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Ian Siegal Meets Johnny Mastro—Easy Tiger—
Continental Blue Heaven

(www.continentalrecordservices.bandcamp.com)

Ian often dips into Americana these days, but the
English singer, guitarist and songwriter mostly sticks
solidly to the blues on this new set. It helps I guess that

he has known blues harp blaster Johnny Mastro since
they were both on the Nugene label. But that didn’t
quite prepare me for this raw, rocking gutbucket blues

set.

The opening track does do just that nicely though, a crazy up tempo romp with
paint-stripping harp and a take-no-prisoners band (Mastro’s), recorded in Johnny’s

home-base of New Orleans. There’s some early Howling Wolf styled blues – ‘Dog
Won’t Hurt’ has that raw (a word I could use a lot in this review) early 50s Memphis
style – and a great vocal by Ian (he handles the bulk of the singing). There’s lots of

raw, distorted vocals, guitar and harp-work on most tracks.

The tracks are mostly originals, though a fine version of Earl King’s ‘Baby You Can
Get Your Gun’ from 1955 nods to the recording location. The only other borrowed

song is ‘I Won’t Cry No More’, drawing attention to the song’s composer, the cult
figure Carlos Guitarlos (and to Howling Wolf, whose style it is in).

So, it’s simple really. If you like your blues down-home, rocking and dirty, this is for

you!
Norman Darwen

Eva Carboni—Blues Siren—Mad Ears MEPCD024

(www.evacarboni.com)

Singer Eva was born in Sardinia, studied in Los

Angeles, and records for UK label Mad Ears. She also
knows a thing or two about singing the blues – there
are numerous CDs to prove it too.

This latest release is her third studio album and finds
her adding rock and jazz elements to her blues. She is
supported by top-notch musicians such as acclaimed
and in-demand sometime session guitarist Mick

Simpson, with whom she has recorded previously, and the result is certainly worth
hearing.

The opener ‘Walking A Tightrope’ with its gutsy guitar riff and subtle organ backing

Eva’s strong blues-rock vocal, and the following slow blues of ‘Slow Road To
Redemption’, with its shades of Gary Moore, set the scene for this rather tasty set.