Hey there. While I was busy during the pandemic learning new ways make snacks, Steve Marriner was busy learning how to engineer and mix his own music. Have I no shame?
Of course, Steve was already a multi-instrumentalist. A member of 3 bands. A multiple Juno and Maple Blues awards winner. And, he regularly toured 6 months out of every year. So clearly, the man needed a hobby.
It appears his hobby served him well though. Because he put together a doozie of an album, Hope Dies Last.
Lots of people engineer their own music nowadays, but not like this. Steve’s crafted 10 separate songs so that they stretch in their own musical directions yet never lose touch with each other. He has a real ear for material and for the balance it takes to mold that material into a great album.
If pressed, I’d say the album is Blues-Rock meets Americana. But who cares about labels when the listening is this good?
Hope Dies Last is one of those albums you’re going to want to play from start to finish – without interruption. And then you’re going to want to play it again.
Online Corner
When I looked around this week, here’s the stuff that turned my head and made me look twice.
Videos
- Samantha Fish: Her new album Faster is due in September. Here she’s looking as delicious as ever with her first single, “Twisted Ambition.”
- Joanne Shaw Taylor: She’ll have a brand new album this year (produced by Joe Bonamassa). Here’s an appetizer “If That Ain’t A Reason.”
- Dani Wilde: Her new single is “Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues.” (Hmm, it sounds like she might be trying to tell me something.)
- The Terraplanes Blues Band: They’ve got a recipe for “Voodoo Blues.” Apparently, all you need is some black fire, snake oil, and a mojo hand.
- Grandaddy Short Leg: This UK group is trying their absolute best to “Walk A Good Line.” (Come for the music, but stay for the goggles.)
- Jason Isbell: He’s branching out a bit, covering Metallica’s “Sad But True.” I’m thinking it sounds pretty badass. (Anyone disagree?)
Articles
- Blues Blast Music Awards: Here are all the 2021 nominees. Use it as a resource to start exploring the latest Blues Music and Artists.
- The Best Blues Guitars: A useful article from GuitarWorld. A hand-picked list of some great guitars, made for the Blues ($429-to-$3,930).
- Joanna Connor: In this Forbes interview, she tells us what it feels like to finally come back to honest-to-goodness live show performances.
Podcasts/Livestreams
- Christone “Kingfish” Ingram: He makes an appearance on The Blues Rock Show to answer Pete and Willies’ questions.
- Daily Blues Vitamin: If you’d like a quick-take (2 minutes) of Blues history every single day, then tune into On This Day In Blues History.
Spotlight: We’re Back (Well Almost)
Okay, live music is a happenin’. I’m seeing festivals rebooting all over the place. (The Blues Festival Guide is up to 244 festivals for 2021.) But the club scene is a different story. Blues club booking calendars look a little bit like swiss cheese right now.
Kingston Mines, in Chicago, is only booking Thursdays thru Saturdays. The Troubadour, in Los Angeles, looks virtually empty until the end of August. Antone’s, in Austin, and Terra Blues, in New York City, are looking better. But they have some holes to fill too.
This means two things. Number 1, when shows do get booked, they’re gonna sell out faster than ever before – so keep your eyes on your favorite clubs. (Email mailing lists are a good idea.) And number 2, ticket prices are bound to go up – so get some Benjamins ready.
We’ve been on this live-music starvation diet for soooo long now, we’re all ready to binge our brains out. You know I am.
Photo by Juliette F on Unsplash
New Blues Albums
The weather’s heating up and so are the album releases.
Out Now
- Steve Marriner: Hope Dies Last *** Pick of the Week ***
- Sonic Blue: Last Train
- Jonathon Long: Parables Of A Southern Man
- Sean Chambers: That’s What I’m Talking’ About
- Robert Allen Parker: The Memphis Sound
- Malcolm & Chris: Just The Blues
- Toby Lee: Aquarius
- East Blues Experience: Live
Coming Soon
- Ida Mae: Click Click Domino (Jul 16th)
- Mike Zito: Resurrection (Jul 16th)
- Tedeschi Trucks Band: Layla Revisited (Live at LOCKN’) (Jul 16th)
- Blues Traveler: Traveler’s Blues (Jul 30th)
ATWB: New Blues Playlist
More new tunes this week on the ATWB: New Blues Playlist. Got some Steve Marriner, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Sonic Blue, Sean Chambers, and more.
I even went a little International this week and threw in a little French and a tiny bit of German.
The list is perfect listening for a long road trip or a short one (say, to your local dispensary.)
Enjoy them on Spotify — and please Follow or Share.
Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash
I’ll Leave You With: Some Stevie Ray Vaughan
This is Stevie Ray cranking out the Jimi Hendrix song, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” It’s from (I believe) an Austin City Limits broadcast sometime in the mid-1980’s.
The song was part of his ready repertoire and he recorded it for the first time on his 1984 album, Couldn’t Stand The Weather.
Of course his recording fueled a debate over which version was better, Jimi’s or Stevie’s. But you know, there wouldn’t have been a debate at all if Stevie didn’t bring it.
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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