Author Archives: petefeenstra

Album review: STEVE COCHRANE – La La La: Variations On A Happy Song

Posted on August 2, 2013 by petefeenstra

Spirit Compass Music [Release date 02.07.12] ‘La La La: Variations On a Happy Song’ is Canadian prog rock artist Steve Cochrane’s metaphorical meditations on the human condition. It’s a thematically linked suite spread over 9 tracks on which sharply contrasting … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Aimee Matuszcza, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, La La La Variations On A Happy Song, Peter Gabriel, prog rock, Rush, Steve Cochrane, Yes | Leave a comment

Album review: ROOMFUL OF BLUES – 45 Live

Posted on August 2, 2013 by petefeenstra

Alligator [Release date 29.07.13] If Roomful of Blues are the kind of band who are labelled as Heritage Music, then their historical take on American music is one dominated by horn led blues and swing. They consistently have one eye … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Al Copley, Big Bill Broonzy album review, Duke Robillard, Greg Piccolo, Illinois Jacquet, Mark Earley, Phil Pemberton, Rich Lataille, Roomful of Blues, Rusty Scott | Leave a comment

Album review: STEVE HUNTER – The Manhattan Blues Project

Posted on July 29, 2013 by petefeenstra

Deacon Records [Release date 30.04.13] ‘I wanted to look at New York in a slightly different way – I wanted to look at it in a soulful, bluesy way’. Steve Hunter’s mission statement for this album is the guitarist musical … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alice Cooper, blues, instrumental, Jason Becker, Joe Perry, Joe Satriani, Johnny Depp, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Peter Gabriel, review, rock, Steve Hunter, Todd Chuba, Woody Allen | Leave a comment

Album review: ROADHOUSE – Gods & Highways & Old Guitars

Posted on July 27, 2013 by petefeenstra

Krossborder [Release date 19.08.13] Roadhouse have long impressed with their unique take on southern roots rock and Americana, but ‘Gods & Highways & Old Guitars’ raises the bar to another level. As ever, the 10 songs come with Gary Boner’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Americana, Bill Hobley, Bo Diddley, Danny Gwylim, Gary Boner, Gods & Highways & Old Guitars, Mandie G, Marion Post Wolcott, Roadhouse, Roger Hunt, Sarah Harvey Smart, Suzie D, ZZ Top | 1 Comment

Album review: OLI BROWN – Songs From the Road

Posted on July 25, 2013 by petefeenstra

Ruf [Release date 14.06.13] Anyone who has followed Oli Brown’s career so far, will hardly be surprised by the sense of adventure at the heart of this live DVD/CD. For though he was schooled in the blues at an early … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Al Cooper, Anders Osborne, Donny Hathaway, Mike Vernon, Oli Brown, review, Ron Sayer, Scott Barnes, Songs From The Road, The Black Keys, Wayne Proctor | Leave a comment

Album review: DANA FUCHS – Bliss Avenue

Posted on July 22, 2013 by petefeenstra

Ruf [Release date 22.07.13] If blues is too often predicated on the tried and tested theme of: ‘my baby done me wrong’; then Dana Fuchs cleverly extends such familiar subject matter from an autobiographical source and into universal themes that we … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bliss Avenue, blues, country, Dana Fuchs, Janis Joplin, Jon Diamond, review, rock, southern rock, The Faces | Leave a comment

Album review: OMAR DYKES – Runnin’ With The Wolf

Posted on July 15, 2013 by petefeenstra

Provogue [Release date 09.07.13] ‘Runnin’ With The Wolf’ is pretty much in keeping with Omar Dykes’s new found role as an interpreter of the blues. It’s a role far removed from his 90’s heyday with Provogue records, the label he … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album review, Derek O'Brien, Eve Monsees, Howlin Wolf, Kaz kazanoff, Omar Dykes, Ronnie James, Runnin' With The Wolf, Wes Starr, Willie Dixon | Leave a comment

Album review: MIKE ZITO & THE WHEEL – Gone To Texas

Posted on July 11, 2013 by petefeenstra

Ruf [Release date 17.06.13] Mike Zito’s ‘Gone To Texas’ is both a literal and metaphorical title, reflecting the fact he’s overcome his previous drug and alcohol problems and has moved to Texas from the mid- west in search of sobriety … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged blues, Cyril Neville, Delbert McLinton, Devon Allman, Lightnin Hopkins, Little Feat, Mike Zito, New Orleans, North Mississippi Allstars, review, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Sonny Landreth, Susan Cowsill, Tex Mex, Texas | Leave a comment

Album review: THE RIDES – Can’t Get Enough

Posted on July 11, 2013 by petefeenstra

Provogue [Release date 26.08.13] It’s ten years since the release of the re-mastered ‘Super Session’ on CD, with Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills, and it’s a startling 45 years since its original release. And while it would … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Al Kooper, Barry Goldberg, blues, Buffalo Springfield, Chris Layton, Double Trouble, Elmore James, guitar, Iggy Pop, Jerry Harrison, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kevin McCormick, Mike Bloomfield, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, piano, review, Stephen Stills, Super Session, supergroup, Talking Heads, The Rides | Leave a comment

