The title of this Albert King-album hints towards New Orleans and the music definitely has a New Orelans R & B, funk and soulfeel. There's no sharp edges here, not even in Alberts guitarplaying, just smooth and laidback playing and singing (always with great feeling of course) and a horn section that can only can be from New Orleans, it's that obvious. Sadly there's two songs here that lowers the average score, otherwise this is a truly enjoyable album to sit back and just listen to with your eyes closed. You'll get the goose bumps!

1)Get out of my life woman (6,5)

2)Born under a bad sign (7,0)

3)The feeling (7,5)

4)We all wanna boogie (6,0)

5)The very thought of you (4,0)

6)I got the blues (7,5)

7)I get evil (7,0)

8)Angel of mercy (7,5)

9)Flat tyre (5,5)

Score: 6,50

Albert King (Albert Nelson)-vocals and guitars (1923-1992)

George Porter Jr-bass (b.1947)

This album by one of the blues greats was released in 1977 and in the middle of the new disco wave which clearly can be heard on the album. Albert was maybe trying to reach a new audience? The 1.93 cm tall black blues phantom still delivers good blues here and the songs are full of feeling and soulful and funky blues with a touch of rock like many blues bands sounded in the 70's. It's maybe not among the best in the genre at the time but definitely worth listening to.

1)Love shock (7,5)

2)You upset me babe (8,5)

3)Chump change (7,5)

4)Let me rock you (7,5)

5)Boot lace (7,5)

6)Love mechanic (6,5)

7)Call my job (6,5)

8)Good time Charlie (6,0)

Score: 7,19

Albert King-vocals and guitars (1923-1992)

Good review from www.blues.about.com:

"Like the blind men and the elephant, casual listeners can assume Robillard is all about jump blues, or jazz, or R&B, or whatever particular segment of his great love for blues-based forms they’ve happened to hear. This year, with the release of Low Down and Tore Up, Robillard is focusing on the hard-driving gutbucket blues styles of the mid-to-late 1950s, as exemplified by such greats as Guitar Slim, Eddie Taylor, Elmore James, Sugar Boy Crawford, and Pee Wee Crayton. Robillard covers material by each of these, and a few others.

The first thing to notice about this record is the devastatingly perfect sound of it. Robillard and his touring band, augmented by a couple of ex-members who dropped in for the session, just went into the studio and played live, recording the entire album in the space of a couple days. Producer/engineer Jack Gauthier has a paragraph in the liner notes detailing the specifics of microphone placement which led to this particularly exciting sonic blend. We may not understand exactly what he means, but listening to the results, there is no question that Gauthier knows how to make a blues band explode out of the speakers.

With playing this good, and a band this energized, and songs, most of them fairly unknown to all but the most ardent collectors, well worth hearing, Duke Robillard has added another enjoyable piece to his life-long musical puzzle."

Personally I like everything that I have heard from Duke Robillard. He has a way of playing and composing songs that is pure quality. Here he had made covers on old rock and blues songs and he gets away even with that.

1)Quicksand (8,0) Inspired vocals and crazy sax, guitar and pianoplaying in this heavy blues.

2)Trainfare home (7,5) A little too messy but fun and wild shuffle.

3)Mercy mercy mama (7,0) A standard blues.

4)Overboard (5,0) Totally insane! Too much.

5)Blues after hours (7,5) Slow and instrumental blues with delicate piano- and guitarplaying.

6)Want ad blues (6,0) Monotone heavy blues.

7)Do unto others (7,0)

8)It's alright (8,0) Wonderful slow blues.

9)Let me play with your poodle (7,5)

10)Tool bag boogie (7,0) Instrumental.

11)What's wrong (7,0)

12)I ain't mad at you (7,0)

13)The 12 year old boy (7,0)

14)Later for you baby (7,0)

Score: 7,04

Duke Robillard (Michael John Robillard)-vocals and guitars (b.1948)

Brad Hallen-bass

Mark Teixeira-drums and vocals on 4.

