Tag Archives: blues

Book review: DONT WORRY ‘BOUT THE BEAR (From the Blues to Jazz, Rock & Roll and Black Sabbath) by Jim Simpson with Ron Simpson

Posted on February 11, 2022 by petefeenstra

Brewin Books [Publication date 22.06.2019] Jim Simpson’s ‘Don’t Worry ‘Bout The Bear’ – the title comes from a Doctor Ross song written for the author– is a down to earth account of his 60 plus years in the music business, … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged Bakerloo, Big Bear Records, Black Sabbath, blues, book, Buddy Guy, Champion Jack Dupree, Doctor Ross, Don Arden, Don't Worry 'Bout The Bear, Don't Worry 'Bout The Bear - From the Blues to Jazz, Humphrey Lyttleton, Jasper Carrott, jazz, Jazz Rag, Jesse Fuller, Jim Simpson, Locomotive, Miles Davis, prog, review, rock, Rock & Roll and Black Sabbath, Ron Simpson, ska, Tea & Symphony, Val Wiseman | Leave a comment

Album review: JACK FRANCIS – Jack Francis

Posted on February 6, 2022 by brianmc

Good Deeds Music [Release date: 04.02.22] In introducing his remarkably lean and confident debut album, Jack Francis manages to namecheck Bruce Springsteen, and without realising it, Paul McCartney. There are echoes of ‘Yesterday’ in his story that the song, ‘Helena’, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, BBC radio, blues, Bruce Springsteen, country rock, Good Deeds Music, Jack Francis, Paul McCartney, review | Leave a comment

News: SAXON, ALICE COOPER, THE UNDERTONES (February 2022)

Posted on February 1, 2022 by jason

Accept have signed with Napalm Records. Aerosmith release ’1971: The Road Starts Here’ on April 8. Angel Nation release their new album ‘Antares on April 8 through Inner Wound Recordings. Autograph have signed with Frontiers with a new album due … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged albums, Alice Copper, AOR, blues, February 2022, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, New releases, news, prog, rock, Saxon, The Undertones, tours | Leave a comment

Album review: ERIC GALES – Crown

Posted on January 15, 2022 by petefeenstra

Provogue [Release date 28.01.21] Eric Gales opens his 21st album ‘Crown’ with a track called ‘Death Of Me’ with the open ended: “My name is Eric Gales, any questions?” It’s a more ambivalent intro than you might at first imagine, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, Crown, Eric Gales, funk, guitar, Jimmy Hendrix, Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, LaDonna Gales, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, psychedelic, R&B, review, rock, soul, Steely Dan | Leave a comment

Album review: IVY GOLD – Six Dusty Winds

Posted on January 9, 2022 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra chatted to Manou and Sebastian from Ivy Gold for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 9 January 2022. Golden Ivy Records [Release date: 12.03.21] Ivy Gold is a muscular international rock-blues band featuring the dynamic duo of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Radio interview | Tagged album, Anders Olinder, Avalon, blues, funk, Glenn Hughes, guitar, interview, Ivy Gold, Kevin Moore, Manou, Renate Knaup, review, rock, Sari Schorr, Sebastian Eder, Six Dusty Winds, Tal Bergman, vocal | Leave a comment

Album review: STARLITE CAMPBELL BAND – The Language Of Curiosity

Posted on December 31, 2021 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra chatted to Suzi Starlite and Simon Campbell for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast on 12 December 2021. Supertone [Release date 29.09.21] The Starlite Campbell Band’s second album ‘The Language of Curiosity’ is a cross genre, conceptual … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album, Alkatraz, blues, Dave Davies, Elvis Costello, Free, funk, Gabriel Del Vecchio, George Harrison, grunge, interview, Johnny Henderson, Man, Neil Young, Paul Kossoff, Phil Ryan, Ray Manzarek, review, rock, Simon Campbell, Starlite Campbell Band, Steve Gibson, Steve Hillage, Sue Foley, Suzi Starlite, The Allman Brothers, The Byrds, The Faces, The Kinks, The Language of Curiosity, The Searchers, vocals | Leave a comment

News: BIG BIG TRAIN, DIAMOND DOGS, NICK MASON (January 2022)

Posted on December 30, 2021 by jason

Dare - GIANTS OF ROCK – Butlins, Minehead, 26 January 2019

Alestorm begin work on their next album, ‘Seventh Rum Of A Seventh Rum’, which will be released on Napalm Records later this year. Arch Enemy will release their latest studio album, ‘Deceivers’, via Century Media Records on July 29. Big … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged AOR, Big Big Train, blues, Classic Rock Magazine, Diamond Dogs, folk, gigs, Melodic Rock Records, metal, news, Nick Mason, prog, re-issues, rock, tours | Leave a comment

News: ELLES BAILEY, STONEDEAD, URIAH HEEP (December 2021)

