Hey there. Is it counter intuitive for a recording artist to go by the name Stealth? Hmmm, maybe not. If fame is the name of the game, why not a name that screams “secretive?” It’s so wonderfully circular.
But one thing that isn’t secretive is Stealth’s talent. That’s patently obvious after just one listen to this, his debut album, Bury Me. He’s got writing chops and he’s got vocal chops. And he can dig deep with either.
Though a self-professed Blues & Soul guy, Bury Me covers a lot of musical landscape. There are touches of Country, Pop, Americana, and even Dance here. And Stealth fuses them all together into a very enjoyable album.
So in short, Shaun Alan Smith (oops, I mean Stealth) is too good to fly under the radar. We’ll just have to learn to wrap our heads around that. Take a look at this video of him performing the title track from his album and you’ll see what I mean.
Online Corner
This week’s fresh batch.
Videos
- Jimmie Bratcher has a little preoccupation with food if you ask me; check out “I Love Her Name”
- Ida Mae’s new single, “Little Liars,” is built to take you on an animated road trip
- Eric Johanson’s been busy; here’s a brand new tune from his next Covers album, “Yellow Moon”
- Blackberry Smoke w/ Warren Hayes have a new Music Video out called “All Rise Again”
Audios
- Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is preparing a new album for later this summer; here’s a sample track, “662”
- Dust Radio , a new duo formed during lockdown is premiering their first single, “Dead Man’s Crawl”
- Mike Zito is showing off his first tune, “I’ll Make Love To You,” from his upcoming Resurrection album
Articles
- Acoustic Guitar has a nice little article on how to take advantage of a non-standard open D tuning
- Walter Trout sat down for a very lengthy (and interesting) interview with Blues Blast Magazine
- Bob Koester’s great Blues and Jazz legacy (Delmark Records) is retold in this well-written article Blues Blast Magazine
Spotlight: Steve Cropper
So where should we start in talking about Steve Cropper? Maybe with the fact that his 63-year career is bookended on one side by Stax Records and his membership in Booker T. & the M.G.’s. and on the other side by a brand new chart-tracking album, Fire It Up?
Maybe we could talk about the literally 100’s of name musicians he’s backed up with his guitar. Or the awards he’s received. Or the hit songs he’s written and produced. The man is a walking Rock and Roll history book.
But, if your time is tight (see what I did there?), you can get a pretty good handle on Steve in this article by Tom Lanham in Paste: “Steve Cropper’s Got Stories — and a New Album.” It gives you a real good sense that Steve’s probably a lot of fun to be around too.
New Blues Albums
This week’s roundup.
Out Now
- Bob Corritore & Friends: Spider In My Stew
- The Black Keys: Delta Kream
- Van Morrison: Latest Record Project Volume 1
- Jimmie Bratcher: I’m Hungry
- Crystal Thomas: Now Dig This!
- The Halley DeVestern Band: Money Ain’t Time
- Tia Carroll: You Gotta Have It
Coming Soon
- Robert Finley: Sharecropper’s Son (May 21st)
- The Reverend Shawn Amos: The Cause Of It All (May 21st)
- Big Chief Monk Boudreaux: Bloodstains And Teardrops (May 21st)
- Patti Parks: Whole Nother World (May 28th)
- Eric Johanson: Covered Tracks: Vol. 2 (June 4th)
- Joe Bonamassa: Now Serving: Royal Tea From The Ryman (June 11th)
ATWB: New Blues Playlist
This week on the ATWB: New Blues Playlist I’m rolling out some new tunes by Crystal Thomas (love her), Bob Corritore, a brand-brand new one from the super-talented Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and more.
I update the Playlist every week with the spins I dig.
So check them out on Spotify — and please Follow or Share.
I’ll Leave You With: Some Leon Russell
This video is from the “Homewood Sessions”, a live performance Leon and his band gave in 1970. It was recorded at the local PBS affiliate in Hollywood, California and was turned into one of those one-hour PBS shows you see during pledge drives.
This tune is Leon’s version of Robert Johnson’s “Come On Into My Kitchen.” It really shows off Leon’s distinctive piano style – and his love of a little carnival funk every now and then.
Oh, and if you’re wondering. The gal pounding the dough while Leon pounds the keys is his traveling secretary. She’s baking a cake. (Because, of course you would bake a cake during a Blues tune.)
Jon Beres
I’m one part Blues Fan and one part Digital Native (with a dash of Curmudgeon.) I’m also the publisher of AlltheWayBlue.com. If you love the Blues, I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine - cheers!
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