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Sloe Train Eclectic Blues Own label

Sloe Train is a five piece band from Swindon & Oxford, that I have
not heard before. The first thing that struck me about this CD is
the beautiful tone Jerome Braud produces on the guitar. It reminds
me a lot of the kind of sound that Peter Green produced in the
early days of Fleetwood Mac. But he is not stuck in a rut, being

capable or taking his music to new places.

The band members working with Jason are Chris Burrows
providing a solid and inventive keyboards presence and Peter
Carlisle, providing powerful vocals, Chris McCormack providing some excellent drum work and

Tony Ecclestone, bass who fills the bottom-end with rhythmic and melodic bass lines. The band
mesh like they have been playing together for forty years.

The album is excellently recorded and mixed. Take for example Big Black Cloud, a walking pace
Chicago style blues in which you can hear every note of every instrument all the time. Try also Gone
Too Soon, a Caribbean melody reminding me a bit of Bob Marley and with some harmony choruses
from the band. Delightful.

Chris Burrows comes to the fore in Here To Stay with backing to Peter Carlisle’s vocal, a rather
nice love song in the Whiter Shade of Pale mould, once again with a lovely sounding guitar break.
Family Man is built around some funky chords and comes with some really clever lyrics. Twelve
songs here, all of the same high quality. Check it out, you will not regret it.

Ian K McKenzie

Various Artists - Holy Grail - Holy Grail
https://www.holygrailvintagerootsguitars.com/cd

Steve Chilvers is a self taught luthier with a background in cabinet

making. See the interview on page 16, for more information. He
always had a big interest in blues and roots music and vintage
guitars. Over the years, many of the guitars he made, from one
string cigar box, to beautifully finished, full size resonators, fell
into the hands of top flight musicians. Steve had the brilliant idea

of putting some of them on a CD and this is the result. The cast
list consists of Steve Chilvers himself, Mudlow, Paul-Ronney
Angel, Hollowbelly and from Sweden, Bottle Neck John. Other artists include Keni Lee Burgess &
Bill Helferich, Dollar Bill, M.T. Blues, Rail Spikes, Jonney Boxcars, Chilly Cool Kev, The Phillbilly,
and from the USA, blues super star, Eric Bibb and blues royalty Cedric Burnside.

Unfortunately there is not sufficient space to say something about all these tracks, save that if you

are a fan of roots music, played and sung with skill and panache, this is a must for you. IMHO
outstanding tracks are Further On Down The Road, by Mudlow, great guitar work and a laid back
vocal; Too Bad You Had to Leave, by Bottleneck John and the outstanding contribution by Eric Bibb