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Cincinnati's King Records. Opener 'Love And Friendship' (originally done by Jimmy Witherspoon)

has the gentle charm of Domino and the title track reminded me of a slow blues by 'The
Honeydripper' Rosevelt Sykes, while 'That’s the Meal' sounded to me like Muddy's 'What's the
Matter with the Mill'.

The rollicking 'I Can’t Stop It' is a joyous jump blues by Joe Liggins with the band joining in on the
call-and-response vocals and 'Please Let Me Get One Word In' is a lovely restrained blues ballad
with a surprising slide guitar solo. Father Aron is also featured on the instrumental 'Crown Jewel'

and 'Christmas Rain' is an unusual slow blues Christmas song in the style of Charles Brown's
'Merry Christmas Baby'. Although this is most definitely a blues album many of the songs do
feature humour - as in 'Her Older Brother'—and the record closes with a comment on the recent
pandemic in 'I’m Your Essential Worker'. I thought that this was a great piece of work with Ben
and the band really capturing that King Records vibe. I'm no piano expert but I love Ben's style

which isn't super stylised and retains a bit of that 'rough around the edges' quality that a lot of the
old time piano plonkers had.

Graham Harrison

Buffalo Nichols —Buffalo Nichols—Fat Possum ASIN :
B09BGHW6HJ

Buffalo Nichols was born in Texas and raised in Milwaukee and

this is his debut release on the Fat Possum label, most of the
songs are delivered over acoustic and semi-acoustic guitar with
minimal backing, often just accompanying percussion. Opening
songs 'Lost & Lonesome' and 'Living Hell' are bluesy without
actually having the 12-bar structure and somehow the lyrics just
put a more modern twist on the genre. 'Sick Bed Blues' is an
actual blues with nice slide guitar and the melodic 'These Things'

has a poignant fiddle joining the guitar, while 'How to Love' and
'Another Man' are both country blues with just guitar and percussion. The final two tracks have a
more electric band sound with 'Sorry It Was You' also adding organ. I found this an interesting
album although lacking any real stand out songs, Mr. Nichols is a talented singer, guitarist and
song writer and I'll certainly keep an eye out for what he does in future.

Graham Harrison

Sue Foley—Pinky's Blues—Stony Plain ASIN : B09B1M3CT1

There have been some very good blues album releases recently by
women including Joanne Shaw Taylor, Carolyn Wonderland and
Lindsay Beaver and Sue’s own last release 2018's ‘The Ice Queen’
was an absolute cracker. This latest one was recorded live in

2020 in a large socially distanced room at Fire Station Studios in
San Marcos, Texas with Sue’s boyfriend Mike Flanigin in the
producer’s chair and a small band of Sue, Mike (organ), long-time
associate Jon Penner (bass) and also Chris Layton (drums). The
album follows on from Mike’s own album ‘West Texas Blues’
which also featured Sue and Layton with songs by Texas blues
legends including Lightnin’ Hopkins, Lightnin’ Slim and Juke Boy Bonner.