Blues CDs New Releases - May 2012

May brings an abundance of new blues for the diehard fan! You'll find red-hot new music from folks like Anders Osborne, Joe Bonamassa, the Nighthawks, and Mannish Boys as well as U.K. blues from Giles Robson and Oli Brown. Throw in classic reissues from Albert King and Paul Butterfield, an anticipated debut from the Royal Southern Brotherhood, and an unexpected live disc from the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and no matter your taste in blues, here's what you'll be listening to in May...

Albert King – 'I'll Play The Blues For You' (Stax Records)

Considered the crown jewel in Albert King's considerable catalog, I'll Play The Blues For You is widely recognized as one of the seminal albums in the blues, influencing artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Roy Buchanan. Originally released in 1972, the album has received 24-bit remastering, a fresh set of liner notes courtesy of music journalist and blues historian Bill Dahl, and the addition of four previously unreleased bonus tracks. The performances firmly rooted in the blues but incorporate elements of Stax's trademark funk and soul in creating a fresh and electrifying sound. (Release date: 05/22/12)More »

Anders Osborne – 'Black Eye Galaxy' (Alligator Records)

Black Eye Galaxy was recorded in Maurice, Louisiana at the famed Dockside Studio and was produced by Anders Osborne along with Stanton Moore, drummer for the New Orleans jazz/funk ensemble Galactic, and engineer Warren Riker. The new songs are said to be a mix of "heavy electric mayhem" and "joyous acoustic melodicism"; lyrically, Black Eye Galaxy is a song cycle that begins in despair and ends with an affirmation on the healing power of love, thought-provoking performances displaying Osborne's award-winning six-string talents and underrated songwriting skills. Folks, it rocks hard! Need to know anything else? (Release date: 05/01/12)More »

Giles Robson & the Dirty Aces – 'Crooked Heart of Mine' (Blues Boulevard)

Giles Robson is a star in the U.K. and while the British blues harpist has yet to make major waves stateside, he has his thumb firmly on the classic Chicago blues vibe that will thrill fans of the traditional sound. Crooked Heart of Mine could be Robson's U.S. breakthrough, thirteen original numbers that highlight Robson's Little Walter-influenced harmonica style and his underrated, soulful vocals. His backing band, the Dirty Aces, are not to be overlooked, either, and together they kick out some righteous jams. (Release date: 05/08/12)More »

Joe Bonamassa – 'Driving Towards The Daylight' (J&R Adventures)

Driving Towards The Daylight is said to be a "back-to-basics" album for guitarist Joe Bonamassa, the tracklist balancing four new original tunes alongside classic blues songs from Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson, and Howlin' Wolf as well as a handful of curious covers by a diverse batch of songwriters like Tom Waits and Bill Withers. Producer Kevin Shirley assembled a talented band to record, including guitarists Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Pat Thrall, and Blondie Chaplin. Whitford says the album is influenced by "early '60s English and American rock and blues," so it should be a right good time to be had by all! (Release date: 05/22/12)More »

Mannish Boys – 'Double Dynamite' (Delta Groove Music)

With five critically acclaimed albums under their collective belts, the Mannish Boys work in the long-underrated West Coast blues style, i.e. a mix of R&B, soul, and jump blues with a focus on hearty vocals. A talented "supergroup," for the two-disc Double Dynamite, the boys have added new vocalist Sugar Ray Rayford to sing along with the veteran Finis Tasby, while long-time guitarists Kirk Fletcher and Frank Goldwasser play off Randy Chortkoff's fluid harmonica riffs. Throw in guest appearances from folks like Mud Morganfield, Elvin Bishop, Jason Ricci, Junior Watson, and Bob Corritore, among others, and you have the summer's hottest party. (Release date: 05/15/12)More »

Michael Bloomfield w/Nick Gravenites – 'Blues At The Fillmore 1968-69' (Raven)

Stay with me while I try and explain this for you all...Blues At The Fillmore 1968-69 includes no material that appeared on Michael Bloomfield's recently-released Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore West 1969. However, it does collect several live performances that appeared on Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68 with Al Kooper, released on CD in 2003. Got it? If you have the Kooper disc, you have the best of what's here, so this set is mostly for the newcomer, not the hardcore. Get the Blues At The Fillmore set instead, also with Nick Gravenites, and kudos to Australian reissue label Raven Records for caring about this stuff in the first place. (Release date: 05/22/12)

Muddy Waters Blues Band – 'Mud In Your Ear' (Douglas Records)

OK, so some of you probably know more about this one that I do; best I can suss out it that the Muddy Waters Blues Band is comprised of former compatriots of the Chicago blues great, folks like George "Mojo" Buford, Sammy Lawhorn, Otis Spann, Luther Johnson, and Francis Clay. The talented frontman got together and recorded 1973's Mud In Your Ear, a collection of classic Chicago-styled blues tunes by Waters and Willie Dixon, along with originals written by the assembled players. In and out of print for decades, here is it again...get it while you can! (Release date: 05/08/12)More »

Oli Brown – 'Here I Am' (Ruf Records)

The young hotshot British blues-rock guitarist released his acclaimed debut album Open Road four years ago at the impressive age of 17 years old. After touring the continent opening for legends like Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, and Walter Trout, as well as appearing on the New Generation Blues Tour with labelmate Joanne Shaw Taylor, Brown has found firm-footing and the confidence of the seasoned veteran. Here I Am, Brown's third album, finds him maturing as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist and even stepping outside of his comfort zone with unlikely covers of Donny Hathaway's "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and Nikka Costa's "Like A Feather." (Release date: 05/01/12)More »

Paul Butterfield – 'Better Days/It All Comes Back' (Edsel Records)

By 1972, singer and harp player Paul Butterfield's best days were behind him, but that doesn't mean that there wasn't still some gas in the tank. After seeing a dismal response to his horn-based band, he broke up that outfit, returned to Woodstock, and recruited some new players, including guitarists Amos Garrett and Geoff Muldaur. Dubbed Paul Butterfield's Better Days, this line-up released two critically-acclaimed albums in 1972 and '73, both included here on this reissue from U.K. archival label Edsel Records. (Release date: 05/15/12)More »

Paul Butterfield –'Put It In Your Ear/North South' (Edsel Records)

Butterfield spent much of the late 1970s and early '80s doing session work, touring as part of Levon Helm's RCO All-Stars, and pursuing various musical interests. Put It In Your Ear was the harp player's meager 1976 "solo" debut, erratic but not without its charms, and it features the talents of several members of the band. North South was Butterfield's 1981 "comeback" album, recorded in Memphis by soul legend Willie Mitchell, but it's a mess, burdened with period studio tricks and overuse of synths. Mentioned here only for the curious, I'd pass these by in favor of his early stuff. (Release date: 05/15/12)More »