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Issue 277: January 2025

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              Bywater Call is a powerhouse seven-piece Southern soul rock band from Toronto, Canada, who’ve toured extensively across the UK and Europe building audiences by determination and perseverance. The band landed the Best International Artist at the 2024 UK Blues Awards built on accomplished musicianship, led by the partnership of Dave Barnes on guitar and vocalist Meghan Parnell. The band’s music is an exploration of life’s highs and lows; from intimate ballads to electrifying anthems that demand the full volume treatment. Their superb songs incorporate influences from the likes of The Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Otis Redding and Little Feat – in other words, what’s not to like?

“Struck Down is my best album with The Fabulous Thunderbirds,” states Kim Wilson, the band’s leader, songwriter, vocalist and harmonica player.That’s quite a statement from the frontman of the group that created classic albums such as T-Bird Rhythm and Tuff Enuff, an album went platinum selling more than one million copies. Wilson has been nominated for Grammy Awards six timesand for Blues Music Awards more than twenty times, so when someone of his stature says that The Fabulous Thunderbirds just created their “best album,” David Robinson needs no telling to sit up and pay attention.
 

Thomas Heppell’s stock has been on the rise since Blues in Britain first spoke to him a year or so ago. Following a successful run of European dates and a new live album Live At The Sound Lounge just released, John Mitchell renews his acquaintance with the singer/guitarist.

 


               

             Calling himself a “twenty year overnight success,” Christopher Wyze is a new name to readers of Blues In Britain and he was a new name to feature writer, Pete Clack too. But The Tellers’ album Stuck In The Mud subsequently became a fixture on the office CD player, so it was only right and proper that we got together to chew the fat and get to the bottom of a vibrant musical journey.   

The last couple of years has seen a somewhat unexpected, yet renewed level of interest in the music of Mickey Jupp.  Previously, his last album issued on a recognised label was back in 1994, but, from 2010 to 2020, Jupp self-released no less than 16 CDs to his faithful band of followers on Facebook. Now, Conquest Music has set to the task of releasing these volumes:  firstly, Up Snakes, Down Ladders, followed by 2023’s second collection Hallelujah To Amen and now, following a feature in The Guardian no less, volume three, Times Like These. Russ Cottee travelled to the Lake District to talk to one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most reclusive geniuses.

                        If you’ve ever read Roy Bainton’s book about The Blues Band, the chapter that delves into the life of Gary Fletcher, erstwhile bass player with the combo, is headed Stetsons, Blues And Racing Cars. “I had no interest in playing in a band until around 1967 when I discovered music and girls and it all went wrong!” he says. Actually, it all went right!  

 Growing up in Britain in the late 1970s and ‘80s, Aisha Khan, whose parents had arrived from Pakistan in the 1960s, faced a variety of obstacles, but as musical genres melded in the wake of the punk explosion, a pot-pourri of influences helped put her on the path of the varied musical styles she now embraces so successfully.  

                A consistently hard working musician, recent months has seen Sean Taylor playing live from Hartlepool to Haverfordwest, as well as tours in Germany, Switzerland and Ireland, all hot on the heels of possibly his most-accomplished release, The End Of The Rainbow.

                A soulfully uplifting singer, Patti Parks is an award-winning vocalist whose latest album Come Sing With Me is produced by soul-blues legend Johnny Rawls. Patti’s sensual voice soars on an album where the blues meets Memphis soul and Gospel, songs selected to create a combination of music with clever lyrics, memorable rhythms and uplifting vocals.

     English Canadian musician Sam Coulson is a dynamic guitarist renowned for his technical prowess and emotive style. He gained prominence as lead guitarist with supergroup Asia, where his contributions to the band’s sound were celebrated by fans and critics alike, showcasing his ability to deliver electrifying performances on both stage and studio recordings.

                Richard Koechli is a musician and an author. He’s written biographies of blues legends Tampa Red and Robert Johnson and his most recent musical release found him playing live in a Swiss monastery with a philharmonic orchestra on his album, Blues ‘n’ Classics. “As a teenager,” he says, “I began to realize that all the music I was hearing came from the blues.”

                          Plus: Our usual round-up of the latest album and gig reviews, Out & About and a quick fire look at our Top Ten Classic Blues Album Covers, Writers’ Picks from 2024, Becc’s Blues and much more!

            

    
             

                       

                   

Back Issues

276

 DOM MARTIN   

Plus

EDDIE 9V, GUY DAVIS, MARCUS TRUMMER, STEVE CROPPER, MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD

December 2024 - 276

275

 PHILIP SAYCE   

Plus

ERROL LINTON, VANEESE THOMAS, SHEMEKIA COPELAND, STEVE HILL, LIONS IN THE STREET, THE HITMAN BLUES BAND

November 2024 - 275

274

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD   

plus

MARK HARRISON, THE COLD STARES. CONNOLLY HAYES. BLUE NATION. THE MIGHTY BOSSCATS

October 2024 - 274

273

BRAVE RIVAL   

plus

CHRIS CAIN, ELKIE BROOKS, ALASTAIR GREENE, CAITLIN KRISKO & THE BROADCAST, JOHN MAYALL R.I.P.

