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Mr. Bonamassa. The closing song ‘When Will I Let Her Go’ is the only original here and is once
again in the soul blues groove complete with brass, strings and backing singers. This is a fine
album and made even better by the fact that some of the profits go to charitable causes.

Graham Harrison

Connor Selby—Connor Selby—Provogue ASIN:B0BNW1H17S

Connor Selby’s eponymous album was originally self-released in
2021 and has now been re-released with four new tracks. Connor
was brought up in the USA and the UAE and at the age of 13 he
went to Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Festival where he was
inspired by Clapton himself and also the likes of BB King and
Buddy Guy. ‘I Can’t Let You Go’ is a fine start - a laid back blues
ballad with Hammond organ and subdued brass with Connor’s
assured vocals and guitar, ‘Falling in Love Again’ ups the pace and
‘If You’re Gonna Leave Me’ is a classy slow blues.

Connor’s style is based in the blues but there are obviously other influences – ‘Emily’ is more
rocky, ‘Hear My Prayer’ has a country lilt, ‘Show Me a Sign’ is classic soul, ‘Anyhow’ is gospel,
‘Waiting on the Day’ and ‘Starting Again’ are jazzy – but all sound great and are delivered with
great skill – both from Connor himself and also the band.

The new songs are ‘I Shouldn’t Care’ and ‘Love Letter to the Blues’ - both slow blues with the
former having biting lead guitar and the latter being more laid-back but also having delicious
guitar. ‘My Baby Don’t Dig Me’ is a classy cover of an old Ray Charles song and we check out with
‘The Deep End’ a jazzy song with lovely Hammond it’s reminiscent of Mose Allison or perhaps
Georgie Fame. I was very impressed by this album – the original songs are really good and Connor
sounds so much older and experienced than he actually is, full marks also to the band and the
production. I can’t wait to see him at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in April.

Graham Harrison

Guy Tortora—Anywhere But Here—Turtledove
ASIN:B0BSLSM4NB

The category ‘Americana’ could almost have been invented for
Guy Tortora the California-born but for many years UK-based
singer guitarist. Although he has often covered blues songs over
the years and while he is both a fine picker and slide guitarist – as
well as harmonica player – his songs have always seemed a bit too
melodic and sophisticated to me for straight blues. Opener ‘Deep
Tide, Deep Water’ features his bluesy slide guitar along with piano
(Janos Bajtala) and the laid-back ‘Withered on the Vine’ reminded
me of JJ Cale with some nice lead guitar. ‘The Stranger’ is a story
song that features more slide guitar, this time processed to sound quite ethereal and ‘The Pearl’
reminded me of a Bob Dylan song with its swelling organ and electric slide, while ‘Go Back Home’

is a slow, menacing blues – again with hints of Dylan.

‘New Speedway Boogie’ is a cover of The Grateful Dead song from Workingman’s Dead and Guy
also does a lovely, relaxed, loping cover of the Drifters’ ‘Under the Boardwalk’ complete with
superb accordion. Apart from these two covers all the rest are original songs - ‘Flower Street’ is
a poignant ballad with excellent electric lead guitar, ‘Koffeville’ is a light-hearted song over guitar