Posted on November 30, 2021 by jason

Michael Schenker, photo by Simon Dunkerley

Tim Arnold releases his new album, ‘Maybe Magic’, on January 7 via Bandcamp. Pretty Maids vocalist Ronnie Atkins releases his new solo album ‘Make It Count’ on march 18 via Frontiers. Elles Bailey has opened pre-orders for her next album, ‘Shining in … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged alternative, blues, blues rock, Elles Bailey, festivals, folk, gigs, indie, melodic rock, metal, news, pop, prog, rock, Stonedead, tours | Leave a comment

Album review: THORBJORN RISAGER & THE BLACK TORNADO – Best Of

Posted on November 29, 2021 by petefeenstra

Ruf [Release date 21.09.21] If there’s still a debate about the merits of European blues as opposed to its American antecedents, then Denmark’s Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado have finally kicked the argument into touch with this stellar ‘Best … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, big band, blues, compilation, country, Danish, Emil Balsgaard, funk, Harold Adamson, horns, Joachim Svensmark, Kasper Wagner, Martin Seidelin, Nat King Cole, Peter Kehl, review, rock, ruf records, soul, Søren Bøjgaard, Thorbjorn Risager &The Black Tornado, vocals | Leave a comment

Gig review: ELLES BAILEY – Cambridge Junction 2, Tuesday 23 November 2021

Posted on November 28, 2021 by jason

A natural born storyteller, Elles Bailey also has the sort of voice that could make angels weep and this combination is like a siren draw into her endlessly colourful and wonderful world. Back on the road now after an extended … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged acoustic, blues, blues rock, Cambridge Junction 2, country, Elles Bailey, gig, review, Tuesday 23 November 2021 | Leave a comment

Album review: COLIN JAMES – Open Road

Posted on November 14, 2021 by jason

Stony Plain Records [Release date 05.11.21] Since releasing his debut album in 1988 Colin James has been a stalwart of the blues scene, with trips into swing and rock ‘n’ roll with his Little Big Band and on this, his … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Bob Dylan, Colin James, guitarist, Open Road, Otis Rush, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: RICHARD TOWNEND & THE MIGHTY BOSSCATS – Short Stories

Posted on November 13, 2021 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra chatted to Richard Townend for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 28 November 2021. Self Release [Release date 21.10.21] There’s a lovely song on Richard Townend’s new ‘Short Stories’ album called ‘Everyman’. It’s a punchy track full … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album, Anton Ilyin, blues, country, David Booth, David Flanagan, Dennis Nazaroff, gospel, JJ Cale, Leon Redbone, Marcus Cliff, Mark Knopfler, review, Richard Townend, rock, roots, Short Stories, The Mighty Bosscats | Leave a comment

Gig review: GARY FLETCHER BAND – Arlington Arts Centre, Thursday 11 November 2021

Posted on November 12, 2021 by jason

Pete Feenstra chatted to Gary Fletcher for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 22 March 2020. Back to the wilds of the Oxfordshire countryside for my second visit, and indeed second indoor gig of the year, to the Arlington … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged Americana, Arlington Arts Centre, blues, Blues Band, folk, Gary Fletcher Band, gig, Newbury, review, Thursday 11 November 2021 | Leave a comment

News: POWER QUEST, BEARDED THEORY, GIANT (November 2021)

Posted on November 1, 2021 by jason

IAN ANDERSON (JETHRO TULL) - The Lowry, Salford, 14 September 2015

Annihilator release their latest album, ‘Metal II’, on 18 February via earMUSIC. Asia are to release a 10CD boxset The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1 through BMG Records on 26 November. There will also be a digital album featuring a … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged alternative, Bearded Festival, blues, Buckcherry, Faster Pussycat, festivals, folk, Giant, gigs, indie, melodic rock, metal, news, pop, Power Quest, prog, rock, tours | Leave a comment

Album review: MISSISSIPPI MacDONALD – Do Right, Say Right

Posted on October 29, 2021 by jason

Another Planet Music [Release date 19.11.21] Mississippi MacDonald (despite his name!) is a 3-times British Blues Awards nominee, from London, England. He has been playing since he was 11 years old and has travelled on the US Blues trail, meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, Do Right Say Right, guitarist, Mississippi MacDonald, review, rock, soul | Leave a comment

Gig review: REBECCA DOWNES – 100 Club, London, 19 October 2021

Posted on October 26, 2021 by andynathan

Just before the pandemic struck, one of the artists I was looking forward to seeing more of was Rebecca Downes, a very enjoyable support slot to Brian Downey’s Live and Dangerous at the Underworld proof that she was successfully diversifying … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged blues, blues rock, gig, Nigel Darvill, Rebecca Downes, Steve Birkett, The 251's, The Mojo Preachers | Leave a comment

Gig review: KING KING – Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion – 19 October 2021

