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Peter Veteska & Blues Train Grass Ain’t Greener On The Other

Side Independent

Manhattan born guitarist Peter formed The Peter V Blues Train in
the latter part of 2013 and the band released their debut album in
2015. They subsequently released a further three Jazz and Funk
influenced albums. In 2016 the band was inducted into The New
York Blues Hall Of Fame. For their fifth album Peter got together
with the band’s drummer Alex D’Agnese and bass player Coo Moe
Jhee. In 2019, they enlisted the keyboard talents of Jeff Levine
and together, as the renamed Peter Veteska & Blues Train, they
have produced an album of 10 blues originals and covers.

The fierce rocking opener ‘Am I Wrong Pretty Lady’ is a serious statement of intent. Peter’s
muscular vocals and guitar are solidly backed with powerhouse drum work and a scorching,
strident B3, while alongside, Mikey Jr. delivers a fiercely raw harmonica. A splendid roaring Texas
blues shuffle nicely reworks the Dinah Washington and Brooke Benton number, ‘Baby You Got
What It Takes’. Here, Jen Barnes duets with Peter and together they really do stomp the
floorboards loose. The splendid slow, swinging, acoustic driven, ‘I’ve Been Missing You’ is
complemented by Mikey Jr.’s sweetly ambling and reassuring harmonica. A fierce stabbing B3
satisfyingly underpins Ray Charles’s ‘Heartbreaker’, while the engaging vocals and guitar of Roger
Girke nicely interweave with Peter’s own playing on this enjoyable toe-tapper. The dance number

‘Running Like A Dog’ is an enjoyably fierce dual and duelling piece between Jeff’s heavy, searing
and popping B3 and Peter’s electrifyingly roasting Stratocaster. The title number ‘Grass Ain’t
Greener On The Other Side’ is a funky, grooving mixture of fiercely piercing, singeing B3 and raw,
rocking, slightly psychedelic wah-wah guitar over which, Peter’s equally raw vocals enjoyably tear
up the air.

Greatly endorsed!

Brian Harman.

Malaya Blue—Still—Blue Heart Records BHR OO4

Although originally born in Kent, England, Malaya now resides in
Norfolk, England. She released her critically acclaimed debut
album ‘Bourbon Street’ in 2015; this was followed with the album
‘Heartsick’ in 2016. Since then Malaya has been back to college to

study and gain a degree in music technology. That has enabled
her to use digital software to put her musical ideas together.
During the making of this album, Malaya worked with Dennis
Walker, Brett Lucas and Richard Cousins but for various reasons
her collaborations with Dennis Walker were conducted on Skype

and by working together online. This culminated in Malaya and Dennis sharing the producing
credits for this new album. While Malaya provides lead vocals, the musicians backing her at
Ashwood Recording Studios in Norwich are Nat Martin, guitar; Stevie Watts, keyboards; Mike
Horne, drums and Eddie Masters, bass. Of the 12 original soul-imbued blues numbers on the album,
Dennis co-wrote six with Malaya.

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