GHOSTS Jeff Shew & The Late Night Crew (independent) ****+
Jeff Shew’s new album can be hard to pin down to one genre, and I really like that. Ghosts is a dozen tracks with a foot in the blues as they blast off to other areas like rockabilly and gospel, Appalachian and Klezmer. Ghosts will keep you merrily entertained.
“This is pretty much the first record that’s all me” Jeff says of Ghosts. “A lot of these songs didn’t really fit in with other projects I was working on, but this is more my true songwriting self.” Shew is a fan of a wide array of artists and it shows in his music. “I’ve always listened to just about everything and I’ve been a record collector most of my life. Blues was huge in my area (he grew up in Chicago), but I was also listening to Black Flag and Tom Waits, so there was a lot on my radar.” So… Jeff is a musical slut just like me.
Ghosts is a series of vibes that draw from all over the musical map but blues is the through line no matter what kind of groove he and the band are mining. Shaw, a bassist, learned at the feet of the legendary Pinetop Perkins, a friend for over 2 decades. “Pinetop taught me quite a bit, more so about learning about the blues as a whole” Jeff notes. “Playing with him for years was learning by osmosis.” His band has a relaxed, swingin’ groove that sits real well here on a chilly October night. Besides Jeff on vocals and bass, this 6-piece includes Paul Karaffa on drums and vocals, Mark Carnes on harmonica, Steve Houk on guitar, John Abel on guitar, and Brian Gill on keys. One of the biggest reasons that makes this work is it sounds like they’re having fun.
Ghosts works effortlessly to expand the blues idiom as they explore light and dark material, murder ballads, spirituality and everything in between. This is what a great party sounds like.
HOT TRACKS: Down to The Valley, Let Our Love Die, This Life I’ve Led
LEAVING THIS TOWN Levi Platero (independent) *****
This is some mean, mean blues/rock. Leaving This Town is a brawny bunch of songs played with a swagger and grind that recalls Stevie Ray at his best. Combine that with some soulfulness and you’ve got one hell of a record.
Leaving This Town was a few years in the making, according to Levi. “I started putting this album together back in 2023, when the pandemic was dying down” he says. I started doing a deep dive into guys like Rory Gallagher and Jesse Ed Davis, listening to a lot of older soul and R&B groups, expanding the palette of who I listen to.” One spin of LTT then you’ll hear and feel exactly what he’s talking about, particularly his affinity for Rory Gallagher.
Leaving This Town has plenty of soul across the board, but on a song like Lawless you can really feel him digging with that big, fat, juicy riff. The musicianship on display is mesmerizing as emotions bubble nearly to the boiling point. Platero has been consciously working on his songwriting and the evolution shows. “I’ve really been trying to hone my craft” he says, “listening with your whole self.” When you consider his playing style and the depth of the songwriting here, it’s like a combination of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Colin James, or Gallagher or even Hendrix, and that’s a thrilling combination.
Leaving This Town is a record I connected with immediately, from the guitar riffs and solos to the sheer confidence in the collective playing of Levi and his band- this disc is a staggering achievement. Blues with some soul and hard rock muscle; that’s Leaving This Town, an album you really need to hear… it’s mesmerizing.
HOT TRACKS: Leaving This Town, Lawless, Monsters
PAUL DI’ANNO’S WARHORSE Paul Di’Anno (Brave Words Records) **** ½
This is Paul Si’Anno’s last full album of original material, released in 2024 before his death and coming out on vinyl in January 2026. Warhorse is blood-and-guts heavy metal, very Judas Priest, driven by Di’Anno’s distinctive voice, and it’s quite satisfying.
Like most people I first encountered Paul’s roar when I bought the first Iron Maiden album in 1980, the same day I picked up Motorhead’s Ace Of Spades. Di’Anno fronted Maiden for 2 records, their self-titled debut and the follow up Killers, an intoxicating mix of metal muscle and punk aggression, and those records remain fan favorites. Thanks to increasingly erratic behavior he was fired from the band in 1981, but has kept himself busy musically in the years since.
Fans of Iron Maiden’s first couple of albums will find Warhorse satisfying. The music here is more riffy as opposed to that early stuff, but Di’Anno’s preternatural growl puts him in the company of other great metal singers like Rob Halford. This disc was roundly praised upon its release and rightly so… the songs are catchy and Paul’s vocals are gripping.
Warhorse (the band) came together when Di’Anno met guitarist Hrvoje Madiraca in Croatia, and guitarist Ante Pupacic Pupi completes the core of the band. Both guitar players have a firey style that suits Paul’s vocals but are capable of nuanced, ethereal passages too which heighten the dramatic content of the songs. A half dozen guest musicians are credited on the record too, mostly Croatian judging by their names. The performances are energetic and, as a final album from one of metal’s biggest voices, Warhorse is a fitting epitaph.
