which included songs that appeared on TV shows, and he was able to earn some new fans during the pandemic with his weekly livestreams.
I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect with Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience (Decca Records). At first, the combination of the blues and a symphony orchestra seemed a little strange to me, but then as I listened, it occurred to me that several of B.B. King's most popular songs, including "The Thrill Is Gone," also incorporated an orchestra of sorts. In fact, there were many songs in the history of the blues that used orchestras or at least strings and most of them worked rather well,
Our Blast From the Past this week takes us to the North Mississippi Hill Country, where we find Terry "Harmonica" Bean, from Pontotoc, MS. Drop Dead In Front Of Your Door (Music Maker Foundation) was released in 2024, but I didn't even know about it until I read about it in a recent issue of Living Blues magazine. I have loved everything I've heard from Bean, dating back to the M for Mississippi documentary/album and his later collaboration with Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, Twice As Hard, on Broke and Hungry Records, so this "new" album was the first release of his that I had actually seen, although he does have others in print.
Woods has been recording and touring with his band, the Rocket 88's, since the 1980's, recording for Blind Pig, VizzTone, and Club 88 Records, among others. I've heard and enjoyed several of his previous albums, but this is the first solo release I've heard and I really like the intimate feel of this recording. The sound is excellent and Woods' nimble keyboards and his strong vocals really stand out.
The crowd is really into it, singing along on some of the tracks, which pay tribute to Crescent City piano men like Professor Longhair, Champion Jack Dupree, Huey "Piano" Smith," and Fats Domino, along with Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner. Woods' original tunes fit this format like a glove as well. If you dig New Orleans piano, you definitely need to give A Night In New Orleans a spin, or a stream, or whatever you call it these days.
In 2022, he lost his home and his studio to Hurricane Ida and spent the last couple of years rebuilding both. His Silent S Recording Studio was where he recorded his latest album, with support from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and the Threadhead Cultural Foundation. Giants (Funky Krewe Records) is a five-song EP that pays tribute to some of Gros' influences....Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, The Meters, Levon Helm, and Billy Preston.
One of the highlights of New Orleans music to me has always been the greasy, slippery funk that permeates through every note. Gros and company have this down to a science.....he had a band called Papa Grows Funk, after all....and these five tracks really cook. Giants will send listeners back to the funky heyday of 70's New Orleans blues and R&B. It's a ton of fun, and funk, from beginning to end.
Another selling point for me was the presence of several Mississippi blues artists (Super Chikan, Keith Johnson, Anthony "Big A" Sherrod, Lady Adrena, and Alvin Youngblood Hart) in addition to Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Shemekia Copeland, and Tierinii Jackson. The orchestra performances are not that intrusive to the songs....really not at all, and it is augmented by the "Ground Zero Blues Club Band," which includes Johnson on harmonica, and Hart, Luther Dickinson, and Lina Beach on guitar.
In the end, none of the songs delivered on Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience will replace the originals in any blues fan's collection....some do work better than others. However, they are very well done and well worth checking out for longtime fans familiar with the original versions, and, hopefully, this set will also serve as an introduction to the blues for many curious new fans.
Bean is a one-man band, handling vocals, guitar, and harmonica. He comes from a family of Hill Country bluesmen - his father and grandfather both played. He was a star athlete in high school until a car accident ended his athletic career. Bean continues the Hill Country tradition with his highly percussive rhythms, his powerful, enthusiastic vocals, and the sheer exuberance of his personality.
Bean has four originals on this set that are just irresistible and he also covers several tunes associated with Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and even James Brown. I think the thing that captivates me about Terry "Harmonica" Bean is his boundless enthusiasm and his warm and winning personality. That comes through loud and clear on this recording and it has to be incredible to experience in person during one of his performances. This is just a fun disc to play and it's hard to believe that this guy is not better known.
Thanks for stopping by......come back next week for more blues that you can use.
