Show Me the Way Home, Honey

Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig

Styles: Neo-Traditional Folk, Piedmont Blues, Contemporary Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country, Country Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, String Bands
Label: Nonesuch
Released: 2010
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 89,0 MB
Time: 38:41
Art: front

1. Peace Behind the Bridge - 2:35
2. Trouble in Your Mind - 2:56
3. Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine - 3:00
4. Hit 'Em Up Style - 3:57
5. Cornbread and Butterbeans - 3:10
6. Snowden's Jig (Genuine Negro Jig) - 3:52
7. Why Don't You Do Right? - 3:37
8. Cindy Gal - 2:28
9. Kissin' and Cussin' - 3:21
10. Sandy Boys - 2:25
11. Reynadine - 2:37
12. Trampled Rose - 4:37

Personnel:
Dom Flemons - 4 String Banjo, Drums, Foot Percussion, Guitar, Jug, Throat Singing, Vocals
Rhiannon Giddens - 5 String Banjo, Fiddle, Kazoo, Vocals
Justin Robinson - Autoharp, Beat Box, Fiddle, Foot Percussion, Handclapping, Vocals
Sule Greg Wilson - Frame Drum, Percussion, Tambourine

Notes: Carolina Chocolate Drops are one of the last exponents of Piedmont string’n’jug band music, an African-American rural style dating back to the early 20th century from the Piedmont Plateau, essentially the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains.
For the most part this album’s an unashamedly foot-stomping countrified fiddle-and-banjo racket, and with it the trio reclaim what is usually assumed to be exclusively hillbilly property. But this historic black style is mountain music with something more, as these 12 tracks show how it fits between the European quadrilles and the Anglo/Celtic folk that came across the Atlantic and the rural blues and ragtime jazz that grew out the American South, informing so much contemporary music. And in the hands of the Carolina Chocolate Drops this history lesson is far from dry.
The relatively youthful threesome learned their craft from original Piedmont players and swap instruments – banjo, fiddle, jug, harmonica, guitar, snare drum and kazoo – with ease, and although they all sing, the guys, Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson, leave most of the vocals to the opera-trained Rhiannon Giddens. Cleverly, the group mix traditional songs with original compositions and a couple of surprising covers, allowing them to honour the past, then subtly nudge it forward linking it to the modern music they grew up with.
Of the former, Cindy Gal, Cornbread and Butterbeans and Sandy Boys are joyous jigs, with lyrics about life in general, while Snowden’s Jig and the stunning, a cappella Reynadine show the pensive, bluesy side of the original style. New song Kissin’ and Cussin’ arranges the mountain instruments into what becomes an intriguing contemporary ballad, while their turning of Tom Waits’ Trampled Rose into syncopated country blues adds yet another layer of poignancy to an already heart-wrenching number.
The big surprise, though, is the pickin’, fiddlin’ and slappin’ version of Blu Cantrell’s Hit ‘em Up Style, which totally countrifies an urban classic to create a tune that would be just as at home in hoedown as any blinging city nightclub. It’s the highlight of an extraordinary and stylish album. ~ Lloyd Bradley 2010

Genuine Negro Jig



• Carolina Chocolate Drops - Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind
• VA - Violin, Sing The Blues For Me: African-American Fiddlers 1926-1949

Oznake: Contemporary Country, Piedmont Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, String Bands, Carolina Chocolate Drops, folk, Country

Bjorn Berge - Stringmachine

Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues, Roots
Label: Wea
Released: 2001
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 88.02 MB
Time: 37:27
Art: front + back

1. Stringmachine
2. Changes
3. Who Do You Think You Are
4. Pink Slip
5. Am I Wrong
6. Good Thing
7. Look On Wonder Wall
8. Dig You Babe
9. Kind Hearted Woman
10. Run In On A Groove

Notes: On this record he is back to basic again, all by himself playing acoustic guitars, singing and foot stomping. This is as close as you can get the feeling to be at one of his live gigs.
Bjorn Berge received a Norwegian Grammy for "Stringmachine" as the best Norwegian Blues Album in 2001.
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Stringmachine



• Bjorn Berge & Jan Flaaten - Berge/Flaaten
• Bjorn Berge - Live In Europe

Oznake: Bjorn Berge, Modern Acoustic Blues, Roots, Norway

Steve James - American Primitive

Styles: Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Country Blues
Released: 1994
Label: Antone's
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 108,8 MB
Time: 47:31
Art: Front

1. Greasy Greens (Bumble Bee Slim) - 3:34
2. My Last Good Car (Brown, James) - 3:34
3. Talco Girl (James) - 3:33
4. Ragged and Dirty (Brown) - 3:54
5. Banker's Blues (James) - 3:33
6. Frankie Jean (That Trottin' Fool) (Memphis Minnie) - 2:55
7. Hadacol Boogie (Penny) - 2:28
8. Midnight Blues (James) - 2:53
9. Boogie Woogie Dance (Tampa Red) - 2:53
10. All In, Down and Out Blues (Macon) - 2:43
11. Grain Alcohol (James) - 2:21
12. The Change (James) - 6:55
13. Will and Testament Blues (James) - 3:19
14. Guitar Medley (James) - 2:44

Personnel:
Danny Barnes - Banjo, Guitar, Tenor Banjo, Guitar (Tenor)
Steve James - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals, Producer, Slide Guitar
Gary Primich - Harmonica
Mark Rubin - Bass

