COMIN’ BACK TO THE BLUES Beyond 1969 featuring Tom “The Suit” Forst (independent) ****
If guys like Johnny Winter and Joe Bonamassa play your kind of blues, well these guys do too. Comin’ Back To The Blues does it with an Allmans kind of feel and it’s quite satisfying.
Comin’ Back To The Blues is smartly produced and each song has a story to tell. Tom Forst (vocals, guitar) says “(singer/ bassist) Tony and I wrote these songs about passion- love, loss, lust, loneliness and laughter. Every lyric has a story to tell.” For example, Consolation Man, a tasty slow blues, takes a different tack on abusive relationships. The title cut addresses the struggle to keep the blues alive and well and if you’re looking for a little optimism, try Darkest Before The Dawn. So yeah, this quite a bit deeper than ‘I done woke up this mornin’.’
Beyond 1969, which also features Jeff Bousfield on keyboards and Bryan Caudle on drums, didn’t just pop out of the woodwork; Tom has worked with the late great Paul Nelson (The Johnny Winter Band) and these guys have shared stages with groups like Styx and The Marshall Tucker Band. Comin’ Back To The Blues is described as “an emotional roller coaster”, but I would expect nothing less from a superior blues album. There are some bands that when you hear them play you think “these guys really belong together” and Beyond 1969 is one of ‘em.
If you hear this the same way I do you’ll describe it as equally soulful as it is blues, perhaps even moreso. As a novice bassist myself I find Tony Delisio’s playing engaging, particularly on I’m Not Over You Yet. With just voice and bass he underlines some hard emotional lyrics quite well. Comin’ Back To The Blues isn’t raw, gutbucket stuff, the musicianship is exquisite and perhaps even a bit understated, allowing the words to carry the stories. This is nice; real nice.
HOT TRACKS: Not Over You Yet, Consolation Man, It’s My Own Damn Fault
LITTLE WESTERN SONGS FROM THE NORTH EP Remmel & Rattlesnakes (Inverse) *****
Ever hear of the Finnish newgrass band Steve ‘n’ Seagulls? Remmel is their singer and guitarist, and now he’s also the front man for Remmel & Rattlesnakes. Little Western Songs From The North follows singles released earlier this year (Traveling Rodeo, Days & Times), also included here. As the title suggests these 5 songs are gentle and healing and, to my ears, perfect.
This project started in 2025 when Remmel had some songs he wanted to put out, he asked producer, musician and recording engineer Jarkko Viinamakito to throw in and voila, we have Remmel & Rattlesnake… with a little help from some friends of course. It really started as a solo project but with Esa Starck (drums), Antti Vuorenmaa (pedal steel) and guitarist Tom Riipinen coming along it became a musical collective. “I was fascinated with the idea that we could have different musicians on the tracks” Remmel says. “We’ve known each other for a long time… recording music with friends is what it’s all about.”
As LWSFTN plays it sounds like a mix of early Neil Young and Murray McLauchlin, so I was delighted to see Remmel say “I feel there are flavors of Neil Young in there- my all-time favorite.” This isn’t one of those EP’s exclaiming in a loud voice “PICK ME! PICK ME!” You put it on and it warms your soul as it plays, being all kinds of excellent.
https://3klo3.r.sp1-brevo.net/mk/cl/f/sh/SMK1E8tHeG7ugI4ssKG67SnFgF86/akPqmb3aOoMR
HOT TRACKS: Mirrors, Days & Times
EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY Jump 66 (independent) ****
I get to hear lots of blues every month, but I can’t recall the last time I ran into modern jump blues; that is until today. Every Dog Has Its Day, the latest from Jump 66, is just that. To be sure there are other textures here too, but it will make you wish you had a zoot suit.
“When Rhod (Davies, guitarist) and I started the band in 2008 we were playing a mix of Chicago blues and jump blues” says bassist Paul King, “although we leaned into the jump side a lot more.” Every Dog Has Its Day is a mix of originals that play seamlessly beside some fine covers like Blind Willie McTell’s Ticket Agent Blues and Albert King’s Let’s Have A Natural Ball. The band’s sound is described as a “specially concocted brew of jump blues, vintage soul, hard R&B and the occasional Jamaican beat”, and it feels like the party that description suggests.
The current lineup of the band is rounded out by lead singer Paul Kissuan, drummer Gaz Richardson, Pete Saunders on keyboards and Andy Burns on sax. No production notes but the mix is well done, with Gaz’s snare drum in particular bringing that jump sound alive; it’s sharp and metallic for the most part, reminding me of Ringo on those early Beatles records we love. And when Saunders steps up for an organ solo as he does on Out Of Your Head it’s particularly satisfying. The slow blues that follows, I Need To Be’d Wid (that’s how its spelled) is sure to become a belly rubbin’ classic.
Every Dog Has Its Day doesn’t really sound like every other blues disc that crosses my desk yet it manages to stay within that vibe, with the exception of the reggae-fied Every Little Helps. When Jump 66 steps up toes will be tappin’ with plenty of fun to be had.
HOT TRACKS: Ain’t That Fine, Out Of Your Head, Let’s Have A Natural Ball
