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Howling Wolf and Memphis Minnie - all performed beautifully, and with the stripped down backing
showing just how good this material can be—and how to build up tightly controlled momentum even
when resources are limited.

Totally engaging and convincing. This one does, of course, come recommended.

Norman Darwen
(www.ellesbailey.com)

Duke Robillard—Blues Bash—Stony Plain ASIN : B08HRSB7L7
This new album from Duke is credited to "Duke Robillard and
Friends" - with the friends including amongst others some former

members of Roomful of Blues - Rich Lataille, Greg Piccolo and
Doug James (sax) Jesse Williams and Marty Ballou (bass), Mark
Texiera (drums), Bruce Bears (keyboards), Mark Hummel
(harmonica), Bob Welsh (piano) and Chris Cote and Michelle
Willson (vocals). The album features "50s-style blues and R&B"
that Duke grew up listening to and although this isn't my

favourite style of blues it is very well-played and produced with
tracks like Roy Milton’s 'What Can I Do' really rocking along with
riffing saxes, tinkling piano and pounding drums and with Chris Cote crooning out front.

I did like Al King’s bluesy 'Everybody Ain’t Your Friend' and also Dave Bartholomew’s 'Ain't Gonna

Do It' both featuring Duke on vocals and Michelle Williams adds a bit of variety in the vocal
department singing on the jazzy version of Helen Humes’ 1952 hit 'You Played On My Piano'. As
usual on Duke's albums there are instrumentals - 'Rock Alley' and the cool jazzy 'Just Chillin'' - but
even here, as on the rest of the album, Duke doesn't dominate proceedings with his guitar playing—
everyone gets a turn in the spotlight. If you are a fan of jump blues this record is probably right up
your boulevard with its mix of rocking R&B, jump blues and jazz, including riffing horns and
assured vocals from the guests as well as from Duke himself.

Graham Harrison

Backsliders—Bonecrunch—Rocket Group Pty Ltd ASIN:
B08MJQMW5T

Backsliders are an Australian blues-based band who have been
going for over 30 years, based around their main man, Dom
Turner (slide guitar, multi-instrumentalist, vocals and
songwriting). Joining him here are Rob Hirst, formerly of the
group Midnight Oil (drums, vocals, songwriting) and not one, not
two but three harmonica players - Ian Collard, Broderick Smith

and Joe Glover - who apparently take it in turns to play live gigs
with the band. The minimal lineup of the band aligns them with
bands like the White Stripes and Black Keys and while there is a certain similarity with those bands
the harmonica gives Backsliders a slightly more bluesy sound.