Marty Gunther’s Red, Hot ’n Blues Music Reviews - August 2026
- 1 day ago
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By Marty Gunther
Red Hot ’n Blues Reviews for August 2026
Chris O’Leary – Blue Collar
Alligator Records 5032
As the title of this one suggests, vocalist/harp player Chris O’Leary is a hard-working bluesman who’s built a huge international following after spending seven years as the frontman in Leon Helms’ band. He’s also an artist who packs raw emotion and real-life themes into every tune he writes. He debuted on Alligator with the exceptional The Hard Way and follows it up in style here.
A clever mix of Chicago blues, New Orleans funk and Memphis soul recorded by Kid Andersen, Chris is backed by guitarist Pat O’Shea, bassist Shiela Klinefelter and drummer Chuck Cotton. Guitarists Bob Margolin, Greg Gumpel, Chris Viterllo and Lil’ Ed Williams and bassist Rodrigo Mantovani guest along with several other top talents.
An emotion-packed roller coaster, you’ll enjoy “Bad Decisions,” “Lady Luck,” “Am I the Only Fool?,” “One More Cup of Coffee,” “Justice Must Be Blind,” “One Way Street,” “Live Baby Gators,” “How’d I Ever Get Along” and “Daddy Was a Wolfman.”
John Primer & Friends – Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge
Blues House Productions BHP JP2026
Ever wondered what a night at the legendary Theresa’s Lounge on Chicago’s South Side was like when Junior Wells and James Cotton were holding down the stage in the ’70s? Now’s your chance, thanks to Hall of Fame guitarist John Primer, who cut his teeth there while working in the house band seven nights a week for seven years -- during which time he wondered if he’d ever get paid.
It’s an extra-special production because John has gathered together an all-star roster of talented veterans who also called Theresa’s home. The lineup includes John Watkins and Carlos Johnson on guitars and Billy Branch and Harmonica Hinds on harp with Twist Turner and Tony Mangiullo on drums, Bob Stroger and Jeff Brinkman on bass. Vocalists Mary Lane and Willie Buck make appearances, too.
Real-deal blues for the ages, don’t miss “Up in Heah,” “7 Nights for 7 Years,” “Sugar Sweet,” “Champagne and Reefer,” “We All Need Help,” “Little by Little,” “Mary’s Song,” “Blues Survivalist,” “Here I Am Knockin’ at Your Door” and “Mean Old World.”
Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind feat. Kaitlin Dibble – 13 Hours
Gulf Coast Records
Full of funk and edgy tunes that center on the absurdity of living in modern times, harmonica colossus Jason Ricci bares his soul and delivers his most focused album yet with this release. He’ll have you grooving along from the jump as he touches on subjects that include burnout, addiction and survival in a world torn asunder.
Ricci simply dazzles as he blazes on the reeds, delivering uber-imaginative runs that drive his message home with skintight performances by guitarist Brent Johnson, bassist Jack Joshua and drummer Benny Piazza. And Jason’s wife, powerful alto Kaitlin Dibble, shines on a few songs, too.
A tension-filled set, take a chance on “Sick of This Shit,” “Tired of Tryin’,” “The BigDisEasey,” “Leo Watkins Rag,” “Long Twisted Night,” “Bubble Gum Pop,” “Renegade,” “Nuit Waltz” and “13 Hours.”
Samantha Fish – Paper Doll Live
Rounder Records
An electrifying performer with an explosive stage presence, Kansas City-based guitarist Samantha Fish earned a Grammy nomination last year for the nine-track studio album, Paper Doll. And she had so much fun touring in support of it that she decided to serve up a special treat for her fans: Her first live album – a 15-song pleaser that contains versions of all the originals and much more.
Like the opening track captured in Knoxville, Tenn., states, she kicks out the jams relentlessly with accompaniment from keyboard player Mickey Finn, bassist Ron Johnson and drummer Jamie Douglas.
Buckle up and tune in to “Paper Doll,” “Can Ya Handle the Heat?,” “I’m Done Runnin’,” “Lose You,” “Bulletproof,” “Miles to Go,” “Fortune Teller,” “Don’t Say It,” “Rusty Razor” and “Black Wind Howlin’.”
The Scott O’Neal Band – Call Me Mr. Blues
Lightning in a Bottle Records SD 2607
If you love straight-ahead, no-nonsense blues, you’ll dig this set from Michigan-born, Arizona-based blues hall-of-famer Scott O’Neal. He and his skintight band have been delivering polished, unhurried and sweet sounds throughout the Southwest for decades. Their latest CD delivers easy, breezy tunes that are sure to brighten your mood.
Scott penned all 13 numbers and provides lead guitar and vocals with Brian Waterbury on second guitar, Carl Dalgren on keys, Mark Winley on bass and Mike Hutchinson on drums and Mary Kelley and Meri McKee on backing vocals.