Note: Utilizing a jug band of fellow Austinites Danny Barnes (tenor guitar and banjo) and Mark Rubin (stand-up bass and Sousaphone -- both of the Bad Livers) and harpist Gary Primich on some tracks, James sounds more mature here, evidenced by six originals (the John Hurt-esque "Talco Girl" is particularly nice) and one collaboration with bassist/songwriter Sarah Brown ("My Last Good Car") and effective rather than affected vocals. Stellar guitar throughout, with an added treat: James's blues mandolin on "Midnight Blues."
Read more about Steve James

American Primitive



• Guy Tortora - Footnote to the Blues
• Chris Whitley & Jeff Lang - Dislocation Blues

Oznake: Modern Acoustic Blues, Contemporary Blues, Country Blues, Steve James

Guy Tortora - Footnote to the Blues

Styles: Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues
Release: Apr 4, 2005
Label: Turtledove
File: mp3 @256K/s
Size: 102.7 MB
Time: 54:41
Art: Front

1. Long Slow Blues - 5:26
2. Hallowed Ground - 3:50
3. I Need a Car - 4:41
4. Late Starter - 4:13
5. I Heard It Through the Grapevine - 4:06
6. Did Somebody Make a Fool of You - 4:03
7. Love Nor Money - 5:45
8. Tough Love - 4:52
9. Crossroads Blues - 3:27
10. Sanctified Love - 5:53
11. Going Down Slow - 8:05

Personnel:
All songs performed by Guy Tortora Band
Guy Tortora - Guitar, Vocals
Brendan Canty - Bass
Neil Littman - Drums
Janos Bajtala - Keyboards

Notes: Guy's CD "Footnote To The Blues", a mixture of impressive original tunes and some standards, all given Guy Tortora's personal touch.
From 2002. This is definitely not an album of run-of-the- mill blues, and made a good first impression on the UK scene. This CD contains many fine songs, inc. I Need A Car, one of Guy’s originals (and often requested at acoustic performances) played solo on bottleneck guitar; also an outstanding solo interpretation of the Motown classic I Heard It Through The Grapevine, and a sideways look at Robert Johnson’s Crossroads Blues played solo on electric slide.
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Footnote to the Blues



• Guy Tortora - Jefferson Drive
• John Mooney - Telephone King

Oznake: Guy Tortora, Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues

Doug MacLeod - Dubb

Styles: Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Blues
Released: Jan 4, 2005
Label: Black & Tan
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 132.59 MB
Time: 55:00
Art: full

1. (If You Going to The) Dog House (MacLeod) - 5:08
2. Walkin' While I Bleed (MacLeod) - 5:03
3. She Boogy'n (MacLeod) - 3:58
4. The Sun Shine Down My Way (MacLeod) - 5:37
5. Dubb's Talkin' Politician Blues (MacLeod) - 4:17
6. Miss Rita (MacLeod) - 4:23
7. One Fool Show (MacLeod) - 2:45
8. $50 Wig (MacLeod) - 4:15
9. Have a Little Taste (MacLeod) - 5:34
10. Nightwalking (MacLeod) - 5:24
11. North County Woman (MacLeod) - 3:33
12. The Devil Is Beating His Wife (MacLeod) - 5:03

Personnel:
Dennis Croy - Bass (Acoustic)
Dave Kida - Percussion, Drums
Carl Leyland - Piano
Doug MacLeod - Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals

Notes: Dubb is what George Harmonica Smith called Doug. He couldn't (or wouldn't) say Doug, so he called him Dubb. Like all the albums Doug has done since 1994 there are no over-dubs on this one. You hear a performance, a musical snapshot in time by one of the last torchbearers of the acoustic blues tradition. Doug doesn't like perfect records instead he likes the 'grease' and what he calls 'stretching of time'. To him, that's where feeling lives. This new record contains 12 original songs and like his previous records it is produced by sound guru Joe Harley.

Dubb



• Colin James - National Steel
• Taj Mahal - Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff

Oznake: Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Blues, Doug MacLeod

Corey Harris - Between Midnight And Day

Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues, Country BluesRecorded: 1994
Released: 1995
Label: Alligator
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 117.03 MB
Time: 41:57
Art: full

1. Roots Woman - 2:50
2. Pony Blues - 2:42
3. Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning - 2:54
4. Early In The Morning - 2:13
5. Feel Like Going Home - 4:32
6. I'm A Rattlesnakin' Daddy - 2:20
7. Between Midnight And Day - 3:34
8. Bukka's Jitterbug Swing - 2:01
9. Going To Brownsville - 5:01
10. Write Me A Few Lines - 2:08
11. She Moves Me - 2:10
12. Bound To Miss Me - 3:38
13. 61 Highway - 4:48
14. Catfish Blues - 2:40
15. I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More - 2:52
16. It Hurts Me Too - 3:20

Personnel:
Corey Harris - Guitar, Vocal

Notes: Born in Denver, Colorado, Corey Harris became a professional musician in New Orleans after attending college, conducting postgraduate anthropological research in West Africa and teaching French. The historical awareness of his debut CD has continued to inform his music, even as it has become increasingly original, and increasingly driven by a sense of the unity in diversity of black musics and cultures. His brings an acute intelligence to both words and music, and seems able to incorporate any influence that appeals to him, while never parading eclecticism or virtuosity for their own sake. If the blues needs someone to be the future of the blues, Corey Harris is probably the one.
Recorded in six hours, this album consists mostly of songs from the 78-rpm era; Fred McDowell is as up to date as the covers get, and the three originals are pastiches of bygone Delta blues styles. Harris's powerful baritone commands immediate attention, and he had already acquired an impressive mastery of a range of guitar styles. For one so young, coming to this music as an outsider by geography, history and social class, album is remarkably succesful, but it does present a musician finding his way into the idiom. Sometimes Harris doesn't know how to make the songs his own, and his attempts to do so by emotional 'force majeure' seem imposed and arbitrary; two covers of Muddy Waters suffer particularlyin respect. For all its merits, 'Between Midnight And Day' is valuable chiefly as hint at future possibilities.

