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Whitey Somers—the Call of the Blues—Motorhome Records

(https://www.reverbnation.com/whiteysomers)

A new name to me, though not a new performer – Whitey is from
British Columbia in the west of Canada. He’s a singer, songwriter

and guitarist with over 40 year’s experience of playing the blues.
He plays both acoustic and electric – this set is for the most part
certainly in the latter camp.

He has here an undoubted blues set, but one which is also
eclectic. It opens with the seven minutes long slow blues of the
title track, a bold move but he pulls it off, into the blues-rock of

‘Can’t Control It’, and on to the vintage rock and roll stylings of ‘Don’t Go Slippin’ Away’. A strong
start.

This impression continues too, through the soaring, eight minutes long slow blues of ‘A Free Man’
(possibly the best performance of the album) and with some beautifully controlled guitar work, and
a fine organ break too. It contrasts with the powerhouse boogie of ‘They Lie’, with some
appropriately hard-rocking slide guitar. ‘Gone’ has a more rural blues feel, with something of a

country tinge, and ‘Chicken Feet’ is a fine jumping blues instrumental with hints of early rock and
roll – nice harp work too.

‘Wot You Got’ is a full tilt R’n’B dancer, with an excellent vocal from Whitey, contrasting with the
rockabilly stylings of ‘Ain’t Nothing But The Morning Blues’ Closing this fine collection of blues and
roots is the jazz-inflected slow supper-club blues of ‘Rise Above’, the album’s most sophisticated
track.

To sum up then, this is well worth your time. Check it out.

Norman Darwen

Shawn Pittman—Stompin’ Solo—Must Have Music

Shawn Pittman is a Bluesman from Oklahoma USA and he has
spent some time in Texas too. Shawn is predominantly an
electric guitar player but like so many during lockdown opted to
record a solo acoustic album. This album is made up of a mix of
original and blues covers.

The album opens with ‘Mance’s Rock’ a nice instrumental which
as the names suggests is a Mance Lipscomb tune. ‘Leanin’ Load’
is an acoustic boogie with echo on the vocals giving it that old

school rock and roll vibe, quite liked this one. ‘Ode To Texas’
opens with a classic Lightnin’ Hopkins lick and continues in that style. There is the amusing tale of
‘Fly Swatting Woman’ a Pittman original and he gets a little more soulful with ‘Going Down
Swingin’.

‘Lightnin’s Stomp’ is a Lightnin’ Hopkins instrumental. Shawn opts for the delay/echo vocal once
again on ‘No Such Thing’ which has a Lightnin’ Hopkins / John Lee Hooker type vibe going on.
Shawn plays some lovely slide guitar on his original song ‘Early In The Mornin’ which has that