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R E V I E W S

Joe Louis Walker—Blues Comin’ On—Cleopatra Blues—ASIN:
B086ML1D5Z

Bluesman Joe Louis Walker's new record features him and his band

in the company of a regiment of guests including Keb’ Mo’, Eric
Gales, Albert Lee, Mitch Ryder, Lee Oskar (War), Hot Tuna’s Jorma
Kaukonen, UK Subs' singer Charlie Harper and veteran session
guitarist Waddy Wachtel. The title track features Dion and Joe
sharing the vocals, Joe on rhythm guitar and Eric Gales supplying

blistering lead guitar, whereas the soulful 'Someday, Someway'
features Sam Cooke's daughter Carla sharing the vocals with Joe
and also Lee Oscar contributing some tasteful harp in the background. 'The Thang' is a funk
workout featuring guitarist Jesse Johnson from Prince's band and the first single from the album
‘Old Time Used to Be’ has Keb' Mo' on vocals and John Sebastian on harmonica, then 'Come Back
Home' introduces Mitch Ryder to sing with Joe, over a funky backdrop of swirling Hammond and
restrained brass.

Waddy Wachtel adds his guitar to Bobby Rush's 'Bowlegged Woman Knock—Kneed Man' and David
Bromberg steps up to play on Charlie Rich's 'Lonely Weekends' but Albert Lee's guitar sounds like
Mark Knopfler on 'Seven More Steps'. Another Prince sideman Jellybean Johnson joins Joe on the
funky 'Uptown To Harlem'—"I'm gonna eat some chicken and some black—eyed peas, some ribs and

some collard greens" and the album finishes with a hard rocking version of the old Arthur Lee and
Love song '7 & 7 Is' that pairs veteran guitarist Arlen Roth with UK Subs singer Charlie Harper. This
is a really interesting record with lots of variety, due to both the many guests taking part but also
because of the diversity of the material, from gut—bucket blues to smooth soul, from uptown funk
to almost country and with original songs and old classics.

Graham Harrison

Johnny Burgin—No Border Blues—Delmark—ASIN:
B084PY9W4J

I once read an article about a Japanese guitarist whose favourite

record was by some 2nd division Chicago blues guitarist and he
decided that he wanted to replicate this album as close as possible
so he got the same guitar and badgered the producer to find out
what amps were used and where the mics were placed and he
even recreated the original cover. I was intrigued — somehow,
blues and Japan just didn't seem to go together but of course
following the American occupation of Japan after WWII the

Japanese would have heard jazz, R&R, R&B etc first hand and obviously some locals would have
adopted these musics and tried their hands at them.