Winning the 2017 International Blues Challenge, added to her many other awards, has resulted in a heavy international touring schedule, complicated by what her press release terms as ‘her own personal heartbreak’. The combination has inspired a worthy collection of introspective new songs. She didn’t write them all but she did select some good ones to go with her own.
News
May 2019 – Duke Robillard
Duke Robillard has spent some time recently looking back on the songs he’s loved over the years. For Duke, they were the songs that stayed in his head, ear worms. So, he decided to record them, his way, and he also brought along a cast of fellow travelers as he shares his memories.
April 2019 – FOG Blues & Brass Band
This is a band from Kitchener that I was introduced to at the Blues Summit. They are indeed what they advertise themselves as: a brass band that plays blues.
April 2019 – Murray Porter
Mohawk Turtle Clan, Six Nations born & bred, this Vancouver-based singer/songwriter/pianist has a new album for us to enjoy.
April 2019 – Al Lerman
Even a casual glance at www.allermanmusic.com will tell you he’s performing all over southern Ontario with his guitar and harmonica.
April 2019 – Harpdog Brown
Harpdog Brown’s last album, Travelin’ with the Blues, was a masterpiece of stripped-down traditional blues but he has now completely changed direction, having discovered his New Orleans familial roots.
April 2019 – Manx Marriner Mainline
Sixteen-year-old harp student Steve Marriner asked to sit in with Harry Manx at an Ottawa gig. Manx was so impressed that Marriner would tour with him for five years.
Top Blues – April 2019
This month’s recommended listening by John Valenteyn, host of John Valenteyn’s Blues on ciut.fm, 89.5 and CD reviewer for Maple Blues.
Loose Blues News – April 2019
Congratulations to Colin James who received the JUNO award for 2019 Blues Album of the Year for “Miles To Go.” Colin did not attend in person because he was kicking off a huge cross-Canada tour with the same crack band that played on the album, including some familiar faces on the Toronto blues scene, Jesse O’Brien, Chris Caddell, and MonkeyJunk’s Steve Marriner. Colin beat out a field of top contenders, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar, Jack de Keyzer, Myles Goodwin and Sue Foley. Congrats to all!
March 2019 – Gaye Adegbalola
It’s been said that no one is singing protest songs these days but whoever said that hasn’t checked out Gaye Adegbalola. This founding member of Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women has never stopped being uppity. Now 74, she sees herself in the role of Griot, the African custodian of oral history and storytelling and her stories are most certainly worth telling. About half the album takes on political and social themes while the other half tackles relationships past & present.
