It's hot outside, and getting hotter, and the record labels are still holding their new releases close to the vest. Still, there's a bunch of great stuff coming this month, including new releases from veteran guitarists Duke Robillard, JW-Jones, and Ronnie Earl; harmonica wizards Charlie Musselwhite, Bob Corritore, and Mitch Kashmar, and more. Here's what you'll be listening to in August....
1. Albert Castiglia – 'Keepin On' (Blue Leaf Records)
Photo courtesy Blue Leaf Records
Blues guitarist Albert Castiglia's fourth solo album was recorded mostly live in the studio with a crackerjack band that includes harp player Sandy Mack. Keepin On features an inspired mix of Castiglia originals and covers of classic tunes like Peter Green's "I Could Not Ask For More," John Lee Hooker's "I'm Goin' Upstairs," and T-Bone Walker's "My Baby Is Now On My Mind" along with songs by Bob Dylan, Robert Nighthawk, and Sonny Boy Williamson. A soulful vocalist that reminds listeners of Van Morrison, a skilled instrumentalist, and a still-maturing songwriter that has gotten better with each album, Keepin On is the album that may make Albert Castiglia a household name among blues fans. (Release date: 08/10/10)
2. Aynsley Lister – 'Tower Sessions' (Manhaton Records)
Photo courtesy Manhaton Records
Young British blues-rock guitarist Aynsley Lister is rapidly becoming a superstar in his homeland, while barely qualifying as an "also ran" stateside. 'Tis a shame, too, 'cause Lister is a top-notch fretburner with some cool new ideas of what blues music can be. Tower Sessions is Lister's third live set, and his eighth album overall during the last ten years, each one better than the one previous. Tower Sessions includes incendiary performances of original and cover material, including Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" and Prince's "Purple Rain," delivered by a classic power trio. (Release date: 08/10/10)
3. Bob Corritore – 'Harmonica Blues' (Delta Groove Music)
Photo courtesy Delta Groove Music
Blues harpist Bob Corritore celebrates four decades in the blues with the release of his Delta Groove debut, Harmonica Blues. A seasoned blues veteran, Corritore begun playing as a teen, learning his instrument from legends like Big Walter Horton and Junior Wells; he has worked as a bandleader, session player, producer, and club owner; and he also pens a great weekly blues newsletter. Recorded over the last decade, Harmonica Blues includes contributions from a number of Corritore's famous friends, including blues legends like the late Koko Taylor, Louisiana Red, Honeyboy Edwards, Eddy Clearwater and others. (Release date: 08/17/10)
4. Charlie Musselwhite – 'The Well' (Alligator Records)
Photo courtesy Alligator Records
Legendary blues harpist Charlie Musselwhite returns to Alligator Records – where he recorded three ground-breaking albums during the early 1990s – for the release of his new album, The Well, his first album to feature entirely original material penned by the harmonica master. A collection of personal, biographical songs, The Well finds Musselwhite spinning gritty, true-to-life stories complimented by his rough-hewn, soulful vocals and blistering harmonica blasts. (Release date: 08/24/10)
5. Dr. John – 'Tribal' (429 Records)
Photo courtesy 429 Records
The one and only native son of New Orleans, the great Dr. John follows up his Grammy™ Award winning 2008 album The City That Care Forgot with Tribal, a brand spankin' new collection that includes a guest shot from guitarist Derek Trucks. Recorded with his long-time band the Lower 911, Tribal is a typical Dr. John collection of blues-infused rock, New Orleans-flavored R&B, jazz, and funk sounds. Other guests on the album include fellow New Orleans musical legend Allen Toussaint, and the late Bobby Charles. (Release date: 08/03/10)
6. Duke Robillard – 'Passport To The Blues' (Stony Plain)
Photo courtesy Stony Plain Records
Duke Robillard's Passport to the Blues is his follow-up to the Grammy™ nominated Stomp! The Blues Tonight album and a welcome return to a pure blues sound. While Robillard has applied his immense six-string skills to a mix of jump blues and swinging jazz over the course of his last couple of albums, Passport to the Blues is said to be a raw, houserockin' collection of blues guitar. "This all-blues album was a chance for me to reach back deep into the soul of what I do and let out a lot of steam and emotion – especially on the guitar tracks," says Robillard in a press release for the album. "I played a lot of my solos live with the band in the studio, just like we would on the road. The energy was fantastic." (Release date: 08/17/10)
7. JW-Jones – 'Midnight Memphis Sun' (Ruf Records)
Photo courtesy Ruf Records
Midnight Memphis Sun features twelve tracks, including eight written or co-written by guitarist JW-Jones, along with a handful of well-chosen covers. Jones' original material welds blues, R&B, and roots-rock to topical lyrics, while his choice of other people's songs range from Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams' "Cuts Like A Knife" to R&B great Lowell Fulson's "Love Grows Cold." Accompanied by harmonica wizard Charlie Musselwhite, Jones tackles Jimmy Reed's "I Don't Go For That," while Jones and guitarist Hubert Sumlin team up to tear through the Jones original "Howlin' with Hubert," a tribute to both Sumlin and his long-time employer, the great Howlin' Wolf. (Release date: 08/10/10)
8. Mitch Kashmar – '100 Miles To Go' (Delta Groove Music)
Photo courtesy Delta Groove Music
Blues harpist Mitch Kashmar has toured with the recent incarnation of 1970s supergroup War; contributed his harmonica skills to albums by artists like Mike Zito, Candye Kane, and the Mannish Boys; and released a handful of acclaimed solo albums that have earned him a reputation as one of the more exciting harp players in the blues today. Back in 1980, though, a teenaged Kashmar was playing his harp with the Pontiax, a L.A. based blues-rock band. 100 Miles To Go is a remastered reissue of the Pontiax' lone album, a sought-after collector's item that includes a guest shot by harpist William Clarke. This 2010 version includes two brand-new songs by the band members, including the scorching, topical "Petroleum Blues." (Release date: 08/17/10)
9. Ronnie Earl – 'Spread The Love' (Stony Plain Records)
Photo courtesy Stony Plain Records
With Spread The Love, respected guitarist Ronnie Earl and his band the Broadcasters deliver fourteen instrumental tracks, an inspired collection of Earl originals and a handful of well-placed cover tunes. Throughout the album, Earl and the Broadcasters "spread the love" with tributes to their idols, including nods to guitarist Duane Allman ("Skyman"); trailblazing baseball legend Jackie Robinson ("Blues for Jackie Robinson"); and Chicago blues great Otis Spann ("Spann's Groove"). Earl and the band also pay tribute to their influences with cools covers of songs by Albert Collins and Kenny Burrell. (Release date: 08/24/10)
