Out now!
Issue 277: January 2025
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!
DOM MARTIN
Plus
EDDIE 9V, GUY DAVIS, MARCUS TRUMMER, STEVE CROPPER, MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD
December 2024 - 276
PHILIP SAYCE
Plus
ERROL LINTON, VANEESE THOMAS, SHEMEKIA COPELAND, STEVE HILL, LIONS IN THE STREET, THE HITMAN BLUES BAND
November 2024 - 275
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD
plus
MARK HARRISON, THE COLD STARES. CONNOLLY HAYES. BLUE NATION. THE MIGHTY BOSSCATS
October 2024 - 274
BRAVE RIVAL
plus
CHRIS CAIN, ELKIE BROOKS, ALASTAIR GREENE, CAITLIN KRISKO & THE BROADCAST, JOHN MAYALL R.I.P.
September 2024 - 273
MUIREANN BRADLEY
plus
BUDDY GUY, BYWATER CALL, JIMMIE VAUGHAN, MOJO THUNDER, TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN
August 2024 - 272
THE COMMONERS
plus
MARCUS KING, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, TOM KILLNER, RAMBLIN’ PREACHERS, KRISSY MATTHEWS
July 2024 - 271
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
plus
SLASH, THE MILK MEN. TORONZO CANNON, ROBERT JON & THE WRECK, TOM MANSI & THE ICEBREAKERS
June 2024 - 270
TROY REDFERN
plus
JOOLS HOLLAND, CEDRIC BURNSIDE, BERNARD ALLISON, CATFISH, BOB CORRITORE
May 2024 - 269
TERRY MARSHALL
plus
DAN PATLANSKY, SUSAN SANTOS, BIG WOLF BAND, SEAN WEBSTER, GUS GLYNN BAND
April 2024 - 268
SUE FOLEY
plus
PHILIP SAYCE, BEX MARSHALL, GREIG TAYLOR, EDDY SMITH & THE 507, TOM HAMBRIDGE, JACK J HUTCHINSON
March 2024 - 267
WALTER TROUT
plus
JO HARMAN, BAD TOUCH, BOB MARGOLIN, HANNAH WICKLUND, TONY HOLIDAY, SARAH BROWN
February 2024 - 266
NINE BELOW ZERO
plus
FOGHAT, CAT SQUIRREL, BOB HALL, THOMAS HEPPELL, LONG ROAD HOME, ROBERT HOKUM
January 2024 - 265
TAJ MAHAL
plus
BOBBY RUSH, BLACKBURN BROTHERS, GRAHAM NASH, SEAN TAYLOR, GREG SOVER, NICK MOSS
December 2023 - 264
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
JOE BONAMASSA
JOE BONAMASSA
plus
DANNY BRYANT, COCO MONTOYA, ERJA LYYTINEN, JO ANN KELLY, DAVE ARCARI, DUST RADIO
October 2023 - 262
DOM MARTIN
plus
ALBANY DOWN, BETTYE LAVETTE, LAYLA ZOE, DEBBIE BOND, DADDY LONG LEGS, BRYN HAWORTH
September 2023 - 261
WHEN RIVERS MEET
plus
ROBERT JON & THE WRECK, RUBY TURNER, FANTASTIC NEGRITO, IVAN NEVILLE, STEVE ‘WEST’ WESTON, SUGAR RAY NORCIA
August 2023 - 260
LAURENCE JONES
plus
GRAINNE DUFFY, STEFAN REDTENBACHER, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BISON HIP, ASHLEY SHERLOCK, IVY GOLD
July 2023 - 259
LUKE MORLEY
plus
PAUL JONES, CHRIS DUARTE, MIKE ROSS, THE STUMBLE, DOUG DEMING
June 2023 - 258
SAMANTHA FISH and JESSE DAYTON
plus
ANA POPOVIC, MARK HUMMEL,JIM KIRKPATRICK, MARTIN McNEILL, JOHNNY MARS & THE COLD HEART REVUE
May 2023 - 257
KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AT SEA
plus
GA-20, MARY STOKES BAND, THE ZOMBIES, HENRIK FREISCHLADER, ARIELLE, GERAINT WATKINS
April 2023 - 256
CONNOR SELBY
plus
ERIC BIBB, MARCUS KING, RUTHIE FOSTER, THE COLD STARES, MARC BROUSSARD
March 2023 - 255
MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD
plus
AYNSLEY LISTER, JARED JAMES NICHOLS, BOB ANGELL, THE CADILLAC KINGS, ANGELA STREHLI
February 2023 - 254
TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN
plus
REBECCA DOWNES, CAROLYN WONDERLAND, GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND, TREVOR BABAJACK STEGER, PETE SEARS
January 2023 - 253
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
plus
