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The album opens with the Howlin’ Wolf song, ‘Poor Boy’ featuring Charlie Musselwhite on

harmonica. Apparently Chess Records asked Nick to write two additional verses for this song
on Howlin’ Wolf’s London Sessions album in 1970 and those verses appear on this recording
too. Next up is ‘Blues Singers’ a cool chilled out blues featuring some nice guitar work from
Jimmy Vivino. ‘Left Hand Soul’ is a soulful slow blues underpinned with some fine piano from
Pete Sears.

‘BlackBerry Jam’ has a Dixieland jazz feel to it thanks to the clarinet and sousaphone. ‘Blues
Back Off Me’ opens with a touch of slide guitar and drives along nicely thanks to some more
great harp work from Charlie Musselwhite. ‘Brown Paper Bag’ has more of a Zeydeco feel about
it with the addition of accordion and mandolin. The album closes with ‘What Time Is It’ a blues
ballad with some pedal steel guitar giving it a touch of Americana.

Despite his years Nick’s voice holds up really well. It sounds lived in and true to the blues and
works so well with these songs. There is a touch of laconic humour in these songs that reflect
his lyrical style and add that little something to this album. Pete Sears provides some great
rolling blues piano throughout and overall the sound is tight yet laid back.

There is a great blues vibe and authenticity to this album and it seems to capture that old

timeless Chicago blues style we all know so well. True blues fans will love this album as it’s just
so right, please give it a spin.

Ged Wilson

Johnny Mars and the Cold Heart Revue—The River Is
Long—Independent Release

Johnny Mars and the The Cold Heart Revue are both well
known on the British Blues circuit and beyond having trod-
den different paths before hooking up to produce their sec-
ond album together, “ The River Is Long”.

Johnny Mars hails from South Carolina but is now resident
here in the UK. Having performed with some of the blues
greats over the years he is a well respected harmonica legend
of the blues world. David Robinson AKA The Cold Heart Re-
vue is based in Portsmouth UK and despite being so much younger than Johnny is nonetheless
well known on the British blues circuit not only for his live performances but his radio and
journalist talents too.

The album opens with a nice gentle blues vibe on ‘A Room Mister’ and I love the way they
double up vocals together on ‘I Read My Love To You’. ‘I Can’t Buy Harmonicas’ is a fun upbeat
blues whilst by contrast ‘Ring Ring Ring’ is a gospel a-cappella tune. There is some really natty

country guitar picking blues to be had on ‘Ready To Explore’ and some really nice slide guitar
on the laid back blues ‘I Need A Dog’ with lyrics that I’m sure will make you smile!

The title track ‘The River Is Long’ is a gentle flowing (pardon the pun) blues ballad whilst ‘The
Rest Of The World’ has a more pop feel to it, I really like this one. ‘I Made Flames Appear On