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Nick and The Ovorols are preparing the release of their debut studio LP Telegraph Taboo early next year – an album that finds the Chicago-based foursome injecting deep soul, spirited guitar-driven rock and even a bit of psychedelia into their heavy bedrock of electrified blues.

Here is a sampler from the release.

Memphis Gold – Pickin’ In High Cotton

(Stackhouse Records: SRC-1915)

‘Memphis Gold,’ who, in is day job as a tree surgeon is better known to his friends and colleagues as Chester Chandler, unfortunately it was his day job that nearly killed him and his career after he fell thirty five feet out of a pine tree in College Park, Maryland;  even though his doctors felt that the idea of him ever walking again, would at the very least, be optimistic but,  he not only confounded them, he also combined starting to walk again with recording  this very moving album. All eleven numbers are acoustic based with drums, bass and guitar where needed.

The atmosphere throughout is a measured slow walk through time with inherent spine-tingling shivers. This is achieved mostly by Memphis’s sometime strident, defiant and almost howling vocals yet, also reeking of suppressed ghosts and memories of the past, as recalled in “How You Gonna Play The Blues,” and “Pickin’ In High Cotton,” in these Memphis asks the open question, if you haven’t the memories of back breaking cotton pickin’ (he actually worked the cotton fields with his mother as a child), slopping out hogs and experiencing grinding poverty, how can you seriously claim to understand the blues?

Highly evocative and enjoyable is the very fine North Mississippi instrumental ”Back Po’ch Tennessee” as is the  slowburning “Homeless Blues.” The jolly little acoustic number “Biscuit Boogie” and the John Lee Hooker inspired “Ice Cream Man,” slot easily alongside plaintive and endearing burners as “Don’t Take My Blues Away” and “John Brown.”

As a contrast to the main themes of the album “Standing By the Highway,” is a foot stomper of the highest order, a slow bass building, seriously striding funker with almost no end in sight. Well worth investigation.

BRIAN HARMAN

www.memphisgoldprod.net

After the amazing tour in the summer, Ian Siegal & The Mississippi Mudboods are returning in November to tour the new album Candy Store Kid.

If you were fortunate enough to see one of the summer shows you will know what a great show these guys produce – as Classic Rock The Blues magazine put it “Loud, proud and mind-blowing live.”

And for those of you who were at The Met in Bury for the show broadcast by BBC Radio2 as part of the Bluesfest series, you will be pleased to know that the Mudbloods are returning to the Manchester area on Nov 11 at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale.

Here is the full schedule:

United Kingdom
Nov 8 LONDON The Borderline
Nov 9 CARLISLE Blues & Rock Festival
Nov 10 LEEDS The Well
Nov 11 SALE Waterside Arts Centre
Nov 18 HAVANT Spring Arts Centre
Poland
Nov 12 WARSAW Hybrydy Club
Netherlands
Nov 13 ZOETERMEER Boerderij
Germany
Nov 14 HANNOVER Blues Garage
Belgium
Nov 15 ANTWERP Trix
Nov 16 OSTENDE De Zwerver
France
Nov 17 CLEON La Traverse

Norrie Burnett and the Dave Raphael Band at Liverpool Marina – 2nd November 2012

For their last gig of the year, John and Lorraine Welsh welcomed Norrie Burnett and the Dave Raphael Band to Liverpool Marina. In truth, a more accurate description would have been the Dave Raphael Band with guest star Norrie Burnett, as the well-loved blues shouter had to restrict his involvement to just seven of the twenty numbers performed on the night due to a voice-debilitating infection.

