Soul music legend Eddie Floyd has been singing, recording and touring for something like five decades, and the man shows no sign of letting up today. This classic recording of “Ninety-Nine and a Half” is pure molten gold – just puts a lot of more contemporary records flat to shame, I’m afraid.  Probably best known for “Knock On Wood” – a song he co-wrote with Steve Cropper which was a hit in 1966 and subsequently covered by like a hundred major artists, some of whom also charted with it – Eddie Floyd is a real as real gets. Listen to his voice on this, and then tell me how you feel about the auto-tuned piffle that’s so prevalent these days. This is a gr8 record you should have at the ready, to heat up those cold winter nights.

Eddie Floyd
“Ninety-Nine and a Half” (mp3)
from “Sweet Soul”
(LocoBop)

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Virtuoso acoustic guitar jam fer daze. Perfect find for the slow autumn drizzle that descends like fine mist on this SuperFan’s Oaksterdam home today. “Today is forever, now that we are through” is the haunting refrain that frames this instrumental exploration of steel string slide guitar, furious pluckin’, and one suspects, a little blood.  Mad @ The Live Creek? Or Live @ The Mad Creek? Take your pick. Mad flatpickin’ from a talented solo artist on the ever lovin’ ItsAboutMusic label.

The Lew Jones Act
“Today Is Forever” (mp3)
from “Mad @ The Live Creek”
(ItsAboutMusic.com)

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Ah, the travails and adventures of a good motorcycle road trip. Somewhere between a Bob Dylan yarn and a Lynyrd Skynyrd cautionary tale, we find Nathaniel Street West seeking help from a stranger, sleeping under a stove and running for his life. I won’t tell ya the rest, that would be a spoiler. But I am delighted to present this honky tonk, rock and roll, blues-y fried number for your listening pleasure.

Nathaniel Street West
“Motorpsycho Nightmare” (mp3)
from “Light Out For The Territory”
(Puffin Records)

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Rediscovered in recent years through re-releases and bootlegs of her classic 1970’s records, Betty Davis’ amazing voice and incendiary vision blew away the walls between soul, funk, and rock. I’ve crowed about her in these pages before, but I think we need another dose of her exquisite musical medicine. The vocal on this song is an unrestrained outburst of passion that is physically affecting. This is the uncut, the real, the antidote to auto-tune. Take it away, Betty!

Betty Davis
“Is It Love Or Desire” (mp3)
from “Is It Love or Desire”
(Light In The Attic)

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Without gimmicks or slick production tricks, Australia’s Revelators win the old school way: with great composition and performance. It’s nice to hear music like this – so rooted in American country, blues and rock – stand out today, and sound original and contemporary in its own right. Real high quality stuff here.

The Revelators
“When the Spell Is Broken” (mp3)
from “The Revelators”
(Head Records)

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The great Jerry Butler revisits his hit song “He Don’t Love You Like I Love You” and takes it higher with the wisdom of a man who has lived it all at least twice. And the lyrics – “he’s had so many rehearsals” – I mean give me a break! This is a top flight old school song by a class performer and a truly great singer. Hats off to Jerry Butler.

Jerry Butler
“He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” (mp3)
from “Brand New Me”
(LocoBop)

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Take a truly old school motor city blues, with guitar and piano boogying and harmonica wailing out, add 100% contemporary lyrics and you get a modern classic of industrial strength blues. Perfect lemonade made out o’ some raw lemons.

Harmonica Shah
“Blues for Ford, Chrysler and G.M.” (mp3)
from “If All You Have Is a Hammer”
(Electro-Fi Records)

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Just some tried and true old school houserockin’ blues, baby. And anyone who drops “Stacey Adams” in a lyric gets bonus points from this Fan. Los Lonely Boys, live and uncut, before they were famous.

Los Lonely Boys
“Friday Night” (mp3)
from “Live At Blue Cat Blues – Dallas Texas”
(Blue Cat Blues Records)

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What a total hit. Great song, great vocal, great recording, great in every way.

Cha Cha, Tony Evans and His Orchestra, Tony Evans
“Mercy” (mp3)
from “Dancebeat 15: Don’t Stop the Music: Latin Heat 7″
(Tema International)

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Dayumb. These cats can PLAY! Wicked roadhouse shakin’ blues rock jammin’ at a high level. Enjoy w/ BBQ and a fine lager.

