Out now!
Issue 273: September 2024
Hailing from Portsmouth, blues rock sensations Brave Rival are the talk of not just their own town, but towns all across the country, and even further afield, with Joe Bonamassa rating them as one of his favourite new discoveries. Comparisons have been drawn to Heart, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin, although it’s clear that over the last five years the band has developed its own unique sound and stagecraft. A fully independent outfit, their second album, Fight Or Flight, is indeed taking flight, as these Bravehearts tell Liz Medhurst.
“Chris Cain,” the great B.B. King once declared, “now that boy can play the guitar.” And today, the blues guitarist and vocalist Chris Cain is playing better than ever. With fifteen albums under his belt and now signed to the mighty Alligator Records, his second release for the label is Good Intentions Gone Bad. John Mitchell checks-in with the man Blues Music magazine calls “a near legend on the blues scene.”
The Queen Of British Blues, Elkie Brooks has rightly earned her reputation. She began singing professionally in 1960 and her first hit (in 1964) was a version of Etta James’ ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me’. That same year she found herself supporting the Beatles at their Christmas shows at Hammersmith Odeon. She went on to tour with The Small Faces and The Animals. Currently on the expansive The Long Farewell Tour with a new album due for release this year, she takes time to talk to Blues In Britain’s David Robinson.
From her recent appearance at Glastonbury to a Sunday afternoon show at the Guiting Music Festival, set in the picturesque heart of the Cotswolds, Elles Bailey never misses a beat and never leaves an audience short-changed. Blues In Britain catches up with Elles to discuss her stonking new album, Beneath The Neon Glow and finds out why it’s always 1972.
Caitlin Krisko And The Broadcast gave UK audiences a brief glimpse of their undoubted talents at the end of 2023 when they toured nationally in support of Robert Jon & The Wreck. The good news is that they will be returning for a short headline tour in the autumn, featuring songs from their new six track EP, Blueprints. Simon Green gets the lowdown from lead singer, the ebullient Caitlin Krisko.
With a lyric lifted from the title track of his new Standing Out Loud record, his eleventh solo album, Alastair Greene is indeed up to his neck in the blues. It’s the guitarist’s debut for the German label, Ruf Records, recorded across two sessions: one in Nashville with co-producer JD Simo and the other in his current hometown of Austin, Texas, with engineer Hunter St. Marie. Blues In Britain gets the slow burn treatment.
Steve Louw may not be well-known in the UK but he’s a long standing name on the South African musical scene and an inductee in the South Africa Music Hall Of Fame. Without a record company contract for a number of years, a regenerated burst of creativity has continued with a double album, Between Time, produced by much-in-demand producer Kevin Shirley, with whom Steve has a long personal and working relationship. Given that one of his early albums was titled Going Down With Mister Green, it’s appropriate that Simon Green asks the questions.
Conveying the feelings of being on the road, sharing and experiencing music with friends, The Everlovin’ Travelin’ Show is a bluesy, New Orleans-influenced album of songs by The Skintight Revue, featuring Charlie Midnight and Jan Fairchild. John Mitchell discovers that, as Van Morrison attested, “It’s too late to stop now.”
The man often described as ‘The Godfather Of British Blues’, John Mayall, passed away in California on 22nd July, 2024, aged ninety, his career in music having spanned seven decades. Austin Powell looks back at his extraordinary career.
Off The Page this month finds us in the company of Blues Pills, Johnny Mars & The Cold Heart Revue, The Bacon Brothers and Nothing In Rambling, plus Becc’s Blues, album and gig reviews and much more!
