Typically, October is a peak month for CD releases going into the holiday buying season. Not surprisingly, with the recording industry cutting corners due to weak CD sales, even blues labels seem to be feeling the pinch. October's release schedule seems to be a bit slim, but still there is something to be said for quality over quantity, and the coming month offers some interesting albums from several solid blues artists.
1. Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm - 2 Man Wrecking Crew (Delta Groove Music)
Photo courtesy Delta Groove Music
Cedric Burnside, the grandson of the legendary R.L. Burnside and the son of the great blues drummer Calvin Jackson, has a pedigree that is pure Mississippi Hill Country blues. At a mere 30 years old, Burnside has been performing most of his life, and is considered one of the best drummers in the blues biz today. Lightnin' Malcolm is an in-demand session guitarist. The two of them together are the "2 Man Wrecking Crew," and their debut album promises to deliver ragged juke-joint thrills, showcasing the chops that the two young bluesmen learned at the feet of masters like Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Otha Turner, and, of course, R.L. Burnside. (Release date: 10/21/08)
2. Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers – Inside Tracks (Telarc)
Photo courtesy Telarc Records
Blues fretburner Jimmy Thackery has built a significant solo career since leaving blues-rock legends the Nighthawks 20+ years ago, bringing his incendiary blues-rock guitar style to bear on acclaimed albums like Solid Ice and Healin' Ground. Working at the front of a stripped-down, lean-n-mean blues trio, Inside Tracks shows Thackery further honing his songwriting skills even as he and the boys deliver a burning set of blues guitar showcases. (Release date: 10/14/08)
3. Lil' Dave Thompson – Deep In The Night (Electro-Fi Records)
Photo courtesy Electro-Fi Records
Underrated blues guitarist Dave Thompson will release Deep In The Night, his second album for the Electro-Fi Records label, in late-October. Backed by his hard-working road band, the collection promises to deliver plenty of fiery Delta guitarwork and Mississippi juke-joint blues music. (Release date: 10/21/08)
4. Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowouts – Still Here & Gone (Electro-Fi Records)
Photo courtesy Electro-Fi Records
Culled from harp wizard Mark Hummel's near-legendary Blues Harmonica Blow-Out shows circa 1993 to 2007, this two-disc collection features live performances from such harmonica masters as Hummel, William Clarke, Carey Bell, Lee Oskar, and Magic Dick of the J. Geils Band. Guitarists Anson Funderburgh, Rusty Zinn, and Junior Watson also appear on these performances, backing the harpists. (Release date: 10/21/08)
5. Paul Reddick – Sugarbird (Northern Blues Music)
Photo courtesy Northern Blues Music
Canadian bluesman Paul Reddick is a talented songwriter with considerable literary roots that extend far beyond the blues, but incorporate a wealth of pre-war acoustic-blues influences. With the assistance of producer/guitarist Colin Lindon, Reddick crafted a pair of award-winning, critically-acclaimed albums that announced the blues harpist's arrival on the scene. The upcoming Northern Blues release Sugarbird is the pair's third musical collaboration, and it promises more of the raw, poetic blues that Reddick has become known for creating. Sugarbird also features an appearance by roots-rock legend Garth Hudson of the Band on three songs. (Release date: 10/14/08)
6. Terry Hanck – Always (Vizztone Records)
Photo courtesy Vizztone Records
A saxophone-blaster in the old-school vein of Junior Walker, Always is Terry Hanck's follow-up to his acclaimed 2005 album, Night Train. With a little help from friends like guitarists Elvin Bishop and Kid Anderson, fellow saxman Steve Berlin, and singer Tracy Nelson, Hanck delivers a new original collection of rock-n-soul music with a blues foundation. (Release date: 10/14/08)
7. Sleepy John Estes – On 80 Highway (Delmark Records)
Photo courtesy Delmark Records
For country blues fans, this is exciting news, indeed. Delmark Records is having a very good year this year, and fresh off the success and acclaim of Sleepy John Estes' On The Chicago Blues Scene album, they're releasing Estes' On 80 Highway this month. My guy at Delmark says, "this session from July 19, 1974 was recorded just before Sleepy John and Hammie Nixon departed for a tour of Japan. None of these performances have ever been issued…." Capturing the bluesman in his prime, On 80 Highway features Sleepy John on vocals and guitar and Hammie Nixon singing and playing his harmonica and kazoo. (Release date: 10/21/08)
8. Susan Tedeschi – Back To The River (Verve Forecast)
Photo courtesy Verve Forecast
Extraordinary blues guitarist Susan Tedeschi will release Back To The River, her fifth studio album, and her first in three years, in late October. In what is being touted as the Grammy Award-nominated singer and guitarist's most personal album to date, Tedeschi collaborated with a number of roots music legends, including Tony Joe White and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks – as well as up-and-coming singer/songwriter Sonya Kitchell – in co-writing all but one of the album's eleven songs. Tedeschi's husband, Derek Trucks, performs on the album, as do White and Louris, and Texas bluesman Doyle Bramhall II. (Release date: 10/28/08)
9. Various Artists - 55 Years Of Blues (Delmark Records)
Photo courtesy Delmark Records
In celebration of Delmark Records' 55th anniversary, 55 Years Of Blues will include one CD and one DVD, the audio portion of the set featuring music by such acclaimed Chicago blues artists as Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Speckled Red, and others. The accompanying DVD will feature performance clips from previous Delmark video releases by folks like Little Arthur, Dave Specter and Byther Smith. It will also include a performance from the anniversary celebration held last March at Buddy Guy's Legends club, Chicago blues legend Zora Young performing "Til The Fat Lady Sings" with Lurrie Bell. (Release date: 10/21/08)
