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Category: Roots

Hot Rize – When I’m Free

Note to Hot Rize: 24 yrs between albums is too long!!

When I started to listen to a lot of music and collecting CDs, thanks to the used CD bins at Tunes in Marlton, in the early 2000s,  I found the music of Tim O’Brien, an amazing multi-instrumentalist and singer.  I also discovered the music of guitarist Charles Sawtelle. It took a while before I stumbled upon a great bluegrass album So Long a Journey (2002)  from the band Hot Rize. I discovered that both O’Brien and Sawtelle were members of the band, along with  Pete Wernick, and Nick Forster. Subsequently, I discovered that the album was a live album that had been recorded in 1996 and was a reunion album of  the band, that had retired in 1990. In 1990, the members had parted ways and went on to have distinguished solo careers. From their biography at the band’s website. read more

“Into the Morning” with the progressive bluegrass of Greensky Bluegrass – “Demons”

One of the albums that has been in my rotation since it’s release last week, is If Sorrow Swims from Greensky Bluegrass. GreenskyIf Sorrow Swims Bluegrass is one of my favorite progressive bluegrass bands. I discovered their music a few years back and loved the album Live at Bells,  on that album the band really displays their musicianship. I liked their last album Handguns, but not as much as the earlier albums. If Sorrow Swims reminds me more of their earlier albums. Here’s a statement from the band’s website about the band… read more

High Marks for The High 48s’ Great Northern Railroad – Check them out!!

Yesterday, I was reviewing the Roots Music Bluegrass Chart and way down near the bottom, I came across a band whose

Great norhern Railroad 2name  was unfamiliar with, The High 48s. Their latest release Great Northern Railroad was fittingly #48 on the chart. Since the album obviously had a train song on it, I thought it would be a good album to check out!! So I headed over to Spotify, found the album, listened to a few of the songs, and since my foot hadn’t stopped tapping since the album began, I knew this one was a winner!! read more

Love the Way You Roll from The Alexis P. Suter Band – You’ll Love the Way She Does!!

Alexis P SuterSome voices are made for the blues among them is Alexis P. Suter leader of the aptly titled Alexis P Suter Band!  Alexis who calls Brooklyn NY has IT when it comes to the blues and it on display in full force in the band’s sixth release Love the Way You Roll The Blues Music Association agrees, in 2012 she was a nominee for the Soul Blues Female  Artist of the Year. I don’t think that the nomination will be her last and it won’t be too long before she wins the award!! The first time she shared the stage with B.B. King he said this about Alexis… read more

2014 Blues from Jarekus Singleton – Refuse to Lose….. watch out Blues World here he comes!!

Over the last few weeks, I have been watching the steady rise of Refuse to Lose the new album from Jarekus Singleton up the Roots Music Report's Blues chart, last week and again this week the album is Number 1! Since the Jarekus Singleton Band has only been around since 2009, when Jarekus formed the band, I really don't feel too badly that I haven't found them until now! The downside to that is that i could have been listening to a great band for the last five years!! The blues community has known Jarekus for a while now. According to his website Jarekus and the band have......

Janiva Magness – Blues’ Superstar Voice and more!

Janiva Magness – Detroit Michigan

Born: January 30, 1957 (age 58), United States of America
Albums: Stronger for It, What Love Will Do, Original……
Record labels: Northern Blues Music, Alligator Records

Janiva Magness celebrated her birthday on Friday, January 30th. If you do not know about her,Janiva is a blues superstar. She was named the Blues Foundation’s B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2009, becoming only he second woman, after Koko Taylor, to be so honored. She was also named the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year in that same year! She had won that award in both 2006 and 2007. In 2012 she was nominated for that award again. All total since 2006, she has had 22 similar nominations!  In 2013 Janiva won the Blues Music Award: for Contemporary Artist of the Year again and her song “I Won’t Cry” was song of the Year!! This year (2015)Janiva is nominated for the following Blues Music Awards read more

This Date in Music – Nov 17, 1947 – Happy Birthday Tab Benoit!!

tab benoitOn this date in 1947 one of my favorite blues musicians Tab Benoit was born. For those who are being introduced Tab on his birthday this AM, from Wikipedia…..

Tab Benoit (born November 17, 1967, Baton Rouge, Louisiana)[1] is an American blues guitarist, musician and singer.[2] He plays a style that is a combination of blues styles, primarily Delta blues. He plays a Fender Telecaster Thinline electric guitar and writes his own musical compositions. Benoit graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, Louisiana in May, 1985. In 2003, he formed an organization promoting awareness of coastal wetlands preservation known as “Voice of the Wetlands.” Full Biography read more

Lunchtime Music from Molasses Creek “An Island Out of Time”

The other band that I’ve been listening to over the last few days is Molasses Creek and their new album An Island Out of Time.  The island in question is Ocracoke Island, NC. which according to their website is:

Only accessible by ferry, Ocracoke is an enchanting step out of modern times into a world of captivating natural beauty, rich maritime history, ghostly shipwrecks, heroic lifesavers, crafty pirates, and a community of 900 independently minded residents.

 An Island Out of Time is  the twelfth albums they’ve recorded over the past 19 years. In April of 2012, An Island Out of Time  reached the #4 spot on the National Folk Radio DJ Charts! (It is now at number 61, which is where  I spotted it) read more

Lunchtime Music – Buskin & Batteau – The Boy with the Violin”

In the early 70s I picked up an album In California, by a duo Compton & Batteau. The album spent a fair time in the rotation but then fell by the wayside as I moved on to other albums. About fifteen plus years later, I bought a Tom Rush album  Late Night Radio a live concert broadcast of Club 47 from Symphony Hall in Boston, and Robin Batteau appeared again on my record player this time performing with David Buskin as Buskin & Batteau. (Now you probably know Robin Batteau even if you’ve never heard his music, bacuse you’ve heard his jingles form commercials. How about “I’m Lovin’ It” for McDonalds and “The Heartbeat of America” for Chevrolet.)   In the 70s I had also become a fan of  David Buskin’s from his self-titled album and the song “Come With” along with all the other great songs on that album! (Buskin also a jingle writer, wrote the jingle for NBC for which he won a Clio Award in 1983. He co-wrote All Aboard America for Amtrak, and did work for Burger King, JC Penny, and the US Postal Service)  But back to the music, on the album they performed “A Boy with a Violin” and through the years that song along with the following track on the album “Beam Me Up Scotty” have been favorites.  So when I was trolling for music this morning, I came across this performance of the song from the 2009 Philadelphia Folk Festival! So here’s some lunchtime music from the duo of Buskin and Batteau “The Boy with a Violin” read more