Who knew that Croatia could and would produce a very credible bluesy americana band?
In the wonderfully named She Brought Me Gasoline, it most definitely has. They are a four-piece band from Zagreb, fronted by Kristijan Kevesvic and Songs from the Cliff is their third album. The musical blend is a fascinating combination of the blues, swamp, and possibly Eastern European folk music.
The ten songs, all written by Kevesvic, have a very pleasant jangly guitar feel to them. ‘Row Row Row’ even has a whistling element and finishes off with what sounds like fireworks. They have added everything. Is kitchen sink americana a thing?
The Last Rocket starts off very much where Tony Joe White left off. With a slightly distorted…
Category: blues
Two female, redheaded raspy blues vocalists from Texas come to mind. One is practically immortal, Janis Joplin. Yet another Texan has been ripping bluesy guitar licks and belting out the blues vocally for over three decades. She is Carolyn Wonderland, who was often compared to Joplin early in her career for her raw, powerful vocals.
As Wonderland’s career evolved, she struggled through several independent releases before meeting very influential people. Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel produced four of her albums. In 2018 John Mayall chose her to be his lead guitarist, joining an incomparable legacy of his Bluesbreakers guitarists. She formed a close relationship with Dave Alvin, who produced her 2021 Alligator debut, Tempting Fate.
Charlie Musselwhite’s vocals haven’t sounded this robust and commanding in years. On Look Out Highway, the new album is mostly originals that adhere to tradition but have enough contemporary edge to keep it north of retro. The 13-time Grammy nominee, harmonica master, singer-songwriter, and guitarist has never feared trying something new, as long as threads of tradition remain. Look Out Highway represents the first time he has recorded with his long-time touring band comprised of guitarist Matt Stubbs (GA-20), drummer June Core (Robert Lockwood Jr.) and bassist Randy Burmudes (James Cotton). Musselwhite has had an enduring relationship with Kid Andersen, who has been in and out of his band for years. Andersen participates here…
The fourth album of five in the now sadly departed guitarist Bernie Marsden’s Inspirations series comprises Marsden’s devoted covers of songs by some of his rock heroes, and includes a sparkling reimagining of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Purple Haze’.
It opens, in homage to Peter Green, with ‘Shake Your Money Maker’, the Elmore James song made famous by blues-years Fleetwood Mac, and also includes Green’s ‘Man of the World’, as well as ‘Like It This Way’, a Danny Kirwan song from Mac’s 1969 Chicago sessions album.
The choice of that illustrates Marsden’s appreciation of deep cuts, underlined by a brilliant version of Rory Gallagher’s ‘Wheels Within Wheels’ and his take on Derek and The Dominos’ ‘Bell Bottom Blues’.