Eric Gales - Tribute To LJK (Provogue Records)
Little Jimmy King was a bluesman who rose to prominence as part of Albert King's band in the late 80's and then forming his one group in the 90', he tragically passed away in 2002 at the age of 37 of a heart attack. So why is Eric Gales paying tribute?
Well LJK's real name was Manuel Gales, Eric's older brother by 10 years. When Eric set out on his career in the early 90's his oldest sibling was someone to emulate, his death caused Eric to go off the rails and led to being incarcerated. Since then though Eric has changed his life around. Witnessed by his string of recent super successes Gales has become one of the top blues players in the world commanding the likes of Gary Clarke Jr and Lauren Hill on recent albums.
So now the time is right to pay homage to his inspiration, his older sibling whom he wanted to be just like, the man who showed him the blues. Featuring an intro from Manuel's twin brother Danuel Gales. Tribute To LJK has the spirit of Manuel through it, these are his songs played by his you get sibling and some high profile guests who all have links to Little Jimmy.
From the legendary Buddy Guy who played with King back in the day and appears on the emotional Somebody alongside pedal steel maestro Roosevelt Collier to Christone "Kingfish" Ingram who stated that King was a major influence on him and gives the funky, hip shaker Rockin' Horse Rise his signature six stringing. There's also two appearances by the encyclopaedia of blues music Joe Bonamassa who not only plays on the slinky Don't Wanna Go Home but also produced the album with Josh Smith who joins Joey Bones on the bouncy It Takes A Whole Lotta Money.
From the brass parping beginning of You Shouldn't Have Left Me, to the strutting Guitar Man, the soulful Something Inside Of Me to the solo filled Baby Baby and Worried Man which is a great blues ballad. An ode to Manuel, this is Little Jimmy King for anyone who didn't know the history or the talent. 8/10
Laura Cox - Trouble Coming (earMusic)
Laura Cox is an Anglo-French guitarist/singer who made her name with rock and blues covers on YouTube.
Going viral online is one thing but producing your own music is another, Cox though has been releasing albums of original modern blues rock, with Hard Blues Shot (2017), Burning Bright (2019) and Head Above Water (2023) she has cemented her sound as on that cutting edge of blues rocking, where there's atmospheric moments, fuzzy guitars, country picking and garage rock moments too.
With Trouble Coming, Laura expands her sound about more, the drumming has an electronic quality to it, matching the fuzzy distorted guitars on A Way Home and Inside The Storm with the latter bring a bit of pop too, the vocals are dreamily layered over the music for a very modern take on blues rock where there's Americana balladry alongside punchy rock n roll on tracks such as The Broken.
Album number four sees Laura Cox playing music that will get plenty of radio ariplay but doesn't sacrifice her roots. 7/10
Parker Barrow - Hold The Mash EP (Self Released)
Bluesy Southern rockers Parker Barrow deliver a steam hot set of new tracks on their Hold The Mash EP. The first music from the band since their 2023 debut. It brings together two previously released singles, a new single and two new songs, showing what the been up to since their debut and giving their fans some new music prior to supporting The Damn Truth on their upcoming tour.
Formed by a chance meeting between singer Megan Kane and drummer Dylan Turner, they took their name from the infamous anti-heroes Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, the duo embarking on a life of rocking together which merged professional and personal as they are now husband and wife. On 2023 they gained the experience of guitarist and musical director Alex Bender and Parker Barrow as it is today took shape.
With this EP is the trio who inform the songwriting and it's a chance to be a bit more experimental than with their debut record. Still keeping that bluesy Nashville swagger, Megan's soulful vocals delivering emotion and grit but giving it a bit of a harder edge with the guitar heroics and heavy beat of Bender and Turner.
Influences from The Stones, The Crowes and The Allmans can be heard on these five tracks but there's also some organs from Eric Safka sweep in the background of the rootsy Olivia Lane, Parker Barrow pack this EP with new tracks primed for the stage. 7/10
Luna Marble - Luna Marble (Self Released)
On their self titled debut album Luna Marble are a band who happily languish in the past, inspired by the blues based rocking of Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Free and Heart, fusing 70's blues rock with grunge, psych and even a bit of pop for a thrilling ten tracks record that will have classic rock fans absolutely going wild.
A lot of the talk about these songs on the accompanying information is that they reflect who the band were when they wrote, them taking each one the way they first encountered them, almost like a musical patchwork of the past, rockers and ballads, that have been honed through gigs and sessions to where they are today. Disinterested with following trends or even sticking to one route, these songs were recorded through various sessions in their native Manchester. All of the tracks have something a little different about them, the cohesion of Jim Spencer's mix and Graeme Lynch's master, keeping a sonic link between them.
Fronted by the powerhouse pipes of Maria Rico, Luna Marble deliver, potent rock tracks, such as the Zep-like All Of My Love or the gospel-tinged Redemption, but also the smoke filled jazz Begging Mercy, where Luna Marble showcase their groovier, slower side. Those parping organs rising alongside the virtuoso guitars of Dragos Colceriu, who brings the riffs on the marching Waves, the propulsive opener Running and the fuzzy So Long. In the boiler room, Sea Of Sorrow pulsates with drama and pathos while there's a dusty southern swagger on Crazy Loving, those Fleetwood Mac moments creep in with the bass of David Grundy and drummer Sean Stewart.
They say you have your entire career to write your debut album, well Luna Marble have done it in five years and have captured the tenacity and grit they show live with album number one. 8/10
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