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Sunjay—Black and Blues Revisited—Mighty Tight Records

Mostly straight forward acoustic blues, this is Sunjay’s follow up
to his album “Black and Blues” and it is delightful.

Set up as a kind of follow up to the earlier album, the CD features
(mostly) a small band; drummer (and occasional bassist!) Josh

Clarke (Kate Rusby), bassist Josh Jewsbury (Eve Selis), Bob
Fridzema on keys (King King, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Walter Trout),
and harmonica player Lee Southall (Voodoo Blue). The
arrangements are well though out and the band gels nicely.

For this album Sunjay is in a revivalist mood. There is little that is completely original here and
although some of the music is marred by poor diction, it is without exception fun. It is easy to
see why Sunjay is a popular live performer. His guitar work is strong and very ‘in the groove’.
There is a delightful version of Mississippi John Hurt’s ‘Monday Morning Blues’ with the
wonderful delayed lyrics and a nice version of the folky ‘Libba’ Cotton, ‘Freight Train’. One
surprise is a song called ‘Easy Blues’ after a Jelly Roll Morton piano piece called ‘Jelly Roll Blues’;
the surprise comes from the way Sunjay sounds so much like the Taj Mahal of yesteryear. He
sounds like Taj on ‘Dust My Broom’ too. Not a bad thing at all.

Sunjay Edward Brain is only 29 years old. He has a long, long way to go and and if he keeps this
up he will be a British Blues Superstar ‘ere long.

Ian K McKenzie

Robert Hill & Joanne Lediger—Revelation—Self

In the UK we have limited enthusiasm for open displays of
religiosity. That is a great shame as some of the music embedded
in the genre is stunning in its complexity and musicality.
“Revelation” is a contemporary take on the traditional genre of
Gospel Blues. With eleven tracks total the album has seven newly
imagined ‘traditional’ gospel pieces, and four new tracks, penned
by Robert Hill. The album is replete with award-winning
songwriting, Hill’s searing slide guitar, and the exceptional vocal
talents of Robert, Joanne Lediger and Robert’s daughter Paulina
Hill.

Supported by Frank Pagano: drums & percussion, Steve Gelfand: bass and Ed Alstrom: B3 on
‘Pay One Way or Another’. We are given music emanating from Blind Willie Johnson, Fred
McDowell, Tom Waites all imbued with fiery musicianship and wonderful skills. I have been to
churches in the USA at which his type of music is commonplace. It’s a great shame that the
‘gospel’ label attached to music frightens some British folks away…. Or does it?

Check this one out. You won’t regret it!

Ian K McKenzie