Krossborder Records – [Release Date: 16.12.13]

‘Krossborder Kompilation Vol 1: The Best British Blues’ invites us to ‘enjoy a good dose of musical therapy’. The 16 tracks just about deliver enough to allow us to do just that, even though the album might have been better sub titled ‘Up & Coming British Blues’.

Truth be told there are a handful of gems to be found here and the rest is workmanlike rather than truly inspirational, but the highlights do make the album well worth checking out.

One of the most obvious problems is that too many performances don’t have a strong enough vocal to make the songs memorable. Being an independent release, it’s understandable that some of the tracks lack punch without the back-up of a polished production. But as always, it’s all about the quality of the songs and to a lesser extent the quality of the playing. And if this is the best of the current crop of British blues bands to be found on the club and pub circuit, then on balance things are OK, as a quarter of this album is outstanding and the rest has several decent moments that can comfortably be filed as a works in progress.

One refreshing aspect of this compilation is the significant number of women singers and also the sheer the variety of material, which ranges from intuitive shuffles and smouldering grooves to funky soul and out and out rocking blues. The album also benefits from some thoughtful sequencing that gives the compilation as a whole greater substance than the sum of its parts.

Little Devils open with the slow building, sax led blues ‘Deep Inside’ and the album hits a groove with Jackson Sloan’s train-time rhythm that evokes the Ghost Train’ of its title, while Planet Graffiti’s ‘Bad Advice’ opens with Brent Hutchinson’s insistent bubbly guitar figure and transforms itself via an unexpected tempo change into an enveloping piece with a dreamy feel and intricate fretwork.

Red Butler slip up the gears with Alex Butler’s hard riffing and Jane Pearce’s impressive vocals on the kick ass ‘Bringing Out The Devil’, and the album hits an impressive high with the southern influenced, catchy hook and scintillating guitars of Roadhouse’s ‘Hell On Wheels’. The dual guitars of Gary Boner and Danny Gwillym sparkles and the vocal triumvirate of Suzie. D, Kelly Marie Hobbs, and Rachel Clark take the song to another level.

It’s nicely juxtaposed by both Dave Thomas’s funky groove ‘Shotgun Blues’ – all quavering harp, tightly wrapped rhythm guitar and a soulful vocal – and the swampy funky feel of the White Knuckles Blues Band’s ‘It Might Be Too Late’.

The carefully thought out running order also acts as the perfect foil for another album highlight, as Tom Gee’s ‘Better Things To Do’ has a natural flow as part of a majestic groove with a perfectly weighted horn section and Tom’s soulful phrasing.

Talking about phrasing, the excellent Zoe Schwarz does just that and adds perfect diction on Blue Commotion’s ‘Lucifer Is Blue’. The band jams towards an unexpected finale, as she cleverly slips from lead to soaring backing vocals.

And just when you think the compilation might have peaked, up steps The Sharon Colgan Band with ‘Alright Now Papa’, which may not be one of the most original songs, but bubbles along nicely with a fine vocal, a mighty horn section and an arresting trumpet solo. The track is rooted by some powerful drumming and coloured by a Hammond break, cutting edge rhythm guitar and more pumping horns, as Sharon steers the number to a perfunctory finish.

For the rest, Dove & Boweevil contribute a live sounding shuffle, which once Lauren Dove finds her range and guitarist Mark Hows cuts loose, fulfils its promise, while Innes Sibun rocks out with some searing slide to offset an indifferent vocal.

Chesterfield’s Idle Hands are arguable the best of the rest, and invite us to ‘Come Share The Blues’ with a top class acoustic hip shaking shuffle which gives the album a natural lift. Alex McKown Band‘s ‘Gone So Long’ mines an echo inflected funky groove, but he struggles with his vocal, while The Roy Mette Band adds a smoking rhythmic groove and a lovely wah-wah break to offset another indifferent vocal. The power trio Absolution round things off with the riff laden rocker ‘Temperature’, all double tracked guitars, a deeply honed wah-wah break and a keen sense of dynamics.

‘Krossborder Kompilation Volume 1: The Best British Blues’ is a worthy showcase that flickers without quite catching fire, but suggests there’s plenty of good stuff out there that is worthy of your support. ***½

Review Pete Feenstra

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)