Out now!
Issue 254: February 2023
Your school friends give you the nickname ‘Mississippi’ because your obsession with blues music is, well, a little out of the ordinary. London-born and still resident in the capital, Mississippi MacDonald’s music is firmly rooted in blues and southern soul and this emerging star of the U.K. blues scene is heading out to his beloved Memphis once again, working to promote his latest well-received album, Heavy State Loving Blues. Before he left, he talked to BIB’s Steve Morphew.
“Cast a light on these darkened days,” sings Aynsley Lister on his powerful new album, Along For The Ride. It’s the guitarist’s first new set in six years and it’s fair to say a lot has happened in the world since 2016’s Eyes Wide Open. Simon Green poses the questions.
It’s been seven years since Jared James Nichols made an instant impact on the blues/rock scene, thrilling with the energy of his incendiary power trio and his passionate, free-flowing guitar tones. A six-foot five, leonine force of nature, Nicholas is not aman prone to reticence in either guitar-playing or interviews, as Liz Medhurst discovers.
Since the release of her debut album Whatever’s For Us in 1972, Joan Armatrading has traversed styles and genres to create a monumental body of work across her fifty years as a performer. Her 2007 album Into The Blues debuted at no. 1 on the US Billboard Blues Chart and was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category. This exemplary songwriter talks to David Robinson.
“My baby drove up in a brand new Cadillac,” sang Vince Taylor in 1959, before The Clash gave his song a new lease of life some twenty years later. ‘Brand New Cadillac’ is currently surfing the airwaves courtesy of Samantha Fish and Jesse Drayton’s barnstorming new version, but really there’s only one king of the Cadillac and that’s The Cadillac Kings. Lead vocalist, harmonica and slide-player Mike Thomas gets behind the wheel: Russ Cottee fastens his seatbelt.
Not content to let grass grow under their feet, Dutch band DeWolff are in a continual state of creativity. Alongside producing a new studio album to follow 2021’s superb Wolffpack, the trio have played supporting roles to Toto and the Black Crowes as well as their own tours. Simon Green spoke to the trio’s drummer, Luca Van De Poel, about the release of Love, Death & In Between and the band’s prodigious work rate.
A few months ago, Pete Clack reviewed Bob Angell’sSupernal Blues album, released on harp-player Mark Cole’s Rawtone label. Music has always been a driving force in Bob Angell’s life from the very beginning, “It’s as close as humans come to real magic,” he says. BIB talks to Bob Angell at his home in Rhode Island, talking music and his involvement in his local blues scene.
Angela Strehli returns with her first album since 2005. John Mitchell chats to her about the blues performers who inspired her and her involvement with the legendary Antone’s blues club.
Plus: album and gig reviews, My Top Ten and much more.
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
ROBIN TROWER
plus
ROBERT CRAY, EMMA WILSON, BRAVE RIVAL, BEAUX GRIS GRIS, THE LOVE LIGHT ORCHESTRA
May 2022 - 245
THE BAD DAY
plus
CATFISH, KARA GRAINGER, MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY, VANEESE THOMAS, THE TERRAPLANES BLUES BAND
June 2022 - 246
BERNIE MARSDEN
plus
WILKO JOHNSON, ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW, LAURA EVANS, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES, TINSLEY ELLIS
July 2022 - 247
TROY REDFERN
plus
BONHAM-BULLICK, DELBERT McCLINTON, ROBBEN FORD, KIRK FLETCHER, SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE
August 2022 - 248
TOMMY McLAIN
plus
WALTER TROUT, BAD LUCK FRIDAY, THE MILK MEN, JO HARMAN, BEN HEMMING
September 2022 - 249
250th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
with
LAURENCE JONES, PETER FRAMPTON, SUNJAY, JIMMY HALL, ALBERT CASTIGLIA, DAVE THOMAS, MALAYA BLUE
October 2022 - 250
ERJA LYYTINEN
plus
LARKIN POE, DON McLEAN, JASON RICCI, THE COMMONERS, OLIVER DARLING, STEVE HILL
November 2022 - 251
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
plus
RORY BLOCK, CLIMAX BLUES BAND, DONNA HERULA, JOHN VERITY, ROB KORAL, JO CARLEY & THE OLD DRY SKULLS
December 2022 - 252
TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN
plus
REBECCA DOWNES, CAROLYN WONDERLAND, GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND, TREVOR BABAJACK STEGER, PETE SEARS
January 2023 - 253
