Eric Steckel

Grandview Drive is Steckel’s most complete album to date and really shows his maturation process as a songwriter. The album is well constructed and filled with wonderful songs, fat tones, and stellar playing. It’s even more impressive when everything recorded on Grandview Drive consists of just two people…

The album is reminiscent of the kind of quality that many artists much older than Steckel only achieve in their later years. The performance is tight, energetic, and focused. The subject matter is relevant and compelling. The pacing and storytelling constantly pique the listener’s interest.

East Texas has produced yet another formidable young guitar player with award-winning, Ally Venable on her newest Connor Ray Music release, Puppet Show. Powerhouse singer and guitar player, Ally Venable was the 2014 and 2015 East Texas Female Guitarist of the Year, and the Ally Venable Band won 2015, 2016, and 2017 honors as East Texas Blues Band of the Year. Ably backed by drummer Elijah Owings and Bobby Wallace on bass, along with some thrilling and enthusiastic guest appearances by guitarists Gary Hoey and Lance Lopez, and Eric Steckel on keys, Puppet Show features eight originals and two covers. It is another solid step forward in the early stages of what will likely be a long and interesting career for the still teenage blues sensation, Ally Venable Band.