Author: Steven Ovadia

James deserves a lot of credit for tackling sacred tunes. One has the sense that while part of the reason is to share his interpretations of these beloved songs, another reason is to send fans back to the originals.

Blue & Lonesome Duo is made up of singer/harmonica player Ronnie Owens, of Li’l Ronnie & the Grand Dukes, and singer/guitarist Gordon Harrower, he too of the Grand Dukes, but also of Rattlesnake Shake.

Lebo has written some nice songs and, along with a talented band, brings them to life. It’s a fun, solid album showing off some old school cool.

This kind of music is often called swamp pop, which is accurate because it sounds like the blues transformed into an airboat chase.

Lynn is over seventy years old but sings like this is her debut. With a voice like hers, it would be easy for her to coast on natural ability alone…

Everything you need to know about the Steve Krase Band’s wonderful Just Waitin’ is in “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” the album’s fifth track. To those of you less tapped into high culture, it’s the theme of the sitcom, The Beverly Hillbillies, which ran from 1962-1971 (with some reunions and an inevitable reboot film, of course, coming later). That 1960s sensibility is pure Krase. His music, while contemporary in many ways, also is wedded to a specific time period. It makes complete sense he’d cover the theme of a popular sitcom from that era. Krase is a Houston-based singer/harmonica player.…

Wall is an excellent guitar player who works within the confines of each song. He’ll show some flash when necessary, but for the most part, he’s just playing soulful solos that sound good. He’s not trying to impress the listener.

Walker doesn’t just plow through songs, singing how he’s going to sing. Instead, he subtly shapes his voice to work with each song. It also helps that he performs with a talented band.

What’s nice about ‘All of This Life’ is that it builds just the right amount off of their first album. It’s familiar, but also slightly better, which is the sweet spot for sophomore records.

Clifton’s band’s sound is reminiscent of classic Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Songs have those same manic tempos and wild performances, equal parts music and catharsis…