Beth Hart, known for her raw and powerful blues-rock sound, wraps her expressive vocals around classic soul covers on SEESAW, the second album that grew out of her musical ties with the acclaimed blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa.

The album will be released on Deluxe CD+DVD and Double Vinyl May 20th by Provogue Records.

After their first successful collaboration on Don’t Explain this highly talented duo is back with Seesaw. As with Don’t Explain, Seesaw is produced by Kevin Shirley (Black Crowes, John Hiatt, Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin).

“Beth’s got a pretty heady voice, very reminiscent of Janis Joplin,” says Shirley. “She’s also got a lot of Etta James in her. With this material, there’s gentleness to the way she delivers the most heartfelt tunes. She’s done a fantastic job.”

Bonamassa and Hart first crossed paths on the road numerous times, and played many of the same festivals in Europe. In early 2010, Bonamassa attended one of her concerts in London. “It was killer,” says Bonamassa. He suggested they do a project together sometime.

Don’t Explain took shape that summer. Now two years later, the follow-up album, Seesaw, captures 11 new blistering tracks. The album features covers from Billie Holiday (Them There Eyes), Melody Gardot (If I Tell You I Love You), Etta James (A Sunday Kind Of Love) and the title track Seesaw made popular by Aretha Franklin.

Check out the EPK:

You can download a FREE TRACK from the upcoming release by [CLICKING HERE].

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Regular readers know that we favor Blues Rock around here.

Blues Rock Review was founded in 2010 and launched full time in May, 2011.

Based in the United States with writers across the globe, their purpose is to promote the top acts in the Blues Rock genre. Check out their site for reviews, interviews, videos, and more about the best in Blues Rock.

Volume 2 of their Blues Rock Review Album Sampler will be available for free download on April 2.

Volume 1 was released last June and can be downloaded for free here.

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Doug MacLeod, the perennial Blues Music Award Nominee, is a singer-songwriter in the American tradition. He is a traveling artist that writes and sings original songs that are based on his own life and experiences.

He learned from the old masters, lived the music, survived the life and carries forward a valuable tradition. MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit and unforgettable live performances.

At the heart of this is his knack for storytelling, bringing characters-from the faceless to the legendary-to strikingly real life. As a youth he overcame abuse and a crippling stutter by turning to music. After he picked up a guitar, and tried to sing – he found his voice. While he developed his rich, soulful singing style MacLeod also worked out a unique, unorthodox and powerfully rhythmic acoustic guitar style.

The rage of his turbulent youth was eventually channeled through his guitar, using his relentless right hand to pound out an insistent, churning beat to complement his intricate bottleneck and finger-style technique. Over 29 years, 19 studio albums, several live records, compilations, a blues guitar instructional DVD and a live performance DVD, MacLeod has consistently earned raves. His songs have been covered by many artists including Albert King, Albert Collins, Joe Louis Walker and Eva Cassidy. He has co-written songs with Dave Alvin and Coco Montoya. MacLeod’s songs have been featured in many TV movies and the hit show In the Heat of the Night. Two of his songs are on Grammy nominated albums by Albert King and Albert Collins.

MacLeod signed with Reference Recordings in 2012. His new album “There’s A Time” will be released in March of 2013. In every note he performs and records, MacLeod subscribes to the rule-of-thumb learned from country bluesman Ernest Banks from Toano VA. who instilled in him to “Never play a note you don’t believe”, and “Never write or sing about what you don’t know about.”

Listen to a sampler of the new CD by [CLICKING HERE].

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“Joe Bonamassa – An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House” will be released on 2-CD, 2-LP, 2-DVD, Blu-ray by Provogue Records (a division of the Mascot Label Group) on Monday March 25th, 2013.

The concert was recorded at the historic Vienna Opera House July 2012 during a very special two-week long unplugged tour, played to a limited audience over seven exclusive European shows. Varying from Bonamassa’s predominantly electric blues shows, this presentation was an all-acoustic concert performance, making it a unique and very special show fans had been waiting years to experience.

The Opera House in Vienna, regarded as the “City of Music,” was chosen for the main event because of its history and splendour, and association with many legendary composers. Accompanying Bonamassa on the same stage once graced by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler, and Haydn are traditional Irish fiddler Gerry O’Connor, who also plays mandolin and banjo; Swedish multi-instrumentalist Mats Wester on the nyckelharpa, a keyed fiddle; Los Angeles-based keyboardist Arlan Schierbaum texturing the mix with celeste, accordions, toy pianos, and assorted “organic” instruments; and renowned Puerto Rican percussionist Lenny Castro.

Joe recalls, “Originally, when I had the idea of doing an all-acoustic concert, I imagined doing it solo. I’d surround myself with a bunch of guitars, tell the background story of each song, and then play it. Kevin believed the show would be more exciting with a band and he got to work. All of a sudden, we had a five-piece group, and 72 hours to rehearse 20 or so songs. It was amazing, different than anything I’d ever done before.”

