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take a listen to ‘At The Candlelight Room’, written as a homage to a former Portland blues venue,
or the not for airplay and rather humorous ‘Blues Men In Black’ (so that’s why the Blues Brothers
took off – literally maybe!), and the New Orleans flavoured ‘Red Heads, Hair Dressers, And
Chicks Named Tiffany’

Fine swinging blues and the blues/ soul ballad ‘You’re Not My Baby’ ensure that this is a very
listenable release. I certainly look forward to hearing more from these guys.

Norman Darwen

Mark Cameron—Nasty Business—Blues Heart BHR 048
(www.markcameronmusic.net)

Minnesota-based lead vocalist, guitarist and bandleader Mark
Cameron has a strong sound on his Blue Heart debut release. He
has been a recording artist since the 80s, and he is backed here
by his regular five-piece band and several guests, creating a big
sound that is very firmly rooted in the blues.

There are straight blues numbers like ‘What’s For Supper’ with
its wailing harp in support (played, as on other numbers, by band
member Rick Miller). ‘Language Of The Blues’ is a big and brassy

swinger, ‘Everything’ has something of an early 70s Rolling Stones feel in the beat arrangement,
and attitude, and ‘Nick’s Place’ is a recitation over a solid blues backing.

The great Teresa James duets on the aptly named, subtly Latin-tinged blues of ‘Combination’,
before the album moves towards its close with the acoustic slide guitar and harp accompanied
folky Mississippi-flavoured blues of ‘Life Is Good’. The final track is a slinky amalgam of blues
and funk; it is difficult to categorise otherwise, but it is certainly listenable, as is the entire
album, to be honest.

Norman Darwen

Sunnysiders—27 Stitches— Dancing Bear
(www.sunnysiders.com)

This group had just finished their previous album, their fourth,
the well-received “The Bridges” when Covid struck. Three years
on, this follow-up finds the now five piece outfit still playing a
wide variety of blues and rock styles, but several items are
certainly in a blues-rock bag.

These guys are from Croatia but all twelve songs are in English,
sung mainly by female vocalist Antonija Vrgoč Rola and har-
monica and bass player Boris Hrepić Hrepa. Some, like ‘Love You At All’ are folky, whilst a track

like ‘Devil’s Loan’ has just a tinge of a country feel – kind of a mutated version of ‘Ghost Riders
In The Sky’ with a stomping Eastern European beat and some blues guitar playing! The closing
‘Highway To Blues’ has a big sounding 70s style arrangement and some soaring electric guitar
work.

Elsewhere they can be punky with a Nine Below Zero feel (‘Love Remote’), and is sung by guest
Davorin Bogović. Then there is the beautifully paced, redemptive ‘You Can’t Use Your Friend’,
a blend of blues and melodic rock on ‘Weekend Cigarette’, the psychedelic, Cream-tinged ‘Who
Stole The Rainbow’ and the dark title track, which makes me think of Tom Waits.