Piero De Luca & Big Fat Mama - Beware Of The Wolf

Styles : Electric Blues, Delta Blues (Diatonic Harp)
Released : 2012
Label : Maia Records

01 - Back Door Man
02 - I've Been Abused
03 - I'll Be Around
04 - Spoonful
05 - Sittin' On Top Of The World
06 - Three Hundred Pounds Of Joy
07 - Who Will Be Next
08 - The Red Rooster
09 - I Ain't Superstitious
10 - Coon On The Moon
11 - Killing Floor
12 - I Asked For Water


 The historical group known as Big Fat Mama started in 1979 from an idea of Piero De Luca, still the only proprietor of the band’s name. In its thirty-year experience, the group has so far recorded eight LPs or CDs and has played throughout Europe and in all the most important Italian festivals, sharing the stage with legends like Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Clifton Chenier Jr, Honeyboy Edwards, Legendary Blues Band, Jimmy Rogers, B. B. King, Blues Brothers Band, Albert Collins, James Cotton, Magic Slim, Sherman Robertson, Little Willie Littlefield and touring across Europe along with outstanding artists such as Louisiana Red, Eddie C. Campbell, Johnny Mars, Zora Young, J. Monque-D, Michael Coleman.

 After a few years devoted to a much more rock sound, since 2002 the group took the way back to the Blues. The release of the CD I Been Around (Crotalo/New LM Records NLM 146 - 2007) has been the first milestone along the course of this comeback which has reached its aim recording in 2009 the CD Blues on My Side (Crotalo/New LM Records NLM 171) produced by Piero De Luca, Luigi Monge and Antonio "Candy" Rossi. Whether it draws inspiration from some masters of the genre such as T-Bone Walker or John Lee Hooker, revisits the New Orleans beat of Professor Longhair or winks at 1930s hokum blues or 1940s and 1950s Chicago blues, this CD is imbued with blues feeling and fully reflects Piero’s musical vision. All the songs on this CD are original, the lyrics are deliberately modern and deeply rooted and steeped in the genre at the same time in that they are meant to prove that blues music is not dying at all anywhere in the world, Italy included. Now the band features a four people line-up (two guitars, harp, bass, drums and three voices), performing great blues standards as well as the original tracks from the latest two albums. While carrying on live activity in venues and festivals, Big Fat Mama keeps on writing new songs in order to release further records.

original CD from sussex

Bill 'Howl-n-Madd' Perry - The Clarksdale Sessions

Styles : Juke Joint Blues, Delta Blues
Released : 2012
Lable : Mississippi Delta Blues Records

01 - Saturday Night
02 - Burglary in Progress
03 - Oh What a Feeling
04 - It's Your Life
05 - Delta Women
06 - 06 Miss Mary
07 - Jook Nanny
08 - Banks of The River
09 - Find a Reason to Believe
10 - Wanna Cook For ya
11 - Over The Rainbow


The Clarksdale Sessions is a CD that you will keep playing for years to come. The Songs take you from the Mississippi Jukes to a Saturday Night in the Big City.
The music brings to mind a dark steaming night in the Mississippi Delta to that of sitting by the Banks of a River trailing your hand in the water contemplating love lost, love gained or just thinking about what you are going to do with your life. This CD will make you laugh, dance, or just long to sit and chill out for a while.

Bill 'Howl-N-Madd' Perry’s recognitions are many.
Bill Has traveled extensively sharing his music, his stories, and his humor with fans around the world. Mississippi has honored Bill by noting him on two of the Mississippi Blues Highway Markers for his contribution to the blues. Bill is honored with a display about his life and professional career in the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS.

Bill performed in movies and on TV with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the movie the Way of War and played the devil at the Crossroads in the Gene Simmons Family Jewels show. Bill is noted in the book 'Mississippi State of Blues' by Ken Murphy & Scott Barretta and is a featured musician in artist H.C. Porter’s project 'The Legends of the Blues @ Home'.

Early in his career Bill spent time in Chicago writing for musicians such as Little Johnny Taylor, Ted Taylor, and Cash McCall. He worked for Phil chess as a studio musician and for Stan Lewis writing for Jewel Paula Records. Bill did a stint writing for J.J. Taylor on a Willie Dixon Label. Later Bill joined Little Milton’s band and then started his own band.

