Happy Birthday Walter Daniels!

Celebrating the birthday of Austin blues harp hero Walter Daniels with a few rockin' performances with the Del Valle Trustees. 

Walter Daniels & The Del Valle Trustees – Work Release

The latest powerhouse studio recording from blues-punk pioneer Walter Daniels and his hard-hitting band, The Del Valle Trustees is "Work Release," featuring eleven raw, electrifying tracks that blend gritty storytelling with intense instrumentation, making it a must-have for fans of garage rock, punk blues, and soulful rock 'n' roll. 

Daniels, renowned for his harmonica and nose flute performances, leads a talented lineup: Evan Whitehead (guitar, backing vocals), Kevin Curtin (mandolin, backing vocals), Scott Stewart (electric and stand-up bass, backing vocals), and Matt Hammer (drums). Engineered by Roky Moon and Kurtis D. Machler, the album captures the band’s signature sound in a raw, unfiltered style that's sure to energize listeners.

Adding even more depth, guest musicians Texacala Jones and Henri Herbert elevate select tracks to new heights—Texacala shines on "I'll Quit Tomorrow," and Henri brings piano magic to "11 Months and 29 Days." The album’s bold cover art, created by Chris Sick Moore, complements the music’s rebellious spirit. Work Release follows the acclaimed Have a Coffee Break With... LP, and showcases The Del Valle Trustees’ versatility through both originals and iconic covers, including Strychnine (The Sonics), 11 Months and 29 Days (Johnny Paycheck), and One Step Closer (Tim Kerr & Mike Carroll). Together, Chaputa! Records and Ghost Highway Recordings continue to deliver high-quality, collectible releases that celebrate authentic rock 'n' roll artistry.

Walter Daniels has been a force in the blues-punk scene since the '90s, contributing to seminal acts like Jack O'Fire, whose fiery sound redefined the genre, as well as South Filthy and Bigfoot Chester. Known for his harmonica virtuosity and fearless experimentation, Daniels continues to inspire and challenge the boundaries of rock 'n' roll. 

Get a copy of "Work Release" by Walter Daniels & The Del Valle Trustees via Bandcamp right here. Watch a few recent performances follow the album release trailer below. 

 

DEVO: 50 Years of De-Evolution... continued @ History, Monday

DEVO celebrate 50 years of de-evolutionary antics at History on Monday. Check out a few vintage clips and a recent performance. 

Happy Birthday Bill Kirchen!

Cheers to Telecaster master Bill Kirchen on his birthday! We're celebrating with a few performances you may have missed. 

Rolling Stones & Steve Riley salute zydeco icon Clifton Chenier

Who knew Mick Jagger could sing in Creole French? Listen to the Rolling Stones' version of "Zydeco Sont Pas Salés" and Clifton's take.

Jeff Goldblum with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra @ Massey Hall, Saturday

Jazz fan Jeff Goldblum shows off his piano chops with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra at Massey Hall tonight. Check the clips.

Remembering David "Honeyboy" Edwards on his birthday

Remembering Mississippi blues great David "Honeyboy" Edwards on his birthday with a few performances & interviews.

Sloan shares Logan's Run-inspired trailer for "Live Forever"

"Live Forever" is taken from the forthcoming Sloan album "Based on the Best Seller" due in September from Yep Roc. 

Here's the scoop...
The brand new Sloan album is called "Based on the Best Seller" and will be released September 26th! Check the link (https://ffm.to/basedonthebestseller) to pre-order the vinyl & CD, to pre-save on streaming and to listen to the new song "Live Forever"... watch the trailer below. 

One For The Weekend: Tex Larabey

Here's an overlooked Tex Larabey jukebox classic "Music To Get Stoned To" penned by Nashville songsmith Don Stock. 

Happy Birthday Tara Dunphy!

Cheers to the fabulous Tara Dunphy of The Rizdales on her birthday! We're celebrating with a few clips you may have missed. 

R.I.P. soundtrack composer Lalo Schifrin, 1932-2025

Sadly, film & TV composer/pianist Lalo Schifrin – best known for his Mission: Impossible theme – has passed away at 93.

Andrew Simon talks about Egyptian cassettes @ Brooklyn's Record Grouch, Saturday

Along with Andrew Simon's presentation, Alia Haju & Mohamed Salah will appear at Brooklyn's Record Grouch on Saturday. 

Here's the scoop...

Dartmouth College professor Andrew Simon – author of Media Of The Masses: Cassette Culture In Modern Egypt (Stanford University Press) – will be doing a special presentation on Egyptian music cassettes and political dissent at Brooklyn's Record Grouch (986 Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint) on Saturday (June 28) at 7 pm EDT with special musical guests Alia Haju and Mohamed Salah. It's free – tell a friend!

