Paul Black- Beautiful Sin review

Paul Black Beautiful Sin PaulBlack.ca Blues-rock from Vancouver Island. It has been 14 years since Paul Black released an album (Blue Words), and Beautiful Sin has a lot going for it. With ten original songs and a clever reimagining of The Commodores’ “Brick House,” Beautiful Sin is a strong collection of sharply envisioned electric blues.…

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René Huard Project- Blues Calling review

René Huard Project Blues Calling René Huard, a guitarist, vocalist, and harmonica player from Southern Ontario’s Niagara region, appears to approach the blues from a perspective of mood and feel: Huard’s music is a reflection of his mood, communicating insight via the various ‘feels’ contained across Blues Calling. Produced by blues veteran Jack de Keyzer—I…

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Robert Connely Farr- Pandora Sessions review

Robert Connely Farr Pandora Sessions https://robertconnelyfarr.bandcamp.com/ RobertConnelyFarr.com The prolific bluesman Robert Connely Farr is back with another album of his patented, rough ‘n’ tumble blues. RCF is as much a lover of the blues as are his followers; you can hear and feel his appreciation for the artists originating from his Mississippi, hometown roots. This…

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The LH Express- Painting Stars review

The LH Express Painting Stars LHExpress.ca One of Central Canada’s many blues-based, roots rock bands, The LH Express (formerly Lucas Haneman Express) return this summer with a new album that strengthens their position within Canada’s relatively crowded blues scene. Painting Stars sees the band further honing their craft. Ten Haneman originals with powerful co-lead singer…

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Michael Jerome Browne- Gettin’ Together review

Michael Jerome Browne Getting’ Together Borealis/Stony Plain Records Michael Jerome Browne has been producing quality, Canadian blues longer than most of us have been listening. An undisputed master of the slide guitar, Browne’s albums usually feature a unifying theme, and Getting’ Together is no exception. Revisiting the songs that brought him to the blues when…

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Spencer Mackenzie- Preach to My Soul review

Spencer Mackenzie Preach to My Soul SpencerMackenzie.ca Go for what you know. For youthful blues-guitarist Spencer Mackenzie, that appears to be rockin’ blues. During my formative, high school musical years listening to mainstream rock FM stations, I could hear Powder Blues, Downchild, and David Wilcox alongside a Rumours track, the next chart-climber from Pat Benatar,…

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Suzie Vinnick- Fall Back Home review

Suzi Vinnick Fall Back Home SuzieVinnick.com Over the last decade, Suzie Vinnick has become one of Canada’s favourite blues artists. Albums including 2018’s Shake That Love Around and 2011’s Me ‘n’ Mabel placed her on my roots radar, and Fall Back Home continues this string of impressive development. Given pandemic time to reflect, Vinnick has…

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Crystal Shawanda- Midnight Blues review

Crystal Shawanda Midnight Blues True North Records Crystal Shawanda spent years developing her artistry within the confines of commercial country music, and was quite successful doing so. She hit the Billboard Country charts, was a mainstay on Canadian country radio playlists for a couple years in the late ‘aughts, and toured from a Nashville base.…

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Harrison Kennedy- Thanks for Tomorrow review

Harrison Kennedy Thanks for Tomorrow Electro-Fi Records I don’t receive as many high-quality blues albums for review as I perhaps once did, but often enough something sneaks through to impress. This week that album comes from Ontario and Juno Award winner Harrison Kennedy. Oowee! This is my kind of blues, a mix of soul and…

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The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer- Live at the King Eddy review

The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer Live at the King Eddy Tonic Records Truly, not my thing. I just haven’t enjoyed the music this outfit has released over the last decade-plus. The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer, Shawn Hall and Matthew Rogers, receive lots of non-mainstream airplay as well as festival slots, and appear to…

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