Between Midnight And Day



• Little Miss Higgins - Live: Two Nights In March
• Robert Wilkins - Prodigal Son

Oznake: Corey Harris, Modern Acoustic Blues, Country Blues

Guitar Nick & Blue Al - Tribute To Robert Johnson

Styles: Moder Acoustic Blues
Label: Riva Sound Records, Bulgaria
Released: 2001
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 129,5 MB
Time: 56:33
Art: front + back

1. Springtime Boogie - 3:45
2. Love In Vain - 3:08
3. Sweet Home Chicago - 2:40
4. Ramblin' on My Mind - 6:01
5. Little Green Frogs - 2:22
6. Walking Blues - 3:41
7. Good Morning, Mr.Blues - 3:06
8. Come On In My Kitchen - 3:13
9. When You Got A Good Friend - 3:00
10. Country & Blues Fantasia - 8:26
11. Baby, Please Don't Go - 2:28
12. Harmonica Solo - 3:26
13. Hoochie Coochie Man - 4:24
14. Sofia Blues - 4:28
15. How Long Blues - 2:17

Notes: Guitar Nick (Nicolai Tanev) was born on 23.06.1962 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He started playing guitar when he was sixteen, but his real progress began after his meeting with the most famous Bulgarian classical guitar teacher Dimiter Deutschinoff. For about five years he took private lessons and worked on the music of composers such as Albeniz, Tarrega, Vila - Lobos, Bach and many others. Meantime he majored in French literature, worked as a translator and after getting his certificate for guitar - teacher from the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture he started giving private lessons. He is a member of the American Blues Foundation.

Blue Al (Alexander Donchev) was born on 25.05.1972 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The first group where he played harmonica was "Montana". The group performed Country music and toured the whole country. For his exceptional abilities of bluesman he was invited and performed as a guest - musician in the albums of "Herman's Wolf Band" and "Djendema". Alexander Donchev plays mainly in clubs and gets many gigs with the groups "Cocomania", "Vasko Krapkata".

Recorded at "Silvia Music Studio", Sofia, Bulgaria, between February and April 2000, the style is acoustic blues. It consists of 15 tracks, 10 of which are songs - original blues standards by Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, Joe Williams and Huddie Ledbetter, and the other 5 are instrumentals - 3 of them by Nicolai Tanev (Guitar Nick) and 2 by Alexander Donchev (Blue Al).
The characteristic acoustic sound of the music is defined by the wide use of classical nylon - stringed guitar, which can't be seen very often in the blues, combined with the typical blues sound of "Hohner Blues Harp" without effects. Full acoustic - this is the main sound idea in this album. Both musicians sound as if they were very close to you, without any amplification.
As the title suggests , this album is a reverence for Robert Johnson, but unlike the wonderful album of Peter Green it goes much farther - it includes others classics and presents the original blues conception of both young musicians.
More info

Tribute To Robert Johnson



• John Campbell - Tyler, Texas Session
• Bjorn Berge - Bjorn Berge

Oznake: Guitar Nick & Blue Al, Bulgaria, Modern Acoustic Blues

Chris Whitley & Jeff Lang - Dislocation Blues

Styles: Americana, Roots Rock, Modern Acoustic Blues, Slide Guitar Blues
Label: ABC Music
Released: 2006
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 156,2 MB
Time: 68:13
Art: full

1. Stagger Lee - 7:26
2. Twelve Thousand Miles - 4:36
3. When I Paint My Masterpiece - 5:00
4. Rocket House - 5:08
5. The Road Leads Down - 2:51
6. Dislocation Blues - 5:27
7. Forever In My Life - 3:54
8. Velocity Girl - 4:52
9. Ravenswood - 5:22
10. Underground - 4:18
11. Changing Of The Guard - 6:42
12. Motion Bride - 12:31

Personnel:
Chris Whitley: vocals, National guitar, bottleneck guitar, foot
Jeff Lange: amplified acoustic lap steel, national guitar, acoustic lap slide, acoustic guitar, loops, samples, electric guitar, fretless electric guitar, fretless banjo, bass pedals
Grant Cummerford: acoustic bass, electric bass, bowed bass
Ashley Davies: drums