Also, say "Hello" to Gary Sullivan of Bodega Pop fame while you're there and grab a copy of his great new compilation Born In The City Of Tanta: Lower Egyptian Urban Folklore and Bedouin Shaabi from Libya's Bourini Records 1968-75 (Sublime Frequencies) which should be in stock.. check it out right here.  

Watch one of Andrew's recent presentations and a performance by Alia Haju below.   

Remembering cajun legend Nathan Abshire on his birthday

Raising a glass to Nathan Abshire with "Popcorn Blues" and "La La Blues" accompanied by Louisiana harp hero Lazy Lester. 

Happy Birthday Georgie Fame!

Celebrating Georgie Fame's birthday with a delightful tribute from Blossom Dearie & Karin Krog and a few lesser known gems.

LINKS

BBC Mastertapes interview with Georgie Fame from 2015 with part two here.

Watch Georgie's performance of "Monkeying Around" right here. 

JJ Whitefield just cut a swank sound library album for Sonor Music Editions

JJ Whitefield just recorded what looks and sounds like a classic 70s Italian sound library album for Sonor Music Editions. 

Here's the scoop from Sonor... 

The German guitarist, bandleader and soundscape architect JJ Whitefield has been an innovative force of the contemporary scene of Neo-Jazz-Kraut, and adjacent sub-genres within the world of organic grooves, ever since the early 1990s. The work with his group Poets of Rhythm drew the blueprint for what’s now known as retro-soul, and his creative canvas has never been blank since with numerous solo projects and collaborations across diverse constellations.

'Off The Grid' is yet another testament to JJ Whitefield’s creativity. The album perfectly connects the dots to the spirit of the golden age of library music waving together a rich tapestry of his world of playfulness, hypnotic grooves, and driving drums. It breathes new life into the genre while continuing to shape the future, as he has for over three decades.

Sonor Music Editions beautifully bridges the gap between the past and present, with this album, by featuring a original paintings by Italian artist Vivì as the cover art. Vivì is renowned for creating iconic covers for 1970s library releases such as Paolo Casa’s 'Nature' (Wild Cat – WC 114), 'Movimenti' (Full Records – FRLP 5099), and 'Origini' (Leo Records – LR 21), and Domenico Guaccero’s 'La Cattedrale del Benessere' (Abramo Allione – A.A. 1010), among others. 

Get a copy of JJ Whitefield's Off The Grid album via Bandcamp right here. Those in North America can also try Forced Exposure mail order right here (they should have copies by July 11th). Check out "Other World" and "Fugue De Rock" along with a probing interview with JJ conducted by Milena Zafirova and hip hop historian Florian Gray for The Music Trip following the track listing below.

JJ Whitefield – Off The Grid 

1. Other World 02:25

2. In Transition 01:42

3. Fugue De Rock 02:07

4. Safaripark 02:01

5. Cool It Down 03:22

6. Lake Shala 02:54

7. Bedouin Bounce No. 1 01:32

8. Bedouin Bounce No. 2 01:45

9. Mistery Of Misery 02:25

10. Taped Together 02:01

11. Everyday, Forever 02:17

12. False Advice 02:28

13. Mindless Matters 02:23

14. Fuzzy Dumplings 02:38

15. Snake Charm 03:50

Toronto Jazz Fest presents Makaya McCraven @ The Mod Club, Wednesday

Drummer deluxe Makaya McCraven is among the Toronto Jazz Fest's star attractions on Wednesday night at the Mod Club 

Makaya McCraven 

at The Mod Club (722 College) as part of the Toronto Jazz Fest

Wednesday, June 25 at 8 pm (7 pm doors). 

Tickets: $45 plus fees. Get 'em right here.

Here's the scoop...

Makaya McCraven is a prolific drummer, composer and producer. His newest album, In These Times (International Anthem), is the triumphant finale of a project 7+ years in the making. It’s a preeminent addition to his already- acclaimed and extensive discography, and it’s the album he’s been trying to make since he started making records.

McCraven believes that the word “jazz” is “insufficient, at best, to describe the phenomenon we’re dealing with.” Profiled in Vice, Rolling Stone, the Guardian, and NPR, among other publications, he and the music he makes today are at the very vanguard of that phenomenon. According to the New York Times, “McCraven has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz’s vitality”. The artist explained to NPR in 2019, "I don't think what I'm doing is necessarily that far off of the legacy of jazz that I grew up in ... I think one of the things that gives it strength is that people want to argue over it. That's a good sign. That means there's life here." 

