Out now!
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.
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
MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD
plus
AYNSLEY LISTER, JARED JAMES NICHOLS, BOB ANGELL, THE CADILLAC KINGS, ANGELA STREHLI
February 2023 - 254
CONNOR SELBY
plus
ERIC BIBB, MARCUS KING, RUTHIE FOSTER, THE COLD STARES, MARC BROUSSARD
March 2023 - 255
KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AT SEA
plus
GA-20, MARY STOKES BAND, THE ZOMBIES, HENRIK FREISCHLADER, ARIELLE, GERAINT WATKINS
April 2023 - 256
