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REVIEWS

Steve Strongman—The Strongman Blues Remedy, Vol 1—
Stony Plain ASIN : B09X7B6R22

I've listened to a lot of Canadian blues over the last ten years
or so but I wasn't aware of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter
Steve Strongman who apparently has seven solo albums

under his belt. However, this album (conceived during
lockdown) is credited to a blues collective 'The Strongman
Blues Remedy' which also includes Dawn Tyler Watson,
Crystal Shawanda, Harrison Kennedy, Dave King, Jesse
O’Brien, Alec Fraser and Steve Marriner and features Mr.
Strongman producing for the first time. We kick off with 'Hard
Luck' a blues rocker featuring Steve's slide guitar, while the swampy 'Swansong' has Steve
Marriner on vocals and harp and on 'Fine Young Man' Dawn Tyler Watson steps up to the mic
with a feisty vocal delivery. 'I Don't Miss You' was written by Steve and Harrison Kennedy and
features Harrison on vocals as does the following rocker 'I Like to Ride' but things slow down
with 'White Lightnin' - a tough slow blues. 'Tell Me I'm Wrong' is one of my favourites a
powerful song with Crystal Shawanda out front and nice guitar from Steve and 'Gettin' Stoned'
is another change of pace, an almost acoustic jazzy song and we bow out with the funky 'Love
Comin' Down'. This is a good album with lots of variety courtesy of all the different people
taking part, lots of good original songs and lots of great playing from everyone involved.

Graham Harrison

Sonny Boy Williamson—Don’t Send Me No Flowers—Soul
Bank Music ASIN : B07QMB4ZN9

In 1964 and 1965 Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller)
recorded with British groups The Animals and The Yardbirds

while he was in the UK and in January 1965 he also recorded
these tracks with The Brian Auger Trinity, with Brian on
Hammond organ, Ricky Brown (bass) and Micky Waller
(drums) - plus Jimmy Page (guitar), Joe Harriott (alto) and
Alan Skidmore (tenor). According to Micky Waller the tracks
were recorded in three hours without any rehearsal or
overdubs and with Sonny Boy getting gradually the worse for
drink.

Considering that this is in effect a spontaneous ‘jam session’ some of the tracks are
surprisingly good, the title track is a slow blues, while ‘I See a Man Downstairs’ is a re-working

of Sonny Boy’s ‘One Way Out’ which Joe Harriott suddenly muscles into, closely followed by
Jimmy Page’s guitar. (Note to Jimmy Page fans: this is Page in his session man mode i.e. well
before his Led Zeppelin excesses.) ‘She Was Dumb’ works well with the rhythm section, saxes
and guitar all swinging along together and Sonny Boy soaring over the top, The Goat’ is pretty
similar. Sonny Boy starts ‘Walking’ with harp and I was hoping that we’d hear more of his