Album review: DAVE DAVIES – I Will Be Me

Posted on July 10, 2013 by petefeenstra

Cleopatra [Release date 04.06.13] Partly autobiographical and partly fictive imagery but always routed in a spiritual feel, Dave Davies’s ‘I Will Be Me’ is an uneven but ultimately enjoyable album. He veers from the past – referencing his riff driven … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Chris Spedding, Dave Davies, Dead Meadow, Gina X, guitar, Jonathan Lea, Oli Brown Band, Ray Davies, review, The Beatles, The Jayhawks, The Jigsaw Seen, The Kinks | Leave a comment

Gig review: ANDY FRASER – Boom Boom Club, Sutton, 6 July 2013

Posted on July 8, 2013 by petefeenstra

The return of Andy Fraser was as unexpected as some of the material he played tonight. Yes, he glanced back over his shoulder at some of the best of Free, while guitarist Chris Spedding weighed in with his hit ‘Motorbiking’ … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Andy Fraser, bass, Boom Boom Club, Chris Spedding, Free, guitar, John Mayer, Malcolm Bruce, review, rock, Sutton Utd FC, Tobi | 1 Comment

Interview with bass icon NORMAN WATT-ROY (June 2013)

Posted on July 8, 2013 by petefeenstra

After a 46 year career that has made him a bass icon, Norman Watt-Roy finally has finally recorded his first ever solo album ‘Faith & Grace’ – cockney rhyming slang for bass. With a career that started with playing American … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged Albert Ayler, bass, Cadiz, Charlie Charles Micky Gallagher, Chaz Jankel, Davey Payne, Derek Hussey, Don Cherry, Eric Dolphy, Faith & Grace, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, funk, fusion, Gilad Atzmon, Glencoe, Ian Dury, interview, Jaco Patorius, jazz, Johnny Turnbull, Keith Allen, Loving Awareness, Madness, Mark Lamarr, Mick Jones, Nick Cave, Norman Watt-Roy, Phil Jupitus, Philip Bagnall, Robert Wyatt, Sarah Gillespie, Steely Dan, The Blockheads, The Clash, The Greatest Show On Earth, Tower of Power, Wilko Johnson | Leave a comment

Gig review: GOV’T MULE – Under The Bridge, London, 4 July 2013

Posted on July 7, 2013 by petefeenstra

Although their reputation as primary jam band is well merited, Gov’t Mule is much more than that. Their improvisational core takes them across genres and into constantly evolving new areas that gives shows like this its cutting edge. At the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Captain Beefheart, Danny Louis, Elliott Randall, Elvis Costello, Gov't Mule, guitar, jam band, Joe McGlohon, Jorgen Carlsson, man In Motion, Matt Abts, Pink Floyd, Reeves Gabrels, review, shout, The Turtles, Warren Haynes | Leave a comment

DVD Review: AEROSMITH – Rock For The Rising Sun

Posted on July 2, 2013 by petefeenstra

Eagle Rock [Release date 22.06.13] Much like the Stones who are 10 years their senior, Aerosmith pop up on this DVD like cartoon characters come to life. They rock and roll and charm their way round the post-tsunami Japan on … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AC/DC, Aerosmith, Brad Whitford, Casey Patrick Tebo, Japan, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Keith Richard, Mick Jagger, review, rock, Steven Tyler, The Yardbirds, Tom Hamilton | Leave a comment

Gig review: IAN ANDERSON – Royal Albert Hall, London, 30 June 2013

Posted on July 2, 2013 by petefeenstra

It’s 45 years since Ian Anderson first trod the boards at the Albert Hall with Jethro Tull at a charity show. And now with the apparent departure (temporarily or otherwise) of long time guitarist Martin Barre, he’s shed the Tull … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Anna Phoebe, Colonel Archibald Parritt, concept album, Florian Opahle, folk, Gavin Esler, Gerald Bostock, Ian Anderson, Jeffery Hammond-Hammond, Jethro Tull, John Evan, John O'Hara, Mark Almond, Martin Barre, prog rock, Ryan O’Donnell, spoken word, Thick As A Brock | 2 Comments

Album review: THE DOOBIE BROTHERS – Live At Wolf Trap

Posted on June 24, 2013 by petefeenstra

Eagle Records/ Eagle Vision [Release date 25.05. 12] Somebody once said that despite having sold over 40 million records The Doobie Brothers could probably walk into your local pub and nobody would recognise them. And while that is stretching a point … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged guitars, harmony singing, John McFee, Keith Knudsen, Michael McDonald, Mike Hossack, Pat Simmons, Skylark, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, Tommy Johnson | Leave a comment

DVD review: FRANK ZAPPA – A Token Of His Extreme

Posted on June 23, 2013 by petefeenstra

Eagle Vision [Release date 04.06.13] What’s not to like about a TV special featuring Zappa in an intimate concert setting with one of the very best fusion line-ups of his career? It doesn’t get much better than this, though the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged Bruce Bickford, Chester Thompson, Flo and Eddie, Frank Zappa, George Duke, guitar, jazz fusion, Mike Douglas, Napoleon Murphy Brock, percussion, rock, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler | Leave a comment