The Clarksdale Sessions was produced at the Clarksdale Sound Stage, Clarksdale, MS by Gary Vincent. Gary Vincent is a record producer, musician, engineer, and song writer.

original CD from sussex

Taylor Grocery Band - Taylor Grocery Band

Styles : Country Blues, Delta Blues
Released : 2003
Lable : Taylor Grocery Band

01 - Women Make a Fool
02 - Down Home Girl
03 - One Black Day
04 - Don't Knock
05 - Jesus on the Mainline
06 - Denomination Blues
07 - Pretty Polly
08 - Sunday Morning
09 - Aren't You My Child
10 - Boll Weevil
11 - Rough & Rocky
12 - Abilene


The Taylor Grocery Band plays native to north mississippi, combining the stomp of memphis jug bands, the soul of delta r&b, the spirituality of country blues and the drive of appalachian string bands. Straight outta the yocona bottom in lafayette co. , ms, the taylor boys (whose lineup includes members of the kudzu kings, the cary hudson trio, and the sincere ramblers) have been steadily spreading their message of love and boogie throughout the southeast since the release of their self-titled debut in 2003. The band's influences include such mississippi greats as duff durrough, mississippi john hurt, jim dickinson, professor ellsworth dye, and mr. tater. In their two year stint as the thacker mountain radio house band, the TGB had the opportunity to jam on air with such notables as del mcCoury, the north ms allstars, marty stuart, cary hudson, danny barnes, the drive by truckers, robert randolph, tony furtado, and jimbo mathus to name a few. Look for their latest release, featuring a slew of special guests, from Electric Catfish Records in winter 2005. " The latest branch of a remarkable musical tree that has flourished in North Mississippi over the last decade or so" - An Honest Tune "It stomps, it rocks, and it's been known to get loose and spit tobacco juice on the floor. You've been warned" - Jim Dees, author and radio personality

Matchbox Bluesband - From Roots To Rock - Live

Styles : Westcoast Blues, Harmonica Blues
Released : 1997
Lable : Blues-O-Matic Records

01 - Ain't Got You
02 - Boogie woogie Country Girl
03 - Hadacol Bounce
04 - I Know How To Do It
05 - Blow Top Blues
06 - It's Been a Long Time
07 - Jivin' The Blues
08 - 32-30 Blues
09 - Early Morning Blues
10 - Papa's On The House Top
11 - Wild Women Don't Have The Blues
12 - Shave'em Dry
13 - Roll'em Pete
14 - 300 Pounds Of Joy
15 - Ain't Nobody's Buisness
16 - Big Town Playboy
17 - As Long As I'm Moving
18 - You're On The Right Track
19 - You Don't Move Me No More


original CD from sussex

Stonecutters - Secret Handshake

Styles : Modern Electric Blues, Blues-Rock
Released : 2003
Lable : The Stonecutters

01 - I'll Take The 5th
02 - House Party
03 - No Luck With You
04 - Bad Dream
05 - Low Temperature Burn
06 - Can't Sleep
07 - Gopher Valley A-Go-Go
08 - Let You Down Again
09 - Think Bad Thoughts
10 - Moonless Night
11 - Goodbye Happy Home
12 - Kick Me When I'm Down
13 - Last Call
14 - Jacks Or Better Blues
15 - Bed Of Nails
16 - Dream Of Rain
17 - Mars Wants Our Women


 Secret Handshake album by Stonecutters was released Oct 21, 2003 on the The Stonecutters label. The Stonecutters are a band of 4 dedicated musicians who currently work in other professions but have always enjoyed playing writing and performing blues and rock and roll. Secret Handshake music CDs We have been playing together for almost 10 years and the CD featured here is a result of our first collaborative and self financed recording. Secret Handshake songs The CD was completed in 2000. Secret Handshake CD music contains a single disc with 17 songs.

