Hal has been a professional music journalist since 1994, writing predominately about country, blues, Americana, roots rock and singer/songwriter genres for a variety of publications. He won the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive award for journalism in 2009.
Ricci/KrownCity Country City(Gulf Coast Records)4 out of 5 stars No one spent much time designing cover art, let alone sweating out a snappy name for this new collaboration of blues harmonica ace Jason Ricci and New Orleans keyboard legend Joe Krown. Some may already know Krown as a backing member of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s group More
Sue FoleyPinky’s Blues(Stony Plain)3 1/2 out of 5 stars The titular “Pinky” is the name Austin by way of Ottawa, Canada’s veteran blues woman Sue Foley bestowed to her iconic pink paisley Fender Telecaster. It’s an instrument that has accompanied her for decades in the roots trenches. And like that guitar, Foley has persevered through More
Davy KnowlesWhat Happens Next(Provogue)3 out of 5 stars It’s a challenge for young blues rockers like ex-Back Door Slam frontman/guitarist Davy Knowles. They need to write and sing quality original songs while allowing the instrumental work they spent years practicing to be featured. Those two initiatives don’t always align. The highly respected Knowles (Peter Frampton More
Violent FemmesWhy Do Birds Sing?-Deluxe Edition(Craft Recordings)4 1/2 out of 5 stars Calling the Violent Femmes’ fifth album from 1991 a “return to their roots” is too much of a journalistic cliché to feel comfortable with. But there is little doubt that this was the feeling when the threesome entered the studio with producer Michael More
The VelveteersNightmare Daydream(Easy Eye)4 out of 5 stars Guitar, two drummers, and… no bass player? Bring it on says Colorado-based The Velveteers. It’s little surprise that Black Keys frontman and Easy Eye studio/label owner Dan Auerbach gravitated to the hard-wired trio. After all, the Keys began their career with just drums and guitar, which, while More
The Record CompanyPlay Loud(Concord)3 1/2 out of 5 stars There’s nothing like grabbing the moment. That’s something the LA-based Record Company trio has accomplished efficiently. Now a decade into their slow but consistently growing career, this is the blues-based threesome’s third full length (there was also a 2021 covers EP) since its 2016 debut. Add More
Various ArtistsThe Daptone Super Soul Revue Live at the Apollo(Daptone)4 1/2 out of 5 stars Brooklyn, New York’s scrappy Daptone label was riding high in December of 2014. So much so that they brought many of their artists together for a three-night sold-out stand at New York City’s legendary Apollo theatre. Since soul was, and More
Loveland DurenAny Such Thing(Edgewood Recordings)3 out of 5 stars It’s impossible to listen to Vicki Loveland and Van Duren’s third album as Loveland Duran and not hear how the Memphis duo infuses their hometown’s sound into the music. From recording some of these soulful slices at the city’s legendary Royal and Ardent studios to the More
Steely DanNortheast Corridor: Steely Dan Live Donald FagenThe Nightfly Live (UMe)Both 2 1/2 out of 5 stars It’s cash grab time. Neither of these two live releases, one from a post-Walter Becker Steely Dan and the other capturing frontman Don Fagen running through his 1982 debut solo offering The Nightfly, both recorded live from years More
Jesse MalinSad and Beautiful World(Wicked Cool)3 1/2 out of 5 stars Dedicated artists get knocked down but invariably pick themselves up, dust off, and continue creating. Jesse Malin could have dismissed the music business after his initial stab at fame in the critically well-received but commercially disappointing band, D Generation, and tossed in the towel More
Tommy CastroTommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came to Town(Alligator)3 1/2 out of 5 stars It’s difficult to understand why veteran blues-rocker Tommy Castro hasn’t registered in the same way that the similarly styled Joe Bonamassa has. The West Coast-based Castro has been banging out solid albums filled with sturdy originals since 1994, six years before More
Brian Setzer | Gotta Have the Rumble | (Surfdog) 3 1/2 out of 5 stars There aren’t many musicians who can be credited with reviving one style of music thought to be long dead, let alone two. But Brian Setzer, as a member of the Stray Cats, recharged interest in rockabilly during the ’80s. He then generated an entirely More
