April promises to be a great month for the blues, with much-anticipated new releases by stars like Janiva Magness and Jeff Beck as well as talented veterans like Dave Weld, Mississippi Heat, and Delta Moon. You’ll find the first live album by blues-rock guitarist Jonny Lang, a new one from Canadian blues legends Downchild, and much, much more. Here's what you'll be listening to in April....
1. David Weld & The Imperial Flames – 'Burnin' Love' (Delmark Records)
Photo courtesy Delmark Records
Blues guitarist David Weld got his start in early 1970s Chicago, earning his tenure performing alongside greats like Hubert Sumlin, Tail Dragger, Otis Rush, and Little Arthur, among others. When Weld’s mentor J.B. Hutto, introduced him to his nephew Lil’ Ed Williams, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials was born. Weld spent better than a decade with the Blues Imperials before launching his own band the Imperial Flames in 1988. Burnin’ Love delivers the sort of raucous, guitar-driven Chicago blues that Weld’s fans have come to expect, with a guest performance by the one and only Lil’ Ed. (Release date: 04/20/10)
2. Delta Moon – 'Hellbound Train' (Red Parlor Records)
Photo courtesy Red Parlor Records
Since the early 2000s, Tom Gray and Delta Moon have forged a name for themselves in the blues world with constant touring, and a half-dozen studio and live album releases. Hellbound Train (not the Savoy Brown song of the same name) is another in a long line of fine albums to feature the band’s trademark twin slide-guitar sound fueling a lively collection of raw Southern roots-rock and Delta blues music. Gray’s songwriting stands among the best in the blues – he was named the 2008 “Songwriter of the Year” by the American Roots Music Association – so Hellbound Train should be a treat for fans of poetic blues music. (Release date: 04/20/10)
3. Downchild – 'I Need A Hat' (Linus Records)
Photo courtesy Linus Records
Canada’s favorite blues sons, Downchild were formed in 1969 by guitarist Donnie Walsh as the Downchild Blues Band. In the four decades since then, over 100 members have come and gone, but Walsh has remained true to the blues throughout. I Need A Hat is the band’s latest, their 16th album, and it continues Downchild’s award-winning tradition of Chicago-styled and jump blues, with guest appearances by folks like Dan Aykroyd, Colin James, and Stax soul legend Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns. (Release date: 04/06/10)
4. Janiva Magness – 'The Devil Is An Angel Too' (Alligator Records)
Photo courtesy Alligator Records
The eighth album from 2009 Blues Music Awards B.B. King Entertainer of the Year winner Janiva Magness, The Devil Is An Angel Too features songs written expressly for the singer, along with material penned by such notable wordsmiths as Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Nina Simone, Joe Tex, and James Carr, among others. Magness applies her dynamic vocal style to every song, the blues veteran bringing fans another great collection of blues, R&B, and soul music. (Release date: 04/13/10)
5. Jeff Beck – 'Emotion & Commotion' (Rhino Records)
Photo courtesy Rhino Records
The recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee delivers his first studio album in almost seven years in Emotion & Commotion. Beck’s talent and vision have often confounded even the most astute observer of his undeniable guitar skills, and this album’s mix of blues, rock, and jazz performances are accompanied by Beck’s astounding use of a 64-piece orchestra on an unlikely cover of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz. Where else are you going to hear a Screamin’ Jay Hawkins cover performed next to Puccini? Nowhere but on a Jeff Beck album, I’d say.... (Release date: 04/13/10)
6. Johnny Jones – '1956-1966: The Session Years' (Superbird Records)
Photo courtesy Superbird Records
Back during the late 1950s and early ‘60s, Nashville bluesman and extraordinary guitarist Johnny Jones lent his six-string skills to anybody that would pay the freight, resulting in a wealth of little-known but nonetheless stellar blues and R&B performances. 1956-1966: The Session Years collects two-dozen tracks from across Jones’ storied career, including a pair of rare tracks from his time fronting the house band for the late-60s TV show The !!!! Beat. An important influence on Jimi Hendrix’s early development as an instrumentalist, Jones is one of the obscure, albeit great talents of blues guitar. (Release date: 04/20/10)
