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his spot-on Albert King and BB King licks. Good lyrics too, to complete a rather tasty release.

Norman Darwen
www.brigittepurdy.net

Dave Thomas—One More Mile—Blonde On Blonde

Dave Thomas is based in Norfolk and many readers will be aware
of him as one of the country’s great champions of the blues,

working as the leader of the house band with many fairly obscure
African-American blues artists for the much-missed “Shake Down
Blues” gigs. He has even appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival.

Dave sings well throughout and plays mostly guitar, with
occasional blues harp too (Dave has often worked with US harp
veteran Wallace Coleman). The first four tracks are masterpieces

of modern electric blues, with the opening cover of BB King’s ‘It’s My Own Fault’ an outstanding
performance guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any true blues lover. These tracks also
feature wonderful horns by the sax and trumpet players from US bluesman Travis Haddix’s band.

Then follow three mellower, folk-based songs recorded in Ireland, moving away from strict blues

performances but offering a fine change of pace and approach, before Dave edges towards blues-
rock with the final three tracks, accompanied by Ken Pustelnik’s Groundhogs. Dave and these blues
boom veterans offer the unapologetic sound of UK blues-rock, even tending a little towards
psychedelic blues on the closing ‘Strange Town’.

So, a richly varied album, a fine, rounded portrait of a top UK blues musician. Check it out.

Norman Darwen
(www.davethomasblues.uk)

Elles Bailey - Ain’t Nothing But (Outlaw Music)

Elles Bailey is one of those rare few performers on the UK blues
scene equally as popular with the Americana audience and she
even turns her hand successfully to country at times. The COVID-
19 pandemic meant that, as for many others, there were no live
gigs. Instead, singer Elles, plus guitarists Joe Wilkins and Phil
King and bassist Joe James (with all three on backing vocals) live

streamed a series of shows under the general title of “Ain’t
Nothing But”, each with a designated theme. The music was, as
Elles puts it, “Stripped back and bare to the bone”.

The two shows contained here focussed on “Lyrics” and “The Blues”; the former includes material
by the likes of John Prine, Elton John, Paul Simon and others, providing a snapshot of just how good

this material can sound in this setting. “The Blues” offers us material by Bonnie Raitt (Chris
Smither’s ‘Love Me Like A Man’’), Leadbelly, Tom Waits, Bo Diddley, Bobby Bland, Ben Harper,