Notes: Dislocation Blues is the work of kindred spirits in a sustained moment of inspiration. Recorded in April of 2005, months before guitarist/vocalist Chris Whitley's death from cancer, the album finds the late Texan united with his Australian cohort, guitarist Jeff Lang, as they confront their emotions and, by the alchemy that is music, transform that interaction into poetry instrumental and verbal.
Whitley and Lang achieve this transmogrification with a mix of originals, traditional songs and, not surprisingly, two songs of Bob Dylan's. "When I Paint My Masterpiece is a jaunty romp that nevertheless betrays a certain nagging uncertainty through its mix of electric and acoustic guitars combined with the halting gait in the rhythm. "Changing of the Guard finds Whitley and Lang trading verses of the Bard's apocalyptic vision, the fluidity of their tradeoffs making it all the more regrettable the world will never get to see the two perform together live (though the two did do some selected dates together in 2004, early in their collaboration).
Thankfully Dislocation Blues fully documents their chemistry as they interact with the deferential rhythm section of bassist Grant Cummerford and drummer Ashley Davies. Whitley and Lang, who produced the album and ensured its release in the United States, refuse to prettify their music but therein lies the very foundation of its beauty. The pair conjures an air of menace through the deliberate pace they apply to the traditional tune "Stagger Lee, Whitley's falsetto vocal and the electric slide guitar winding around the changes like a shadow of a stalker. The title song is a mesmerizing travel through time, revealing Whitley's beat poet roots as means of commentary on our post-9/11 world.
Lang plays the role of younger brother to Whitley here, a figure with less experience and thus more unabashed hope. His voice is less parched and his guitar playing brighter on "The Road Leads Down and "Ravenswood. Twelve Thousand Miles is an original blues by Lang, where he demonstrates how he exorcises his personal demons as much by playing as composing. Whitley's previously recorded "Rocket House is shorn of its previously-recorded production accouterments and enlivened as an acoustic dreamscape that's no less evocative.
What might seem an odd choice here is the inclusion of Prince's "Forever in My Life. Yet Whitley and Lang take this somewhat overstated expression of devotion and turn it into an ode to primal desire. Like the almost hidden track "Hellhound on My Trail, performed by Whitley alone, it becomes a personal statement that haunts long after the performance is over.
The same can be said about Dislocation Blues in its entirety.
Visit Chris Whitley and Jeff Lang on the web.

Dislocation Blues



• John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters
• Andy Squint - Down By The River

Oznake: Chris Whitley, Jeff Lang, Modern Acoustic Blues, Slide Guitar Blues, Americana

John Campbell - Tyler, Texas Session

Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues
Released: 1999
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 126,7 MB
Time: 55:20
Label: Sound Records
Art: full

1. Walkin' Blues - 4:08
2. I Can't Be Satisfied - 4:27
3. Rollin' Stone - 5:02
4. Watch Dog Blues - 3:25
5. Driftin' And Driftin' - 4:12
6. Medley In C/Chump Man Blues - 5:35
7. My Babe - 4:09
8. Talk To Me Babe - 4:26
9. Blues In A - 3:03
10. The Sky Is Crying - 5:07
11. Terraplane Blues - 5:17
12. Mojo Hand - 6:25


Notes: This CD is a rare and historic live-in-the-studio recording of a blues legend. John Campbell recorded these magical performances as demo, years before his Electra contract and untimely death. On these recordings you will hear one man with a presumably a 1930’s era National Resophonic, a then pristine 1952 Gibson Southern Jumbo, and all his heart and soul, whisking you away on a mystical journey.
No electronic tracks were used to alter John’s renditions of these blues classics that were woven with the charm and heartfelt passion of a man who lived his craft. You’ll hear the incredible syncopation of his hands, his ethereal voice, and the beat of his foot keeping time. Robin Hood Studios captured Campbell’s complete essence; metal on wood slide guitar rattles and the very breath and snarls of a brilliant apprentice to the blues. They were also able to chronicle a musician steeped in deep country blues, whose performances during this session were not destined to be heard until now.
“Campbell imbibed the spirit of the masters of the blues. If you were lucky enough to have witnessed his shows you would have been a participant in a classroom where the blues was the subject. John gave lessons in the blues on a nightly basis. His venues became his classroom where he lectured ancient blues theory. He demonstrated piano and banjo style blues guitar methods, as well as Mississippi-delta slide technique. Audiences the world over were enthralled at his sheer finger picking ability and his thunderous right hand technique.” *
Mojo Hand, a fitting epitaph, is presented on this recording where you’ll hear John’s derelict plea of “I’m Goin’ Back to Louisiana.” Welcome home, John Campbell, welcome home.
*Excerpt from the future release of the biography, Road of the Conqueror, the Life of John Campbell. ~ devilinmycloset.net

Tyler, Texas Session



• Country Blues Project - All by Myself •
• Kelly Joe Phelps - Roll Away The Stone •

Oznake: John Campbell, Modern Acoustic Blues

Bjorn Berge - Bjorn Berge

Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues, Modern Electric Blues, Blues-Rock
Released: 1997
Label: Bonnier Amigo Music Group
File: mp3@ 320K/s
Size: 92.2 MB
Time: 39:51
Art: full

1. Don't the road look rough and rocky - 3:34
2. Death letter - 3:00
3. Midnight on the stormy deep - 4:43
4. Shake for me - 2:35
5. Stones in my passway - 2:45
6. Angel band - 2:49
7. Goin' to Brownsville - 3:24
8. Left her behind - 3:23
9. Just rode in your town - 2:36
10. I wish you would - 2:57
11. Hellhound on my trail - 3:53
12. Saddle my pony - 4:07

Notes: Bjorn Berge takes the Blues and Rock to the next level! He performes with and without band. You wouldn’t notice the difference. The man is a band on his own. Maybe thats why ‘they’ call him the ‘string-machine’. Even the drumming is taken care off in a ‘sole-man-performance’. Just a kick of a heavy, worn out boot on a wooden box for basedrum for example. His fingers play like he sold his soul to ,… His voice speaks for itself. Blues to the utmost ground!
Bjřrn’s first solo album is called Bjřrn Berge. All instruments played by himself.

