Programming Note: AllTheWayBlue will be on Vacation the week of July 4th…see you on July 12th.
Hey there. Eddie 9V sounds like an alias doesn’t it? Well, it turns out it’s more like an alter ego. A sort of alternate version of Mason Brooks (Kelly), a 24 year-old singer/songsmith/musician from Atlanta, GA. It’s Mason’s inner Bluesman. Think 1960’s Bluesman living in a 24 year-old’s body.
And you can hear that Bluesman loud and clear on Eddie’s Little Black Flies album. The record was made “jam-style” – the whole band just jamming together on each tune. The result was an authentic sound that has a live energy and feel to it. The kind of feel Blues records had back in the 60’s.
Eddie’s goal was to make people feel like they were in the room with the band. And he succeeded 1000%. His banter between songs and his singing (which half the time sounds like he’s improvising) make it all work. Of course it doesn’t hurt when you’ve got excellent musicians backing you up either.
This is one of those albums that almost begs to be cranked up. it’s greasy and tasty and … just a lot of fun! Little Black Flies deserves a big ‘ol listen.
Online Corner
This week’s latest crop.
Videos
- Elles Bailey reminds us of that a great singer and a guitar is all we need for great Blues (her single, “Stones”)
- Robert Jon & The Wreck’s latest single, “Shine A Light On Me Brother,” will get you jump-started on a low-energy day
- Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is revving up for touring; here’s a live version of “662” to go along with
- Lambeg Boogie Anyone? Hey, it’s just some local kids getting together in the barn to jam a bit
- The Black Keys giving us a second glance into their version of “Going Down South” from their swampy-good Delta Kream album
- Tiffany Pollack is looking good doing some downtown walking and singing “Livin’ For Me”
Articles
- Crystal Shawanda (in this in-depth interview) tells us why she’s so at home with the Blues
- The Happy Bluesman gives you a leg up on learning the Blues with “20 Easy Blues Songs You Should Learn”
- John Lee Hooker was widely known as the “King of the Boogie” but he was pretty much King of the Cool too
Podcasts/Livestreams
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd took a moment to discuss some of the controversial things going on in the Blues world right now
- The Blues Guitar Show’s latest episode does a deep dive in to Eric Clapton and his acoustic Blues
Spotlight: The B.B. King Museum
About 60 miles south of Clarksdale, Mississippi and another 80-ish from Memphis, Tennessee sits the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Mississippi. it’s B.B. King’s last resting place and the home of his legacy.
Equal parts native son and Blues legend, B.B.’s history is preserved here and presented to the world. Here you can find B.B.’s guitars, his reconstructed home studio, his tour bus, his Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, and of course his 15 Grammys. There’s a lot to B.B.’s story. And all of it’s here – and more.
A brand new wing to the museum was christened just this month with a star-studded celebration. Every musician in that show (and many more who weren’t) owe a Blues debt to B.B. He was a guitar hero before anyone thought to invent the term.
If you’re a Blues fan, this museum is definitely a bucket-list item.
Photo by Jimmy Smith on Flickr
New Blues Albums
This week’s collection.
Out Now
- Cedric Burnside: I Be Trying
- Ellis Mano Band: Ambedo
- Dave Kalz: Relish
- Dom Martin: Savages Live At The Harlington
- Veronique Gayot: Animal
- Josh Blackburn: Straight And Narrow
- Budda Power Blues & Maria Joao: The Blues Experience II
Coming Soon
- Jonathon Long: Parables Of A Southern Man (Jul 2nd)
- Steve Marriner: Hope Dies Last (Jul 2nd)
- Sean Chambers: That’s What I’m Talking’ About (Jul 9th)
- Ida Mae: Click Click Domino (Jul 16th)
ATWB: New Blues Playlist
I’ve got more new tunes this week on the ATWB: New Blues Playlist. From Robert Allen Parker, Veronique Gayot, Cedric Burnside, The Ellis Mano Band, (and even more).
I add new tunes that I like to the Playlist every week (because I’m an obsessive-compulsive person). You just might like ’em too.
Check them out on Spotify — and don’t forget to Follow or Share.
Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash
I’ll Leave You With: Some Kingfish
Is it too soon to just start calling Christone “Kingfish” Ingram by his nickname alone?
I’m thinking … NO. The young man’s just 22, but he’s won 7 Blues Music Awards in the last 2 years. So I’d say he’s pretty much on-track for nickname status.
In this video, he’s covering B.B. King’s hit “The Thrill Is Gone.” And showing off his terrific guitar chops in the process. The video’s only 2 years old, but trust me, it’ll be vintage one day.
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!
Download this FREE Blues Resource Guide and keep up with everything that's going on in the world of Blues Music.