Page 62 - BiTS_10_OCTOBER_2025_Neat

them doing structured catchy songs as well as also cutting loose - jam band fashion. The band
are touring the UK in November and I’m looking forward to seeing them in Gloucester.
Graham Harrison

Rory Block—Heavy on the Blues—Must Have Music ASIN :
B0FHK82P7H

Rory Block is perhaps most associated with versions of classic
country blues but this new album opens with a nice version of
Tommy Tucker’s 1963 Chicago blues ‘High Heeled Sneakers’
with her rhythm and slide guitars – not totally revolutionary as
Jo Ann Kelly also included the song in her solo repertoire in the
1970s. Next, we have Little Milton’s ‘Walking the Back Streets’
another electric blues with additional lead guitar from Ronnie
Earl but all these songs are delivered in Rory’s own style
complete with her vocals, guitars, bass and drum programming.
We get two songs from Buddy Guy ‘What Kind of Woman is This?’ (with Jimmy Vivino on guitar)
and ‘Stay Around a Little Longer’ (originally a duo with BB King). We also get a very individual
version of Hendrix’s ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ which includes subtle guitar from Joanna Connor.
We do get one original song - ‘Can’t Quit That Stuff’ - inspired by a conversation Rory had with
Howlin’ Wolf’s guitarist Hubert Sumlin.

However, Rory hasn’t totally abandoned her usual material, ‘Hold to His Hand’ is a traditional
gospel song with her own choir-like multi- layered vocals (although I wasn’t too keen on the
‘drums’ here). We also get two lovely classic country blues in Charley Patton’s ‘Down the Dirt
Road Blues’ and Willie Brown’s ‘Mississippi Blues’ and of course Memphis Minnie’s ‘Me and My
Chauffeur’ is right in Rory’s wheelhouse. I do wonder if the album should have included all
versions of electric songs but in actual fact you’d be hard pressed to tell which are country blues
and which are electric originals because Rory transforms them all into her own style

Graham Harrison

Mike Henderson—Lastnite At The Bluebird Live!—Qualified
Records

Michael James Henderson, died on the 22nd of September 2023

aged seventy. He was born in Independence, Missouri in 1953.
In 1981, he became a founding member of The Bel Airs. In 1985
he moved to Nashville and joined The Kingsnakes. Their
residency at the Bluebird Cafe began in July 1986, renamed
Snakes, and a debut album followed. In 1988, The Fabulous

Thunderbirds recorded ‘Powerful Stuff’, a song Henderson had
written for The Snakes. As well as performing with The Steel
Drivers he wrote for such artists as the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Gary Allan and Patty
Loveless and has worked with the likes of Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Joy Lynn White and Kelly
Willis.

Here, Mike on vocals and guitar is joined by Kevin McKendree; piano, Steve Mackey; Bass and
Pat O’Connor on drums. Prior to launching into a seriously rip, roaring piano led ‘Matchbox’,

Mike has a warming preamble with the audience, leading to the dramatic pairing of furious
guitar and slow burning, smoking piano on ‘Weepin’ & Moanin’’.