Born in Paris in the Autumn of 1983 to Hungarian singer and flutist Ágnes Zsigmondi and African- American expat jazz drummer Stephen McCraven, Makaya was raised in a vibrant, creative community in the Northampton, Massachusetts area, where his father often played with artists like saxophonist and ethnomusicologist Marion Brown, multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, and saxophonist Archie Shepp, as well as a cadre of African Gnawa musicians. That scene, with its enticing blend of cultures, helped establish his philosophy around jazz as folk music. Meanwhile, his mother’s music blended Eastern European folk traditions, concurrently shaping his conceptions about the role of music in building and reflecting communities. 

“I'm really drawn to folk music. Music of aural tradition, music that is of the people where it's more of a collective experience of music and dance and culture that we all participate in and know as part of our being or as part of who we are.” He sees his work as a continuation of those traditions, noting, “I like to teach the music to musicians by ear, and hope even when I bring in more challenging rhythms, or difficult time signatures, I am able to do it in a way that is of the body and of the people of the earth in a way that’s not necessarily some intellectual experiment, but more something that's dealing with people.” 

While immersed as a youth in global folk traditions, he was also a child of the nineties, deeply influenced by sample-based hip-hop. He observed that jazz was sometimes perceived by his peers as “something that was old, corny, white... going to get you beat up.” This directly countered his own experience with the music: “That was such a strange idea to me, because the guys I grew up around were cool, and [weren’t] buttoned up like that.” 

The artist, who has been aptly called a “cultural synthesizer”, has a unique gift for collapsing space, destroying borders and blending past, present, and future into poly-textural arrangements of post-genre, jazz-rooted 21st century folk music. Eventually he discovered bridges between jazz and hip-hop, including classic jazz records being sampled by hip-hop producers such as Pete Rock, and began to devote energy to “reappropriate this music to be what it is, what it means to me, and what it means for my people."

After cutting his teeth in the Western Massachusetts music scene, co-founding a jazz-hip hop band called Cold Duck Complex that ultimately opened for The Pharcyde, Digable Planets, and the Wu-Tang Clan, he and his partner (now wife, comparative race studies scholar Nitasha Tamar Sharma) moved to Chicago in 2006. McCraven soon found himself immersed in both the creative and straight-ahead jazz scenes, proving his versatility, and along the way finding a community that mirrored the pulsating scene that birthed him artistically. Within five years’ time, he’d established a name for himself, gigging alongside scene stalwarts like Willie Pickens, Marquis Hill and Jeff Parker.

He first connected with the founders of Chicago’s International Anthem label in late 2011, and across 2012-2013 they hosted and recorded a series of improvised jazz nights featuring his combo at The Bedford, a club situated in what was once an old basement bank vault. McCraven took 48 hours of recordings and sculpted beguiling hip-hop beats, not unlike how Teo Macero looped and assembled Miles Davis’ On the Corner from improvised magic, which became the 2015 double LP release In The Moment…JazzTimes called the album “one of the year's most mesmerizing releases,” the record was an “Album of the Week'' pick by taste-making DJ Gilles Peterson on BBC 6 Music, and it was chosen for “Best of 2015” lists by PopMatters, NPR, and the Los Angeles Times.

McCraven continued to hone his process of live improvisation and sampling with Highly Rare in 2017, 2018’s Where We Come From, and Universal Beings (also released in 2018), the last of which featured varying configurations of international players, including Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings from London, Junius Paul and Tomeka Reid of Chicago, Anna Butterss and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson from Los Angeles, and Brandee Younger and Dezron Douglas from New York.

Makaya remixed Gil Scott-Heron’s final album (2010’s I’m New Here) for 2020’s We’re New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven, issued Universal Beings E+F Sides, and delved into the venerable Blue Note Records catalog in 2021 for Deciphering the Message, each project also employing new improvisations and sampling, helping to further cement his “beat scientist” moniker. Concurrently, the seeds for 2022’s In These Times were budding, and their nurseries were stages around the globe. McCraven explains, “As I've been touring, I've been performing music off of the record In These Times... When In the Moment took off and I started touring a lot, we would go on the road and 50% of the music was just my concept and my compositions.” 

In These Times (available via Bandcamp right here), a collection of polytemporal compositions inspired as much by broader cultural struggles as McCraven’s personal experience as a product of a multinational, working class musician community, is the recording that McCraven has been trying to create for 7+ years, as it’s been slowly cooking in the background while his other works were released. He began recording In These Times seven years ago, but “for whatever reason, Universal Beings just came to fruition much quicker. It just took more time for this to mature into everything it's become. With the success of Universal Beings and the Universal Beings concerts that we did (with Red Bull) in Chicago at South Shore Cultural Center and le poisson rouge in New York, I had an opportunity to realize the record not as a collection of four sides of trios and quartets, but I turned that record as a performance into a 10 to 12-person concert, and that experience ended up evolving my approach to In These Times.” 

