By Marty Gunther
Red Hot ‘’n Blue Reviews for March 2025
Jimmy Vivino – Gonna Be 2 of Those Days
Gulf Coast Records
The former bandleader for Conan O’Brien and someone who scores TV shows and major movies, Jimmy Vivino is also a bluesman to the core. And it’s a rare treat when he steps into the spotlight, whether it’s touring in partnership with Bob Margolin and Canned Heat, or recording an album of his own. And that’s exactly what you get with this dark and powerful set, which deals with the problems we all face in a troubled world.
Jimmy handles vocals, guitar and keys here and called out the big guns to provide rhythm: bassist Jesse Williams (North Mississippi Allstars) and percussionists Rich Pagano (Garland Jeffreys) and Mark Teixeira (Duke Robillard). And friends Joe Bonamassa and John Sebastian sit in, too.
Searing modern blues at its best, buckle up and give a listen to “Blues in the 21st,” “Ruby Is Back,” “Gonna Be 2 of Those Days,” “Ain’t Nuthin’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Better Days Past,” “Fool’s Gold,” “Goin’ Down Fast,” “Shady Side of the Street” and “Back Up the Country.”
Ruthie Foster – Mileage
Sun Records
If you’re feeling down, this album – which just won a Grammy – will lift you up. A self-described “little black girl with a guitar,” Ruthie Foster’s masterpiece delivers a folksy and inspiring mix of grooves as she celebrates all of the joys and struggles she’s faced to become the person she is today. It’s a winner on all counts.
Produced by fellow Texan Tyler Bryant -- who contributes guitar, bass, keys and alto sax, Ruthie’s also backed by organist Michael Webb, a full horn section and special guest appearances from Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe fame.
As sweet and inspiring as the blues can get, do your soul some good by giving “Mileage,” “Rainbow,” “Good for My Soul,” “Heartshine,” “Slow Down,” “Six Mile Water,” “Done,” “Take It Easy” and “See You When I See You” a spin.
Bobby Hurricane Spencer & Jeff Dale – The Hurricane Dale Thang
Pro Sho Bidness
Sax player Bobby Hurricane Spencer and native Chicagoan/guitarist Jeff Dale brought together an all-star cast of Los Angeles musicians for this project, which simply simmers throughout with some of the smoothest blues-drenched R&B you’ll hear this or any year.
It’s a miracle this one came to fruition. Launched in 2018, work came to a halt after Spencer suffered a major stroke. It’s a blessing he’s back to blowing as well as he did in the past for Etta James, Otis Redding and other giants. He, Dale and bassist Elizabeth Hangan share vocals with Derek Phillips on keys, Albert Trepanier Jr. on drums and a skintight horn section, too.
Don’t miss “The Hurricane,” “Two Paychecks from the Street,” “I Really Don’t Care,” “That’s How I Do,” “Shackled to a Dollar,” “Put Some Stank on It,” “Fairmount Hotel,” “Raise Some Love” and “When I Start Drinkin’.”
Daniel Eriksen – There’ll Be a Time When the Sun Will Refuse to Shine
Pzydeco Records
A Norway native but a dyed-in-the-wool Delta blues guitarist, Daniel Eriksen has been a star on both sides of the Atlantic since placing second in the 2018 IBCs. A two-time winner of his country’s equivalent to the Grammy, he delivers an interesting mix of light and dark themes the guitarist on his latest disc.
Produced by Goran Grini, Daniel’s joined by special guest Joachim Cooder, Ry Cooder’s son and an award-winning multi-instrumentalist in his own right. Longtime partner Stig Sjostrom provides percussion in a lineup of top players from the Land of the Midnight Sun.
You’ll enjoy “Trouble of the World,” “Rags and Old Iron,” “Mean Old Dry Spell,” “Kissing Your Lips,” “Hollering,” “Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield” and “Rubble of the World.”
FreeWorld – More Love
Swirldisc
Their name might not be familiar, but the eight-piece ensemble FreeWorld has been heating up the night in Memphis with their own special roux of blues, funk, reggae and more as a popular house band in the Bluff City since 1987. And they simply cook from the opening notes of here.
Beale Street Walk of Fame brass note honorees, they’re led by vocalist/bassist Richard Cushing and vocalist Courtney Reed. Several more than a dozen former members and guests sit in, including Matt Tudor, Chris Stephenson, Jerome Chism and Walter White.