7. Johnny Moeller – 'BlooGaLoo' (Severn Records)
Photo courtesy Severn Records
BlooGaLoo is current Fabulous Thunderbirds guitarist Johnny Moeller’s third solo album, his first since 2001 and his Severn Records debut. With guests like T-Birds frontman Kim Wilson, guitarist Shawn Pittman, and blues singer Lou Ann Barton, BloGaLoo is a showcase for Moeller’s fiery six-string play. Influenced by the great New Orleans guitarist Earl King, Moeller tries his hand at two of King’s most notable numbers, “Trick Bag” and “Everybody’s Got To Cry Sometime.” In amidst Moeller’s original songs is another inspired cover, of blues guitarist Earl Hooker’s “Tease Me Baby.” In spite of the long shadows cast by such powerful influences, Moeller infuses each song on BlooGaLoo with his own individual personality. (Release date: 04/20/10)
8. Johnny Shines – 'Too Wet To Plow' (Fat Possum Records)
Photo courtesy Fat Possum Records
Out-of-print for almost a decade, Fat Possum is reissuing this 1975 acoustic album by underrated Delta blues guitarist Johnny Shines. A contemporary of the legendary Robert Johnson, Shines spent three years on the road with the enigmatic bluesman before breaking out on his own. Too Wet To Plow, recorded in the unlikely location of Edmonton, Canada, was a return to his country blues roots for Shines, who delivers an inspired set of performances, including a cover of Johnson’s “Hot Tamale.” Harmonica player Sugar Blue and singer/guitarist Louisiana Red pitch in on several songs. Too Wet To Plow is one of the little-known gems of blues music. (Release date: 04/27/10)
9. Jonny Lang – 'Live At The Ryman' (Concord Records)
Photo courtesy Concord Records
Live at the Ryman is the first concert set from blues-rock guitarist Jonny Lang. Recorded during the summer of 2008 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee (former home of the Grand Ole Opry), the twelve-song CD will feature a cross-section of material from across Lang's career, including "Lie To Me," his first hit and the title of his 1997 major label debut, to "Turn Around," from Lang's Grammy™ Award-winning gospel album of the same name. For Live at the Ryman, Lang is backed by a top-notch band that includes guitarist Sonny Thompson, keyboardist Tommy Barbarella, bassist Jim Anton, drummer Barry Alexander and percussionist Jason Eskridge. (Release date: 04/20/10)
10. Mark Hummel – 'Retro-Active' (Electro-Fi Records)
Photo courtesy Electro-Fi Records
West Coast harmonica wizard Mark Hummel is one of the most underrated talents on the blues scene today, a situation certain to be remedied by the release of Retro-Active. The sixteen-track album features plenty of Hummel’s scorching harp work and soulful vocals, his performances supported by a cast of musical talents like guitarists Steve Freund, Kid Anderson, and Rusty Zinn, and harpist Charlie Musselwhite (who plays guitar here rather than harmonica). No less of an authority than British blues legend John Mayall says of Hummerl, "the spirit of Little Walter lives on! If you miss the sound of those early Chess Records, this one's for you.” (Release date: 04/20/10)
11. Mississippi Heat – 'Let's Live It Up' (Delmark Records)
Photo courtesy Delmark Records
Mississippi Heat’s third Delmark Records album features eleven new songs by harpist and band frontman Pierre Lacocque, fourteen songs total. The great Inetta Visor belts out the blues on eight of the tracks, legendary guitarist John Primer provides his warm tones and underrated voice to three numbers, and singer Rhonda Preston rounds out the performances. Along with Lacocque’s fluid harmonica play, there are guest turns by talents like guitarist Carl Weathersby, keyboardist Chis "Hambone" Cameron, percussionist Ruben Alvarez, and the Chicago Horns, making Let’s Live It Up a welcome sequel to the band’s exciting 2008 album Hattiesburg Blues. (Release date: 04/20/10)