If you like Maiden’ first 2 records PDW is in your wheelhouse. As Sonic Perspectives said upon its release, “For a guy who has been written off many times, Di’Anno has absolutely come out with a solid slab of metal that fans should find easy to enjoy”. Amen to that!
HOT TRACKS: Warhorse, Here Comes The Night, Tequila (yes, that song!)
EARLY BLUES SESSIONS Bob Corritore & Friends (VizzTone/ SWMAF) *****
Here is a fantastic compilation from Corritore’s legendary vaults, described on the cd cover as “definitive recordings from 1984 to 2007 with remixed and unreleased tracks”. It is a brilliant survey of early stuff showcasing Bob’s dedication to recording the real deal blues by its originators. You’d be hard-pressed to find a finer selection of authentic blues anywhere.
I’ve been a fan of Corriotre’s for a few years now, Early Blues Sessions being the 19th cd of his to join my collection. What makes this set particularly electric is that it features a dizzying array of some of the legends Bob has taken into the studio, as opposed to focusing on a single artist- not that there’s anything wrong with that. While many of the 15 artists featured in this set are no longer with us, these recordings assure them a measure of immortality. Hardcore blues fans in particular will salivate when they see some of the names here; Little Milton, Jimmy Rogers, Pinetop Perkins and Robert Lockwood Junior to name a very few.
Putting on any of Bob Corritore & Friends’ discs is like blues time traveling to a delicious, more robust time, and Early Blues Sessions is surely that. The version of Five Long Years featuring Chico Brown and Ramblin’ On My Mind with Robert Lockwood Junior in particular are worth the price of admission alone. Overall it’s fair to call this set “old school blues” and while I appreciate more modern stuff as well, every once in a while it’s nice to be reminded of where it all comes from. The groove and feel of EBS is just soooo nourishing.
When Bob opened his Rhythm Room club in Phoenix he took the opportunity not only to book these great artists for his stage, but he offered to take them into the studio too, thus creating his famous ‘vaults’ and this incredible series of albums. If ever there were an example of essential listening for blues aficionados, then EARLY BLUES SESSIONS is exactly that.
HOT TRACKS: Five Long Years (with Chico Chism), Naptown Blues (with Robert Lockwood Jr.), I Want To Be The One (with Little Milton)
STEPPIN’ OUT! Roomful Of Blues (Alligator) *****
This is a band that really knows how to kick out the jams. Blues Music Magazine calls them “the best little big band on the scene” and Steppin’ Out!. their 20th, is irrefutable evidence. This thing jumps and swings mightily- if you’re not having a good time you’d better check your pulse.
First formed in 1967 and led by guitarist Chris Vachon since 1998, Roomful navigates effortlessly through a number of blues styles. They’ve been nominated for 5 Grammys and 7 Blues Music Awards, and even after all these years are still vital contributors to the blues scene. There’ve been lots of changes over time, and Steppin’ Out welcomes the band’s first female lead singer in D.D. Bastos. Her performance is soulful and dynamic here, keeping pace with what this band of well-seasoned musicians are throwing down. “I am so excited to be the first female singer to record with the band” she says. “They are such an amazing group of musicians, such a well-oiled machine, I am thrilled to ride this wave.” She might be the first singer in the band’s history with ovaries but sweet mother of God she really brings it here.
Steppin’ Out has a joyous, rambunctious sound, their trademark blend of swing, blues, rock n roll and R&B, and these 14 tracks contain covers of tunes any self-respecting blues fan will know; Tiny Bradshaw’s Well Oh Well, Etta James’ Good Rocking Daddy and ZZ Hill’s You Were Wrong just to name a few. Roomful Of Blues swing with enthusiastic precision and Bastos holds her own with confidence and swagger. The horn section provides a bright, enthusiastic vibe that sounds and feels like the best time ever. Some feel the blues can be real downer music, but not here… Steppin’ Out is one of those records that make you glad to be alive.
HOT TRACKS: Satisfied, You Don’t Move Me Know More, Tend To Your Business
PAPER DOLL DELUXE REISSUE Samantha Fish (Rounder) *****+
There are few blues/rock artists working today as exciting as Samantha Fish. This is a deluxe reissue of her latest album including 2 new tracks recorded during the original sessions; Dead Armadillo and a cover of Neil Young’s Don’t Let It Bring You Down. If you dig hot-shit guitar playing and passionate singing, the Paper Doll Deluxe Reissue is definitely for you.