Posted on October 20, 2021 by david.wilson

After numerous attempts at rescheduling during the Covid crisis, King King’s tour in support of their 2020 album finally gets under way. Venue availability, as a myriad of bands all attempt to simultaneously reschedule gigs that have been postponed over the last eighteen … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 19 October 2021, Aaron Bond, Alan Nimmo, Bexhill, blues, De La Warr Pavilion, gig, Grace Bond, King King, live, Maverick, Noble PR, rock, Steve Nimmo, Troy Redfern, When Rivers Meet | Leave a comment

Gig review: MUSIC FOR THE MIND- Hammersmith Club, London, 8 October 2021

Posted on October 12, 2021 by andynathan

As the old BT advert once said, it’s good to talk. Of mental health in particular. Despite growing awareness of its importance, not least with the struggles nearly all of us have faced in some way or other during the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Adam Norsworthy, blues, blues rock, charity fundraiser, Derek Kingaby, Emma Wilson, gig, Hammersmith Club, Jamie Smy, Music for the Mind, The Milk Men, The Mustangs | Leave a comment

Album review: MOONSHINE SOCIETY – Sweet Thing

Posted on October 6, 2021 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 05.11.21] Moonshine Society formed back 2009 to craft their own brand of soulful blues, roots rock and old-school R&B. The main focus is singer/songwriter Black Betty aka Jenny Langer, who has appeared on stage with the likes … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, blues rock, gospel, Jenny Langer, Moonshine Society, R&B, review, soul, Sweet Thing | Leave a comment

Gig review: ROBERT JON & THE WRECK – 100 Club, London, 23 September 2021

Posted on October 1, 2021 by david.wilson

It was so good to be back. 18 long, dark months had passed without a ‘real’ gig. The prospect of Troy Redfern and Robert Jon & The Wreck tonight had me giddy with anticipation. The event did not disappoint. Troy … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 100 Club, 23rd September 2021, Andrew Espantman, blues, gig, Henry James, London, Noble PR, review, Robert Jon And The Wreck, Robert Jon Burrison, rock, Rory Gallagher, southern rock, The Garage, Troy Redfern, Warren Murrel | Leave a comment

Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) October 2021 – December 2021

Posted on September 30, 2021 by jason

TONY MITCHELL – Hot Endless Summer Nights

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January-March 2021 April-June 2021 July-September 2021 January-June 2022 October 1st ASKING ALEXANDRIA ‘See What’s On The Inside’ Better Noise Music RONNIE ATKINS (PRETTY MAIDS) ’4 More Shots’ (EP) Frontiers BLACK SABBATH ‘Technical Ecstasy’ (4CD, 5LP) BMG … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions | Tagged alternative, AOR, blues, CD/DVD, folk, indie, melodic rock, metal, New releases, October 2021 – December 2021, pop, prog, rock, upcoming | Leave a comment

Album review: JOHN McLAUGHLIN – Liberation Blues

Posted on September 25, 2021 by petefeenstra

Abstract Logix [Release date 16.07.21] It was John McLaughlin who on being asked about his “loud” playing in the Mahavishnu Orchestra pricelessly responded: “Who said spiritual music should be quiet?” On the evidence of ‘Liberation Time’ he’s turned down, but … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, Etienne M'Bappe, fusion, Gary Husband, guitar, jazz, John McLaughlin, Liberation Time, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Oz Ezzeldin, piano, Ranjit Barot, review, rock, Sam Burgess, Vinny Colaiuta | Leave a comment

Album review: ERIC BIBB – Dear America

Posted on September 25, 2021 by jason

Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group [Release date 10.09.21] Eric Bibb returns with possibly his most timely release to date, as Bibb explains the album “…a love letter, because America, for all of its associations with pain and its bloody history, has … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Americana, blues, Dear America, Eric Bibb, gospel, Lisa Mills, review, Shaneeka Simon, singer songwriter, soul | Leave a comment

Album review: TOMMY CASTRO Presents A Bluesman Came To Town: A Blues Odyssey

Posted on September 21, 2021 by petefeenstra

Alligator Records [Release date: 17.09.21] Every since breaking nationally on NBC’s Comedy Showcase, San Francisco’s Tommy Castro has enjoyed a well founded reputation in the new blues vanguard for his willingness to explore new avenues in the blues genre. Down … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, Deanna Bogart, funk, guitar, Jimmy Hall, Keith Crossan, Kevin McKendree, review, rock, soul, Terrie Odabi, Tom Hambridge, Tommy Castro, Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town: A Blues Odyssey, Tommy MacDonald | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE CINELLI BROTHERS- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 16 September 2021

Posted on September 20, 2021 by andynathan

One of the advantages of being an active gig goer is picking up recommendations from like minded ‘gig buddies’ of new acts to discover. One such that were being raved about prior to the pandemic were blues band The Cinelli … Continue reading →