Mike Wheeler Band, Turn Up !!

From the blues heartland of Chicago comes vocalist-guitarist talent Mike Wheeler, his quartet and a couple of horns for some exciting soul blues in the honored tradition and lineage of Little Milton, Jr. Wells-Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Bobby Blue Bland, that tradition.

Mike brings his own considerable, blues drenched voice and extroverted soulful guitar prowess in a series of mostly original, always on it songs. Turn Up !! (Delmark 835) is what I am talking about.

If you need proof that the real blues has not left us, turn to Delmark's recording program in the last decades--Mike Wheeler being a prime example of how Chi-town still is the place for the real thing, just like Wrigley Field is the place for real baseball (and OK, White Sox are doing it too)!

This one is hot. Careful, don't burn your hands on the CD!

Omar Coleman, Born & Raised

The real-deal Chicago blues keeps on, and Delmark is a key label in its documentation. The soul of Bobby Rush, Junior Wells and gospel have been important influences on Omar Coleman, a bluesman who gives us lots to like on his recent album Born & Raised (Delmark 840). He sings with genuine soul and plays a nice harmonica. His band is very together, with Pete Galanis playing some mean guitar along with guests Toronzo Cannon, Mike Wheeler and David Herrero.

This is the essence of old-school soul blues, updated a tad but filled with the classic thrust. Omar writes good tunes, maybe not with quite the lyric jolt of Muddy or B.B., but honest and testificatory, you dig? And the singing is right there, projecting the directness of soul-blues power.

I have nothing bad to say about Omar and the album. He speaks from inside and the band gives it that raw jolt with a little of the soul extra musicality. He and the band have it down, straight.

You want some new blues talent in your listening routine? Born & Raised gives you something good and real to add to what you already have in your head!

Recommended!!

Linsey Alexander, Come Back Baby

Linsey Alexander has been breaking things up on the Chicago's North Side blues clubs since the '90s. We caught his first Delmark album Been There, Done That here on November 23, 2012. Now he's back with another strong one, Come Back Baby (Delmark 838). Linsey plays guitar with a hint of a BB King influence, but adapted to his way. He sings with plenty of soul, too. This new album features a full band, often enough with horns, and 11 of 13 cuts have Linsey's original stamp.

His vision of the blues is as real as you can get. Lost your car and your house and you got no place to live? THAT is when you play the blues. So drunk you lost your car and house keys, your false teeth and you gotta call your wife from your girlfriend's house to come and get you? Now that is the blues!

He has a little humor in there and the lyric twists that make the "telling" of it that much stronger. You know the Chicago audience is listening to the story as much as the music. The blues as a living entity is a verbal telling as well as 1000% soul.

And Linsey has that going, big time. This one is very together and lots of joy to listen to!