Winners include “Nothin’ to Gain,” “Love Somebody,” “Just Another Day,” “Good Luck with That,” “Down and Dirty Blues,” “Cash Is King,” “Call Me Mr. Blues,” “It Ain’t Worth Bitin’,” “Walk Away Blues,” “That’s What Love Is” and “Time for Walkin’.”
Dave Thomas – Bridge Street Blues
Blonde on Blonde Direct
A former psychedelic rocker who rose to prominence in the ’60s with the band Blonde on Blonde, singer/songwriter Dave Thomas toiled for years on bills with Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall and all of the British blues giants. But he’s built a strong international reputation as a bluesman, too, as he aged, winning multiple honors while topping European charts.
An all-original effort, all of the material puts a modern take on the azure sounds that first caught his ear as a youth. Dave’s sweet tenor and guitar work shine throughout this one, which was in a produced by Declan Sinnott, who accompanies him on six-string, harps, keys and percussion.
Traditional blues that’ll keep you’ll smiling and bopping, too, take a chance on “Go to Legends” – which delivers a tip of the hat to several Chicago clubs, “City Streets,” “Gone for Good,” “Big Fast Car,” “Mr. Moonchild,” “I Know You Through and Through,” “All Loved Up” and “Bridge Street Blues.”
Swamp Dogg – Swamp Dogg Contemplates the Afterlife
S-Curve Records
A first-generation country-soul/R&B artist who’s been a recording artist since 1954, Swamp Dogg – aka Jerry Williams Jr. – helped lay the foundation modern blues and Southern soul. Throughout his career, he’s always been a bad boy who’s challenged the status quo, but he delivers something different to celebrate his 84th birthday: a celebration of a life well-lived.
S-Curve founder Steve Greenberg co-produced this set along with Swamp Dogg, whose tenor voice is as powerful as ever, with helping hands from Grammy winners Mike Mangini and Sam Hollander (Tom Jones, O’Jays, Betty Wright). Longtime friend Gary “US” Bonds sits in, too.
Get your funk on with “Searching for Heaven,” “Acid Tongue,” “Knock Knock (Memories),” “Waka Waka Waka,” “A Million Years Ago,” “Unhappy Song,” “Please Don’t Bury Me,” “Hot to Trot,” “Daddy’s Little Girl” and “Final Approach.”
Ma Rainey – Mother Of The Blues: The Complete Paramount Recordings 1923-28
Black Swan Records/George H. Buck Jazz Foundation
The undisputed Empress of the Blues in the 1920s and ’30s, Ma Rainey’s legacy has been kept alive through multiple anthologies through the years, but none that compare to this sensational collection. It’s a five-CD, 118-track opus that includes four never previously released tunes. And the entire set has been remastered in a manner that makes the audio crisp like never before.
The discs are accompanied by a 100-page book that includes a lengthy biography written by former Carolina Chocolate Drop Dom Flemons, photos that had remained hidden from public view for a century, track-by-track notes about each song and much, much more.
Son House, Robert Johnson and Charley Patton may be more popular today because of rock covers of their material, but Ma outsold all of them during their lifetime with accompaniment from future jazz giants Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson and other future greats. This one’s definitely worth the price of admission!
Stacy Mitchhart – No Rhyme or Reason
Dr. SAM Records DSR016
Donning tailor-made suits and sharp fedoras, Cincinnati-born Stacy Mitchhart has been a triple-threat singer-songwriter-guitarist in Nashville for more than 30 years with 16 records to his credit. But he outdoes himself with his latest, outside-the-box CD, which was produced by Grammy-winning producer/Buddy Guy drummer Tom Hambridge.
It’s contemporary blues at its best, incorporating elements of jazz, country, rock and hip-hop. And Kenny Neal, Gretchen Wilson and Charlie Musselwhite sit in to lend a hand, too.
Music that slices like a knife, get up and get down to “Good One Time,” “Bad as You,” “You Sure Look Good to Me,” “Flip It to the Other Side,” “We Blew It,” “Ain’t No Rhyme or Reason,” “Mean Bad Wrong,” “Never Gonna Get Me Back,” “She’s Just Right for Me” and “On My Dying Day.”
Various Artists – Classic Blues from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Smithsonian Folkways Records
Here’s a treat for all music lovers: Smithsonian Folkways first issued this collection as a CD in 1991, when it took a look into its extensive catalog to celebrate 50 years of releasing the best of first-generation blues. Originally released on CDs, the richly annotated 36-song set is finally available as two-LP set.
A cross-section of artists from the Mississippi Delta, St. Louis, the Southwest, Piedmont and Chicago, too, it’s chockful of inuendo- and irony-infused ballads and boogies that serve as a living testament of life in pre- and post-War America.
A who’s who of top performers, the lineup includes Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, Roosevelt Sykes, Lead Belly, Etta Baker, Pink Anderson, Champion Jack Dupree, Big Joe Williams, Henry Townsend and others too numerous to mention.
