Out now!
Issue 276: December 2024
If you’re reading this and you’re unaware of Dom Martin, may we respectfully suggest you may have been asleep a couple of years. The Belfast musician has taken the UK and European blues scenes by the scruff of their collective necks and given ‘em a damn good shaking, his jaw-dropping skills on both acoustic and electric guitar allied to mesmerising live performances. Since 2023’s acclaimed Buried In The Hail album, the Northern Irish musician has seemingly been on a never-ending touring schedule, so it’s appropriate then that a double-live album, Buried Alive is released in December. It’s high on the list of topics Simon Green talks to Dom about in this month’s issue.
Blues in Britain first encountered Eddie 9V on
board Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea Mediterranean blues cruise in summer 2023 where the man and his band played a trio of electrifying sets. For the singer and guitarist it was a momentous week: he took a day off to get married in Santorini as well! Now, with a new album Saratoga out and a run of UK dates, Eddie’s firmly back on land but still making waves.
The Soul Man, Steve Cropper is one of the most revered guitar players and songwriters on earth,
writing and performing on such memorable records such as ‘Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay’, ‘Soul Man’, ‘Knock On Wood’ and ‘In The Midnight Hour’. He’s recorded with Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T. & The M. G. ’s and appeared in the iconic The Blues Brothers film. And that’s just for starters! With a new album out on Provogue featuring contributions from ZZ Top’ s Billy Gibbons and Queen’s Brian May, the legend that is Steve Cropper talks to David Robinson.
Soul City One! Mississippi McDonald has been on quite a journey. In the three short years since signing with APM Records, he has released several acclaimed albums, taken his music to Memphis, toured
extensively in both and UK and USA and won Traditional Blues Artist Of The Year and Acoustic Blues Act Of The Year awards. In October, he released his third album, I Got What You Need, described as “rich in variety, vibe and soulful energy.” He talks to Pete Clack.
A self-taught “renaissance man”, Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author and songwriter. He first heard the banjo at a summer camp run by John Seeger, the brother of the legendary American folk musician, Pete Seeger, and soon after asked his father for one himself. John Mitchell catches up with Guy Davis before a show in Gosforth, on his recent UK tour.
A young blood with an old soul, Canadian Marcus Trummer marries modern sensibilities with older traditions in a distinctive style that encompasses blues, soul and rock. From The Start is the Calgary born musician’s debut album for Gypsy Soul Records and it becomes apparent in conversation with David Robinson that he has a thoughtful approach to the making of his music.
Daughter of a mother who was a classically-trained soprano and pianist, and a guitar-playing father, the teenage Amanda Fish spent hours in her room practicing her singing, while her younger sister, Samantha, was learning the guitar in hers. Hearing Stevie Ray Vaughan, Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt and the Stones at home, the sisters were both drawn towards the blues. Her new album for Vizztone, Kingdom, is a fiery blast of blues rock, shot through with religious imagery and fuelled by personal testimony. And it’s her best album to date.
Beamed through the radio, a Scottish record shop owner’s music choice was Kate Pieroudis’ introduction
to the music of Gill Landry. His poetically dark songs, with their themes of love and loss, delivered in a gravelly baritone certainly strike a chord.
Nepalese bluesman Prakash Slim is now based in the USA and has just released his new album, his second, entitled 8000 Miles To The Crossroads. “By performing in different places with blues greats, meeting with blues people, fans and friends, my music has evolved since moving to the USA,” he tells Norman Darwen. “But I don’t feel differently about the blues!”
Plus: Becc’s Blues, a whopping 15 pages (count ‘em!) of album and gig reviews, Out & About and much more!
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