Album review: PLANET GRAFFITI – Bad News

Posted on June 17, 2013 by petefeenstra

Planet Graffiti [Release date 01.05.13] Planet Graffiti is a Portsmouth based blues-rock power trio who have recently enjoyed 2 nationwide tours with New Jersey’s Billy Walton Band. ‘Bad News’ is their second album and despite the pessimistic title, it’s a sprightly, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album review, Billy Walton Band, blues, Brent Hutchinson, Donna Peters, ELO, guitar, Jeff Lynn, Peter Green, Planet Graffiti, Robin Trower, rock, Rupert Peters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Tubes | Leave a comment

Album review: HAMILTON LOOMIS – Give It Back

Posted on June 16, 2013 by petefeenstra

Ham-bone Records [Release date 06.13] Some artists spend their whole careers trying to nail their sound to label and package it. Hamilton Loomis is a fiercely independent musician who stridently walks away from all that. He even left his blues … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Albert Collins, album review, blues, Bo Diddley, Bob Marley, funk, guitar, Ham-bone records, Hamilton Loomis, harp, horns, James Cotton, Jamie Little, Johnny Copeland, Michael Hedges, Prince, R&B, Sly & The Family Stone, soul, Stevie Wonder, Texas, Tommy Sims, Victor Wooten | Leave a comment

Album review: CHRIS WHILE AND JULIE MATTHEWS – Infinite Sky

Posted on June 16, 2013 by petefeenstra

Fat Cat Records [Release date 04.02.13] Chris While and Julie Matthews have been a musical partnership for 20 years, both as members of The Albion Band and as a multi instrumental duo. Julie has made her name as an award … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Andy Cutting, Brian Hargreaves, Chris While, Christchurch, country rock, Eddie Reader, Fairport Convention, folk, Gretel Bergmann, Infinite Sky, Julie Matthews, Kellie While, Martin Simpson, New Zealand, roots, South America, The Albion Band, vocals | Leave a comment

Gig review: MICHAEL KATON – Beaverwood Club,Chislehurst,Kent,13 June 2013

Posted on June 15, 2013 by petefeenstra

‘Boogie All Over Your Head’ the title of Michael Katon’s debut album says it all really. Rockaboogie takes on a whole different meaning in the company of the MKB. It seems years since the Detroit boogie legend last visited these … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged blues rock, boogie, Dave Jackson, Erwin Gielen, Freddie King, guitar, hard rock, Jan Jackson, Judith Renkema, live review, Magic Sam, metal, Michael Katon, Michael Katon Band, Mitch Mitchell, power trio, Reg Patten, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: INTERNATIONAL RESCUE – No Country For Old Men

Posted on June 15, 2013 by petefeenstra

Cowboy City Records [Release date 17.06.13] Formed in 1980, International Rescue originally built up a sizeable following in Bridlington and the East Yorkshire region culminating in an appearance on Channel 4′s The Tube. They subsequently lost their record company deal … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album review, Bridlington, Chaz Cook, Cormac McCarthy, David Waller, Edwyn Collins, Flock of Seagulls, International Rescue, Joel Cash, melodic pop, Orange Juice, Radio 2, Stephen Skinner, The Beatles, The Blue Nile | Leave a comment

Album review: THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE – Rare Gumbo

Posted on June 13, 2013 by petefeenstra

Gypsy Hotel Records [Release date 20.05.13] Even the most riotous and irreverent of bands sometimes need a break. And ‘Rare Gumbo’ is compilation album that gathers together The Urban Voodoo Machine’s bits and pieces in the form of EP … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AC/DC, bourbon gypsy blues, Captain Beefheart, garage rock, gypsy stomps, murder ballads, Paul-Ronney Angel, Rare Gumbo, rock& roll, Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Godfathers, The Jim Jones Revue, The Pogues, The Urban Voodoo Machine | 1 Comment

Album review: ANOTHER ROADSIDE ATTRACTION – Not Oat Action

Posted on June 11, 2013 by petefeenstra

Another Roadside Attraction [Release date 01.13] Another Roadside Attraction is an eclectic Florida based band who mix intelligent melodic pop songs with lush harmonies and unexpected psychedelic wig outs. Multi instrumentalist /producer Mark Zampella’s synth fuses the 80’s pop of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Another Roadside Attraction, Buffalo Springfield, Camel, Floyd, guitar, Jerry Garcia. space rock, Mark Zampella, Not Oat Action, Paul Louis, pop, Psychedelic Rock, Radiohead, rock, Son Volt, Ted Sipes, west coast rock, Wilco | Leave a comment

Album review: NORMAN WATT-ROY – Faith & Grace

Posted on June 11, 2013 by petefeenstra

Cadiz [Release date 17.06.13] The mission statement for this album comes in the middle of the autobiographical ‘Me My Bass And I’: ‘When I heard Jaco (Pastorius) and Weather Report that was basically it. I realised where I came from, … Continue reading →