Review: T-Bone Walker's T-Bone Blues stands as a pinnacle of his career, capturing the essence of his virtuosity across sessions from 1955, 1956 and 1957. Released by Atlantic Records in 1959, this album is a testament to Walker's mastery of blues guitar. The album features standout tracks from various sessions, including the electrifying instrumental 'Two Bones and a Pick', showcasing Walker's talent alongside RS Rankin and jazz guitarist Barney Kessel. The 1955 Chicago sessions with Junior Wells and Jimmy Rogers produced gems like 'Why Not' and 'Papa Ain't Salty'. Walker's versatile style and experience forever set his place in the blues pantheon.
Review: American blues rock's other famous double zed, ZZ Ward doubles down on her blues instincts with her fourth studio album, going to the logical ends of her newfound motherhood and creative independence. Produced with longtime collaborator Ryan Spraker, the record folds four tracks from her recent EP 'Mother' into a broader canvas of originals and carefully chosen covers. In the midst of early parenthood, the songs confront exhaustion, strength, and clarity with grit and grace. "It just took me a long time to get here," she reflects, describing the album as a way of reclaiming her place in the genre, as lead single 'Love Alive' lights the way to a blues-traditional, real-life sound and upcoming tour, Dirty Sun. Messy, honest, and unmistakably hers.
Review: Athens, Georgia band Widespread Panic are live-jammed, blues rock and hard rock sensations, and they know it as much, having released over half of their post-2009 discography in the form of live albums. 'Hailbound Queen' is an exception to this rule, consisting entirely of re-renditions of classic songs from their classic setlist, coming freshly off the heels of their acclaimed 2024 originals record Snake Oil King. 'Hailbound Queen' is a reminiscence by contrast, all of the songs therein - 'Blue Carousel', 'Trashy', and 'Halloween Face' among them - having found a rightful, firmly-lodged place in fans' hearts. The record lands in good time for Halloween too, its timing nodding to the band's infamous Halloween shows, regularly performed across the US.
Review: Cassandra Wilson originally released Blue Light 'til Dawn in 1993 on Blue Note. Gathering together selected covers of blues and rock classics, Wilson and her band turn them to sultry, smoky jazz pieces with an evocative, late-night mood. From Robert Johnson and Joni Mitchell to Ann Peebles and Van Morrison, there are some heavy hitters covered here, but don't overlook the original title track. Amongst everything else it shows off Gib Wharton's stunning pedal steel guitar, which lends itself to this moody hue Wilson and her cohorts conjure so effectively.
Just The Two Of Us (feat Grover Washington Jr) (3:58)
Who Is She (& What Is He To You?) (3:12)
Oh Yeah! (4:01)
Hello Like Before (5:22)
I Want To Spend The Night (3:39)
Heartbreak Road (3:09)
Review: For anyone Withering away at the lack of good music in their lives, wilt no more - this latest collection of Bill Withers' greatest hits captures some of the Virginian songster's earliest and best moments. 'Grandma's Hands', 'Harlem' and 'Lean On Me' all feature on the A (exploring early Withers, largely centred on his first album Just As I Am), while the B explores later Withers, leading with the undeniable classic 'Lovely Day'.
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