An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House features gorgeously textured music made with a wealth of rare, vintage, organic, and “oddball” instruments. Highlights among the 22 songs include “Woke Up Dreaming”—the one acoustic song, and fan favourite, that Bonamassa regularly plays during his electric shows— as well as “Around The Bend,” “Driving Towards The Daylight,” “Ball Peen Hammer,” and “Sloe Gin.”

The show is produced by Kevin Shirley, whose productions have been at the top of the charts for decades, including works from Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden to Beth Hart and John Hiatt.

“To say this was a challenge is an understatement,” said Bonamassa. “To say this was a departure from anything I had ever done before is an even bigger understatement. I can say with full certainty that it was the most enjoyable tour I have ever done. On this tour I really learned the virtues of my singing lessons over the years. Take away those long guitar solos, all that sustain and that big Gibson sound and what is left leaves you no option but to dig deep and sing until you can’t sing anymore.”

 

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Ruf Records announces the signing of guitarist/singer Devon Allman and a February 12, 2013, release date for his debut solo album, Turquoise.

Devon Allman is currently on tour in Europe as a member of Royal Southern Brotherhood, the band he formed along with Cyril Neville (percussion and vocals), Mike Zito (guitar and vocals), Charlie Wooton (bass) and Yonrico Scott (drums). The group’s debut self-titled album was released in May and has been in the Top 15 on the Billboard blues chart for six months, also generating extensive radio airplay and rave critical reviews from the press.

Turquoise is loaded with very personal, honest and powerful tunes in its 11-track song list. In “Turn Off the World,” one of Devon’s most insightful compositions on the new CD, he asks to go where he can “wash off this rock and roll” so that he can cleanse his soul to start anew and refresh his mind after spending so much time on the road. “Homesick,” carries that sentiment further and was the first song written for Turquoise.

“The last 10 years I’ve spent in hotels, airplanes, taxis, truck stops, etc.,” says Allman about the track “This song is dedicated to my family for putting up with my absence.” He demonstrates his affinity for Latin and African music on the rhythmic “There’s No Time” (co-written by rising star guitarist Tyler Stokes); weaves an insightful autobiographical tale on “When I Left Home” (with guest Luther Dickinson adding some slinky lead and slide guitar); and pares down to the quietest of places on the lovely “Yadira’s Lullaby” (which recalls his late uncle Duane’s acoustic guitar on the classic “Little Martha”). Turquoise represents some of the finest work in Devon Allman’s career thus far, engaging in its scope and thrilling in its execution. This is an album of reflection of Devon’s past life and it’s the stories that only he can tell.

“These songs are very special to me,” says Allman. “It’s part ‘dusty road driving music’ and part ‘tropical getaway’ music. These are the stories, feelings and reflections from my last couple of decades of forging my musical path.”

Devon’s Biography: Currently based in St. Louis, Devon Allman was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he grew up surrounded by a humble life along with his mother. His first love affair with music came at a young age, eventually becoming a spiritual calling that wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t long before he and his guitar joined bands, and in 1999 Devon formed his Southern rock jam band, Honeytribe. While his breakthrough into the music industry may have been blunted by his choice not to use his illustrious surname, it served the purpose of his having to avoid the burden of the barrage of questions about his famous father that even he was unsure of how to answer. It was when Honeytribe began to release CDs and tour nationally that interviews slowly began to trickle out that Devon was the son of one of the biggest names in rock music, Gregg Allman. Over the years, Devon has joined his illustrious dad as a special guest during The Allman Brothers Band’s legendary series of shows at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Today, he embraces who he is and where he’s been, knowing that he has paved his own way on Turquoise.

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Peter Frampton’s Live in Detroit will be re-issued on DVD, Digital Video, and Blu-ray on March 26, 2013.

This incredible night was filmed in high definition at the Pine Knob Amphitheatre on July 17, 1999 and mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound. The DVD, originally released in 2000, has been touted as a fan favorite. Supported by one of his most classic bands — John Regan (bass), Chad Cromwell (drums), and the late Bob Mayo on keyboards – this Grammy Award winning guitarist/recording artist presents two hours of gems culled from his extensive career. “Baby, I Love Your Way,” “Do You Feel Like We Do,” “Show Me The Way,” “Somethin’s Happening,” “(I’ll Give You) Money,” and many more are all brilliantly on display here.

Additionally, Live in Detroit includes a bonus interview with Peter Frampton and previously unseen rehearsal footage of “Boot It Up,” from the recent “FCA! 35” tour.

Eagle Rock Entertainment recently released FCA! 35: An Evening with Peter Frampton on DVD and Blu-ray, and The Best Of FCA! 35 3CD. These releases are stunning examples of Peter Frampton’s live expertise and musical excellence.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.

TRACK LISTING

1) Somethin’s Happening
2) Lying
3) Lines On My Face
4) Show Me The Way
5) All I Wanna Be (Is By Your Side)
6) If You Say Goodbye
7) Oh For Another Day
8) Penny For Your Thoughts
9) (I’ll Give You) Money
10) Nassau
11) Baby, I Love Your Way
12) Can’t Take That Away
13) Do You Feel Like We Do
14) Off The Hook
15) You Had To Be There
16) I Don’t Need No Doctor
17) Gemini (credits)

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I can’t wait for February 19, 2013!