The band lit the fuse with a sparkling instrumental, followed by “Juke Joint Woman” Howlin’ Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talkin’?” and Freddie King’s “See See Baby”, with harp maestro Dave Raphael on vocals. Norrie then entered the fray to deliver “How D’Ya Learn To Shake It Like That?” and the upbeat rocker “Vida’s Place”. The slow blues, “Life Is Hard”, then received the full Burnett treatment, embellished by a tasty guitar solo from Nick Hyde. Norrie’s first departure was compensated for by a hard-driven version of “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” and a brilliant, dynamic version of Hound Dog Taylor’s “Gimme Back My Wig”, with Nick Hyde on vocals and blistering slide guitar, before the set was closed with an equally energetic delivery of “Gotta Move”.

To open the second set, Nick regained the mic on “300 Pounds Of Joy” and “Boogie Real Low” before passing the honours to Dave Raphael for a splendid rendition of Larry Garner’s “High On Music”, which was beautifully underpinned by the excellent rhythm section of Steve Browning on bass guitar and Bernie Fox on drums. Norrie Burnett then returned to the stage to lead a vibrant performance of “Shape I’m In”, followed by “Don’t You Lie To Me”, complete with a terrific harp solo from Dave Raphael, and Willie Dixon’s “When The Lights Go Out”.

Dave resumed vocal duties on Muddy Waters’s “Walkin’ In The Park”, which boasted another helping of magic from Nick Hyde, before handing the mic back to Nick on “Gave You My Heart” and returning the compliment with some lovely harp work. The set ended with the rumba-rhythmed “Hobo”, which developed into an impressive extravaganza of ensemble playing that provoked a rapturous response from the audience and a loud demand for an encore. Norrie then returned to lead the final charge on a fast-moving boogie to complete a wonderful evening’s entertainment.

LIONEL ROSS

Listen here to a fine version of Allen Toussaint’s New Orleans classic, “Get Out Of  My Life Woman”, by Wirral / Liverpool-based outfit, Forty 4:

http://soundcloud.com/forty4music/get-out-my-life-woman

Swamproot Blues Band appear at The Piper, Hoole, Chester, on Saturday, 10th November – 9 pm start.

Geoff Achison & The UK Souldiggers – Bangor-on-Dee Village Hall

Friday, 9th November

From Pete Evans:

To celebrate 15 years of great blues in the region we are really excited to present Australia’s top blues guitarist Geoff Achison. He is backed by three of the UK’s top musicians: Sam Kelly on drums (in recent years Sam played with Gary Moore), Paul Jobson on keyboards (ex-Trafficker) and Spy Austin on bass. Geoff plays extensively worldwide and came to prominence in 1995 with his first trip to the USA.

He represented the Melbourne Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and won the coveted Albert King Award for his guitar skills. He went on to accept an endorsement deal with the Gibson guitar company’s acoustic division. He formed a US based Souldiggers group in 1998 and recorded his third album ‘Gettin’ Evil’ in Portland, Oregon. Geoff has also conducted his guitar workshops at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp in Ohio.

Come along then and listen to a great evening of soulful, rocking blues from an amazing guitarist with his crack band.

We are hoping to recreate the great early days of Hooker Blues Club at Wrexham Rugby Club by holding the gig at Bangor-on-Dee Village Hall with greater space for tables and easier seating.

Tickets are £12 and the doors are 8pm for a 9pm start.

Just underway at venues around Wirral until Sunday, 25th November is the 24th International Guitar Festival of Great Britain. As ever the festival has a good blues quota, including performances by Andy Fairweather Low, Jack Bruce, Woody Mann, Peter Price, Michael Roach, The Chris Corcoran Trio, Nine Below Zero . . . and more.

Full details can be found here:

www.bestguitarfest.com

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Thanks for your understanding

–Ken

Matt Schofield has one North West date on his upcoming tour.  24th November at The Grand in Clitheroe.

Here’s Nerves And Muscles with a track from their new album New Mind Revolution

http://youtu.be/Y3A6_sQN5uI

http://www.bluessuria.com/2012/10/primizie-nerves-and-muscles.html

The Motives have a new single Burning Angel – it is available to download from the Bandcamp site.

http://themotivesfeatmatttaylor.bandcamp.com/

Or you can play here….

http://youtu.be/EhMqNrvEwrk

The Paul Cox Band – Alexander’s, Rufus Court, Chester

Thursday, 8th November

‘Britains finest blues/soul vocalist’ – Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2.