Bruce Bears-piano

+

Matt McCabe-piano

Sax Gordon-saxophone

"A gifted lead guitarist firmly in touch with his lyrical voice, Castro writes an alluring blend of straight-ahead blues and Memphis-style soul. While he has his own definable sound, Castro calls to mind great blues-rock players such as Billy Gibbons of Z.Z Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Duane Allman." - Blues Revue

Tommy Castro has became one of my absolute favorite blues artists! His powerful electric and soulful blues really moves me and I can listen to these killer songs on the album over and over again. Everything that I like about music is included here and the albums just great all through! Recommended!

1)Lucky in love (9,0) Fantastic start! Uptempo and happy!

2)Like an angel (8,5) Cool organs and horn-rhythmsection in this funky blues.

3)Right as rain (9,5) Unbelievely good and including great female background vocals.

4)Don't turn your heater down (7,5)

5)I've got to love somebody's baby (8,5)

6)I got to change (7,0) A middle-of-the-road song.

7)If I had a nickel (8,0) A superb slow blues.

8)Callin' San Francisco (8,5)

9)Just a man (7,5) Slow bluesballad.

10)Chairman of the board (9,0)

11)My kind of woman (8,0) Very funky in the best James Brown-style!

12)Kickin' in (7,5) Uptempo Chicago-blues.

Score: 8,21

Tommy Castro-vocals and guitars (b.1955)

Randy McDonald-bass

Billy Lee Lewis-drums

Keith Crossan-saxophone

+

Delbert McClinton-vocals on 4.

Dr. John-piano on 5 and organ on 4.

Jimmy Pugh (Robert Cray Band)-organ and piano

John Turk-piano

Tom Poole-trumpet

Iverson Minter (a.k.a. Louisiana Red) died just after I heard this album. He was 79. I'm lucky I saw him live once in Falun, Sweden at the Folk Music Festival in 2004. He sat down while playing and singing with such an energy and feeling! I will never forget that concert!

He lost his mother shortly after he was born and his father was killed by the Ku Klux Klan when he was only five years of age. He released his first album in 1963 but played with John Lee Hooker in the 50's.

This album, his last, is a real commitment to the blues, like every song Red ever performed. I seldom hear good bluesalbums nowadays but here is one I really like, full with quality singing, playing and good songs. Listen and enjoy!

Taken from Louisiana Red's official website:

"It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of one of the greatest and most beloved traditional blues artists. Louisiana Red died on February 25th in a hospital in Germany. He was 79. Louisiana Red was a powerful downhome blues artist who could channel his teachers (among them Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, Lightnin' Hopkins and John Lee Hooker) into his own heartfelt musical conversation, delivered with such moving passion and honesty that it would leave his audiences indelibly touched. He was fine singer with a distinctive voice, and an amazing guitarist who could play all of the traditional blues styles and excelled as one of the world's greatest slide guitarists. He could create moods and textures, both musically and spiritually, and had the ability of falling so deep into his own songs that he would go to tears, making his audience cry with him. That was the gift of this great artist.

It is sad to say goodbye to the loving persona of this great bluesman who's music warmed our hearts. Louisiana Red's vulnerability became his strength and he filled his heart with an unstoppable passion for music and acceptance. His legacy is great and his friendships are many. He can now rest in peace after a lifetime of giving us everything he had through his amazing blues. God bless you Red."

Bob Corritore

1)Goodbye blues (8,0) A nice montone shuffle with Reds charming vocals where you can hear that he's an old man singing his heart out. Great harmonicaplaying throughout.

2)I had trobles all my life (7,0) Very monotone Chicago-bluesstyle heaviness.

3)See that my gravve is kept clean (5,0) An old bluesstandardin shuffle style. Strange sound on the vocals.

4)No more whiskey (5,5) Too montone, it just goes on an on and on.

5)Yolanda (7,0) A nice and heavy Chicago-blues.

6)Just take your time (9,0) A wonderful midtempo song with great guitarplaying, cool steady rhythm and delicate pianoplaying!

7)Your lovin' man (7,0)

8)Boogie woogie boogie (7,0)

9)Im gettin' tired (7,0) A John Lee Hooker-like uptempo song.

10)So long so long (8,0) Very stipped down and intimite. Great singing and harmonicaplaying.

11)Why don't you come on home (7,5) A good heavy blues.

12)Grandmother's death (8,0) Slow and just beautiful blues the way it should be.

