of the biggest disappointments I have laid ears on lately. . .Billboard Best Female Vocal- ist Sass Jordan is back with another mon- ster of an album, Rebel Moon Blues. The Canadian rocker is often compared to Janis Joplin for sheer power and gritty vocals, and she works hard to bring out her very best. The album is mostly covers of classic blues songs, with one original, “The Key,” tossed into the mix. And it’s a good one. Sass rocks “Leavin’ Trunk” and brings the party on Willie Dixon’s “My Babe.” There’s a great cover of Gary Moore’s “Still Got the Blues,” and her rendi- tion of “Too Much Alcohol” by Joseph Benh- jamin Hutto is a slide guitar tour de force. Of course, for us oid Allman Brothers fans, it is a joy to hear her take on the Elmore James tune “One Way Out.” The woman kicks ass. Sass Jordan. Get you some! . . . The second solo album from Tedeschi Trucks singer Mike Mattison Afterglow (Landslide) is a winner from beginning to end. As we used to say, “all killer, no filler.” A terrific blues rock sound filled with soul and melodies that give it a truly nostalgic feel. To answer the obvious question, yes, Derek Trucks appears on the album, but only as a cameo. This is truly a Mattison solo project, filled with fun rockers like “Word’s Coming Down,” “Kiss You Where You Live,” and the radio friendly title track, and there are soulful jams like “All You Can is Mean it” and compelling story songs like “Charlie Idaho.” Mike even borders on coun- try with the romping “On Ponchartrain.” Great guitar work, marranging and producing underscored Mattison’s clear and soulful vo- cals. Honestly, Mike Mattison had dropped one of the musically finest albums of the year. . .The Nighthawks can always be counted on for a good time, and the celebrate their 50th anniversary, they have released another killer record, Tryin’ to Get to You (EllerSoul), chock full of stunning electric blues. For the project the band adds two new band mem- bers, Dan Hovey on guitar and Paul Pisciotta on bass. Dan also sings some mighty fine vo-
cals. Of course, the group is still helmed by founding member Mark Wenner, who helped put the band together back in 1972. Since then they have recorded 31 albums and toured the world. Not a bad resume. The thir- teen songs on the new release are all excel- lent, soaked in blues guitar and harp. Another fine release from the mighty Nighthawks. . .Omnivore Recordings has a fine line of re- leases set to come out on the rescheduled Record Store Day in June, including a great live one from New Riders of the Purple Sage. Recorded during a show with the Grateful Dead on August 27, 1972, the show stands as an excellent documentation of the band at their peak. By now Buddy Cage had totally taken over the reins as pedal steel player from Jerry Garcia along with John Dawson, David Nelson, Dave Torbert and Spencer Dryden, and the band was hotter than ever. It was a benefit concert staged by the famed Merry Pranksters that was dubbed the Field Trip. The show pulled in over 20,000 tripping hippies on the hottest day ever. All of the music and stage banter is in- cluded, with the New Riders rocking through “Truck Drivin’ Man,” “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, and Loud Loud Music,” “Hello Mary Lou,” “Willie and the Hand Jive” and many more. An absolutely excellent time capsule featuring one of the greatest country rock bands of all time. •
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