That’s when the latest album from guitar virtuoso Robben Ford will be released.

Bringing It Back Home is a stunning study in soul, style and virtuosity that cuts to the heart with its exceptional, emotion-laden musicianship.

The new CD also brings the five-time Grammy nominated stage and studio legend back to his earliest roots as a performer, playing blues.

Bringing It Back Home’s all-star line-up features organist Larry Goldings, drummer Harvey Mason, bassist David Piltch and trombonist Steve Baxter.

Eric Clapton Releases 21st Studio Album “Old Sock”

On the heels of a sold-out Crossroads Guitar Festival and the announcement of a major world tour, Eric Clapton announced today the release of his 21st studio album and his first album since 2010.

The album, OLD SOCK produced by Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II, Justin Stanley and Simon Climie, features two new original songs “Every Little Thing” and “Gotta Get Over.”

OLD SOCK will be released March 12 on Clapton’s Bushbranch label, distributed through a new collaboration with SurfDog Records in the USA and Canada, and released by Polydor Records in the rest of world.

The new album is a collection of some of Clapton’s favorite songs spanning from his childhood to present day that highlights his vast appreciation and knowledge of music. From Leadbelly to J.J. Cale; Peter Tosh to George Gershwin; Hank Snow to Gary Moore and Taj Mahal, this record is a celebration of so many who have inspired Clapton’s rich musical life. Clapton has always had a remarkable ability to recognize great songs and a gift for knowing how to uniquely interpret them, as he does on Old Sock. The album explores romantic standards of the 30′s, reggae, soul, rock, and includes a stand out playful collaboration with Paul McCartney, to create an experience that is quintessential Clapton.

Clapton assembled a band for the recordings consisting of longtime collaborators Steve Gadd (drums), Willie Weeks (bass) and Chris Stainton (keyboards) along with some surprise guest additions. JJ Cale joins the song “Angel” for backing vocals and guitar, Chaka Khan joins as backing vocalist for “Get On Over,” Steve Winwood on the Hammond B3 Organ on “Still Got The Blues,” Paul McCartney on bass/vocals on “All of Me,” Jim Keltner on drums for “Our Love is Here To Stay”.

TRACK LISTING
1. Further On Down The Road
2. Angel
3. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
4. Gotta Get Over
5. Till Your Well Runs Dry
6. All Of Me
7. Born To Lose
8. Still Got The Blues
9. Goodnight Irene
10. Your One and Only Man
11. Every Little Thing
12. Our Love Is Here To Stay

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On Friday February 22nd, 2013, inakustik will release a compilation of three rare and previously unreleased German concerts recorded and filmed in 1989, 1995 and 2000, from the Canadian blues rock guitarist, Jeff Healey.

Entitled “Jeff Healey – As The Years Go Passing By: Live in Germany 1989 – 1995 – 2000″, the concerts will be released as a 3 CD-set, and as a Deluxe Edition 3CD + 2DVD. The latter includes an extensive booklet featuring contributions from the participating musicians, plus rare photos.

“With the fifth anniversary of Jeff’s passing coming up on 2nd March 2013, we were looking for a special way to commemorate and help celebrate Jeff’s life and legacy,”says Jeff’s widow, Cristie Healey.

“In preparing for this release, it was important to include the participation of as many of the performers involved as possible. Jeff’s friends and colleagues have enthusiastically shared their memories of the concerts which help to make this rare live compilation extra special.”

“The Jeff Healey Estate is very proud to endorse this release. It’s the first collection of archive material to be officially released with the approval of the Healey Family since Jeff left us all too soon. We are privileged to continue the legacy of his immense efforts, incredible talent and sheer love of music, for everyone to enjoy.”

The three concerts give fans an insightful look into the evolution of Jeff Healey… a document of an outstanding guitarist in three distinct phases of his career. The concerts are presented as they were performed, live without the aid of studio intervention. Spanning eleven and a half years, they cover different periods in the history of the Jeff Healey Band, and yet, they are all linked by a common thread, Germany.

Germany always held a special place for the Jeff Healey Band. Consistently one of their strongest markets, German audiences were always fantastic and appreciative, giving Jeff and his band extra fire.

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Canadian guitar music icon, Jeff Healey, was born in Toronto on March 25, 1966.

Blind from early childhood due to a rare form of eye cancer, Jeff Healey’s guitar playing virtuosity and soulful voice saw him rise to prominence in the entertainment world in the late 1980’s and ‘90’s selling millions of albums worldwide. Over the years, Jeff’s reputation as a player and a person led him to perform and record with such incredible luminaries as Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz, George Harrison, Mark Knopfler, Ian Gillan and many more.

Jeff Healey passed away on March 2nd, 2008 from cancer. He was 41 years old.

Jeff’s life wasn’t just about music but rather, music was part of what brought life to Jeff. It was part of who he was.

For those who knew him, this fact was always quite apparent, even up to his last live performance, only a month before he passed away.

The live recordings were created with the participation of those who knew Jeff best, sharing his talent with his fans, friends, and fellow musicians for years to come.

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GuitarDaddy will post a review shortly after the release date.

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