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John Nemeth—Live from the Fallout Shelter—Nola Blue ASIN
:B0BHXFG9HT
This album was recorded on John’s 2022 tour at the Fallout Shelter
in Norwood, MA with his band the Blue Dreamers, it was John’s
first tour following the pandemic. The band are Jad Tariq and Jon
Hay (guitars), Matthew Wilson (drums) and Max Kaplan (bass)
with John on vocals and harmonica and all the band contributing
backup vocals. The first three tracks are from John’s 2020 album
‘Stronger than Strong’ with John throwing in a fine harp solo on
‘Work for Love’, while ‘Testify My Love’ (from his “Memphis
Grease” album) has an acoustic vibe with the band doing 50s-style doo-wop backing vocals
behind John’s impassioned lead vocals and ‘Elbows on the Wheel’ from the same album has a
slight country vibe. ‘Deprivin’ a Love’ and ‘I Can See Your Love Light Shine’ are also from ‘Stronger
Than Strong’ with the former being a driving blues with churning guitars and a chugging rhythm
section plus John’s great harp solo complete with blow bends and the latter having an almost
reggae groove and an infectious chorus.
The explosive ‘My Baby’s Gone’ is also from “Memphis Grease” but the dramatic ‘Feelin’ Freaky’
is the title track of John’s 2017 album, also the source of the funky ‘Get Offa Dat Butt’. We go
back to 2009 for ‘Country Boy’ from the album ‘Love Me Tonight’ and we finish with ‘Fountain
of a Man’ another track from ‘Stronger than Strong’. John is excellent throughout with his very
soulful vocals and his concise but memorable harmonica playing and the band also play their
part in backing him up sympathetically. The guitars sound great but don’t overpower John while
driving each song along, ditto the subtle but effective rhythm section, and Philadelphia-born Jon
Hay at just 23 has a remarkable feel for authentic blues guitar styles.
Graham Harrison
Marc Broussard—SOS 4: Blues for your Soul—Keeping The
Blues Alive Records ASIN : B0BRQJQNG5
Marc Broussard’s new album is volume 4 of his SOS (Save Our
Soul) series of fundraising releases, in this case benefiting both
the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation and Guitars Over Guns.
It appears on Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive Records
with Joe and Josh Smith producing and also playing guitar, along
with Eric Krasno, Roddie Romero and Bobby Schneck Jr. The
opening track is a moody take on Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland’s ‘I’ve Got
to Use My Imagination’ and in a similar soul blues vein is Lou
Rawls’ ‘I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water’ – based on the Johnnie
Taylor version and featuring Josh Smith on lead guitar. Little Milton’s ‘That’s What Love Can
Make You Do’ and Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s ‘Cuttin’ In’ (with red hot lead guitar from Roddie
Romero) are similar with lots of Hammond organ and brass and with ‘Dreamer’ we are back to
another Bobby Bland song.
However, ‘Empire State Express’ is a country blues by Son House but done here as a modern
jacked-up trance blues in the style of The White Stripes or The Black Keys and Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘I
Asked for Water’ is more low-down blues with J.J. Grey on slide guitar and Dennis Gruenling on
chromatic harp and with Marc channeling Wolf’s voice to great effect. There is more straight
blues with John Lee Hooker’s ‘Locked Up In Jail’ and also a version of Junior Parker’s ‘Drivin’
Wheel’ (originally written by Roosevelt Sykes) with the latter featuring a biting guitar solo from
