Elles Bailey – Sunshine City
ELLESBAILEY.COM
Elles Bailey’s new album, Shining In The Half Light, is due in February, but she’s dropped a 4-song EP (Sunshine City) just to whet our appetites. This EP is a great little appetizer for what could be a killer album. (The track “Walk Away,” is worth the price of admission all by itself.)
Katie Henry Premiers Video – “On My Way”
YOUTUBE.COM
Here’s a juicy little video from Katie Henry. It’s the title track from her upcoming 2nd album On My Way. Katie’s got the goods. She’s got the vocal chops, the guitar chops, and she’s writing her own material. (I’m thinking this is gonna be a real good year for Katie.)
Blues Queen Shemekia Copeland Talks Cancer, COVID-19 And New Project Ahead Of Memphis Show
COMMERCIALAPPEAL.COM
Last week Blues singer Shemekia Copeland netted her fourth Grammy nomination, earning a nod in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category, for her latest, Uncivil War. It was a happy note to what has been a difficult pandemic period for the 42-year-old Copeland.
2022 Blues Images Calendar And 24-Track CD
ALLIGATOR.COM
Alligator Records has a 2022 “Classic Blues Artwork from the 1920’s” calendar available – along with a 24-track CD package. It should appeal to anyone interested in Blues music or history. It’s a huge treasure trove of original Blues advertising artwork. Plus the 24-track CD’s songs match up to the ad or artist featured for the month.
Blues Attack – Bringing Down The House
BLUESATTACKBAND.COM
This album really grooves. Everyone in Blues Attack (a 5-piece Turkish band), is a top-notch player and it shows on every track. I particularly loved the horn arrangements. This is not all-Blues but it’s contemporary-Bluesy enough for me to dig it top to bottom. (Damn good debut album.)
Paul Gilbert – “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”
YOUTUBE.COM
From Paul’s description: “The band follows me as I bounce back and forth between freshly baked Blues-rock riffs, and the classic ‘We Wish You’ melody, all played through a swirling flanger. As we reach the 4 minute mark, my brain runs out of ideas, which is when the guitar solo really goes into full gear. Good tidings we have brought.”
Music On The Couch
BLOGTALKRADIO.COM
Live, Uncut & Uncensored Conversations With “Musicians You Should Know.” Each Monday Vinny Bond spends time with musicians from the Blues-Roots-Americana Genres and lets them tell their stories in their own words. Many guests return over and over with new music and Vinny’s been honored with over 36 World Premiers over the years.
Vote For The Top 20 Albums Of 2021
BLUESROCKREVIEW.COM
On Wednesday, December 15, Blues Rock Review will reveal its 11th annual Top 20 Albums Of the Year list. Place your votes for your favorite studio albums from 2021 and count for 50% of the vote! The remaining 50% will be voted on by the staff of Blues Rock Review. December 13th is the deadline!
The ULTIMATE Budget “LES PAUL” – It’s CRAZY Cheap!
YOUTUBE.COM
Darrell Braun’s showing off one of the best budget guitars on the planet. It’s the Firefly Classic, Les Paul model. This one’s selling for under $200.00. Watch Darrell show you its plusses and minuses. The biggest minus? They’re hard to find in stock. (I know, I’ve tried.)
Deep Purple – Turning To Crime
DEEPPURPLE.COM
Deep Purple in this newsletter? You betcha! Their new album, Turning To Crime, is a blast. It’s not all Blues but then, it’s not all anything – except maybe the most eclectic set of tunes any band’s ever chosen to cover. You’ll probably recognize all of them too. (The keyboard work on this album makes me weep.)
Billy F. Gibbons – “Jingle Bell Blues”
YOUTUBE.COM
Imagine a skinny Santa. He’s got the beard alright, but this time he’s also got shades and a guitar. Now imagine what it would sound like if he played “Jingle Bells.” Well, that’s exactly what you get from Billy F. Gibbons in this animated video of “Jingle Bell Blues.”
The Best Custom Built Guitars For The Blues
HAPPYBLUESMAN.COM
If you’re thinking about buying a new guitar, it might be worth considering one of the many amazing custom-built guitars out there. Typically, a couple major brands come to mind, e.g. Fender and Gibson. But there are some great “custom-custom” brands you may not have heard of that make great sounding instruments too.
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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