Score: 7,17

Lousiana Red (Iverson Minter)-vocals and guitars (1932-2012)

Little Victor-guitars

The Hawk-guitars, percussion and maraccas

Bill Troiani-bass

Mookie Brill-bass

Alex Pettersen-drums

David Maxwell-piano

Bob Corritore-harmonica

Goodbye Red and thank you for all the great music you gave us

Svante Törngren (a.k.a. Slowman) was born in Linköping, Sweden in 1957 and this is his his 2nd album. He has played with various groups since the 80's. Thiss is really not a blues-album even though Slowman is considered a bluesband. The music is like a stripped-down and laid back The Cell, the soulful southern rock-band from the Chech Republik.

1)I'm back (7,0) Nice, melodic and fast acoustic guitarplaying.

2)Take your time (7,0) Nice shuffle.

3)Southside (7,0)

4)Better believe (5,5) Cheesy refrain and happy happy.

5)Don't wanna know (6,5) A nice souhern-like ballad with piano and countryish guitarplaying.

6)Roses and wine (6,0)

7)The silent years (8,5) Begins with a bluesy ZZ Top-ish guitarsolo, a solo that comes back in this slow and sensitive blues. Excellent!

8)It hurts (5,0)

9)Soul for rent (6,5) A soul-funky song in Doobie Brothers-style.

10)Steppin' out (6,5) A funky blues like 70's Eric Clapton.

11)Me and the blues (7,0) Acoustic blues.

Score: 6,59

Slowman (Svante Törngren)-vocals and guitars (b.1957)

Jan Enegård-bass

Stefan Rosén-drums

Mats Lundström-keyboards

Freddie Waters began his musical career in Nashville, Tennessee in the mid 60's as the lead singer of the group The Haytones. This is Freddie's last recording. It is a mix of very soulful songs and good blues-songs. Seems like he liked both styles. I'm not much of a soul-fan so I don't like the soulsongs very much but the bluessongs are quite good and powerful with nice clear guitarplaying. Waters voice on the album is very soulful, almost sounds like he is a woman. Waters died the same year this album was released.

1)Full moon on Main street (7,5)

2)Tough as nails (7,5)

3)My mistakes (6,0)

4)Nobody knows (6,0)

5)Tend to your business (7,5)

6)Reality (5,0)

7)I'm living good (5,5)

8)Why do you treat me like I'm not your man (5,5)

9)I love, I love you (6,0)

10)Nobody can love me (6,5)

11)It tears me up (4,5)

12)Everyday needs love (6,5)

13)One step closer to the blues (5,5)

14)A stronger man (7,5)

Score: 6,21

Freddie Waters-vocals (1942-2000)

Fred James-guitars, piano and organ

Andy Arrow-drums

Bryan Owings-drums

Billy Earheart-piano and organ

Steven Herrman-trumpet

In 1968 Mayall had broke up with his band The Bluesbreakers in the middle of a tour because he could not manage to keep a 7-pieceband together any longer. This was he's debut as an soloartist and featured former Bluesbreakers guitarrist Peter Green on two songs and Mick Taylor of Rolling Stones-fame. Taylor joined Stones after this album was released. 

After a chaotic beginning Mayall on this album plays Chicago-blues, sing some wonderful songs like First time alone and Laurel Canyon blues, plays heavy in Ready to ride and jazzy in Miss James. Already in 1968 Mayall was a top performer playing the blues and mixing in elements of rock and psychadelia. The album is about Mayall's 1st visit to Laurel Canyon (where he would later live on and off) and is about what happened there and people he met and is an album well worth having. 

(See also album nr. 9. Mick Taylor-A Stone's Throw 1998)

1)Vacation (6,0)

2)Walking on sunset (8,0)

3)Laurel Canyon home (8,5)

4)2401 (7,0)

5)Ready to ride (8,0)

6)Medicine man (5,0)

7)Somebody's acting like a child (7,5)

8)The bear (7,0)

9)Miss James (6,5)

10)First time alone (8,5)

11)Long gone midnight (7,0)

12)Fly tomorrow (5,5)

Score: 7,13

John Mayall-vocals, guitars, harmonica and organ (b.1933)

Mick Taylor-guitars (b.1949)

Stephen Thompson-bass (b.1950)

Colin Allen-drums and tabla (b.1938)