September 2024 - 273

272

MUIREANN BRADLEY

 plus

BUDDY GUY, BYWATER CALL, JIMMIE VAUGHAN, MOJO THUNDER, TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN

 

 

August 2024 - 272

271

THE COMMONERS

plus

MARCUS KING, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, TOM KILLNER, RAMBLIN’ PREACHERS, KRISSY MATTHEWS

July 2024 - 271

270

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR

 plus

SLASH, THE MILK MEN. TORONZO CANNON, ROBERT JON & THE WRECK, TOM MANSI & THE ICEBREAKERS

June 2024 - 270

269

TROY REDFERN

plus

JOOLS HOLLAND, CEDRIC BURNSIDE, BERNARD ALLISON, CATFISH, BOB CORRITORE

May 2024 - 269

268

TERRY MARSHALL

plus

DAN PATLANSKY, SUSAN SANTOS, BIG WOLF BAND, SEAN WEBSTER, GUS GLYNN BAND

April 2024 - 268

267

SUE FOLEY  

plus

PHILIP SAYCE, BEX MARSHALL, GREIG TAYLOR, EDDY SMITH & THE 507, TOM HAMBRIDGE, JACK J HUTCHINSON

March 2024 - 267

266

WALTER TROUT

plus

JO HARMAN, BAD TOUCH, BOB MARGOLIN, HANNAH WICKLUND, TONY HOLIDAY, SARAH BROWN

February 2024 - 266

265

NINE BELOW ZERO 

plus

FOGHAT,  CAT SQUIRREL, BOB HALL, THOMAS HEPPELL, LONG ROAD HOME, ROBERT HOKUM

January 2024 - 265

264

TAJ MAHAL

plus

BOBBY RUSH, BLACKBURN BROTHERS, GRAHAM NASH, SEAN TAYLOR, GREG SOVER, NICK MOSS

December 2023 - 264

263

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD     

 

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD

plus 

ROBIN TROWER, EMMA WILSON, HEAVENLY CREAM, JO ANN KELLY (pt.2), BILL WYMAN, CRUISE REVIEW!

November 2023 - 263

262

JOE BONAMASSA    

 

JOE BONAMASSA

plus

DANNY BRYANT, COCO MONTOYA, ERJA LYYTINEN, JO ANN KELLY, DAVE ARCARI, DUST RADIO

October 2023 - 262

261

DOM MARTIN

plus

ALBANY DOWN, BETTYE LAVETTE, LAYLA ZOE, DEBBIE BOND, DADDY LONG LEGS, BRYN HAWORTH

September 2023 - 261

260

WHEN RIVERS MEET

plus

ROBERT JON & THE WRECK, RUBY TURNER, FANTASTIC NEGRITO, IVAN NEVILLE, STEVE ‘WEST’ WESTON, SUGAR RAY NORCIA

August 2023 - 260

259

LAURENCE JONES

 plus 

GRAINNE DUFFY, STEFAN REDTENBACHER, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BISON HIP, ASHLEY SHERLOCK, IVY GOLD

July 2023 - 259

258

LUKE MORLEY

plus

PAUL JONES, CHRIS DUARTE, MIKE ROSS, THE STUMBLE, DOUG DEMING

June 2023 - 258

257

SAMANTHA FISH and JESSE DAYTON

plus

ANA POPOVIC, MARK HUMMEL,JIM KIRKPATRICK, MARTIN McNEILL, JOHNNY MARS & THE COLD HEART REVUE

May 2023 - 257

256

KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AT SEA

plus 

GA-20, MARY STOKES BAND, THE ZOMBIES, HENRIK FREISCHLADER, ARIELLE, GERAINT WATKINS

April 2023 - 256

255

CONNOR SELBY

plus

ERIC BIBB, MARCUS KING, RUTHIE FOSTER, THE COLD STARES, MARC BROUSSARD

March 2023 - 255

254

MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD

plus

AYNSLEY LISTER, JARED JAMES NICHOLS, BOB ANGELL, THE CADILLAC KINGS, ANGELA STREHLI

 

February 2023 - 254

253

TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN

plus

REBECCA DOWNES, CAROLYN WONDERLAND, GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND, TREVOR BABAJACK STEGER, PETE SEARS

           

January 2023 - 253

252

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR

plus

RORY BLOCK, CLIMAX BLUES BAND, DONNA HERULA, JOHN VERITY, ROB KORAL, JO CARLEY & THE OLD DRY SKULLS

 