Fish’s blend of seemingly diverse musical genres, from the drone of Mississippi hill country blues to the roar of balls-out rock is what has made her a star. Many of her guitar playing heroes have shown her support, from Eric Clapton toinviting her to appear on is Crossroads Tour, touring with Slash and sharing stages with The Rolling Stones and Buddy Guy. It would be easy to think of this as a rock album, especially listening to tracks like Sweet Southern Sounds, a song that spits and roars with excitement and bravado.
If you already have Paper Doll, the 2 bonus tracks on the deluxe reissue are compelling reasons to reach into your wallet again. Samantha explains Dead Armadillo as “a full-on rock loop that builds on itself. The chords remain constant, but the hooks and melody evolve throughout.” As for her cover of Neil Young’s Don’t Let It Bring You Down she says “I started performing (it) during the pandemic. The lyrics have a dark and bleak quality, but they also hint at the possibility of change. Even if Neil intended it to be sarcastic it resonated with us at the time. People seemed to enjoy our version, so we decided to record it.”
Paper Doll Deluxe Reissue is a record that rocks, rolls, gets down and gets back up again. The songs and musicianship- particularly Fish’s ecstatic guitar playing is immensely powerful, making this one of the fiercest records I’ve heard in quite some time.
HOT TRACKS: Sweet Southern Sounds, Don’t Let It Bring You Down, I’m Done Runnin’
MY MISSISSIPPI ROOTS James “JB” Barnes (independent) *****
This is one of the most soulful blues records I’ve heard in maybe forever. With My Mississippi Roots Barnes lives up to his mission; to honor the artists that came before him while ensuring the blues remains vibrant in the present, to which I say spectacularly well done, sir.
There is a lot of James’s life in My Mississippi Roots. Born in Cleveland and raised in New Jersey, he grew up steeped in the sound and spirit of the music. On his father’s side he can trace his lineage back to Mississippi, so this record is as much family history as the blues is the bedrock of his artistic muse. As a bass player it makes sense that Barnes’s music has a sensuous sense of groovature, as it makes you feel like moving whether you want to or not. Part of the blues magic in these tracks comes from the guitar work of Anthony Krizan, particularly on a song like Brush With The Blues, which I first heard on a Jeff Beck album.
Aside from the soulfulness of the disc, like any decent blues this is fine storytellin’ music. The title track tells the story of his father, who journeyed from the deep south to the industrial North in search of work and a better life for his family. “His Mississippi roots” say JB, “are my Mississippi roots.” Slow blues like Go Make A Change and a bluesy remake of Hall & Oates’ Sara Smile kinda hit you right in the babymaker. Other cover songs aside from those already mentioned include Carey Bell’s Lonesome Stranger and The Rolling Stones’ masterpiece Wild Horses, all of which fit nicely in the feel and vibe of the record.
Since Barnes is a bassist you know there’s got to be some funk in here too, like in the closer Stand Up And Give Peace & Love A Chance. It’s a timely message with a 70’s funk feel. Lots of vibes, feels and grooves throughout My Mississippi Roots, all with an easy blues breath to them. The production is smooth and excellent, not overly cluttered and the spirit of the thing shines through with each and every note. Wonderful , wonderful stuff.
www.jbkeepingthebluesalive.com
HOT TRACKS: Go Make A Change, Brush With The Blues, Sara Smile
LET THE MERMAIDS FLIRT WITH ME: A TRIBUTE TO MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT Erin Harpe featuring Jim Countryman (Erin Harpe Music/ VizzTone) ****
The latest album from this award winning Boston based blues artist and educator along with her husband Jim Countryman on acoustic bass is a thing of elegant, simple beauty. Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me is just voice and guitar, allowing the songs to greet you with open arms.
Mermaids, in a way, feels like one of the many Rory Block albums in my collection, even Maria Muldaur… in fact Erin’s voice reminds me very much of them. “When I listen to the blues it makes me want to cry- it’s a part of me” Erin says. She counts Mississippi John Hurt as one of her greatest influences, so it’s only right that she would salute his work in such a sparse, beguiling way. That this disc is called “an album of joyous music made for desperate times” is right on the money.
If you’re a fan of Hurt’s you’ll recognize numbers like Casey Jones and Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor but if you’re not familiar with his stuff, Mermaids might be the way ease yourself into his music. Mermaids is an intimate affair filled to the brim with authentic versions of Mississippi John Hurt’s catalog. Harpe’s fingerstyle acoustic playing is delightful while Countryman’s simple and sympathetic basslines form a seamless and joyful bed while her expressive and occasionally sassy vocal style make for quite agreeable company.. . it kind of warms the heart, ya know? This record sounds and feels fresh and nostalgic at the same time- not a bad thing for a blues album.
HOT TRACKS: Frankie, Casey Jones, Nobody’s Dirty Business