Silky smooth from the jump, you’ll be dancing to “Outta Sight,” “Give Until You Live,” “More Love,” “To Arise,” “Rush Hour,” “Heart on the Table,” “11:11 on Beale,” “Who Knew,” “Nothing Wrong” and “Color Trip.”
Guitar Jack Wargo – Blues Therapy
Wargod Records
Guitar Jack Wargo serves up another heaping helping of stress relief with his latest CD. A veteran road dog who toured with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Solomon Burke and Billy Preston and recorded with Ray Charles, he delivers positive messages that swing from the hip throughout.
Eleven originals that are good for the soul, the roster includes perennial BMA nominee Tony Braunagel on drums, and the late great Mike Finnigan (Taj Mahal/Phantom Blues Band), John “JT” Thomas and Herman Jackson on keys.
You’ll enjoy “All Tore Up,” “Here and Now,” “Let’s Get It Together,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Passion and Grace,” “Say You Love Me Do,” “Blues for Esther,” “Cosmic Flight” and “Color Blind.”
The Gerry Hundt Trio – Get Hip!
Self-produced CD
A beloved multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter, Gerry Hundt’s resume includes The Dig 3, working as a one-man band, past membership in the Nick Moss Band, and with a multitude of other talents. Hundt possesses an unabating love for traditional blues. And he’ll hook you from the opening lines of this disc, which is infused with old-time appeal.
Recorded in Luxembourg during a European tour, Gerry handles vocals, harp and mandolin with backing from bassist Daniel Fastro and drummer/co-producer Tom Lehnert. It’s a toe-tapping mix of Chicago Blues with a taste of surf, rock, country and jazz, too.
You’ll dig “Beer Run,” “Our Love Will Last,” “Blame It on the Blues,” “Coconut Curry Dance,” “Bring it With You When You Come,” “Whiskey Makes Me Mean,” “All the Love That I Got,” “Sharpest Man in Town” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers – Closer to the Bone
Alligator Records ALCD 5025
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers have been kicking out world-class music with a blues-rock edge for the past decade, but Tommy returns to his soul-blues roots in style with this one. It’s full of deep-in-the-pocket grooves guaranteed to have you keeping time and moving on the dance floor.
Produced, recorded and mixed by Kid Andersen at Greaseland Studios, it features a star-studded lineup that includes Deanna Bogart on sax and vocals, Billy Branch and Rick Estrin on harp, Chris Cain, Jim Pugh and Endre Tarczy on keys, killer horns and the Sons of the Soul Revivers, too.
Don’t miss this effort, and dial in “Can’t Catch a Break,” “The Way You Do,” “Crazy Woman Blues,” “Woke Up and Smelled the Coffee,” “Keep Your Dog Inside,” “Ain’t Worth the Heartache,” “Everywhere I Go,” “Bloodshot Eyes,” “Stroll Out West” and “Hole in the Wall.”
Hattie Webb – Wild Medicine
Hearts Connect Records
Looking for something different? Born in Kent, England, string harpist Hattie Webb has built a name for herself as one half of the Webb Sisters, who’ve toured with Leonard Cohen, David Gilmour and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. But she hits a home run for blues fans with this CD. It’s a haunting mix that includes elements of Celtic folk, pop and more, but it’s a deeply azure set throughout.
Hattie’s rich soprano soars above percolating arrangements that include a lineup culled from across the roots world: guitarists Eric Johnson, Mike Campbell and David Grissom, ex-Heartbreakers keyboard player Benmont Tench, bassist Ron Blair and drummer Steve Ferrone.
Choice cuts include “Wild Medicine,” “Ruined in the Rain,” “Night Soul,” “Golden,” “Heart’s Content,” “A Song Called Love,” “Boy at the Beach,” “Forever” and “Waltz for Leonard.”
Greg Nagy – The Real You
Self-produced CD
Michigan-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Greg Nagy hit gold in 2010 with a disc that was nominated for BMA’s debut album of the year; he also has been piling up honors for working with others, including Bobby Murray and Larry McCray, in recent years. But he’s certain to rocket back into the forefront of the blues with this welcome return to the spotlight.
An electrifying blend of contemporary blues, soul, R&B and gospel certain to rock your world, guests include harp player Peter “Madcat” Ruth, Murray and McCray on guitars and Motown blues queen Thornetta Davis, who sits in to share a duet.
You’ll adore “The Real You,” “Mississippi Blues,” “Crazy,” “Never Mine,” “Come to Poppa,” “Something,” “Cornell Ala King,” “Baby What Took Your Love Away from Me,” “Where Do We” and “All I Need (Is You).”