Bjorn Berge



• Bjorn Berge & Jan Flaaten - Berge/Flaaten •
• Bjorn Berge - Live In Europe •

Oznake: Bjorn Berge, Modern Acoustic Blues

Country Blues Project - All by Myself

Styles: Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues
Label: Shamrock
Released: 1996
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 125,1 MB
Time: 54:36
Art: front + back

1. All by Myself - 2:30
2. Sleeping All My Myself - 3:55
3. The Detroit Special - 5:08
4. Blues Everywhere I Go - 5:15
5. Jackson Stomp - 2:59
6. Will I Ever Get Back Home - 4:26
7. Guitar Rag - 2:55
8. From Four Till Late - 2:45
9. When I Take My Vacation in Harlem - 3:00
10. Ticket Agent Blues - 3:01
11. Medicine Blues - 3:42
12. Chattanooga Mama - 2:47
13. Your Bisquits Are Big Enough for Me - 2:59
14. Stop Trucking and Suzy Q - 3:09
15. Tuff Luck Blues - 3:21
16. I'll Be Here a Long, Long Time - 2:36

Recorded at Downstairs Studios, Tübingen 1995

Personnel:
Fritz H. Blessing - guitar, vocals
Rudie Blazer - bass, guitar, mandolin
Wolf Abromeit - guitar, bass

Notes: Any information about these guys is helpful

All by Myself



• Ry Cooder - My Name Is Buddy •
• Taj Mahal - An Evening of Acoustic Music •

Oznake: Country Blues Project, Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Germany

Kelly Joe Phelps - Roll Away The Stone

Styles: Slide Guitar Blues, Folk-Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues
Recorded: 1996
Released: Aug 26, 1997
Label: Rykodisc
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 136,2 MB
Time: 58:56
Art: front + back

1. Roll Away The Stone - 4:50
2. Sail The Jordan - 6:04
3. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder - 5:55
4. Hosanna - 8:52
5. Without The Light - 4:48
6. Footprints - 4:35
7. Go There - 4:22
8. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - 6:56
9. Cypress Grove - 6:46
10. That's Alright - 3:29
11. Doxology - 2:14

Personnel:
Kelly Joe Phelps - vocals, 6- & 12-string lap slide guitars, 6-string guitar


Note: The Blues aren't dead yet
There are very few acoustic blues musicians around who are capable of doing anything other than rehashing Robert Johnson. One modern master who does not fall prey to that criticism is Kelly Joe Phelps.
Compliments of my parents, I grew up listening to Robert Johnson, Son House, Charley Patton, etc. As I got older, I grew bored with pure blues. Blind Willie Johnson, for example, just used the same melody over and over again with different lyrics. I turned to jazz, blues-influenced folk such as John Fahey, and the occasional blues-based rock of modern geniuses like Chris Whitley and Ben Harper. Occasionally, I listen to jam bands like the Allman Brothers or Widespread Panic, but that's about as close to pure I blues as I usually get these days. The only old blues that still holds my attention comes from the odd-balls like Mississippi John Hurt and Skip James. Then I heard Kelly Joe Phelps' "Shine Eyed Mister Zen" and I had to re-evaluate my position. I immediately went out and bought all three of Phelps' albums, and I am currently collecting other albums on which he makes guest appearances (one to note is Tony Furtado's "Roll My Blues Away"- a wonderful blend of blues, folk, bluegrass, and even some Celtic). Phelps plays with such soul, technical skill and integrity that he has restored my faith in blues. I recently realized that the difference between Phelps and the other blues revivalists (aside from Phelps' preternatural skill) is that Phelps stays true to the sound and the feel of blues, but his compositions are structured more like jazz. Kelly Joe Phelps is simply the best. ~ Nobody important

Roll Away The Stone



• Luther Dickinson And The Sons of Mudboy - Onward & Upward •
• Brian Blain - New Folk Blues •

Oznake: Slide Guitar Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Kelly Joe Phelps

'Philadelphia' Jerry Ricks - Deep In The Well

Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues
Label: Rooster Blues
Released: 1996
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 158,0 MB
Time: 69:00
Art: front

1. James Alley Blues - 6:06
2. No Place For Me - 6:58
3. Down In Luck - 3:53
4. Empty Bottle Blues - 6:20
5. Change Your Ways - 6:32
6. Born With The Blues - 4:34
7. New Pallet On The Floor - 5:47
8. When A Man Gets In Trouble - 4:46
9. New Avalon - 5:14
10. Ain't Afraid Of These Blues - 4:11
11. Gary Davis Medley - 3:00
12. Troubles - 5:26
13. Troubled, Lord - 2:37
14. Swing Low Sweet Chariot - 3:31


Notes: Born and raised in Philadelphia, Jerry Ricks is currently living and performing in the Delta. Jerry Ricks has lived everywhere. He has played with such revered Bluesmen as Son House, Brownie McGhee, Mance Lipscomb, Sleepy John Estes, Skip James, Furry Lewis, Bukka White, and many others.
During the blues revival of the 60s Jerry was booking traditional Delta Blues men into the coffeehouse where he washed dishes in Philadelphia. They taught him about the Blues and became life long influences in both his music career and his personal life.
He spent much of the 70's and 80's hopping back and forth across the Atlantic. As with many bluesmen during this period, Jerry found new audiences in Europe when the Blues jobs seemed to be on hiatus in the states.
In the early 90's he decided to come home. Not just home but home to the Delta. Not his home of youth but the home of his music and the many many bluesmen who had been his friends and mentors along the years.
Ricks has two albums out on the Rooster Blues label, the critically acclaimed Deep in the Well and Many Miles of Blues, a 2000 release. Deep in the Well, released in 1998, garnered Ricks W.C. Handy Blues Award nominations in three categories: Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year; Acoustic Album of the Year, and Comeback Blues Album of the Year, the last because Ricks had spent so much time overseas and American audiences were largely unfamiliar with him. Despite a 13-album discography in Europe, Deep in the Well was Ricks' first U.S. release. He credits the great classic bluesmen of the 1960s for helping him to keep the faith (and enthusiasm) for live performing through the years. "I already knew how to play guitar when I met a lot of them," he explained, "and I had figured out a lot of stuff from their old records. Mainly, they talked to me about how to keep my head together and not run off on some kind of trip."

