BLUESBREAKERS…Back Cat Bones: Tattered and Torn, Jim Roberts & The Resonants: A Month Of Sundays, Sugar Blue: Colors, Waylon Thibodeaux: Here We Go Again, Matty T Wall: Transpacific Blues Vol. 1

Not only is Monday blue, but every day has the blue hue with these latest releases…

Jim Roberts sings with grit and plays a nasty little slide or cigar box guitar with Rick Hollander/g, Mike Harvey-Michael Leasure/dr and some cameo guests on earthy stomper. Some rural folk sounds wail on “What Her Evil Do” and the back porched “Steppin’ Out” with a noir feel on the more electric “Miss Her  Love.” The team gets Hendrixy on “Long Haired Mississippi Hippie” and the jazzy “I’m Walkin’ On” is a cooking little number as well. Wear boots for some thick trudgin’.

Sugar Blues sings and wails on the harmonica along with Rico McFarland/g, Ilaria Lantieri-Johnny B. Gayden/b, Damiano Della Torre/key Brad Williams-Yan Bodhoo/dr and a handful of additional artists on this richly colored mix of blue moods. Some Bo Diddly thunder riffs join in with Sugar on the ominous “And The Devil Too” with an ingenious take of The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” mixes funk, grit and extra guiar by Marco Guarnerio. Some snarling vocals and harp on “Good Ole Days” are pushed along by Washboard Cha’s strumming and some Asian sounds from Ling Bo add exotic moods to “Shanghai Sunset” with a choir on “We’ll Be Allright” a harmonic delight. Passion  plus.

Charlie Pitts’ street wise vocals team up with Jeff Daniels/g, Richard Rivera-Gary David/g, Jerry Sommers/dr and a sax section on this blues rocker of an album. A lot of sizzling 70s sounds rock on during “Pay You  Back With Interest”, “Manslaughter” and the slinky riff’d “When I Get That Feeling” while the horns bring a STAXY R&B feel to “The Race.” Pitts gives an ominous deliver to “Laying In Wait” with the guitars on boogie mode for “Lowdown” while they strut on “Dead Broke Blues.” The ceiling is low at this juke joint.

Waylon Thibodeaux brings  his fiddle and voice to create a New Orleans gumbo of an album with a rotating snappy rhythm , piano/organ man John Autin and harmonica blower Johnny Sansone. The team two steps on the rapid fire “Way Down South” and a Blueberry Hillish “River Boat Song” even has some steam blowing from the stacks on the intro for extra effect. Thibodeaux shows he can boogie with the best on the fun “Here We Go Again” and a Crescent City beat gets deep for “Fail Fail Fail.” A slow drink of the blues has the strings plead on “Don’t Make Me Put My Fiddle Down” with the gents sounding like it’s the last dance at the VFW on “Funny How Time Slips Away.” The honeysuckle hangs well here.

The power trio lead by Matty T Wall on voice and guitar, bassist Stephen Walker and drummer Ric Whittle bring in some guests for some hard hitting reads of blues classics. Dave Hole digs deep for an earthy shuffle of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” while Kid Ramos’ ax chops up the boogie on “Quicksand.” A fun ‘Nawlins feel brings in Walter Trout for the voice on a raucous “She’s Into Something” while Wall himself rips into a nasty tone for the Kansas City beat of “I’m Torn Down” and a moanin’ “Stormy Monday.” The ominous take of “Born Under A Bad Sign” includes Kirk Fletcher’s palpable tone, while the closing “Crossroads” making you want to brush off the fuzz. A stomper!

www.blackcatbones.net

www.jimrobertsandtheresonants.com

www.sugar-blue.com

www.rabadash.com

www.mattytwall.com

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