June 2023 – Tony Holiday
Published May 30, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
With a cohort of like-minded musicians, vocalist and harmonica player Tony Holiday has been shaking up the blues scene in Memphis since his move there from Salt Lake City in 2017.
John’s Blues Picks is the monthly album review column originally launched by the late Toronto-based blues historian and broadcaster, John Valenteyn. Submission can be sent to the TBS office for consideration and will be circulated to a pool of journalists and others for review in the monthly Maple Blues newsletter and placed at the Spotify playlist.
May 2023 – Taj Mahal
Published April 28, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
Upon first glance at the song titles of Taj Mahal’s latest album, one could be excused for initially wondering if renditions of 14 classic jazz/blues songs that have been cut dozens and dozens of times would be close to required listening.
May 2023 – Eric Bibb
Published April 28, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
Eric Bibb’s immense musical talents, his fierce and focused dedication to musical forms largely steeped in the blues and folk traditions, have long been coupled with his magnificent, immediately identifiable voice that is one of the most penetrating instruments of our time.
May 2023 – John Mayall
Published April 28, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
Marvel not at his age but at his legacy. From his hearty catalogue of 37 studio and 34 live releases (many defining the very heart and soul of British blues), Mayall remains the last of his kind and the great grandfather of this time-honoured genre. Regardless of whether you appreciate his reedy voice, his flash-free harmonica and his endless ability to reinvent himself, his seminal Bluesbreakers birthed some of the greatest guitarists of our time.
May 2023 – Michael Jerome Browne
Published April 28, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
Michael Jerome Browne is the son of two university professors, so it’s no wonder that his research into the blues is so deep. On this latest release, Gettin’ Together, he has curated 14 songs from more obscure blues artists of the past century such as William Bunch and Bayless Rose, as well as the more familiar artists like John Hurt and Booker White.
April 2023 – The Maple Blues Band
Published April 1, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
I was wondering what a blues record without vocals would be like. In my mind, the story and the emotions expressed through the lyrics and the singer have always been at the centre of the blues, with the musicians accompanying them with groove, melody, and hopefully some blistering solos.
March 2023 – Paul DesLauriers & Annika Chambers
Published February 28, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
There are a lot of artists who claim to put love into everything they do, but this latest release from Paul DesLauriers and Annika Chambers is a true love story. When two people with so much talent and potential get together, sparks fly and one can only imagine what fires can come from it.
March 2023 – Justin Saladino Band
Published February 28, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
Four releases into their musical career, you might expect it would be easy to plot the band’s progress since their ’16, 5-track release, No Worries. You’d be wrong. The Justin Saladino Band revealed a mature grasp of their talents right out of the gates and, while live records can often uncover a band’s greatest strengths or limitations – 2020’s JSB Live quickly registered this ‘young band’ as every bit as musically astute and seasoned as road warriors twice their age.
March 2023 – Denis Parker
Published February 28, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
You might first be taken aback by anyone releasing a double album in these fractured times. However, after sitting down to listen to one of the best folk-blues releases in a long time, one can only conclude that each record’s approach belongs under one roof. Too few people are aware of Denis Parker and his 60 years of blues.
February 2023 – Joe Louis Walker
Published January 31, 2023 in John's Blues Picks
Blues Hall of Famer and winner of multiple blues awards, Joe Louis Walker treats us to a new offering in Weight of the World. Sometimes serene, often rambunctious, the album highlights Walker’s mastery and versatility as a singer, guitarist and composer.
