Page 47 - BiTS_07_JULY_2022

Eric Hughes—Echo Hills—Self ASIN B082L68F31

Eric Hughes was born and raised in Memphis where he still
lives and performs on Beale Street several nights a week
either solo, as part of a duo or fronting his own band. This solo
record was recorded in 2019 in Bookholzberg, Germany for

Blind Lemon Records and features acoustic versions of songs
from Eric's repertoire. We kick off with the old blues 'Who's
Loving You Tonight' ('That's All Right') then Eric does his own
song 'Volkswagen Blues' an amusing song telling of his time
after leaving the marines. The album alternates between
Eric's versions of old blues like W.C. Handy's 'Mr. Crump's Blues' and Robert Johnson's ' 32-20
Blues' and his own songs like the melodic, poignant 'Meet Me in Memphis' and the less

salubrious 'Roll a Fatty for Your Daddy'. 'Furry's Gravesite Blues' is a nice song about visiting
the site of the old bluesman's grave but Eric also turns his hand to more modern Memphis
music with a version of Al Green's 'Take Me to the River'. Eric sings and plays guitar well but I
just felt there was something missing here to take this up a gear but I did like Eric's ability to
write his own songs in the style of old blues tunes.

Graham Harrison

Sass Jordan—Bitches Blues—Stony Plain ASIN
B09VXSXYG9

Canadian rock singer Sass Jordan had to be persuaded by her
record company and her husband to record her previous

album of blues classics 2020's 'Rebel Moon Blues' - she must
have been pleased with the results and the reactions to it
because now she's back with another blues album. Once again
it's produced by her husband Derek Sharp with a band of
Jesse O’Brien (keyboards), Chris Caddell and Jimmy Reid
(guitars), Steve Marriner (bass and harmonica) and Cassius

Pereira (drums) and it features five blues classics and three original songs. We blast off with
the Rick Derringer (Johnny Winter) song 'Still Alive and Well' then it’s the oft-covered
(Donovan, Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks et al) old blues 'Chevrolet' complete with Mr. Marriner's
blues harp, with the original song 'Even' being Sass singing over O’Brien's boogie piano.

'Still The World Goes Round' is another original song with nice slide guitar, and more slide on
Fred McDowell’s 'You Gotta Move' and also on Little Feat's 'Sailin' Shoes', which features
annoying bar room background sounds and Sass's slurred vocal delivery (!?). ‘Ain’t No Big Deal

On You’ is a Little Milton song with fiery lead guitar and we bow out with the third original
song 'Change is Coming' a moody, slightly psychedelic blues ballad. I'm afraid that I don't think
that this album is as good as 'Rebel Moon Blues' - despite having great playing throughout by
the band - I just don't think it captures the moment like its predecessor and I didn't think that
Sass's vocals were as good sometimes sounding a bit strained.

Graham Harrison