Deep In The Well



• Colin James - National Steel •
• Taj Mahal - Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff •

Oznake: 'Philadelphia' Jerry Ricks, Modern Acoustic Blues

Colin James - National Steel

Styles:Modern Acoustic Blues, Contemporary Blues
Released:Jun 30, 1998
Label:WEA
File:flac i mp3 @160kbps
Size:58.6 MB?
Time:50:51

1. Shout Baby Shout (Rachell) - 3:16
2. Rollin' Stone (Waters) - 3:23
3. National Steel (Burgess, James, Ward) - 4:54
4. These Arms of Mine (Redding) - 4:43
5. Going up to the Country (Mahal) - 4:10
6. Fixin' to Die (White) - 4:28
7. Somebody Have Mercy (Cooke) - 3:32
8. Postman's Sack (Bradshaw) - 1:41
9. Please Baby (Chatmon) - 3:41
10. Ride and Roll (McGhee) - 2:39
11. I Live the Life I Love (Dixon) - 3:41
12. My Mind Is on Vacation (Allison) - 3:35
13. Before the Dawn (Linden) - 4:26
14. Kind-Hearted Woman (Johnson) - 2:40


Personnel:
Norm Fisher - Bass
Colin James - Mandolin, Pedal Steel, Vocals, Slide Guitar
Colin Linden - Guitar (Acoustic), Mandolin, Producer, Slide Guitar
Campbell Ryga - Sax
Johnny Ferriera - Sax


Notes: Colin James is somewhat of a chameleon. He has released everything from swing-blues to pop to R&B.
On this CD, James, in my opinion, is at his best. He is joined for this all acoustic session by his friend and fellow canadian, Colin Linden ("Through the Storm" and "Raised By Wolves").
The song selections are good, mixing some originals with the tunes of Yank Rachell, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson and even soul man Sam Cooke. Together, both Colins' guitar playing is excellent and their vocals harmonize and blend well.
To date, this is my favorite Colin James CD. If you are looking for some good acoustic playing, this CD should meet your needs. ~ deepbluereview

National Steel



• Taj Mahal - Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff •
• Mountain Men - Hope •

Oznake: Colin James, Modern Acoustic Blues, Contemporary Blues

Taj Mahal - Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff

Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues, Contemporary Blues
Released: 1972/1991
Label: Mobile Fidelity/Columbia
File: mp3@320K/s
Size: 103.7 MB
Time: 46:28
Art: front + back

1. Conch Introduction - 1:10
2. Kalimba - 2:25
3. Bound To Love Me Some - 5:15
4. Ricochet - 4:17
5. A Free Song (Rise Up Children Shake The Devil Out Of Your Soul) - 4:11
6. Corinna - 2:56
7. Conch Close - 0:38
8. M'Banjo - 4:38
9. Cakewalk Into Town - 2:35
10. Sweet Home Chicago - 6:49
11. Texas Woman Blues - 2:57
12. Gitano Negro - 8:33

Personnel:
Taj Mahal - Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Guitar (Steel), Vocals, Kalimba, Handclapping, Producer, Conch, Bass (Upright)
Howard Johnson - Tuba, Handclapping
The Pointer Sisters - Vocals (bckgr)

Notes: "Recycling the Blues and Other Related Stuff" is most likely Taj's best album and definitely his best album side. At a time that blues meant listening to a wailing electric guitar, Taj swam against the current, and produced an awesome minimalist format. The first cut, "Cakewalk into Town" is adorned with Howard Johnson's tuba and some handclaps. Nobody but Taj could have pulled that off. You see great guitarists like Mark Knopfler use steel guitars as album cover ornaments, and Johnny Winter even cut a song with one, but Taj really knows what to do with one. In fact, whether it's an upright bass, banjo, or whatever, he will get incredible sounds out of it. Brian Jones move over. The album's version of "Sweet Home Chicago" is a simply definitive version, dare I say it, blowing away the track we have of Robert Johnson. Why this song and this version of this song isn't Chicago's theme song instead of The Chairman's is pretty obvious. The Pointer Sisters' background vocals are perfect. Ditto on "Texas Woman Blues," but the striking aspect of this song is the listener's recognition of how Taj has changed the texture of his voice from an edgy gravelly sound in the previous songs to a rich warm baritone. Anyone that picked up on the cd issue of "The Real Thing" will notice this quality throughout that album. And of course, on both albums, Taj shows us he can whistle better than anyone else. He is just so musically talented, especially during this period of his career, as to be disgusting. What is truly disgusting is that this cd is out of print and wasn't reissued with the reissues of his other early albums. The only cd version from 1991 fetches incredible prices. I guess I should be grateful for the issue of "The Real Thing," as it commemorates an incredible tuba breakdown that will have you running to the audio store to buy a subwoofer (rationalizing the expense as a partial savings on laxatives). And "Natural Blues" has that banjo mini-solo (or whatever you want to call it) in the middle of "Corinna." But I want more. I implore the record industry gods to hear my plea and produce a quality remastered cd version of "Recycling the Blues and Other Related Stuff." ~ Leo H. Stakemiller

Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff



• John Dee Holeman - John Dee Holeman & The Waifs Band •
• John Hammond - John Hammond Live •