William Lee Ellis – Long Night
Yellow Dog Records
Born and raised in Eastern Tennessee and the son of Tony Ellis, the banjo player in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, William Lee Ellis is a master picker who definitely deserves your ear. He fuses blues, gospel and ragtime in an original manner that remains rooted in the past.
Living Blues called Ellis “one of our finest contemporary songwriters,” and it helped propel his 2023 release, Ghost Hymns -- a fingerpicked delight – to the top of the blues world and a BMA nomination. This six-song EP serves both as a companion piece and a welcome follow-up.
You’ll enjoy the gutbucket appeal of “Mighty Storm,” the foreboding “Long Night Blues,” the tip of the hat to lost jazzmen in “Heaven’s Full of Cats,” another in the memory of medicine-show man “Peg Leg Sam,” and the stripped-down “Earth and Winding Sheet,” which shifts between major and minor keys throughout.
Big Al & the Heavyweights – Blues Power
VizzTone Label Group VT-BA02
Big Al & the Heavyweights have been delivering the culturally rich, high-energy funk, blues and zydeco of South Louisiana to the outside world for decades. And they return to their roots in style with this disc following the tragic loss of longtime keyboard player/vocalist Wayne Lohr.
Fronted by longtime guitarist/vocalist Marcel Anton and spiritual leader/drummer Big Al Lauro, they’ve reverted to a four-piece unit with Dangerous Dale Robertson on harp and Dennis the Menace Cedeno on bass. It’s an alignment that mirrors what Lauro and Warren Haynes had in mind when they founded the group as the Unknown Blues Band in 1996.
“Big Freight Train” pulls out of the station in style. And give a listen to “Blues Power,” “If,” “Red Line,” “Wasted So Much Time with You,” “Got What I Like,” “Good Bye,” “I Want to Know” and “Fast Drive’n.”
Mikey Junior – Traveling North
8th Train Records 8TH02
Harp player Mikey Junior is only in his 30s but he’s been delivering the deepest of traditional, but original blues out of Philadelphia and thrilling audiences for half of his life. And he hits it out of the park with this disc, which was produced by all-star producer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Gross.
Mikey’s warm voice and reed work are backed by the rock-steady trio of guitarist Greg Gumpel, bassist Matt Raymond and drummer Michael Bram along with a revolving lineup that includes Victor Wainwright on keys, Gross, Josh Roberts and Matt Daniels on guitars and his family singing backup, too.
Gritty but smooth throughout, you’ll enjoy “Old Enough to Know,” “Taboo Love,” “You Hurt Me,” “I’m Still Crazy Over You,” “She Can Do What She Wants To” and updates of Percy Mayfield’s “Hit the Road Jack” and Willie Dixon’s “Sittin’ & Cryin’ the Blues,” which he makes his own.
CW Ayon – Bounce Boogie & Bump
Self-produced CD
CW Ayon may be based in the New Mexico desert, but the guitarist, percussionist and harp player’s heart resides squarely in the Hill Country of Mississippi. Influenced by Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside and Robert Balfour, he delivers a hypnotic groove here that would fit hand-in-glove with any juke.
Working with upright bassist Felipe Toltecatl, CW delivers a full-band sound in a duo setting by doubling on resonator and other strings while delivering a rock-steady beat on a simple kick, snare and tambourine set-up.
Hypnotic throughout, give a spin to “Bounce Boogie & Bump,” “Chicken Wing,” “Wiggle & Shake,” “Southwest Mama,” “Off the Ground,” “Been a Long Time,” “Nothin’ to Do with You,” “Creosote” and “Mountain Smoke.”
Frank Bey – Peace
Nola Blue Records
One of the best practitioners of soul-blues of his generation, Frank Bey’s career was hampered by health issues and problems in the recording industry that robbed him of the glory he deserved. Fortunately, he finally rose to the top of the blues world in the last decade of his life, and this CD is a living testament into how great he truly was.
A beloved member of the Philadelphia music community, Frank possessed a warm, powerful baritone, silky-smooth delivery and a spirit that lit up a room. Every measure of this tribute -- which includes appearances from Kid Andersen, Anthony Paule and a host of others – vibrates with his joy of performance.
Get your groove on -- and smile a bit, too -- while listening to “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” “One Thing Every Day,” “Midnight and Day,” “City Boy,” “Walk with Me,” “Bed for My Soul,” “If You Want Me,” “Blues in the Pocket” and “Change Is Gonna Come.”
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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.