Personnel
Don Leith - Lead/Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals, Keyboard, Trumpet and Harmonica
Joe Tovey - Drums, Percussion, Djembe
Frank Weintraub - Lead/Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Joel Munn - 6 string Bass, 5 string bass, Upright Bass, e-bow, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals

Joe Willie Wilkins & His King Biscuit Boys - Memphis Blues Caravan

Styles : Delta Blues, Memphis Blues (Diatonic Harp)
Released : 1977
Lable : Adamo Records

01 - Mr. Downchild
02 - Sad Letter03 - Hucklefinger
04 - Me & The Devil Blues
05 - Everyday I Have The Blues
06 - Tribute To Joe Willie Wilkins
07 - Little Care Blues
08 - It's Sad To Be Alone
09 - Na's Blues10 - Walkin' Blues - Feel Like Goin' Home - It's Too Bad

 Joe Willie Wilkins spent the majority of his career in the shadows as a session guitarist, playing behind Sonny boy Williamson II, Willie Love, Will Nix among others and off record with bluesmen such as Robert Lockwood Jr., Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, Walter Horton and others.

Through his studio contributions, his time broadcasting on King Biscuit Time on KFFA and out of West Memphis on WDIA, and the sheer number of bluesman he worked with throughout the Delta, Wilkins exerted a sizable influence despite never cutting records under his own name until the 70's. Those who cite him as an influence include Pat Hare, Little Milton, Jimmy Rogers and Brewer Phillips. He stepped out of the shadows in the 70's performing at festivals, making television appearances and a long overdue full-length album.

As Luigi Monge wrote in the Encyclopedia of the Blues: "Wilkins incorporated in his playing the intensity of downhome blues, the elegance of jazz, and the power of urban sounds. His achievement transcends the quantity of recordings he left and has more to do with quality and originality." And as his supporter Jim O'Neal wrote: "One of the greatest blues guitarists Memphis has ever known".

 The only child of Frank Wilkins, an accomplished bottleneck guitarist, Joe Willie became interested in music at a very early age.Wilkinswas born just southwest of Clarksdale in a tiny spot known as Davenport, Mississippi. Wilkins taught himself harmonica and often played with his father at local parties and dances in the Bobo, Mississippi, area, where his family had moved in 1933 to work on a farm. After being taught some fiddle by "Fiddlin’" Sam Harris and accordion by Walter "Pat" Rhodes, Wilkins learned guitar from his father, the members in his band, and phonograph records so well that he was nicknamed "The Walking Seeburg" after a brand of jukebox). His musical education was also enhanced by meeting several musicians around Clarksdale including Muddy Waters, Robert Lockwood and Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller).

After playing in the Mississippi streets and barrelhouses with Sonny Boy Williamson II (Aleck Miller) and Robert Lockwood, Wilkins briefly served in the U.S. Navy. From 1942 he regularly participated with his mentors and other fellow musicians in the famous radio program King Biscuit Time over KFFA in Helena, Arkansas, and with Robert Nighthawk (whose sister he married) in the Bright Star Flour show. At the end of the decade Wilkins often toured the South with a group known as the Four Aces (Sonny Boy Williamson II, Willie Love, Willie Nix). Wilkins moved to West Memphis in 1948 where he played with local musicians and met B.B. King whom broadcast with.

 Wilkins first entered a studio as late as 1951, when he played guitar on the first recordings Sonny Boy Williamson II made for Lillian McMurry’s Trumpet Records in Jackson, Mississippi, where Wilkins acted as house guitarist for two years. Wilkins backed Sonny Boy on ten sides in 1951, four sides in 1952 and final three sides in 1953. One of the songs was “Mr. Down Child” a Robert Johnson composition that he never recorded. It was Robert Lockwood who transposed the song and taught it to Sonny Boy who recorded it on December 4th 1951. Lockwood recorded his version in 1973. It seemed to be a favorite of Wilkins' who cut the song as the b-side of his first 45 for the Mimosa label in 1973, another version was cut for Wilkins' debut album and another version appears on the soundtrack fro the BBC TV series The Devil's Music...Wilkins passed March 28, 1979 in Memphis.

original LP from sussex

Precious Bryant & Algia Mae Hinton - Gran'mas I've Never Had

Styles : Acoustic Blues, Country Blues
Released : 2012
Lable : Moi J'Connais Records

