150 Years of Touching the ‘Fount of Tears’

Next year an American treasure, the FISK JUBILEE SINGERS, will celebrate 150 years of bringing spiritual messages of hope, redemption and salvation to the world. The celebration begins with a great live album marking the occasion.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Familiar, Fresh & True to the Human Experience

On a most impressive debut, JOHNNY & THE MONGRELS leap immediately into the front ranks of chicken-fried southern soul and swamp-rock on CREOLE SKIES.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Blues Built to Last

Chicago blues masters BOB CORRITORE and JOHN PRIMER have delivered blues built to last on THE GYPSY WOMAN TOLD ME, containing performances every bit as classic as the cover art by VINCE RAY.
by David McGee
 

 
 

The Dark Saint Rises

A genuine Statement record, IVY FORD's CLUB 27 finds the gifted Chicago-based blues artist-singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist--coming into her own in a powerful way. One of the year's best here.
by David McGee
 

 

 

In Heavy Rotation: A Bucketful of Blues

A bucketful of new blues rounded up here: reviews of fine new CDs, from THE NIGHTHAWKS, JAY WILLIE &: JAMES MONTGOMERY, ANTHONY GERACI, SWINGADELIC and DAVE STRYKER & BOB MINTZER & THE WDR BIG BAND
by David McGee
 

 
 

Kicking It Up a Notch (or Two, or…)

KENNY 'BLUES BOSS' WAYNE comes out rockin' and rarely lets up on GO, JUST DO IT! In a tour de force performance, the Piano Hall of Fame inductee offers 10 original songs and terrific covers of two PERCY MAYFIELD tunes and a JJ ...
by David McGee
 

 

 

Being About the Needed Balance of Persistence and Faith

Like a bridge over troubled waters, ROD McCORMACK's FINGERPRINTS offers safe passage through perilous times--an instant classic of a debut album
by David McGee
 

 
 

Standing on Big Shoulders

From Robert Johnson to the present day, SPECIAL CONSENSUS celebrates the Windy City's musical legacy on their 45th anniversary recording, CHICAGO BARN DANCE. The consensus? It's special.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Fashioning a More Thoughtful World

Scottish classical guitarist SEAN SHIBE, playing with lovely clarity and thoughtfulness, adds his own innate sense of the elegant to a trio of BACH lute compositions he has seamlessly transposed to his own instrument.
by David McGee
 

 
 

‘I Just Can’t Let Us Forget’

Continuing her 'lifetime retrospective' project, RORY BLOCK pays glorious tribute to some outstanding female blues artists of yore, some undeservedly obscure..but no longer so.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Believe

Being about the moment and the moment far ahead, BILL CURRERI's HARD ROAD HOME sends a message of buoyant self-realization at a time when it's most needed.
by David McGee
 

 
 

In Praise of the Torch Holder

In his second solo outing, JUNIOR SISK honors Polonius's advice: "To thine own self be true." In doing so, he creates a traditional bluegrass gem in LOAD THE WAGON.
by David McGee