MUIREANN BRADLEY
plus
BUDDY GUY, BYWATER CALL, JIMMIE VAUGHAN, MOJO THUNDER, TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN
August 2024 - 272
THE COMMONERS
plus
MARCUS KING, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, TOM KILLNER, RAMBLIN’ PREACHERS, KRISSY MATTHEWS
July 2024 - 271
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
plus
SLASH, THE MILK MEN. TORONZO CANNON, ROBERT JON & THE WRECK, TOM MANSI & THE ICEBREAKERS
June 2024 - 270
TROY REDFERN
plus
JOOLS HOLLAND, CEDRIC BURNSIDE, BERNARD ALLISON, CATFISH, BOB CORRITORE
May 2024 - 269
TERRY MARSHALL
plus
DAN PATLANSKY, SUSAN SANTOS, BIG WOLF BAND, SEAN WEBSTER, GUS GLYNN BAND
April 2024 - 268
SUE FOLEY
plus
PHILIP SAYCE, BEX MARSHALL, GREIG TAYLOR, EDDY SMITH & THE 507, TOM HAMBRIDGE, JACK J HUTCHINSON
March 2024 - 267
WALTER TROUT
plus
JO HARMAN, BAD TOUCH, BOB MARGOLIN, HANNAH WICKLUND, TONY HOLIDAY, SARAH BROWN
February 2024 - 266
NINE BELOW ZERO
plus
FOGHAT, CAT SQUIRREL, BOB HALL, THOMAS HEPPELL, LONG ROAD HOME, ROBERT HOKUM
January 2024 - 265
TAJ MAHAL
plus
BOBBY RUSH, BLACKBURN BROTHERS, GRAHAM NASH, SEAN TAYLOR, GREG SOVER, NICK MOSS
December 2023 - 264
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD
plus
ROBIN TROWER, EMMA WILSON, HEAVENLY CREAM, JO ANN KELLY (pt.2), BILL WYMAN, CRUISE REVIEW!
November 2023 - 263
JOE BONAMASSA
JOE BONAMASSA
plus
DANNY BRYANT, COCO MONTOYA, ERJA LYYTINEN, JO ANN KELLY, DAVE ARCARI, DUST RADIO
October 2023 - 262
DOM MARTIN
plus
ALBANY DOWN, BETTYE LAVETTE, LAYLA ZOE, DEBBIE BOND, DADDY LONG LEGS, BRYN HAWORTH
September 2023 - 261
WHEN RIVERS MEET
plus
ROBERT JON & THE WRECK, RUBY TURNER, FANTASTIC NEGRITO, IVAN NEVILLE, STEVE ‘WEST’ WESTON, SUGAR RAY NORCIA
August 2023 - 260
LAURENCE JONES
plus
GRAINNE DUFFY, STEFAN REDTENBACHER, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BISON HIP, ASHLEY SHERLOCK, IVY GOLD
July 2023 - 259
LUKE MORLEY
plus
PAUL JONES, CHRIS DUARTE, MIKE ROSS, THE STUMBLE, DOUG DEMING
June 2023 - 258
SAMANTHA FISH and JESSE DAYTON
plus
ANA POPOVIC, MARK HUMMEL,JIM KIRKPATRICK, MARTIN McNEILL, JOHNNY MARS & THE COLD HEART REVUE
May 2023 - 257
KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AT SEA
plus
GA-20, MARY STOKES BAND, THE ZOMBIES, HENRIK FREISCHLADER, ARIELLE, GERAINT WATKINS
April 2023 - 256
CONNOR SELBY
plus
ERIC BIBB, MARCUS KING, RUTHIE FOSTER, THE COLD STARES, MARC BROUSSARD
March 2023 - 255
MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD
plus
AYNSLEY LISTER, JARED JAMES NICHOLS, BOB ANGELL, THE CADILLAC KINGS, ANGELA STREHLI
February 2023 - 254
TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN
plus
REBECCA DOWNES, CAROLYN WONDERLAND, GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND, TREVOR BABAJACK STEGER, PETE SEARS
January 2023 - 253
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
plus
RORY BLOCK, CLIMAX BLUES BAND, DONNA HERULA, JOHN VERITY, ROB KORAL, JO CARLEY & THE OLD DRY SKULLS
December 2022 - 252
ERJA LYYTINEN
plus
LARKIN POE, DON McLEAN, JASON RICCI, THE COMMONERS, OLIVER DARLING, STEVE HILL
November 2022 - 251
250th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
