Out now!
Issue 245: May 2022
Been there, done it all. And as his latest album testifies, Robin Trower has No More Worlds To Conquer. At the age of 76, the British guitarist can reflect on a journey that has planted flags across the global musical sphere. A driving force behind Procol Harum, the solo career that followed defined Trower as one of the greatest blues rock guitar players of all time, and he’s making fine music to this day. “Don’t think of this as ‘mission accomplished’ yet,” he warns David Robinson.
Robert Cray is back on these shores in May for a long UK tour, and it’s good to have him back in Blues In Britain once again too. We take notes as Cray cherry-picks through some career highlights, including his early club gigs, the “sit up and notice” record that was Showdown! with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland and (no surprises here) his beloved Fender Stratocasters. He even talks about the weather!
From Middlesbrough to Memphis, Emma Wilson has covered some ground and, as her excellent debut album, Wish Her Well hits the stores, Arthur Ely talks to the powerhouse singer ahead of its release. And when one singer just ain’t enough, BIB talks to Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick, the dual lead singers from up-and-coming Brave Rival, about the band’s rockin’ new album Life’s Machine. “The girls outnumber the boys and that’s the way it should be!” they tell Simon Green.
Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse may be a new name to many, but Robin Davey found many a fan during his time with The Hoax. With explosive singer Greta Valenti, Davey’s new outfit is an eclectic, blues-soaked garage band, described in these pages as “like early Blondie and The Cramps” and we stand by that description. Valenti and Davey talk to Graham Munn. And if Memphis 1958 is where your heart lies, John Nemeth is on hand to wax lyrical on The Love Light Orchestra with John Mitchell, and Pete Feenstra traces the career path of Welsh master of twang, James Oliver.
Plus: album and gig reviews, Volume 7 of The Matchbox Bluesmaster series, ‘On Your Radio’ with Clive R, Trevor Hodgett’s ‘Reconsider Baby’ and much more. Buy with confidence.
JOE BONAMASSA plus
ERROL LINTON, MIKE ROSS, KIRK FLETCHER, THE 251s, MARK HARRISON
October 2020 - 226
KING KING plus
ERJA LYYTINEN, CONNOR BRACKEN, SAMANTHA MARTIN, SCOTT ELLISON, SYLVIE SIMMONS
November 2020 - 227
WHEN RIVERS MEET plus
CATFISH, ALLMAN BETTS BAND, SUSAN SANTOS, JUSTIN ADAMS, RUZZ GUITAR
December 2020 - 228
CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE plus
MARCUS KING, NORMAN BEAKER, CHRIS SMITH, GRAHAM PARKER, BONNIE BISHOP
January 2021 - 229
GRAINNE DUFFY plus
GEORGE THOROGOOD, JOHN MAYALL, DANA GILLESPIE, THE CADILLAC THREE, KATIE BRADLEY
February 2021 - 230
JOANNA CONNOR plus
KIM WILSON, RONNIE GREER, SHAUN MURPHY, MUDDY MANNINEN, TREV TURLEY
March 2021 - 231
BAI KAMARA plus
SELWYN BIRCHWOOD, IMELDA MAY, MIKE SANCHEZ, LAURA B, NICK WATERHOUSE
April 2021 - 232
THE DAMN THRUTH plus
KAI STRAUSS, GARY MOORE, WILL JOHNS, ARIELLE, BRAVE REVIVAL
May 2021 - 233
ELLIS MANO BAND plus
DR. FEELGOOD, CURTIS SALGADO, STEVE CROPPER, DAVE SPEIGHT, FIVE POINTS GANG
June 2021 - 234
ELIANA CARGNELUTTI plus
MIKE ZITO, MOBY, HITMAN BLUES BAND, JULIAN TAYLOR, SCOTT McKEON
July 2021 - 235
TROY REDFERN plus
BERNIE MARSDEN, TITO JACKSON, CLARENCE SPADY, WATERMELON SLIM, SUITCASE SAM
August 2021 - 236
RORY GALLAGHER plus
ERIC BIBB, BERNIE MARSDEN, CONNOR SELBY, ROBERT JON, PAPA GEORGE
September 2021 - 237
JOE BONAMASSA plus
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR, TERESA JAMES, REV. GARY DAVIS, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BRIGITTE DeMEYER
October 2021 - 238
WHEN RIVERS MEET plus
DION, SUE FOLEY, COLIN JAMES, MARK PONTIN, MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD
November 2021 - 239
KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS
plus
SNOWY WHITE, DANNY BRYANT, THE COLD STARES, WARREN HAYNES, MARK HARRISON, MISTY BLUES
December 2021 - 240
SAMANTHA FISH
plus
ERJA LYYTINEN, GUY KING, WALTER PARKS, STEVE GIBBONS, REBECCA DOWNES, THE JIVE ACES
January 2022 - 241
ELLES BAILEY
plus
ERIC GALES, JOHN MAYALL, CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM, WILLE & THE BANDITS
February 2022 - 242
DAN PATLANSKY
plus
BETH HART, JETHRO TULL, STEVE BAILEY, THE 251s, ADAM NORSWORTHY
March 2022 - 243
DOM MARTIN
plus
EDGAR WINTER, THE BLUES BAND, THE CINELLI BROTHERS, LARRY McCRAY, DAVE KELLY
April 2022 - 244
