BILLY LAVENDER “Memphis Livin’” (155 Productions LLC) Memphis guitarist Billy Lavender received his first guitar 40 years ago and learned to play right-handed instruments left-handed and upside down, and after gigging for years in various styles has put out this fine blues album, with friend Steve Bryson of 155 Productions LLC, with “Memphis Livin’” being [...]

RIP . . . . Norton Buffalo Sam Carr Koko Taylor Jim Dickinson Freddy Robinson John Cephas Rocky Hill Willie King … and probably others that we have missed from the list.

He the man! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNJyeZJEkYQ

The Year In Blues, From KPLU : NPR.

Here’s the new lineup of the Nightcats featuring Kid Andersen on the Sun Records guitar.  Rick Estrin still looks very smart but no jacket is an unusual for him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh6IX79bkV0 Nightcats bonus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQPv_5E0Hks

Ken, Grahame and Pete have admirably covered the pick of the past twelve months. I fully endorse most of their chosen performances. The particular highlights at Liverpool Marina were Big Pete and The Backbones, Hamilton Loomis and Geoff Achison and The UK Souldiggers. At the Burtonwood Blues Club, The Dani Wilde Band was a very [...]

Man this is swinging….  ace guitar and great Hammond too.  It just makes me smile all the way through it’s so damn good. HRT Big Band with Raphael Wressnig and Enrico Crivellaro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5KUyaLmHqk Check out the others in the series – if you watch on YouTue rather than embedded in the bluesinthenorthwest.com site then the [...]

Overall it has been a fairly good year with some great music particularly at the festivals I attended. Like Ken, pride of place has to be the King Biscuit Festival in Arkansas which although I don’t want to sound boring and repetitive, is by a mile the best three days of blues you can ever [...]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gof2fB0gd30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWGB8tNSliY

Not Lowell Fulson as advertised but Sweet Sammy Myers with Anson and the Rockets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-I8VLyYqZI

It’s very hard to believe but it is twenty years since the phenomenon that is The Hoax was formed. The gig at The Band On The Wall was one of just three appearances by the temporarily reformed quintet in the UK as part of a mini tour to celebrate its birth that long time ago. [...]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tznIBcBKgNY

I always find this really hard to do.  How can I be expected to come up with a list of my favourites for the year when I can’t remember what has been released this year, what I have listed to this year and what shows I have been to this year.  Note to self – [...]

REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2009 Top releases A pretty good year for me, here’s a dozen releases I have really enjoyed and played more than most, in no particular order: Jon Amor – Songs From The Crooked Room The Soul Of John Black – Black John JP Soars – Back Of My Mind Missy Andersen [...]

Sweet chromatic blues from Mitch Kashmar.  Very sweet tone, very bad outfit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkutMpQ0ZjI What a fabulous drummer Eddie Clark is. Kashmar bonus – here he is with the legendary Alex Shultz.  Non harp lovers – stick with it until the guitar solo at 3 min. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-gL10jwY6w

Ian Williams has sent some lovely photographs from last Friday’s Derrin Neuendorf gig at Goin’ Up The Country Roots and Blues Club in Worthenbury.  Along with Derrin himself, the band featured Ian Jennings on bass and Mike Hellier on drums. You can see some more examples at the bluesinthenorthwest.com photo archive on Flickr.