With a distinguished career spanning over 30 years, Paul Cox has cut over 14 albums, opened for Ray Charles and Eric Clapton and fronted several top class bands including Frankie Millers Full House, John Slaughter’s Blues Band, Tim Hinckley’s Heart and Soul as well as his own bands, Soul Intention, The Paul Cox Band, and Fire and Water. His influences are the soul-blues style and passionate voices like Otis Redding, Al Green, Paul Rogers, Joe Cocker and Robert Plant”.

In the most recent years Paul has been working primarily with the brilliant young French guitarist Charlie Fabert, who has built a glowing reputation and is considered one of the most gifted guitarists of his generation. Together they have toured and released the album ‘That’s What We Were Born For’; judging by their presence over the UK this year, this Euro partnership is certainly a successful one!

Paul Cox guarantees great music, terrific vocals and a steamy mix of original material and traditional blues!

£5 on the door, £4 advance – further info on 01244 340005

www.alexanderslive.com

http://youtu.be/ldIWX6QCgR0

“Two Young Lovers”, taken from the new album, “House In The Woods”, from the very classy Henrik Freischlader Band, from Germany. Also available is a two-disc live DVD, “Show No. 47″, recorded in Arnsberg last May. Reviews to follow here.

www.cablecarrecords.de

 The Mal Gibson Project – Blue Sky, Black Rain

(Green Dog Records)

Mal Gibson is much more than a brilliant musician – he is a prolific songwriter and has penned all the original works on this new album. There are eight titles on this new work and are well worth a listen. The band, a trio, comprises of Simon Ramus on drums and percussion; bass guitarist and backing vocals by Tim Knowles and the man himself Mal Gibson. on lead vocal/guitar/harmonicas.

This is a journey of blues/rhythm & blues from the first track, “The Boogie Man”, through to its conclusion “Another Victim of the State”. The “Boogie Man” is a great track, a rocky/blues mid tempo number, that is  kind of 60s retro – he’s coming to get you to steal your soul. “God Is My Witness”, a slow blues number – she’s put a spell on him and she’s got the devil in her eyes, a love song and he’s done no wrong so help him God.

Track three, “Blue Sky Black Rain”, a rocky 60s retro a hint of  John Lennon  in lay out; two sides of the coin of life – should he go or stay and face the music. Number 4 track is again an uptempo number,  “Victim of the State” – money, possessions, when and how? Does the lifestyle derive from the wrong identity, it wasn’t me I’m innocent, but the judge didn’t think so.

The fifth track “For Your Love” is another slow blues number – a slave to love a waste of time running and hiding and futile to resist. Track 6, ”Just Because”,  a mid-tempo number – I know where you are from and what you have done, some one she’s not, but wants to be treated like a movie star by everyone, fancy lifestyle fancy car, country house money and lots of it, what’s the secret a murky past ?

“The Letter”, track 7 my favourite I think – another slow tempo track, a moaning harp, and a melodic drum beat, memories of a lost love visions of her face, a sad song but time is a great healer. Track 8, “Another Victim of the State” – there are good and bad people in this world which are you, do you work till you drop and get ripped off by the crooked system that seems to be stacked against you, the rules change all the time, to catch you out, and they say you can’t take it with you, but a bit of life and comfort before your death would be nice it’s not asking a lot, a never ending story for the human race.

All in all I liked this contempary feel of this album from Mal Gibson. It shows off not only his musicianship and his lyricist skills but his technical understanding of production in my book he can do no wrong.

KEITH BLACKLEDGE

National & International Music Reviewer

Simon McBride is touring to support his latest album release.

The only North West date is at Eric’s in Liverpool on 18th November, 2012.

Here’s the album trailer

http://youtu.be/P97zZeCTyfs?hd=1