In These Times encompasses all he’s lived through, as well as his lineage, while also pushing the music forward. Music critic Passion of the Weiss suggested that “McCraven’s work, both with younger players and the sounds of older recordings, is part of a necessary conversation about the next evolution of the Black improvised music known colloquially as ‘jazz.’ He’s found the threads connecting the past with the present, and is either wrapping them with new colors and textures, or he’s plucking them gleefully like the strings of a grand instrument.” McCraven concurs: “To me, that is the tradition that I want to try to take part in. Being well-rooted, but walking into the future, is really what all of the leaders in this music have done that I admire. And I think that resonates with people. Something that's like how we know it, but is evolving... It's just where I am at, where we're at, and the evolution of that, and that's what I'm trying to be.”  - Bio by Ayana Contreras, June 2022 

Check out a few of Makaya's interviews and performances along with an Amoeba "What's In My Bag?" shopping spree below. 

Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas w/ Rev. Horton Heat @ The Horseshoe, June 27 & 28

Don't miss Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas tearing up the Horseshoe – twice – opening for Rev. Horton Heat this weekend! 

Happy Birthday Eddie Floyd!

Cheers to legendary soul singer/songwriter Eddie Floyd! Here's some performance & interview footage and a few classic tunes.

B-Side Wins Again: Shelley

East Sussex bashers Shelley put their impressive instro-whumper "The War" on the flip of an ill-advised James Brown cover.

Remembering outsider sound scientist Harry Partch on his birthday

Raising a glass to the amazing Harry Partch with a few interviews, live footage and discussions you may have missed. 

Watch rare newsreel footage from London's Caribbean Club in 1947

Here's some amazing 1947 footage of performing musicians and dancers shot at the Caribbean Club in London for British Pathé. 

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog @ Hugh's Room, Monday

With his new album receiving heaps of critical praise, guitarist Marc Ribot's show with Ceramic Dog tonight should be a rager!

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog

Live at Hugh's Room, 296 Broadview Avenue

Doors at 7pm. Show at 8pm. 

$45+ in advance, $52+at the door. 

Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog has pushed its long-brewing tension between traditional pop songcraft and avantgarde improvisational music to the breaking point, bridging its customary genre-agnostic approach with elements of glam boogie, minimalist disco, psychedelic boogaloo, garage-punk-against-the-machine agitprop, and so much more. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog performing live in Toronto tonight (Monday, June 23). Get tickets right here. They also play Montreal's Gesù (1200 De Bleury St) on Thursday (June 26) at 10:30 pm as part of the Montreal Jazz Festival. You'll find tickets right here. Watch a couple of Marc's performances with Ceramic Dog below. 

Remembering saxophonist Sahib Shihab on his 100th Birthday

Celebrating 100th birthday of saxophonist/flautist Sahib Shihab with some live footage and a few brilliant recordings. 

Mavis Staples @ The Winter Garden Theatre, Monday

A rare Toronto appearance by the amazing Mavis Staples on Monday promises to be a highlight of this year's Toronto Jazz Fest. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Brantford's Pelicans

The Pelicans' rippin' debut synth-punk single "Pelicans" b/w "New Wave" from 1979 features Scott B on bass!

Alex Pangman & Her Alleycats @ Drom Taberna Patio, Sunday

Those in town for the Toronto Jazz Fest should see Alex & Her Alleycats at Drom Taberna (458 Queen St. W) today at 5:30pm.

Happy Birthday Eumir Deodato!

Celebrating the birthday of composer/arranger and keyboardist Eumir Deodato with a few interviews and some stellar recordings. 

R.I.P. Betsy Gay, 1929-2025

Singer/actress Betsy Gay of The Little Rascals, who cut an early version of "Hound Dog," has passed away at 96.

Happy Birthday Ray Davies!

Celebrating the 81st birthday of Sir Raymond Douglas Davies with a few performances you may have missed. 

LINKS
Uncut Magazine Ray Davies Album by Album (2014)

Rick White shares "Complaints" and more from his new album, Again

Rick White just released "Again," a 14-track selection of the nearly 60 new songs he wrote and recorded over the past few months.  

Writes Rick White...

Early in the new year, I decided to write, record and mix a new song everyday for a month. With no real plan, just subconsciously letting stuff flow out quick to see what comes. Not the first time i've used this technique but I got on a really good roll this time, sometimes finishing 2 songs in a day. I ended up going from January 15th to March 10th before i finally burnt out, ending up with nearly 60 fully complete and mixed new songs.

