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Fiona Boyes – Professin’ The Blues – Reference Recording

Fiona Boyes – Professin’ The Blues – Reference Recording

by | Dec 7, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Fiona Boyes – Professin’ The Blues – Reference Recording RR-140 HDCD, 54:07 ****: Delta blues and more from another part of the world. (Fiona Boyes – guitars, vocals/ Jim Bott – drums, percussion/ Denny Crow – bass) Blues music began as a regional cultural touchstone. Through jazz, rock and roll and country/western, the once provincial music has been shared with the world. The Rolling Stones named their band after a Muddy Waters song. Fiona Boyes grew up hearing blues music in Australia. With the female blues band The Mojos, Boyes became a star. After winning the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, she broadened her fan, touring and recording for over a decade. Boyes’ latest release, Professin’ The Blues on Reference Recording is a 16-track blues feast. Recorded originally in 24-bit technology, she performs in solo, duet and trio, generating authentic blues chops. For blues integrity, every song was recorded live with no overdubs or separate tracking.  The opening title track is straight-ahead Delta blues on a traditional instrument (National Reso-Phonic guitar). Boyes’ husky vocals bring an emotional depth of feeling. Picking up the Beeton Resonator, “Devil You Know” deals with a bad relationship. The stripped-down effect resonates with the vocals. […]

John Lee Hooker – The Modern, Chess & Vee-Jay Singles And Collection 1949-1962 – Acrobat Music (4 CDs)

John Lee Hooker – The Modern, Chess & Vee-Jay Singles And Collection 1949-1962 – Acrobat Music (4 CDs)

by | Nov 5, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

John Lee Hooker – The Modern, Chess & Vee-Jay Singles And Collection 1949-1962 – Acrobat Music ACQCD7103 (4-CDs) mono box set [10/7/16] ****1/2: This is a seminal anthology of a blues icon. (John Lee Hooker – guitar & vocals) Among the icons of blues, John Lee Hooker stands tall. In classic legendary cult persona, his birthplace is one of two places in Mississippi. But that’s Delta country and Hooker would represent the sub-genre with his own inimitable style. in 1948, he recorded the standard “Boogie Chillen” in Detroit, which was released on Modern Records out of Los Angeles. The single became the biggest “race” record of 1949, launching a memorable career. Throughout his years with various labels including Modern, Chess, Vee-Jay, Atlantic, and Verve (and others), he added songs like “Boom Boom”, “Crawling King Snake” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” to the blues landscape. His early work was renown for its unusual rhythmic structures (which made it difficult for musicians to accompany) and guitar-based boogie music. Due to money (or lack of money issues), Hooker recorded a lot of music under assumed names. Acrobat Music has released a 4-CD box set highlighting Hooker’s catalog with Modern, Chess and […]