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Issue 257: May 2023

       The black leather look suits Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton. It suits their music too, as new album Death Wish Blues hits the shelves in May, it’s gritty, punk blues grooves following on from the two mavericks’ 2022 covers EP, Stardust Sessions. We talk to Samantha and Jesse together to get the lowdown on the album and their collaboration. Plus there’s great live photos from their show at the Whisky A Go Go in L.A., a prelude to their upcoming Autumn UK tour. “We had something to stand on before they threw us to the wolves!”        

It’s been a tumultuous few years for Ana Popovic. Following the death of her mother from breast cancer three years earlier, the musician was herself diagnosed with the same condition in late 2020. Happily, successful chemotherapy treatments saw the Serbia-born guitarist and singer emerge healthy, confident and looking forward with her dynamic new album, Power. Simon Green gets some of that blues power from Ana and finds out why she’s the Queen Of The Pack. 

               

       

  Jim Kirkpatrick is a busy man. Dead Man Walking, his third solo album and jam-packed with melodic blues hooks, is about to be released, following Changed Priorities in 2006 and Ballad Of A Prodigal Son in 2020. Three albums in seventeen years may sound like Kirkpatrick moves at a languid pace, but this is nowhere near the whole story and he’s got a good explanation for anyone who wonders why it’s taken him so long. Liz Medhurst is listening.                            

   West Coast-based hamonica player Mark Hummel recently toured the U.K. for the first time in over twenty years. We tracked down the Grammy Nominee and Blues Award Winner out on the road and Sons Of The Delta’s Mark Cole (no slouch on the blues harp himself) got talkin’ harps, blowouts and meltdowns.

                The noble art of the slide guitar is a staple ingredient of the blues. At its best, its current exponents, such as Bonnie Raitt, Erja Lyytinen, Dickie Hayes and Derek Trucks, head a long lineage of players such as Duane Allman, Jeremy Spencer, Elmore James and Muddy Waters. But there’s another: Martin McNeill performs traditional blues and vintage soul with touches of gospel and jazz, and has been acclaimed as one of this country’s top blues slide guitarists. Russ Cottee finds out more.

                Johnny Mars’ latest album release, The Reunion, sees the veteran harmonica ace partnered with the young Portsmouth bluesman, The Cold Heart Revue on guitar. The Cold Heart Revue is none other than David Robinson, who contributes features and reviews to this magazine and he and Johnny talk to Mark Cole, who takes up the story behind this unique collaboration.

It’s been a busy month or so on the live scene. We’ve seen tours by Marcus King, Ana Popovic, Beth Hart and Connor Selby,  plus gigs by The Cinelli Brothers, LT Beauchamp (aka Chicago Beau), The Wilson Brothers, Chantel McGregor, Sam Paine and more…all covered in this issue, plus festival reports from Bowness Bay Blues and Swanage Blues. Out and about, indeed.

PLUS: a new regular Becc’s Blues column by Rebecca Downes, High Hopes, My Top Ten, win tickets to the Linton Festival, A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues, Book Reviews and album reviews for Taj Mahal, Van Morrison, Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton, The Black Crowes, Ana Popovic, John Primer, Big Wolf Band, Bison Hip and many more.

Back Issues

226

JOE BONAMASSA  plus 

ERROL LINTON, MIKE ROSS, KIRK FLETCHER, THE 251s, MARK HARRISON

October 2020 - 226

227

KING KING plus

ERJA LYYTINEN, CONNOR BRACKEN, SAMANTHA MARTIN, SCOTT ELLISON, SYLVIE SIMMONS

 

November 2020 - 227

228

WHEN RIVERS MEET plus

CATFISH, ALLMAN BETTS BAND, SUSAN SANTOS, JUSTIN ADAMS, RUZZ GUITAR

 

 

December 2020 - 228

229

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE plus

MARCUS KING, NORMAN BEAKER, CHRIS SMITH, GRAHAM PARKER, BONNIE BISHOP

 

January 2021 - 229

230

GRAINNE DUFFY plus

GEORGE THOROGOOD, JOHN MAYALL, DANA GILLESPIE, THE CADILLAC THREE, KATIE BRADLEY

 

 

February 2021 - 230

231

JOANNA CONNOR plus

KIM WILSON, RONNIE GREER, SHAUN MURPHY, MUDDY MANNINEN, TREV TURLEY

 

 

March 2021 - 231

232

BAI KAMARA plus

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD, IMELDA MAY, MIKE SANCHEZ, LAURA B, NICK WATERHOUSE

 