Oznake: Taj Mahal, Modern Acoustic Blues, Contemporary Blues

John Dee Holeman - John Dee Holeman & The Waifs Band

Styles: Piedmont Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Texas Blues
Label: Music Maker
Released: 2007
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 118,3 MB
Time: 51:41
Art: full

1. John Henry - 2:31
2. Country Gal - 7:22
3. Mojo Hand - 3:05
4. Give Me Back My Wig - 5:36
5. I'm A Pilgrim - 2:28
6. Comin' Home To You - 7:39
7. Dust My Broom - 4:29
8. Little Queenie - 4:24
9. I Miss You Huggin' - 6:03
10. Looking Yonder Comin' - 3:21
11. Baby Please Don't Go - 4:38


Personnel:
John Dee Holeman - Guitar, Vocals
Josh Cunningham - Guitar
Ben Franz - Bass, Guitar (Bass)
Dave MacDonald - Drums
Donna Simpson - Drums (10)
Vikki Thorn - Harp, Vocals

Notes: "All you have to do is start listening to the music the Waifs and John Dee recorded and you’ll see how special a player and singer Mr. Holeman is." -Richard Marcus, Blogcritics

"The Waifs had converged at Music Maker studios in North Carolina for a week’s rehearsal before our US tour started. Toward the end of the week Tim Duffy suggested he invite some of the Foundations artists over to make some music. John Dee Holeman turned up. He's a real gentleman, very gracious & after a quick round of introductions he picked up an old guitar and started to play like ...well like he'd been doing it all his life.
We were in awe. There are rare occasions when one sits in the presence of living legend and experiences one of the last true forms of authentic music. Tentatively we joined in. I remember being nervous about playing harmonica. I was trying to play Sonny Terry licks, to be bluesy, to feel it. You can hear that...me trying.
That’s the thing you see. All week we had been going over songs, arrangements. Arguing over this and that. Trying to create our final version. When John Dee picked up that guitar and started playing it was the most natural thing in the world. Not something you thought about, or planned, or crafted. Just something you felt, as natural and easy as taking a walk.
So here it is. That afternoon at Music Maker studios when John Dee Holeman took a walk with his guitar and the Waifs tagged along, sometimes in step, sometimes a step behind. But the closest step we'd ever taken toward the blues.
We wish to thank John Dee Holeman for the music and Tim & Denise Duffy for putting us up & bringing it together." -Vikki Thorn
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John Dee Holeman & The Waifs Band



• John Dee Holeman - Bull Durham Blues •
• Lightnin' Hopkins - The Complete Aladdin Recordings •

Oznake: John Dee Holeman, Piedmont Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Texas Blues, The Waifs Band, australia

Steve James - Art and Grit

Styles:Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Country Blues
Recorded:Jun-Sep 1995
Released:Sep 9, 1996
Label:Discovery
File:mp3 @320kbps
Size:94.6 MB
Time:40:06
Art:full

1. Ooze It to Me, Mama (Tarlton) - 3:03
2. Wet Laundry Blues (Easton) - 2:56
3. Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight (Mertz) - 3:39
4. Blues Widow (James) - 3:31
5. Downbound Train (Berry) - 4:52
6. Viola Lee Blues (Lewis) - 3:18
7. Liberty (Traditional) - 2:42
8. Monkey Man Swing (James) - 2:27
9. Farewell the Roses (James) - 3:14
10. Juanita Stomp (Williams) - 4:06
11. Lookit Th' Dog (James) - 3:14
12. Buddy Bolden's Blues (Traditional) - 3:04

Notes: James' first album was a solo effort; his second added a small combo. Art and Grit, his third, is a virtual celebration of acoustic string instruments. The Austin "jug band" of American Primitive -- James, Danny Barnes, Mark Rubin, and Gary Primich -- reunites on three cuts and forms the nucleus of three others. Guitar virtuoso Rob Brozman and Asleep at the Wheel's Cindy Cashdollar make guest appearances, and all told there are no fewer than eleven different instrument lineups on the disc, with guitars of many types (standard, slide, Hawaiian, and tenor), banjos (6- and 4-string), and mandolins presented solo and in various combinations. Most memorable cuts are James' delightfully archaic banjo rendition of the century-old "Buddy Bolden's Blues" and the joyfully clanging triple guitar attack on "Downbound Train" (an obscure Chuck Berry album cut, based on an old temperance song). Recording quality is exceptionally vivid, capturing the distinctive timbre of each instrument and making Art and Grit an old-timey blues lovers' delight.

Art and Grit



• Michael Jerome Browne - Drive On •
• Tracy Nelson - The Best Of Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth •

Oznake: Steve James, Contemporary Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Country Blues

Guitar Red - Lightnin' In A Bottle

Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues
Label: Back Space Records
Released: 2008
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 75,0 MB
Time: 32:17
Art: full

1. Box Car No. 9 - 2:27
2. Lips Poked Out - 2:30
3. Ain't Got Nobody But Myself - 2:27
4. Three Legged Dog Blues - 2:51
5. Chain Gang Blues - 4:18
6. Lightnin' In A Bottle - 2:08
7. Out My Mind - 3:36
8. Decatur Boy Blues - 2:18
9. I Believe - 2:56
10. Song About A Jimi Hendrix Song - 3:47
11. Monologue - 2:52


Personnel:
Billy Christian Walls - Guirar, Clavinet, Vocals
Chris Francisco - Bass

Notes: Guitar Red has lived as a street musician for as long as people can remember, and on most days can be found playing his unique style of acoustic blues in and around the square in Decatur, GA.

