The Blues - CD of the Month

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January 2012
Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers

Translucent Blues
(Blind Pig)
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Once upon a time, a young Ray Manzarek played killer organ for a little band known as the Doors. Although a certain someone named Jim stole the show, Manzarek provided a unique sound not heard in rock and roll before. Roy Rogers, on the other hand, helps keep the past alive with his Delta inspired slide guitar. They came together to create a multifaceted blues album Translucent Blues that not only harkens back to their previous work but also completely re-imagines what the blues can be. Sounds of the Doors’ “Riders On The Storm” scream out from “Fives And Ones” and Rogers takes on a slow guitar solo with Manzarek’s organ as backing music. The nice part about Roger’s guitar is that it doesn’t screech out like most bluesmen today. Instead he provides so much more texture to his sound like on “Those Hits Just Keep On Comin’”. To complete the album Rogers and Manzarek jam out on “An Organ, A Guitar, And A Chicken Wing”, which ends up being a great recipe to leave you satisfied. Some veteran musicians strive to keep their glory days alive and rehash the same old tired material. Here Manzarek and Rogers give you a taste of their previous work, but the overall album is uniquely their own.

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- Jeff Penfield, WSGE

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December 2011
Etta James

The Dreamer
(Verve Forecast)
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Etta James’ long innovative career is no secret to anyone in the blues world. Her powerful vocals helped cement Chess Record artists as kings and queens of the blues and she inspired many singers throughout her career. Now 73, James knows she no longer can keep up with the intensive schedule of a professional performer. The Dreamer is her swan song, a final performance from one of the most important female vocalists ever. The album includes a unique set of blues and soul standards along with a few surprises. She begins with the classic R&B tune “Groove Me”, covers another great Ray Charles and his song “In The Evening”, and even puts an interesting blues spin on Guns And Roses’ “Welcome To The Jungle”. Her vocals still bring a particular intensity to her music, even if she sounds like a lounge singer in a smoky bar rather than a blues woman belting out her pain. The Dreamer serves as an excellent farewell performance for an artist who played such an important role in music history.

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- Jeff Penfield, WSGE

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November 2011
Carolyn Wonderland

Peace Meal
(Bismeaux Records)
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Janis Joplin used her unique vocals to define her blues rock sound in the late 1960s. Fast forward four decades (yes it has been four decades), Carolyn Wonderland covering Ms. Joplin with the first track on her new album Peace Meal makes perfect sense. Carolyn does not sound exactly like Janis, however her unique vocal power define her own blues-rock sound. After covering “What Good Can Drinkin’ Do”, she takes off on “Victory Of Flying” with blistering guitar and then proclaims her faith with “Only God Knows When”. The album mixes her Texas roots in the blues well with standards like “Dust My Broom”. Her style attracted the attention of the one and only Bob Dylan along with Ray Benson, who produced this album and her previous release Miss Understood. As long as she keeps belting out inspired blues vocals, her fan base will only continue to grow.

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- Jeff Penfield, WSGE

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The Blues - Archives

June 2009	Various Artists	Crucial Guitar Blues	(Alligator Records)
July 2009	Eric Lindell	Gulf Coast Highway	(Alligator Records)
August 2009	Homemade Jamz Blues Band	I Got Blues For You	(Northern Blues Music)
September 2009	Tommy Castro	Hard Believer	(Alligator Records)
October 2009	Joe Bonamassa	The Ballad of John Henry	(Premier Artists)
November 2009	Mike Zito	Pearl River	(Electo Groove)
December 2009	Tinsley Ellis	Speak No Evil	(Alligator)
January 2010	Delbert McClinton	Acquired Taste	(New West)
February 2010	Coco Montoya	The Essential Coco Montoya	(Blind Pig)
March 2010	Ike & Val	Live @ Tobacco Road	(One Ocean Inc. Records)
April 2010	The Mannish Boys	Shake For Me	(Delta Groove)
May 2010	Jake Haldenwang	Tell The Truth	(JWJ)
June 2010	Seasick Steve	Man From Another Time	(Atlantic)
July 2010	The Lenny Federal Band	Another Night On The Town	(Music Mania)
August 2010	John Nemeth	Name The Day!	(Blind Pig)
September 2010	The Holmes Brothers	Feed My Soul	(Alligator)
October 2010	Robin Rogers	Back in the Fire	(Blind Pig)
November 2010	Justin Townes Earle	Harlem River Blues	(Bloodshot)
December 2010	Kenny Wayne Shepherd	Live In Chicago	(Roadrunner)
January 2011	Buddy Guy	Living Proof	(Jive)
February 2011	Ray Charles	Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters	(Concord)
March 2011	Gregg Allman	Low Country Blues	(Rounder)
April 2011	North Mississippi Allstars	Keys To The Kingdom	(Songs of the South)
May 2011	Joe Bonamassa	Dust Bowl	(J&R Adventures)
June 2011	Marcia Ball	Roadside Attractions	(Alligator)
July 2011	Tedeschi Trucks Band	Revelator	(Sony Masterworks)
August 2011	George Thorogood & The Destroyers	2120 South Michigan Avenue	(Capital Records)
September 2011	Keb Mo	The Reflection	(Yolabelle International)
October 2011	Ana Popovic	Unconditonal	(Eclecto Groove)
November 2011	Carolyn Wonderland	Peace Meal	(Bismeaux Records)
December 2011	Etta James	The Dreamer	(Verve Forecast)
January 2012	Ray Manzarek & Roy Rogers	Translucent Blues	(Blind Pig)

 

 

 

About the CD-of-the-Month Club

Members of the WSGE CD-of-the-Month Club receive a new CD each month hand-picked by our musical experts. This club is available in two musical genres - The Blend or Blues. Available at the $375 pledge level. Donate Now!

 

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