Harmonica Cat

Rice Miller (or Alec or Aleck Miller – everything about this blues great is somewhat of a mystery) probably didn't need to take the name of the original Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Williamson) to get noticed, since in many ways he was the better musician, but Miller seemed to revel in confusion, at least when it came to biographical facts, so for whatever reason, blues history has two Sonny Boy Williamsons. Like the first Williamson, Miller was a harmonica player, but he really sounded nothing like his adopted namesake, favoring a light, soaring, almost horn-like sound on the instrument…

Harp master Billy Branch has been a figure of the note on the Chicago blues scene since he was discovered by Willie Dixon in 1969, and after more than four decades, he's grown from a young buck bringing new blood to the blues scene to an elder statesman who stands tall for the music's traditions. Blues Shock arrives ten years after Billy Branch last released an album, but it sounds like he and his latest edition of the Sons of Blues are still in fighting shape, playing tight, straight-ahead blues with force, imagination and wit. Blues Shock shows there's plenty of fun and fresh ideas to be found in a form as time-tested as Chicago blues. It's a great set.

Various Artists - Rhythm 'n' Bluesin' by The Bayou: Bop Cat Stomp (2019) {Ace Records CDCHD 1547}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 190 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 142 Mb
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© 2019 Ace Records | CDCHD 1547
Rhythm & Blues / Blues / Louisiana R&B / Texas R&B

Volume 21 of the great musical adventure brings another helping of mid-century rhythm’n’blues from the bayou region of South Louisiana/SE Texas, an area that spreads from New Orleans in the east to Port Arthur in the west. Here are the hot guitars, pounding pianos and honking saxes, spiced here and there with a little accordion or harmonica, all topped off by cool vocals. This collection stems from the vaults of the most innovative record men of the region – Eddie Shuler, JD Miller, Floyd Soileau, Sam Montel and Huey Meaux. All had a gift for recognising musical talent and letting it flourish. They were able to encourage and cajole the best possible performances from their artists without corrupting their individuality.

Roger Chapman is best known for his barbed-wire voice, used to front British '70s rock acts Family and Streetwalkers. He began a long-awaited solo career in 1978 that led to over a dozen full-length releases. Never heard of them? It's not surprising: album-wise, he camped out in Germany for 20 years. His first album and tour got high praise in his British homeland, but critics cut into him soon after. When the hassle-free German market beckoned, Chapman began to focus his subsequent work there, where he had become a musical hero, "the working-class artist." Chapman split with his longtime writing partner, Charlie Whitney, after the breakup of Streetwalkers in 1977.

Al Stewart had found his voice on Past, Present & Future and found his sound on Modern Times. He then perfected it all on 1976’s Year of the Cat, arguably his masterpiece.