The thing that strikes me immediately about this album is that it's hard to believe just one guy is producing the sound. In that regard, he is a lot like Mississippi John Hurt. "Box Car No. 9" is a tune that features some excellent guitar picking and it is bound to get your feet stompin'.
Something about Guitar Red reminds me of another Georgia blues man: Blind Willie McTell. I think more than anything it's the way Red picks his guitar. He gets an incredibly clean sound.
"Three Legged Dog Blues" is a lowdown blues tune that wouldn't sound out of place on a back porch anywhere. "My old lady treats me like a three-legged dog." Now, that is the blues.
What is even more astounding about Guitar Red is that he has long been a street musician in Decatur, Georgia. He is an incredibly talented musician. He also plays the clavinet on the title track. You don't need to listen to much of the album to know that the blues comes from deep inside Guitar Red.
"Lightnin' in a Bottle" is a classic blues album, with songs about trains, drinking, ("Ain't Got Nobody but Myself"), prison ("Chain Gang Blues"), and having the blues. For a debut album, this is really strong. It's hard for me to believe that no one noticed Red's obvious talent before now. If you are in the area of Decatur, Georgia, I advise you to seek out Guitar Red and take in some of his tunes. If you are an old-time blues fan, this is an album you really should add to your collection.

Lightnin' In A Bottle



• John Hammond - John Hammond Live •
• John Dee Holeman - Bull Durham Blues •

Oznake: Guitar Red, Modern Acoustic Blues

John Dee Holeman - Bull Durham Blues

Styles: Piedmont Blues, Acoustic Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Texas Blues
Released: Jun 8, 1999
Label: Music Maker
File: mp3 @320k/s
Size: 103 MB
Art: full

1. Give Me Back My Wig (Hopkins, Taylor) - 4:12
2. Step It up and Go (Traditional) - 3:11
3. Little Country Gal (Spann) - 3:15
4. Sweet Home Chicago (Johnson) - 3:53
5. Hello Central (Hopkins) - 3:12
6. Early Morning Blues (Morganfield) - 3:06
7. Crow Jane (Traditional) - 2:26
8. Mistreated Blues (Traditional) - 4:51
9. Big Boss Man (Dixon, Smith) - 3:40
10. Stranger Blues (Traditional) - 3:16
11. Hambone (Traditional) - 2:20
12. God Loves His Children (Flatt, Scruggs) - 2:48
13. Chapel Hill Boogie (Holeman) - 2:56

Personnel:
All songs performed by
John Dee Holeman - Guitar, Vocals, Hambone
Täj Mähäl - Bass (4), Guitar (13), Piano (8), Hambone (11)

Notes: Piedmont bluesman John Dee Holeman mixes a little Texas into his North Carolina guitar approach, even covering Lightnin' Hopkins' "Give Me Back My Wig" as the first track of Bull Durham Blues, his debut album. Holeman isn't as irascible as Hopkins, with a gentle vocal approach that's closer to Mississippi John Hurt in demeanor, and his guitar playing isn't as distinctive as either Hopkins or Hurt, but he gets the job done with a good deal of charm. On songs like the easy, relaxed "Crow Jane" (a wonderful example of how to use the floating verses that are in every good bluesman's tool kit), the gentle "Little Country Gal," and the slightly paranoid "Stranger Blues," Holeman conjures up a timeless, back porch feel without getting too about it. The half-spoken, half-rapped "Hambone" is a clear highlight, with Holeman doing the hambone with a buckdancer's grace. Recorded in 1998 in Pinnacle, N.C., Bull Durham features Taj Mahal on several tracks helping out on bass, guitar, piano and the hambone, too.

Bull Durham Blues



• Smoky Babe - Hottest Brand Goin' •
• Lightnin' Hopkins - The Complete Aladdin Recordings (2-disc set) •

Oznake: John Dee Holeman, Piedmont Blues, Acoustic Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues, Texas Blues

John Hammond - John Hammond Live

Size: 170,2 MB
Time: 72:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1983/1991
Styles: Modern Acoustic Blues, Blues Folk
Label: Rounder
Art: Full

01. I Wish You Would (4:41)
02. Saddle My Pony (3:29)
03. Cat Man Blues (4:07)
04. Custard Pie (3:10)
05. One Kind Favor (4:00)
06. I Can't Be Satisfied (4:09)
07. Dust My Broom (4:30)
08. Low Down Dog (4:25)
09. Little School Girl (3:23)
10. Shake For Me (3:18)
11. Drop Down Mama (4:40)
12. Texas Tornado (4:02)
13. Steady Rollin' Man (4:37)
14. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby (3:19)
15. Sail On (4:20)
16. Wang Dang Doodle (3:37)
17. Honeymoon Blues (3:26)
18. I'm Movin' On (5:01)

John Hammond has dealt with issues of authenticity and origin, both musical and personal, and moved beyond them. This 18-song session, recorded live in 1983 and recently reissued on CD, may have been his definitive session. It was certainly a masterpiece, with Hammond doing confident, thoroughly distinctive versions of signature Delta and Chicago blues classics by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Son House and others. While "Dust My Broom," "Drop Down Mama," "Wang Dang Doodle" and all the rest have certainly been done to death, Hammond's spirited vocals, riveting guitar work on acoustic or bottleneck and his overall charismatic performances made them seem like fresh discoveries. ~Review by Ron Wynn

John Hammond Live



• Paul Geremia - Gamblin' Woman Blues •
• Maria Muldaur - Garden Of Joy •

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Posted by kamane

Oznake: John Hammond, Modern Acoustic Blues, Folk-Blues