Canada-based Stony Plain Records is one of the absolute finest labels around for keeping the blue flame alive. Here are three wonderful new releases, designed for any taste.
Duke Rollibard is one of the bona fide legends of the blues. Singing and playing guitar with a fantastic mix of guests here, he makes you feel like it’s the Roosevelt years on this intimate collection of Depression era hits that were recorded in various venues. Rollibard himself plays a man dobro on “Jimmie’s Texas Blues” and when he teams it with Billy Novick’s clarinet on “I Miss My Baby In My Arms” he takes you to another world. A guest appearance by Jay McShann on “Profoundly Blue” as well as Maria Muldaur on “Santa Claus Blues” take the music to a higher plane of authenticity, while Jerry Portnoy’s harmonica on “Im Gonna Buy Me a Dog (To Take the Place of You)” growls like a junkyard dog. Oh, Yeah!
The trio MonkeyJunk donsists of Tony D/g, Steve Marriner/voc-harp-key/bg and Matt Sobb/dr-perc and along with a guest list of vocalists, guitarists and B3ers, keep the boogie alive. The guitars wah wah with the Hammond on “Love Attack” while the band keeps 60s rock steady on “Meet Me At Midnight.” Marriner’s got a rich and rough voice and it works well as he also plays harmonica on “Light Up” and snarls on “ Hot Hot Papa.” Sobb plays with tight pockets on “Show Me Yours” and the band throws in a dash of Deep Purple on “Live Another Day.” Hard hitting fun.
Colin Linden plays guitar, ukulele and mandolin as well as sings along with John Dymond/b, Gary Craig and keyboardists Reese Wynans & Tim Lauer on this rough and ready release. He sounds banjo blue on the back porch during pieces like “Knob & Tube’and “Delia Come For Me” and gets in a VFW mood on the torchy “Luck of Love.” A folksy intimacy flows out on “And Then You Began” and he’s relaxed on the back porch during “Everybody Ought to Be Loved. “ Charles Musselwhite brings his legendary harmonica out of his pocket on the bared soul “The Hurt” and the ominous “Rich In Love” while he shows how to tell a story on “Paybacks Are Hell.” Buy this guy a drink!
Stony Plain Records