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Rick Allen
Owen Campbell
While the electric guitar might define rock and roll, Owen Campbell elevates the image of the acoustic guitar as an effective force in the medium. He got an early boost by appearing on “Australia’s Got Talent,” the down-under version of the franchise. And yet he stands out from the homogenous field, maybe because of his…
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Rick Allen
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal plays all sorts of folk, keyboard, and percussion instruments – and just about anything with strings. His deceptively easygoing approach to music – a trot rather than a frenzied gallop – has made for a long fruitful career. As a bandleader, he introduced us to some truly fine musicians, including guitar greats Ry…
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Rick Allen
The Subdudes
At its core, the Subdudes’ character sound is Tommy Malone’s sophisticated acoustic guitar blended with John Magnie’s keyboards, their soulful vocalizing, and Steve Amadee’s stripped-to-the-bone percussion. At times Malone’s playing is so impressive it could inspire a reverse revolution back to the early days of rock and roll when an electric guitar and a real…
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Rick Allen
Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, and Others
“I’m A Woman” sings Koko Taylor in her face-smacking distaff take on Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man” to open this collection of Alligator’s best, past and present. Telecaster god Albert Collins follows with “I Ain’t Drunk,” a joyous ode to intoxication chased by feverish, industrial-strength slide guitar on “Strange Feeling” from Michael Burks, a bluesman…
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Rick Allen
The Relatives
Original guitarist Charles Ray “Gypsy” Mitchell returns to the band from a decades-long break to open this new album with sweet, understated Pops Staples-like licks to underscore an eerie reading of Tim Maia’s “Rational Culture” by singer Rev. Gean West. West cut that one after he recorded two cuts for this reunion – and then…
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Rick Allen
Golden State-Lone Star Blues Revue
Welcome to a cross-country meeting of blues minds. The first release from this group of veteran California and Texas bluesmen features guitarists Little Charlie Baty, an Alabama-to-California transplant grounded originally in Chicago blues and erstwhile leader of Little Charlie and the Nightcats, and Anson Funderburgh, acolyte of fellow Texans like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Freddie King.…
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Rick Allen
Laurence Jones
Ostensibly a blues artist, on his latest disc Laurence Jones sounds more like hybrid blues-rock acts such as Foghat and, notably, the Jon Butcher Axis. Jones follows Rory Gallagher, Jack Bruce, and Peter Green working along that uniquely British arc of the blues, although with a lot less of the old English folk and Celtic…
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Rick Allen
Rich Kienzle
VG readers won’t be surprised to learn that contributor Rich Kienzle’s comprehensive bio of George Jones is a great read and a dispassionate chronicle of his drive-in movie of a life. While the 2015 memoir The Life of George Jones by Jones’ erstwhile guitarist Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery romanticizes George, including his early years in Texas’…
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Rick Allen
John Del Toro Richardson
With this Tex-Mex flavored blues album co-produced with Anson Funderburgh, another fine Texas blues guitarist, John Del Toro Richardson hits his stride. Think Los Lobos with the blues to Latino style ratio in reverse. Richardson even sounds a little bit like Lobos vocalist Cesar Rosas, perhaps crossed with Boz Scaggs. As a guitar player and…
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Rick Allen
Deb Callahan
Live shows from Callahan and band have been knocking out East Coast crowds for some time. The group also knows how to work it in a recording studio where some of the best live bands can lose their mojo without the feedback of an audience. Still, the foundation of a good record is good material.…