RORY BLOCK, CLIMAX BLUES BAND, DONNA HERULA, JOHN VERITY, ROB KORAL, JO CARLEY & THE OLD DRY SKULLS
December 2022 - 252
ERJA LYYTINEN
plus
LARKIN POE, DON McLEAN, JASON RICCI, THE COMMONERS, OLIVER DARLING, STEVE HILL
November 2022 - 251
250th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
with
LAURENCE JONES, PETER FRAMPTON, SUNJAY, JIMMY HALL, ALBERT CASTIGLIA, DAVE THOMAS, MALAYA BLUE
October 2022 - 250
TOMMY McLAIN
plus
WALTER TROUT, BAD LUCK FRIDAY, THE MILK MEN, JO HARMAN, BEN HEMMING
September 2022 - 249
TROY REDFERN
plus
BONHAM-BULLICK, DELBERT McCLINTON, ROBBEN FORD, KIRK FLETCHER, SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE
August 2022 - 248
BERNIE MARSDEN
plus
WILKO JOHNSON, ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW, LAURA EVANS, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES, TINSLEY ELLIS
July 2022 - 247
THE BAD DAY
plus
CATFISH, KARA GRAINGER, MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY, VANEESE THOMAS, THE TERRAPLANES BLUES BAND
June 2022 - 246
ROBIN TROWER
plus
ROBERT CRAY, EMMA WILSON, BRAVE RIVAL, BEAUX GRIS GRIS, THE LOVE LIGHT ORCHESTRA
May 2022 - 245
DOM MARTIN
plus
EDGAR WINTER, THE BLUES BAND, THE CINELLI BROTHERS, LARRY McCRAY, DAVE KELLY
April 2022 - 244
DAN PATLANSKY
plus
BETH HART, JETHRO TULL, STEVE BAILEY, THE 251s, ADAM NORSWORTHY
March 2022 - 243
ELLES BAILEY
plus
ERIC GALES, JOHN MAYALL, CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM, WILLE & THE BANDITS
February 2022 - 242
SAMANTHA FISH
plus
ERJA LYYTINEN, GUY KING, WALTER PARKS, STEVE GIBBONS, REBECCA DOWNES, THE JIVE ACES
January 2022 - 241
KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS
plus
SNOWY WHITE, DANNY BRYANT, THE COLD STARES, WARREN HAYNES, MARK HARRISON, MISTY BLUES
December 2021 - 240
WHEN RIVERS MEET plus
DION, SUE FOLEY, COLIN JAMES, MARK PONTIN, MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD
November 2021 - 239
JOE BONAMASSA plus
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR, TERESA JAMES, REV. GARY DAVIS, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BRIGITTE DeMEYER
October 2021 - 238
RORY GALLAGHER plus
ERIC BIBB, BERNIE MARSDEN, CONNOR SELBY, ROBERT JON, PAPA GEORGE
September 2021 - 237
TROY REDFERN plus
BERNIE MARSDEN, TITO JACKSON, CLARENCE SPADY, WATERMELON SLIM, SUITCASE SAM
August 2021 - 236
ELIANA CARGNELUTTI plus
MIKE ZITO, MOBY, HITMAN BLUES BAND, JULIAN TAYLOR, SCOTT McKEON
July 2021 - 235
ELLIS MANO BAND plus
DR. FEELGOOD, CURTIS SALGADO, STEVE CROPPER, DAVE SPEIGHT, FIVE POINTS GANG
June 2021 - 234
THE DAMN THRUTH plus
KAI STRAUSS, GARY MOORE, WILL JOHNS, ARIELLE, BRAVE REVIVAL
May 2021 - 233
BAI KAMARA plus
SELWYN BIRCHWOOD, IMELDA MAY, MIKE SANCHEZ, LAURA B, NICK WATERHOUSE
April 2021 - 232
JOANNA CONNOR plus
KIM WILSON, RONNIE GREER, SHAUN MURPHY, MUDDY MANNINEN, TREV TURLEY
March 2021 - 231
GRAINNE DUFFY plus
GEORGE THOROGOOD, JOHN MAYALL, DANA GILLESPIE, THE CADILLAC THREE, KATIE BRADLEY
February 2021 - 230
CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE plus
MARCUS KING, NORMAN BEAKER, CHRIS SMITH, GRAHAM PARKER, BONNIE BISHOP
January 2021 - 229
WHEN RIVERS MEET plus
CATFISH, ALLMAN BETTS BAND, SUSAN SANTOS, JUSTIN ADAMS, RUZZ GUITAR
December 2020 - 228
KING KING plus
ERJA LYYTINEN, CONNOR BRACKEN, SAMANTHA MARTIN, SCOTT ELLISON, SYLVIE SIMMONS
November 2020 - 227
JOE BONAMASSA plus
ERROL LINTON, MIKE ROSS, KIRK FLETCHER, THE 251s, MARK HARRISON
October 2020 - 226