01 - Precious Bryant - It's Alright
02 - Precious Bryant - Someday Baby
03 - Precious Bryant - Hey Baby
04 - Precious Bryant - Sitting Tight
05 - Precious Bryant - Georgia Buck
06 - Precious Bryant - Ain't That Loving You Baby
07 - Precious Bryant - Don't Jump My Pony
08 - Algia Mae Hinton - Honey Babe
09 - Algia Mae Hinton - Out Of Jail
10 - Algia Mae Hinton - I Ain't The One You Love
11 - Algia Mae Hinton - Cook Cornbread For Your Husband
12 - Algia Mae Hinton - Going Down This Road

13 - Algia Mae Hinton - Shine On
14 - Algia Mae Hinton - If You Want To Go To Heaven

Precious Bryant and Algia Mae Hinton have wandered through the century, singing lullabies to their children and grandchildren. Real, timeless, their music has travelled across the Atlantic, meandered between the Piedmont and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and settled into a style of fingerpicking a little reminiscent of Mississippi John Hurt, Jimmy Rodgers, or their buddy Elisabeth Cotton of this particular sound that travelled all the way from Europe and collided with Africa. Deep in the rubble of a forgotten South West, far away from the Mississippi, both river and State, the two fine fingerstyle guitarists play, evoking the tingle of rain on sheet metal. Gentle and unobtrusive, unaffected by a half- century of changes, they have salvaged the precious and youthful feel of the timeless blues: an enthralling and beautiful sound, distinctly feminine, with major chords and melancholy textures. Their more recent recordings have earned them some measure of success, and a few nominations and awards - what you have here is a selection of works from both grandmothers  as a tribute to the grand'sas I've never had. Precious Bryant was born in Talbot County, Georgia, in 1942. She was raised in a family of music-makers, in a village packed with stomping blues and spirituals. She soon developed her own inspired style of blues, away from the mainstream, with only her voice and her guitar. She played the Newport Folk Festival as well as concerts in Europe but mostly she stuck to Georgia and the surrounding areas. In 1967, she walked into a studio for the first time to record with George Mitchell. Three wonderful songs still remain from those sessions. Her music is simple, yet inspired, and speaks of daily struggles. Precious Bryant is one of the last living great blues women from the 20th century and still living in her mobile-home in the deep woods of Georgia. Algia Mae Hinton was born in Johnston County, North Carolina, in 1929, to a family of farmers. The youngest of 14, she was soon put to work in the fields. At the age of 9, her mother taught her the guitar. In 1965, after her husband's death, she was left alone to raise her 7 children. Despite those circumstances, Algia still managed to impress the musical arts on her household and to pass them on to her children. Music provided the family and the whole community with crucial solace throughout their trials and tribulations. Algia Mae plays the 6- and 12-string guitar, and the banjo. She's also an accomplished singer and a fantastic Buck dancer."

original LP from sussex

Ludwig Seuss Band - Virginia Blues Connection

Styles : Blues, Boogie Woogie, Zydeco
Released : 2012
Lable : Downhill Records

01 - Toni's Boogie
02 - Helpin Hand
03 - Don't Start Crying Now
04 - Lead Me On05 - Stormy Monday
06 - Flip, Flop And Fly
07 - Little Lina
08 - I Had My Chance
09 - You Gotta Take Sick
10 - Drive It Home
11 - St. James Infirmary
12 - Messin' Around
13 - Strange Things Happening
14 - Magic 8

The band from Germany, as blues and boogie pianist among others at the Spider Murphy Gang, east as one of the most accomplished organist of the Republic and one of the best zydeco accordionist and composer of the Mississippi - the Munich Ludwig Seuss has long played in the first groove-League. Seuss has always been a team player and musician musicians, the idea of the band is more important than even being in the center.

Ludwig Seuss mixed with his own band, classical piano boogie with jump blues and Louisiana-R & R. Since Ludwig Seuss has also imported the Zydeco from New Orleans and the band rages behind him as the deepest swamp of Louisiana, the success of this band and their extremely danceable sound is unstoppable.