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Stevie and the Blue Flames—Destination: Blues—
Independent
(www.stevieandtheblueflames.com)

Singer, harmonica player, and sometimes guitarist Steve Bailey
and his band have been active around the Seattle area since the
70s - Steve worked for seven years with the great Isaac Scott,
who older readers may recall from his material on Red Lightnin’
- and he has recorded ten albums in that time (and toured
internationally). This rather fine new set shows he and his crew
have plenty of experience to draw on.

These guys play the west coast style of blues - harmonica is a
primary instrument, elements of jazz and jump blues mix with a harder-edged Chicago sound
at times, and there is lots of original material, though the sole cover - Elmore James’ ‘Stranger
Blues’ - is given a very fine treatment. These guys tend to avoid the standards.

The approach is mainly upbeat too, as exemplified by the opener, ‘Blue Flames Bar-B-Que’, which
sets out their stall nicely and is guaranteed to get any party rocking, or the driving ‘Tell Me When’.
They don’t overlook the other side of the blues though; ‘Unemployment Blues’ is a tough,
low-down, slower performance. The closing ‘Down And Out’ has appropriate lyrics and a
pulsating vintage Mississippi groove.

I enjoyed this CD a lot. There are a lot of musicians involved but the sound is totally cohesive
and consistent. Steve’s a fine singer, an excellent harp player and a strong song-writer - and
“Destination: Blues” is a very listenable and enjoyable release.

Norman Darwen

Various Artists—True Blues Brother - The Legacy of Matt
'Guitar' Murphy Vol 1 & 2—Nola Blue Records

After nearly forty years of musical and personal camaraderie,
drummer and producer Bob Christina began studio work with
Matt “Guitar” Murphy on what would become Murphy’s final
project. After Matt passed in June of 2018, the fate of the
unfinished project was placed in Christina’s hands. He began an
outreach to musicians who were friends of Murphy, played with
him, or were otherwise influenced by him. The response was
overwhelming, with no less than 72 outstanding musicians
represented on this collection. This 23-song double album
includes Murphy’s final three studio recordings, ‘Matt’s Boogie’,
‘Matt’s Guitar Shuffle’ and ‘Tired of Sleeping Alone’, the last of which is one of the best things on
the album.

Musicians include Doyle Bramhall II, Fran Christina & The Original Roomful of Blues, Steve
Cropper, Ronnie Earl, Sax Gordon, Jaimoe, Bill Kirchen, Chuck Leavell, Bob Margolin, James
Montgomery, Tracy Nelson, Johnny Nicholas, Christine Ohlman, Lee Oskar, Jerry Portnoy, Duke
Robillard, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, Toni Lynn Washington and the work of Murphy’s friends
Joe Beard and Billy Boy Arnold in the studio together for the first time.

Needless to say there is some cracking good music here. Check it out!

Ian K McKenzie