Several of my music acquaintances have been raving about this one for a while now and I finally got around to grabbing it. Bonnie Raitt is never less than a good listen and at times she goes far beyond that (Nick of Time). Slipstream is definitely the latter and to these ears her best release in many years. Ms. Raitt has always chosen great material to go along with her under rated slide playing and soulful vocals and Slipstream is no exception. Tracks by Randal Bramlet, Joe Henry, Gerry Rafferty, Loundon Wainwright III, and couple by Bob Dylan make for a very satisfying listening. In particular, the two Dylan covers are outstanding. Million Miles and Standing in the Doorway are two of my favorite latter day Dylan songs and both of these cuts are fantastic.
Classy, bluesy, soulful...a more than solid release that you should not hesitate to pick up. My only complaint is that the vinyl doesn't come with a download.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Big Moon Ritual
The Black Crowes singer goes it with a new band during their hiatus and I am digging it. Chris Robinson has not shied away in the past from picking up the mantle from the Grateful Dead and he has his hippy on to full effect on Big Moon Ritual. Every track clocks in at 7 minutes or longer so the band has time to stretch out and jam to surprisingly good effect. Tulsa Yesterday and Roasalee start things off in fine fashion and the rest of the record just keeps the vibe going. Are the lyrics great? Nope, but then who cares when the listening experience is so good. It's a shame so few folks know this is even out.
I kind of avoided this at first fearing that it was some kind of Molly Hatchet mash up but I was very much wrong about that. As soon as I saw the guys involved (Cyrille Neville, Devon Allman, Mike Zito) I knew it would be a good listen and it sure is. This is kind of bluesy in that swampy NOLA way. As expected the guitar playing is excellent and the songs and vocals are very strong. Check out New Horizon, Gotta Keep Rockin' or Nowhere to Hide. A very strong record from a group that shows a lot of promise.
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Live! Everybody's Talkin'
Revelator was a really good record. On this 2-CD or 3-LP set the band gets to stretch out and it makes for an even better listen. Bluesy and soulful and jammy all mixed up into one really good mix. Just buy it.
