Recommended Blues music (#1 - #10)

JOE MCGUINNESS: From These Seeds
What is the term for that certain elusive musical quality that encompasses the wisdom of the past while also giving the listener a unique glimpse into the future? Oh, yeah! “Timeless.” Every artist strives for it. Few achieve it. Fewer still achieve it in a genre so well-worn as the Blues. But Joe McGuinness has managed to create a truly timeless blues album. Full of soulfulness and authenticity, “From These Seeds” is a collection of back-porch folk blues made by a man so skilled at deft fingerpicking and agile singing that he can forget about technique altogether and let his heart do the talking. His funky and syncopated acoustic guitar work lands him somewhere between Robert Johnson and Bruce Cockburn. And from his ragged yet acrobatic vocals, you can tell that Joe has been drinking from the same well as Tom Waits and Greg Brown. He mixes the very best elements of old school delta blues, country, pop, and folk to somehow stir up a fresh and magical sound that is neither modern nor antiquated. It’s simply a sound that rings true.
Recommended if you like Tom Waits.
CD price: $14.97 / MP3 price: $10.97
JUKE BARITONE: Juke Baritone
New Orleans style blues from Australia? If only it were that simple. With a swampy sound that refuses to get bogged down, this six piece turns horn-heavy blues on its head, slyly clamoring through 9 tracks of barely restrained cabaret-esque compositions that might just make the perfect soundtrack to your next night of unbridled debauchery. It's not that they're necessarily drinking songs, or that there's anything inherently evil in the music; the songs just feel like they should be surrounded by alcohol and semi-controlled raucousness, and they bring to mind a dark cellar bar that maybe you haven't even been to yet. With gravelly vocals and driving horns, you could compare it to Tom Waits, but I think their own assessment of likening it to "Screaming" Jay Hawkins may be a little closer to the mark. It's that feeling of something brewing, the intangible element of impending insanity that envelopes the sound. The tempos hit like a hard heartbeat, knocking on your noggin while the horns almost force you to sway with the beat. It's fun, but it's the kind of fun that might get you in trouble. The best kind of trouble.
Recommended if you like Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Screamin' Jay Hawkins.
CD price: $15.97
THE BOOGLERIZERS: Ironbound Blues
Sometimes, when a group of guys get together to jam out the blues with nothing more than the love of music on their minds, the results can't help but be starkly honest, barrels of fun, and sublimely inventive. This particular group of guys have been playing together for a pretty darn long time, and it's evidenced wonderfully in the cohesion they display on these 15 tracks of acoustic roots music. They've got their bases covered: slide guitar, mandolin, washtub bass, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, and all kinds of percussion fill out the sound easily. Throw in harmonica, piano, and even a tuba, and you've got yourself a group of players who have left their options open for various degrees of musical madness. They take advantage, running through nine original numbers and six covers, each one taking on a different instrumental arrangement than the previous song. The tracks are short but sweet, packed with bellowing bottom end from the tuba, which keeps the songs chugging along and constantly pushing forward. The original works here are the real standouts, with lyrics that follow a traditional blueprint but aren't afraid to get a tad abstract. This one's non-stop fun from start to finish. They're gonna booglerize you, baby.
Recommended if you like Tom Waits, Ry Cooder, Leon Redbone.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
DENNIS CLIFTON: The Blues Highway
Clifton cites his musical style as being "honed from Delta Blues, Southern Rock, New Orleans Jazz and Muscle Shoals Soul." On paper, it looks like quite a bouillabaisse of distinct sounds, but his knack for blending them together yields an affinity within these genres that is both sensible and intriguing. The album starts with "Detour You," a semi-raucous blues number that incorporates both classic rock and country vibes while managing to be as pensive as it is fun. Clifton handles all the guitar duties (including lap steel and dobro) on the album and is razor sharp when it comes to tones and placement. "Boogie Woogie Woman" is a revved up rocker, featuring some rugged guitar work that fits perfectly within the context of the lyrics. Switching gears, he follows it with "If Leaving Was Easy," a lyrically downhearted lament that is echoed beautifully in his crying guitar licks. With top notch musicians backing him on keys, sax, and some tasteful backing vocals, he is able to crank the sound up to Southern Rock levels, but just as easily step back and delicately select individual notes. This seemingly effortless versatility is impressive, and sure to appeal to fans of blues, classic rock, country, or those who simply enjoy some fine guitar playing.
Recommended if you like Travis Tritt.
MP3 price: $12.97
BILLYLEE JANEY: Soul Driver
Marking his return to the "heavier Gibson/Marshall sound after 25 years as a Fender bluesman," Janey leads his veteran four piece blues band through hills and valleys of expansive sound on this powerfully electric album. Janey's versatility on the guitar is notably impressive, but his ability to steer the players in directions without forcibly overshadowing them may be his greatest strength. Leaving room for the bass, keys, and drums to shine on their own, he allows his band mates space to move and groove, and they take full advantage. This solid backup gives him more than enough fuel to deliver some striking solos that interface with the organ to create a sound that is multi-tiered and ambitious, without resorting to thinly veiled noodling. The lyrics wisely follow the music down the same path, staying true to the blues form, but getting effectively modern in their content and melody. This is blues with both feel and calculation, and it takes some wise and talented players to pull that off. This is a band that is up for the task, and they deliver the goods with rock and rhythm to spare.
