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Southern Fried Groove Queens—That’s Where The
Blues Begins—Blues South West
The Southern Fried Blues Queens (SFGQ) are a duo from
south-West England. The duo is Lee Hall. Guitar/
Vocals/Harmonica & drummer Lucy Piper. Lucy is the
daughter of the late Julian Piper, who was an outstanding
guitar player and founder of Blues South West, an
orgnisation which brought to the UK a wide range of
remarkable blues men and women.

Both Lee and Lucy are lovers of the Mississippi Hill Country
music of RL Burnside and his descendants, a genre that
looms large in the music of SFGQ.
This is their first album (EP) although two of the tracks have been released as singles, ‘Rattle
Down’ and ‘Poor Black Mattie’, the latter is a great example of the SFGQ’s take on a Burnside
classic and a fine job it is too.

The key track IMHO is, ‘That’s When the Blues Begins’ a blues written and recorded by Julian
Piper. This is an excellent song and here is revisited and adapted in to a wonderful version:
a kind of tribute.
This s a delightful EP, well worth acquiring and by the way, the production is excellent!

Ian K McKenzie

Voodoo Ramble—In The Heart Of The City—Voodoo
Ramble
Oh My. Oh My! What cracker this one is! Chuck Berry’s
song ‘Rock and Roll Music’ feted the need for “…a backbeat,
you can’t loose it” and a back beat you have got here in
spades.

The Croatia based blues/rock band features Boris Zamba
with special guests on this album Muddy Manninen
(Wishbone Ash), British blues legends Mick Pini & Marcus
Flynn (The Guitar Legends/ 10cc/ Mike & The
Mechanics/Fun Lovin Criminals). This is their 4th album.
The core of the band is Nino Krznar on bass guitar, Mario
Klaric, drums and Sinisa Drobnjak, guitar.
A good whack of the songs are co-written by Boris Zamba and Brit., Pete Feenstra and they
are outstanding. Guest, Brit Mick Pini delivers ‘I’m a Blues Man Baby’, a kind of boogie shuffle
which is pure FUN. A delight.

Above all, the whole album is like a paean to classic rock and roll and for me, an absolute
delight to listen to.
Ian K McKenzie