Not all the songs are great of course but i really like a lot of them. It was a really nice productive period. I have enough good ones that i'd like to share, that i'm planning a couple separate releases for this year.

But here's the first, it features 14 favourites that i found fit together really well. I titled the album "AGAIN" to acknowledge this song creating process i've been doing since the late 80's. The cover art represents this as well, with me in my little home studio, tapping into the creative stream, letting the music and art flow.

It feels good to let it out and i'm glad i can do it. I still learn from it all and enjoy the process. I hope it brings you some pleasure listening, thanks so much for the ongoing care.

xo Rick

The album is also available on vinyl through our Bluefog Recordings webstore right here. It comes with a download code for the digital bandcamp version available from the Rick White Archive here.

Rick White – Again

1. Still A Radio 3:01

2. Life In The Maze 2:10

3. Contact 2:47

4. The Cat 2:24

5. Complaints 2:56

6. Update 2:33

7. My Library Revisited 2:57

8. Radiation 2:33

9. Rolling 2:54

10. We Can Build A Bridge 1:33

11. Everyday 2:01

12. The Flower 2:52

13. Private 4:55

14. Again 2:19

Aussie post-punk comp Can't Stop It! gets way overdue vinyl release

Chapter Music's deluxe 2LP reissue of Can't Stop It! adds six solid bonus tracks to the boss original post-punk collection. 

Can't Stop It! Australian Post-Punk 1978-82 (2025 Deluxe Edition)

Chapter Music's landmark collection of Australian 70s-80s post-punk, originally released in 2001, gets its first ever vinyl release!

Can’t Stop It! documents a fantastically inventive and dynamic era, when Australian acts stepped out of the shadow of overseas influence and asserted their own musical identity for perhaps the first time.

Featuring tracks by future members of bands such as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Einsturzende Neubauten, Dirty Three and The Go-Betweens, Can’t Stop It! is a vivid survey of the creativity and innovation bubbling away under the surface of Australia’s fairly unadventurous music culture of the time.

All of the bands on Can't Stop It! released their music independently, either themselves or through the handful of visionary labels of the era such as Au-Go-Go, M Squared, Missing Link or Innocent Records.

On its original release in 2001, the compilation got Chapter Music its first major international attention, written up in The Wire magazine ("A bracing corrective to the Northern Hemisphere's stranglehold on post punk nostalgia" - The Wire), stocked at Other Music in New York and selling out numerous CD pressings.

Remastered with updated liner notes and photos, this deluxe 2LP set expands on the original 20 track CD with six bonus never- before-reissued tracks. Get a copy via Bandcamp right here. 

Can't Stop It! - Australian Post-Punk 1978-82

1. The Moodists - Gone Dead 03:34

2. Voigt/465 - Voices A Drama 02:37

3. The Take - Summer 02:41

4. Essendon Airport - How Low Can You Go...? 03:23

5. The Apartments - Help 03:40

6. Ash Wednesday - Love By Numbers 02:38

7. Primitive Calculators - Pumping Ugly Muscle 03:07

8. The Makers Of the Dead Travel Fast - The Dumb Waiters 04:14

9. Ron Rude - Piano Piano 02:51

10. Xero - The Girls 03:09

11. The Limp - Pony Club 02:49

12. The Fabulous Marquises - Honeymoons 03:54

13. Slugfuckers - Cacophony 02:54

14. Equal Local - Lamp That 04:53

15. Tame O'Mearas - Sweat and Babble 02:18

16. The Particles - Apricot's Dream 02:38

17. People With Chairs Up Their Noses - Song Of the Sea 01:36

18. Wild West - We Can Do 02:33

19. The Pits - Words 01:52

20. →↑→ - One Note Song 03:34

21. *****,***** - Knots 01:41

22. Electric Fans - Garden Of Uluru 04:32

23. The Voice Of Drama - A Song of Colours 02:10

24. Synthetic Dream - Work 03:47

25. Yclept Dinmakers - Yclept Enemy 02:11

26. The Plants - The Path 05:45

The Odd Country w/ Steve Briggs @ The Cameron House, Friday

Guitar slinger deluxe Steve Briggs adds some tasteful licks to The Odd Country's classic honky tonk set tonight from 6-8 pm. 

Remembering Tommy "Kid Thomas" Louis on his birthday

Raising a glass to the great Kid Thomas aka Tommy Louis on his birthday with a few party-starting jukebox gems. 

LINKS
The Hound NYC The Kid Thomas story