JP Soars & Anne Harris – Gypsy Blue Revue
Forty Below Records
One of the most talented guitarists in the blues, JP Soars has been at the forefront of the industry for more than 20 years. But few folks outside of Florida, where he’s based, have witnessed his love for gypsy jazz, a style of music that’s azure through and through. Give this exciting effort a listen and you’re guaranteed to love it, too.
Making this one even more special is the presence of violinist Anne Harris (Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Otis Taylor). JP and Anne met for the first time at the Big Blues Bender in 2019, and they’ve been making sweet music ever since every chance they get. They’re backed here by Soars’ regular rhythm section: BMA-nominated drummer Chris Peet and bassist Cleveland Frederick.
Haunting and joyful, too, don’t miss “Jessie Mae,” “Go With the Flow,” “Viper,” “Paradise,” “Goin’ to South Carolina,” “May Mountain Waltz,” “Old Silver Bridge,” “Minor Blues” and “Cigar Box Jam.”
Reverend Freakchild – Blues & Spirituals/Hymn Hustler
Treated and Released Records
An enigmatic acoustic guitarist with deeply spiritual roots, Reverend Freakchild has been delivering music with a message for decades with more than 20 albums to his credit. And he’s reinterpreted and reincarnated his first two releases with this interesting two-CD set.
The Rev’s a former member of New York City’s Metro Mass Gospel Choir, which played Carnegie Hall and other top venues. And he delivered the holy spirit to drug addicts, hippies and music freaks for three years at Tobacco Road, a now-defunct off-Broadway hangout, too.
Music that’ll soothe your soul, tune in to “Jesus on the Mainline,” “Lose These Blues,” “Blues for No One,” “Pure Religion,” “Rollin’ On,” “Cheeba-Cheeba,” “Willin’,” “Rollin’ and Tumblin’,” “In My Time of Dying,” “Strange Mind,” “Hawaiian Cowboy Lost in NYC,” “A Day Late and a $ Short” and “Memento Mori.”
Johnny Rawls & Dave Keller – Tribute to Soul
Third Street Cigar Records
Two of the sweetest male voices in the blues, frequent award winners Johnny Rawls and Dave Keller have wowed audiences while touring together for years. Any they finally show what the rest of the world has been missing with this tasty, not-to-be-missed delight.
Reminiscent of the powerhouse performances B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland released in the ’70s, they share duos and soar throughout this set of golden oldies first sung by idols in Johnny’s youth. They’re backed by Dave’s band – keyboard player Ira Friedman, bassist Alex Budney and drummer Jay Gleason – with a full horn section, too.
A winner on all counts, get your groove on with “I’m Qualified,” “Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” “Neighbor, Neighbor,” “I Remember,” “Bad Risk,” “Hold What You’ve Got,” “Make Love to Me Baby,” “The Kind of Love I Want,” “Drowning on Dry Land” and “You Didn’t Know It But You Had Me.”
Mary Flower & Leon Cotter – Chants of Rain
Little Village Foundation
A jaw-dropping fingerpicking guitarist, Mary Flower specializes in the blues, ragtime and early jazz traditions. And she’ll wow you with this all-acoustic, all-instrumental set, which came about after her chance meeting aboard an airplane with Leon Cotter, the clarinet player in the California Honeydrops, one of the best blues and roots bands on the West Coast.
Despite the lack of vocals and a rhythm section, Mary and Leon cast a hypnotic spell throughout this one, trading leads and exchanging musical conversations that are packed with improvisations and exchanges between strings and reeds.
Full of original, old-timey flair, you’ll love “Mary’s Rag,” “Dauphine,” “Trip Around the Sun,” “Half Moon,” “Chants of Rain,” “Farewell Waltz,” “Eagle Creek Bounce,” “Eve of the Eve,” “Strawberry Lane” and “Wisecrack.”
Allen Toussaint – Songbook
Craft Recordings CR00685
The heart and soul of New Orleans for decades, pianist Allen Toussaint possessed a warm, intimate playing style that drew listeners in from the very first note. And he shines like the diamond he was throughout this 45-song, 146-minute pleaser. Initially released as a CD by Rounder in 2013, it’s now available as a two-LP set.
Allen laid down this one solo and in front of a live audience in 2009 at Joe’s Pub in New York City. It’s primarily a collection of Toussaint originals that are now a permanent part of the American songbook, but it also includes several tunes he wished he’d written.
Looking for some fresh vinyl to add to your collection? This one’s a winner! Choice cuts abound and include “It’s Raining,” “Lipstick Traces,” “With You in Mind,” “Get Out of My Life, Woman,” “Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed,” “Old Records,” “Southern Nights” and a whole lot more.
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About the Author: The blues came calling for Marty Gunther in the 1960s, when he witnessed Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf perform at the Newport festivals in his native Rhode Island. A longtime Chicagoan who's now based out of Ohio, he's a professional journalist and harp player who studied under Sugar Blue before co-founding the Nucklebusters, a band that's filled clubs in south Florida since the '80s.