Nick Moss & The Flip Tops
“Spare Ribs & Chopsticks” (mp3)
from “Live At Chan’s – Combo Platter No. 2″
(Blue Bella Records)

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The healing power of music is well known, and on a track like this it is palpable. A harmonica virtuoso and superb singer and songwriter, you’ll be hearing more of this cat soon I am sure of it. Plop this mp3 on your summer BBQ mix – it’s a keeper.

Jason Ricci & New Blood
“I’m a New Man” (mp3)
from “Rocket Number 9″
(Eclecto Groove Records)

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Among the many amazing re-issues on the wonderful Light In The Attic label is this super hot record from Betty Davis. To get an idea who this singer is and how she’s regarded, here are some quotes from a few of her admirers:

*If Betty were singing today she would be something like Madonna, something like Prince only as a woman. (Miles Davis)
* She introduced Miles to Hendrix’s music and got him interested in the hardcore rock stuff. (Herbie Hancock)
* When I first saw her album cover, I fell in love. (Rick James)
* Warning: She is pure uncut funk way ahead of her time. (Prince Paul) (De La Soul, Handsome Boy Modeling School)
* She was the first Madonna, but Madonna is more like Marie Osmond compared to Betty Davis. (Santana)

Betty Davis
“Anti Love Song” (mp3)
from “Betty Davis”
(Light In The Attic)

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Downloaded this out of pure curiosity: what does blues legend John Lee Hooker’s daughter sound like? Now I am posting it here because this is a marvelous, funny song, and she sings it right out of house and home. Rocks it right off its foundation. Washes it downstream like a great flood. Of course the lyrics are as timely as can be. Zakiya Hooker ladies and gentlemen. Like daddy like daughter.

Zakiya Hooker
“Love Foreclosure” (mp3)
from “Keeping It Real”
(Elden Drive/Boogie With the Hook)

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There’s nothing like a good old school style recording of a tight blues band led by a soulful, veteran singer. As the label proudly explains, this whole album was “recorded live to 2” analog multitrack tape with vintage equipment and very little overdubs, and then mixed to ½” tape by real human beings.” It’s nice to know that such records are not a lost art. The phrase “keeping it real” has been repeated so often now as to become a cliché. Bobby Jones and his crew don’t need to say that. They just live it.

Bobby Jones
“Get It Over Baby” (mp3)
from “Comin’ Back Hard”
(DELTA GROOVE PRODUCTIONS)

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Dee-LITE-ful FUNKY funky JAZZ funk for yer butt. So good.

Jon Cleary, The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
“Mo Hippa” (mp3)
from “Mo Hippa Live”
(FHQ Records)

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Jason Ricci And New Blood is one of those artists I just need to shout about to anyone who will listen. Listen to their music, yes, it’s great, but also, to get the full picture, read these album notes. This is not blues for a museum, this is living, breathing, reveling and rebelling blues in our time. With an openly gay and punkily flamboyant lead singer, and a completely kick ass blues rock combo, these guys are destroying every stereotype in their path and having the time of their lives doing it.  This track is brilliant and the speaking in tongues at the end of this track is precious.

Jason Ricci And New Blood
“Done With The Devil” (mp3)
from “Done With The Devil”
(Eclecto Groove Records)

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California bluesman Eric Lindell lays it out on this sweet and unpretentious song about love.

Eric Lindell
“If Love Can’t Find a Way” (mp3)
from “Gulf Coast Highway”
(Alligator Records)

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Some damn fine blues, can’t believe it’s done by children. A brilliant record from the Homemade Jamz’ Blues Band – 3 young siblings: Ryan Perry 15 yrs old/lead guitar & vocal, Kyle Perry 13 yrs old/bass player and Taya Perry 9 yrs old/drummer.

The Homemade Jamz Blues Band
“Penny Waiting On Change” (mp3)
from “Pay Me No Mind”
(Northern Blues)

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But you wouldn’t ever guess that from listening to this grown up, heavy blues recording.

Low down and nazty blues rawk groove from East St Louis, Illinois. Heavy!  Excellent wah wah guitar and harmonica work, rock solid rhythm section, and a killer vocal.

Boo Boo Davis
“Dirty Dog” (mp3)
from “Name Of The Game”
(Black and Tan Records)

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It is well known to those who know me that I LOVE the Mother Hips. So it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that I’m all over Tim Bluhm’s solo work as well. “House of Bluhm” is a marvelous solo record from the Hips’ guitar slinging, singing, wandering rock soul man.

Tim Bluhm
“Spooked Cat Blues” (mp3)
from “House of Bluhm”
(reapandsow, Inc.)

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