Recommended New Releases

Janiva Magness The Devil Is an Angel Too (Alligator)
The top artist on the top blues record label in the world has just released her best album to date.  The Devil Is An Angel Too is full of catchy, soulful, and at times swampy R&B covers from names including Julie Miller, Delbert McClinton, Nick Lowe & her husband/bass player Jeff Turmes.    

Peter Parcek The Mathematics Of Love (Vizztone)
When Peter Parcek traveled as a teen to England and saw Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Jeff Beck up close, he knew some serious woodshedding was needed to reach the level of playing he witnessed from these guitar greats.  As you can hear on The Mathematics of Love, he taught himself well.

James "Super Chikan" Johnson Chikadelic(Bluestown)  

Congratulations to Johnson for winning "Album of the Year" for Chikadelic at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis May 7th.

Johnson grew up listening to (and befriending) John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson & Lightnin' Hopkins.  He was also a fan of old country music from Roy Acuf & Gene Autrey.

Back Alley Players Beyond The Blues (B.O.N.E. Entertainment)
A guitarist who doubles on the mandolin. A drummer who cut his teeth on hip-hop. A vocalist who sounds as if he's the nephew of Barry White.  If you're thinking this could be the recipe for a new blues sound, you're right. Except on Beyond The Blues, The Back Alley Players don't melt those sounds into a new blues brew so much as they deliver one of the tastiest and schizophrenic soul and country blues release since, well, ever.  

Nick Moss Privileged (Blue Bella)

Musically, Privileged owes as much, if not more, to Hendrix & Zeppelin and as it does to Muddy or Wolf.  For much of the past decade, Moss has, at least outwardly, accepted the weight of carrying on that tradition with a number of solid traditional blues releases that would make former mentors Jimmy Dawkins & Jimmy Rogers proud.  On Privileged, Moss has freed himself from the limitations that come with those expectations to deliver a blues/rock blast of working class sentiment that expresses both lyrically and musically the anger and unease permeating America in 2010.

Gas House Gorillas 5 Gorillas Walk Into A Bar (independent)

The 'Gorillas will bring their blues, jazz and rockabilly to the GLT Summer Concert.  The music only hints at the fun you'll have watching them on Saturday, June 12th in downtown Bloomington.  

Elvin Bishop Red Dog Speaks (Delta Groove)

Best known for his 1976 Top 40 hit "Fooled Around and Fell in Love", Bishop is known in blues circles as one of the founding members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band that helped reignite the American Blues scene in the late 1960's.  His latest solo release is Red Dog Speaks, a gumbo of blues, R&B and even a gospel tinged song.

Mississippi Heat Let's Live It Up (Delmark)

Mississippi Heat's sound has been rooted in traditional Chicago blues since it's inception nearly 20 years ago.  However, on Let's Live It Up, founder Pierre LaCoque embraces gospel, jump blues and even hints at rockabilly.  Certainly their most diverse album to date, and maybe their best.

Zora Young The French Connection

(Delmark)This CD was recorded in France, Young's second home. The French Connection is equal parts acoustic, electric and Euro Groove.

Current GLT Blues Releases