with
LAURENCE JONES, PETER FRAMPTON, SUNJAY, JIMMY HALL, ALBERT CASTIGLIA, DAVE THOMAS, MALAYA BLUE
October 2022 - 250
TOMMY McLAIN
plus
WALTER TROUT, BAD LUCK FRIDAY, THE MILK MEN, JO HARMAN, BEN HEMMING
September 2022 - 249
TROY REDFERN
plus
BONHAM-BULLICK, DELBERT McCLINTON, ROBBEN FORD, KIRK FLETCHER, SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE
August 2022 - 248
BERNIE MARSDEN
plus
WILKO JOHNSON, ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW, LAURA EVANS, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES, TINSLEY ELLIS
July 2022 - 247
THE BAD DAY
plus
CATFISH, KARA GRAINGER, MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY, VANEESE THOMAS, THE TERRAPLANES BLUES BAND
June 2022 - 246
ROBIN TROWER
plus
ROBERT CRAY, EMMA WILSON, BRAVE RIVAL, BEAUX GRIS GRIS, THE LOVE LIGHT ORCHESTRA
May 2022 - 245
DOM MARTIN
plus
EDGAR WINTER, THE BLUES BAND, THE CINELLI BROTHERS, LARRY McCRAY, DAVE KELLY
April 2022 - 244
DAN PATLANSKY
plus
BETH HART, JETHRO TULL, STEVE BAILEY, THE 251s, ADAM NORSWORTHY
March 2022 - 243
ELLES BAILEY
plus
ERIC GALES, JOHN MAYALL, CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM, WILLE & THE BANDITS
February 2022 - 242
SAMANTHA FISH
plus
ERJA LYYTINEN, GUY KING, WALTER PARKS, STEVE GIBBONS, REBECCA DOWNES, THE JIVE ACES
January 2022 - 241
KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS
plus
SNOWY WHITE, DANNY BRYANT, THE COLD STARES, WARREN HAYNES, MARK HARRISON, MISTY BLUES
December 2021 - 240
WHEN RIVERS MEET plus
DION, SUE FOLEY, COLIN JAMES, MARK PONTIN, MISSISSIPPI MACDONALD
November 2021 - 239
JOE BONAMASSA plus
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR, TERESA JAMES, REV. GARY DAVIS, JIMMY REGAL & THE ROYALS, BRIGITTE DeMEYER
October 2021 - 238
RORY GALLAGHER plus
ERIC BIBB, BERNIE MARSDEN, CONNOR SELBY, ROBERT JON, PAPA GEORGE
September 2021 - 237
TROY REDFERN plus
BERNIE MARSDEN, TITO JACKSON, CLARENCE SPADY, WATERMELON SLIM, SUITCASE SAM
August 2021 - 236
ELIANA CARGNELUTTI plus
MIKE ZITO, MOBY, HITMAN BLUES BAND, JULIAN TAYLOR, SCOTT McKEON
July 2021 - 235
ELLIS MANO BAND plus
DR. FEELGOOD, CURTIS SALGADO, STEVE CROPPER, DAVE SPEIGHT, FIVE POINTS GANG
June 2021 - 234
THE DAMN THRUTH plus
KAI STRAUSS, GARY MOORE, WILL JOHNS, ARIELLE, BRAVE REVIVAL
May 2021 - 233
BAI KAMARA plus
SELWYN BIRCHWOOD, IMELDA MAY, MIKE SANCHEZ, LAURA B, NICK WATERHOUSE
April 2021 - 232
JOANNA CONNOR plus
KIM WILSON, RONNIE GREER, SHAUN MURPHY, MUDDY MANNINEN, TREV TURLEY
March 2021 - 231
GRAINNE DUFFY plus
GEORGE THOROGOOD, JOHN MAYALL, DANA GILLESPIE, THE CADILLAC THREE, KATIE BRADLEY
February 2021 - 230
CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE plus
MARCUS KING, NORMAN BEAKER, CHRIS SMITH, GRAHAM PARKER, BONNIE BISHOP
January 2021 - 229
WHEN RIVERS MEET plus
CATFISH, ALLMAN BETTS BAND, SUSAN SANTOS, JUSTIN ADAMS, RUZZ GUITAR
December 2020 - 228
KING KING plus
ERJA LYYTINEN, CONNOR BRACKEN, SAMANTHA MARTIN, SCOTT ELLISON, SYLVIE SIMMONS
November 2020 - 227
JOE BONAMASSA plus
ERROL LINTON, MIKE ROSS, KIRK FLETCHER, THE 251s, MARK HARRISON
October 2020 - 226
