Friday, 11th May, 2012 What a fantastic night’s entertainment again at this brilliant club. The band After Hours took to the stage and wowed the audience. If you didn’t go you missed a treat. This blues trio from Preston in Lancashire, played a great mix of blues standards from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie [...]

DANI WILDE – Juice Me Up (Ruf Records RUF 1176) Singer/guitarist Dani Wilde is firmly established in the leading pack of British blues ladies and is enjoying an ever-increasing and well-deserved popularity among UK enthusiasts. On this album, she is backed by an impressive array of musicians: Stuart Dixon on rhythm guitar, Roger Inniss and [...]

Marcus Bonfanti returned to Liverpool, his spiritual home, to deliver a splendid performance of his own music to an appreciative audience at one of the city’s iconic venues, Eric’s. The singer/guitarist from London, a former student at LIPA, was backed by a superb rhythm section that boasted the considerable skills of drummer Alex Reeves and [...]

Thursday, 19th April, 2012 This five piece blues band, based in Leeds, gave a cracking gig. The place was jumping from the very first number and the atmosphere was electric. Paddy Wells, the bands front man – on lead vocal and blues harp – took centre stage and sweated blood – what a performer and [...]

Sunday, 15th April, 2012 On the second night of the ‘blues extravaganza’, brought to you from The True Blues Club, Earlestown in association with WA 12 Radio (who were broadcasting the gig live on the internet) was a band from the heart of New York, U.S A – The Billy Walton Band. This four-piece band [...]

Friday, 13th April, 2012 This fantastic venue at Earlestown is without doubt one of the most sophisticated of its type, bar none, and attracts many a top notch band to entertain its faithful audience. I was privileged to be in that club to witness a remarkable set of musicians by the name of The Midnite [...]

Thursday, 5th April, 2012 This five piece band travelled from Shrewsbury, Cheshire and Derbyshire to entertain the packed crowd at Chorley and they were not disappointed. The band gave a good account of themselves and their stage craft was of the highest order. Andrea Jones, known as Andi, has a rich blues soulful voice and [...]

Thursday, 12th April, 2012 Peter ‘Sarge’ Frampton on lead guitar and vocals formed The Escape Committee some twenty odd years ago, the personnel might have changed over the years but the standard of musicianship has not, this is a ‘power pack’ foursome of the finest quality. John Gibson on bass guitar has been with the [...]

OLI BROWN “Here I Am” (Ruf Records RUF 1178) This is Oli Brown’s third album. He is backed by drummer Wayne Proctor, who also produced the album, Scott Barnes on bass and Joel White on Hammond organ and Rhodes keyboards. There are twelve tracks, ten of which are original compositions composed by Oli Brown (four [...]

SIMON MCBRIDE “Nine Lives” (nugene records NUG1201) Simon McBride is a singer/guitarist/songwriter from Belfast. His high standing is underlined by the calibre of artiste that he has supported in recent years: Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani and Derek Trucks. Having cut his teeth from the age of sixteen with metal band Sweet Savage, he [...]

(MIG Music) Now firmly at the top of the blues rock tree, here is a superb new album from Louisiana-born, Texas-raised guitarist Lance Lopez, a fine follow-up to the acclaimed “Salvation From Sundown”, and again recorded at the famous Ardent Studios in Memphis, and has legendary producer Jim Gaines at the controls – who has [...]

(Alligator Records – ALCD 4946) Ok, it’s still only March, but here is a nailed-on contender for album of the year . . . the third Alligator release from the wonderful Janiva Magness, now firmly at the ‘top of the tree’ some 35 years into her career. On “Stronger For It” she pours her heart [...]

This  four piece rock/blues band from the Stalybridge area have been around for the past 30 years and have some standing and following in the North West. The core of the band are David Bridge and Michael Walsh – they are the driving force behind Sly Fox. The rest of the personnel have changed over the years but [...]

CHERRY LEE MEWIS “Heard It Here First” (CherryJam Music CLM03) Singer/songwriter Cherry Lee Mewis, originally from Mochdre in Wales but now based in Bedford, is supported on this her third album by guitarists Max Milligan and Nick Slater, drummer Flow and Robbie Stewart-Mathews, who contributes to the mix on bass, harp and banjo. The album [...]

This welcome return of the fantastic six piece band from the Stoke -on -Trent area wowed the club faithful and gave a terrific show of blues, influenced by the  music of the 50′s and the American Chicago blues format. The band, as well as doing the standard covers from the best of blues from both sides [...]

BABAJACK “Rooster” (Kross Border Rekords KBR20121) Babajack is an increasingly popular acoustic blues roots/folk trio from Malvern. The band comprises Trever Steger on acoustic, resonator and winebox guitars and harmonica, Becky Tate on distinctively attractive, lilting vocals, African drum, cahon and stomp and Marc Miletitch on double bass. Rooster, Babajack’s third album, contains eleven tracks, [...]