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Reverend Shawn Amos, and the Grammy nominated G. Love.

This is a fine collection of numbers. The opener is the previously unreleased enticing
harmonica led slow country Blues, ‘Green and Brown Blues’. He combines blues
standards in amongst cool, crisp, punchy numbers such as ‘A Day Late and A Dollar
Short’ and ‘Chevrolet’; a 1930’s based Memphis Minnie song, adapted by Lonnie
and Ed Young in 1959. He goes to town on the seriously searing, slow burn, ‘Yer,
Blues’, by The Beatles.

The stark compelling nature of numbers such as; Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 ‘Ode To
Billie Joe’, Robert Johnson’s ‘Come On In My Kitchen’ and ‘Hellhound On My Trail’
subtly draw you in, as does Blind Lemon Jefferson’s 1927 based ‘I Know You Rider’.
These, amply display his understanding of how to tell a musical story.

He lets rip on R.L. Burnside’s seriously toe-tapping Hill Country sounding ‘I Wish I
Was in Heaven’. He also pleasantly turns Muddy Waters’ ‘I Can’t Be Satisfied’ into a
boisterous rocking foot-tapper.

The joyful, rollicking ‘Roll and Tumble Blues’ was originally written by Hambone
Willie Newbern in 1929 and recorded by Robert Johnson in 1936 under the title
‘If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day’, it was also recorded by Muddy Waters in
1950.

Highly Recommended!

Brian Harman

Samantha Fish—Paper Doll—Rounder Records
ASIN :B0DXFB6FLL

Kansas City’s Samantha Fish started out singing and
playing guitar in her teens and now in her thirties
you can hear that experience, honed by touring with
acts like Slash and The Rolling Stones. She recorded
this album with her road band - Mickey Finn
(keyboards), Ron Johnson (bass) and Jamie Douglass
(bass) – and she certainly sounds completely at
ease – listen to opener ‘I’m Done Runnin’’ where
both her vocals and guitar playing are top notch.
‘Can Ya Handle the Heart’ is built on a catchy, bluesy
guitar riff with pounding drums and Samantha
howling out the vocals and ‘Sweet Southern Sounds’ drops the tempo but I really
liked its melodic drive, swelling organ and the way the track builds with Sam
delivering a blistering guitar solo that you feel could have gone on a lot longer!

‘Off in the Blue’ is a country-ish ballad with Samantha’s singing being charmingly
delicate, while ‘Fortune Teller’ (not the Benny Spellman song) is also a ballad but
this time a loping, moody song with Sam snarling her vocals in an almost menacing
way. Detroit’s Mick Collins helps out on ‘Rusty Razor’ a modern almost rap-sounding
number with a tricksy guitar solo but the title track is back to blues rock with some
interesting unison vocal/guitar passages and a couple of BIG guitar solos. And we
check out with ‘Don’t Say It’, a blues ballad with tasteful lead guitar – probably the
most traditional blues track here. This is definitely a blues rock album and while