December 2022 - 252

251

ERJA LYYTINEN

plus

LARKIN POE, DON McLEAN, JASON RICCI, THE COMMONERS, OLIVER DARLING, STEVE HILL

November 2022 - 251

250

250th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

with

LAURENCE JONES, PETER FRAMPTON, SUNJAY, JIMMY HALL, ALBERT CASTIGLIA, DAVE THOMAS, MALAYA BLUE

October 2022 - 250

249

TOMMY McLAIN

plus

WALTER TROUT, BAD LUCK FRIDAY, THE MILK MEN, JO HARMAN, BEN HEMMING

 

                       

September 2022 - 249

248

TROY REDFERN

plus

BONHAM-BULLICK, DELBERT McCLINTON, ROBBEN FORD, KIRK FLETCHER, SUPERSONIC BLUES  MACHINE

August 2022 - 248

247

BERNIE MARSDEN

plus

WILKO JOHNSON, ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW, LAURA EVANS, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES, TINSLEY ELLIS

July 2022 - 247

246

THE BAD DAY

plus

CATFISH, KARA GRAINGER, MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY, VANEESE THOMAS, THE TERRAPLANES BLUES BAND

June 2022 - 246

245

ROBIN TROWER

plus

ROBERT CRAY, EMMA WILSON, BRAVE RIVAL, BEAUX GRIS GRIS, THE LOVE LIGHT ORCHESTRA

 

May 2022 - 245

244

DOM MARTIN

plus

EDGAR WINTER, THE BLUES BAND, THE CINELLI BROTHERS, LARRY McCRAY, DAVE KELLY

April 2022 - 244

243

DAN PATLANSKY

plus

BETH HART, JETHRO TULL, STEVE BAILEY, THE 251s, ADAM NORSWORTHY

March 2022 - 243

242

ELLES BAILEY

plus

ERIC GALES, JOHN MAYALL, CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM, WILLE & THE BANDITS

February 2022 - 242

241

SAMANTHA FISH

plus

ERJA LYYTINEN, GUY KING, WALTER PARKS, STEVE GIBBONS, REBECCA DOWNES, THE JIVE ACES

January 2022 - 241

240

KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS

plus

SNOWY WHITE, DANNY BRYANT, THE COLD STARES, WARREN HAYNES, MARK HARRISON, MISTY BLUES

December 2021 - 240

239

WHEN RIVERS MEET plus

DION, SUE FOLEY, COLIN JAMES, MARK PONTIN, MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD

November 2021 - 239

238

JOE BONAMASSA plus

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR, TERESA JAMES, REV. GARY DAVIS, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BRIGITTE DeMEYER

October 2021 - 238

237

RORY GALLAGHER plus

ERIC BIBB, BERNIE MARSDEN, CONNOR SELBY, ROBERT JON, PAPA GEORGE

September 2021 - 237

236

TROY REDFERN plus

BERNIE MARSDEN, TITO JACKSON, CLARENCE SPADY, WATERMELON SLIM, SUITCASE SAM

 

    

August 2021 - 236

235

ELIANA CARGNELUTTI plus

MIKE ZITO, MOBY, HITMAN BLUES BAND, JULIAN TAYLOR, SCOTT McKEON

July 2021 - 235

234

ELLIS MANO BAND plus

DR. FEELGOOD, CURTIS SALGADO, STEVE CROPPER, DAVE SPEIGHT, FIVE POINTS GANG

 

June 2021 - 234

233

THE DAMN THRUTH plus

KAI STRAUSS, GARY MOORE, WILL JOHNS, ARIELLE, BRAVE REVIVAL

 

May 2021 - 233

232

BAI KAMARA plus

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD, IMELDA MAY, MIKE SANCHEZ, LAURA B, NICK WATERHOUSE

 

April 2021 - 232

231

JOANNA CONNOR plus

KIM WILSON, RONNIE GREER, SHAUN MURPHY, MUDDY MANNINEN, TREV TURLEY

 

 

March 2021 - 231

230

GRAINNE DUFFY plus

GEORGE THOROGOOD, JOHN MAYALL, DANA GILLESPIE, THE CADILLAC THREE, KATIE BRADLEY

 

 

February 2021 - 230

229

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE plus

MARCUS KING, NORMAN BEAKER, CHRIS SMITH, GRAHAM PARKER, BONNIE BISHOP

 

January 2021 - 229

228

WHEN RIVERS MEET plus

CATFISH, ALLMAN BETTS BAND, SUSAN SANTOS, JUSTIN ADAMS, RUZZ GUITAR

 

 

December 2020 - 228

227

KING KING plus

ERJA LYYTINEN, CONNOR BRACKEN, SAMANTHA MARTIN, SCOTT ELLISON, SYLVIE SIMMONS

 

November 2020 - 227

226

JOE BONAMASSA  plus 

ERROL LINTON, MIKE ROSS, KIRK FLETCHER, THE 251s, MARK HARRISON

October 2020 - 226

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