Page 55 - BiTS_09_SEPTEMBER_2025

‘Angels and Demons’ is a soulful ballad and ‘The Way It Goes with Love’ is a moody
slow blues reminiscent of Gary Moore. ‘A Day in the Life of a Broken Man’ is a lovely

semi-acoustic melodic song that reminded me of another northeast singer/guitarist
– Mark Knopfler.

Mitch is joined here by long-time bandmates Rhian Wilkinson (bass) and Matt

Connor (drums) and although ‘Sugar Man’ is essentially another slow blues it is also
so much more, with influences from jazz and modern R&B and the instrumental
‘Hinode’ carries on those influences in a very impressive track that really highlights

Mitch’s guitar playing.

‘Faith’ is another nod to modern R&B, a laid-back song with nice breathy brass and
Mitch’s soulful vocals and the closing ‘Worth the Fall’ is an acoustic song with just

Mitch’s voice and acoustic guitar. This album isn’t quite as bluesy as some of Mitch’s
other records but it does show his and the band’s versatility and will probably appeal
to a wider audience.

Graham Harrison

Devon Allman – The Blues Summit - Ruf 1328

Devon Allman is of course the son of Gregg
Allman, one of southern rock’s greatest icons; he
has made some very bluesy music in the past and

this album is more or less a straight blues set.
Listen to the opening, moody groove of ‘Runners
In The Night’ with Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram

supplying fine lead guitar lines, or the wailing
blues-rock of ‘Blues Is A Feeling’ with the veteran
Jimmy Hall on vocals and harp – the latter also

contributes a more than worthy ‘Wang Dang
Doodle’.
As the astute may have realised, on this set Devon has enlisted some illustrious

guests, and features them quite heavily. Robert Randolph’s sacred steel guitar
playing is strongly in evidence on the timely hand-clapper ‘Peace To The World’,
and Larry McCray takes both lead vocal and guitar on the Stax-tinged number, ‘Hands

And Knees’. Larry also supplied the funky ‘Get Greasy With It’, whilst in a strong
contrast, New Orleans singer Sierra Green provides the lovely vocal on the smooth

soul ballad, ‘Real Love’.
Devon himself shines on the fine rocker (with some soul tinges) ‘After You’, a fine
rocker, a strong and worthwhile cover of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’, and the closing,
somewhat er, eerie instrumental, ‘Midnight Lake Erie’. There is a real lack of ego to