Recommended if you like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
KARL MORGAN: Talkin' With the Hands
With an undeniable feel and a seemingly effortless knack for agility, this Australian guitarist has no trouble proving that he is no run-of-the-mill blues player. Blazing through 12 tracks of original songs (with the exception of one cover) that not only showcase his prowess on the frets, but also his uncanny ability to craft a magnificent song, this album truly speaks from the heart of a man who still holds great faith in the blues. While it would be easy (and fairly accurate) to compare the way he approaches his playing to Stevie Ray Vaughn, it's not that cut and dry. There's tinges of funk, soul, folk, and straight rock here that really make this album stand out, while simultaneously reflecting the genuine versatility with which he handles the instrument. While these songs are full of plenty of licks to appease finicky guitar fans and aficionados, there's also no shortage of finely penned lyrics that lock arms with the gut-wrenching vocals, making sure these tracks are more than just templates for guitar solos. His ear for tone and balance adds to this, making sure the guitar is the driving force in the structure, but not overbearing and unnecessarily showy. Accessible and honest, this is a welcome album for not only fans of good ol' fashioned electric guitar playing, but also those who are looking for some finely tuned songwriting as well.
Recommended if you like Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King & Eric Clapton.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
ED DEANE: Slideshow
The first haunting notes of this album, wistfully bleeding forth from the eerily toned slide guitar on the opening track, "Love The Way You Do," are enough to perk the ears and make one's neck hair stand straight up. This collection of instrumental blues springboards from there, exploring variances in style but maintaining a deep resonance that continuously nods to traditional blues playing at its best. These songs aren't showy, overly complex, or demanding of any fanciful trickery that could only muck up the purity of the form. What they are, and wisely so, are songs of structure and understated depth that are as timeless as they are intelligent. Even a song like "Surfin' With The Mummy," a keyboard driven surf number that feels slightly tongue-in-cheek, is delivered with such sincere attention to detail that it is clear the intention is based more in homage than parody. It's one of the many genre bending surprises that makes this such a easily digestible collection. Each song is unexpected, incorporating different elements from the next, but their common bond is that they're equally adept at creating and maintaining a tangible mood that is both entertaining and, when it comes to the musicianship, very impressive.
Recommended if you like Ry Cooder, Ali Farka Touré.
CD price: $16.00 / MP3 price: $16.00
BLUE ISLAND TRIO: Beachglass
These guys must have a terribly frustrating time trying to figure out which genre of music to classify themselves as. While these instrumental songs are certainly rooted in blues, there is so much supplemental activity within the tracks that it seems unfair to brand this group with any definitive label. So let's skip that part and concentrate on the music, shall we? This three piece is delicate in nature, but the intensity and ambition of the songwriting proves that they are in no way restraining themselves. Together, the tracks certainly fit, but each song maintains a distinctly different feel than the previous one. This can be largely attributed to the array of guitars used on the album, and the adjusted style of playing that accompanies each one. The group is comfortable throughout, showcasing a sound that, as previously stated, has its basis in blues, but expands out to feature elements of bluegrass, jazz, and a very prominent Hawaiian feel that seems to be the most consistent theme over the course of the 10 songs. I don't throw the term "original sound" around very often, but it's certainly applicable here. Take a listen and hear for yourself.
CD price: $15.00 / MP3 price: $15.00
TENEIA SANDERS: Soulcatcher
Stripped down folk blues requires sincerity to be effective. There's too much space, too many nooks of silence that can easily wreck any singer/songwriter who isn't absolutely committing themselves to the craft. There's no lack of conviction here, as this young woman lays it all on the table, breathing life into songs that are minimalistic in construction but fully realized nonetheless. Focusing mainly on guitar and vocals, these 12 tracks are bred in the folk tradition but also embody deep rooted soul, an element that is conveyed richly in her lyric and vocal style. Using a primarily narrative approach in the lyricism, the songs delve deep into friendships and spirituality, love and concern. It works well with the enchanting tone of the record, with each track acting as a window into a reality, succinct verse prose on life and lessons learned. The optimism in songs like "I'm Over You" is balanced perfectly with soul searching tracks like "Help Me," painting an intimate self-portrait that makes for some compelling music.
Recommended if you like Ani DiFranco, PJ Harvey.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
SASSPARILLA: Debilitated Constitution
This six piece from the great NW describes their sound as Americana, blues, rag-blues from the 20's and 30's, country blues, barrelhouse blues, jug band and trance blues. Needless to say, there's a lot going on here, but it comes together with a finely understated intuitiveness. While the overall sound is decidedly vintage, this can't be shrugged off as novelty; the lyrics and the musicianship are much too impressive. Mixing banjo, fiddle, harmonica, and percussabass (a washtub bass contraption) to warmly conjure up the melodies, the group produces an amazingly full yet loose sound, with members stepping up and falling back as the song allows. Add to this the percussive merits of washboards and even a suitcase, and you've got a fully rounded sound that is both abstractly intelligent and comfortably welcoming. While the majority of the album is brilliantly penned original material, there are a few covers, one of which is a rag blues take on Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song." The arrangement is well conceived, offering an unexpectedly sly reworking of the track. If you're looking to take a trip back with some modern music, make sure to give this one a listen.
Recommended if you like Slim, Old Crow Medicine Show, Kitchen Syncopators.
CD price: $10.00