April 2021 - 232

233

THE DAMN THRUTH plus

KAI STRAUSS, GARY MOORE, WILL JOHNS, ARIELLE, BRAVE REVIVAL

 

May 2021 - 233

234

ELLIS MANO BAND plus

DR. FEELGOOD, CURTIS SALGADO, STEVE CROPPER, DAVE SPEIGHT, FIVE POINTS GANG

 

June 2021 - 234

235

ELIANA CARGNELUTTI plus

MIKE ZITO, MOBY, HITMAN BLUES BAND, JULIAN TAYLOR, SCOTT McKEON

July 2021 - 235

236

TROY REDFERN plus

BERNIE MARSDEN, TITO JACKSON, CLARENCE SPADY, WATERMELON SLIM, SUITCASE SAM

 

    

August 2021 - 236

237

RORY GALLAGHER plus

ERIC BIBB, BERNIE MARSDEN, CONNOR SELBY, ROBERT JON, PAPA GEORGE

September 2021 - 237

238

JOE BONAMASSA plus

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR, TERESA JAMES, REV. GARY DAVIS, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BRIGITTE DeMEYER

October 2021 - 238

239

WHEN RIVERS MEET plus

DION, SUE FOLEY, COLIN JAMES, MARK PONTIN, MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD

November 2021 - 239

240

KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS

plus

SNOWY WHITE, DANNY BRYANT, THE COLD STARES, WARREN HAYNES, MARK HARRISON, MISTY BLUES

December 2021 - 240

241

SAMANTHA FISH

plus

ERJA LYYTINEN, GUY KING, WALTER PARKS, STEVE GIBBONS, REBECCA DOWNES, THE JIVE ACES

January 2022 - 241

242

ELLES BAILEY

plus

ERIC GALES, JOHN MAYALL, CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM, WILLE & THE BANDITS

February 2022 - 242

243

DAN PATLANSKY

plus

BETH HART, JETHRO TULL, STEVE BAILEY, THE 251s, ADAM NORSWORTHY

March 2022 - 243

244

DOM MARTIN

plus

EDGAR WINTER, THE BLUES BAND, THE CINELLI BROTHERS, LARRY McCRAY, DAVE KELLY

April 2022 - 244

245

ROBIN TROWER

plus

ROBERT CRAY, EMMA WILSON, BRAVE RIVAL, BEAUX GRIS GRIS, THE LOVE LIGHT ORCHESTRA

 

May 2022 - 245

246

THE BAD DAY

plus

CATFISH, KARA GRAINGER, MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY, VANEESE THOMAS, THE TERRAPLANES BLUES BAND

June 2022 - 246

247

BERNIE MARSDEN

plus

WILKO JOHNSON, ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW, LAURA EVANS, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES, TINSLEY ELLIS

July 2022 - 247

248

TROY REDFERN

plus

BONHAM-BULLICK, DELBERT McCLINTON, ROBBEN FORD, KIRK FLETCHER, SUPERSONIC BLUES  MACHINE

August 2022 - 248

249

TOMMY McLAIN

plus

WALTER TROUT, BAD LUCK FRIDAY, THE MILK MEN, JO HARMAN, BEN HEMMING

 

                       

September 2022 - 249

250

250th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

with

LAURENCE JONES, PETER FRAMPTON, SUNJAY, JIMMY HALL, ALBERT CASTIGLIA, DAVE THOMAS, MALAYA BLUE

October 2022 - 250

251

ERJA LYYTINEN

plus

LARKIN POE, DON McLEAN, JASON RICCI, THE COMMONERS, OLIVER DARLING, STEVE HILL

November 2022 - 251

252

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR

plus

RORY BLOCK, CLIMAX BLUES BAND, DONNA HERULA, JOHN VERITY, ROB KORAL, JO CARLEY & THE OLD DRY SKULLS

 

December 2022 - 252

253

TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN

plus

REBECCA DOWNES, CAROLYN WONDERLAND, GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND, TREVOR BABAJACK STEGER, PETE SEARS

           

January 2023 - 253

254

MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD

plus

AYNSLEY LISTER, JARED JAMES NICHOLS, BOB ANGELL, THE CADILLAC KINGS, ANGELA STREHLI

 

February 2023 - 254

255

CONNOR SELBY

plus

ERIC BIBB, MARCUS KING, RUTHIE FOSTER, THE COLD STARES, MARC BROUSSARD

March 2023 - 255

256

KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AT SEA

plus 

GA-20, MARY STOKES BAND, THE ZOMBIES, HENRIK FREISCHLADER, ARIELLE, GERAINT WATKINS

April 2023 - 256

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