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	ALBUM of the MONTH scroll down to read reviews month by month or click on links below
	2008 Albums of the Month March: Susan Elizabeth Marron 'Planets' February: Steve Phillips & the Rough Diamonds 'Live at The Grosvenor' 2007 Albums of the Month January: Various 'Something in the Air' April: Elephant Talk 'Natty Loon' May: Various 'Musicport World Music Festival DVD' July: Ray Stubbs and his Amazing One Man Blues Band 'Lift Him Up' September: We Start Fires 'We Start Fires' November: High Plane Drifters 'Georgian Ghosts Archer Street Blues and the Candy Factory December: Gerry Richardson 'this ...is what we do' 2006 Albums of the Month 2005 Albums of the Month 2004 Albums of the Month
	March 2008: Planets qqqqqqqqqqqqSusan Elizabeth Marron A five track CD from Teesside’s Suzanne Elizabeth Marron. Coincidentally both Robert Nichols and Bob Fischer in their regular articles for this mag have very complimentary things to say about Suzanne (see p.6 and p.8). The violent opening to the first track ‘Gepetto’s Boy’ is soon transcended by Suzanne’s ethereal voice, self-harmonies, and truly original no-nonsense lyrics. She accompanies herself on guitar or piano - the lilting arrangment of second track ‘Ghost’ suits piano perfectly. ‘Monopoly’ demonstrates a musically heavier side - vocal counterpoints to a blues-rock type riff. ‘Canoe’ demonstrates Suzanne’s mastery of space - the notes you don’t play. ‘Adam of Eden’ is closer to her musical roots - Suzanne cites Joni Mitchell as an influence and here there are echoes, alongside those from Eddi Reader and Nancy Griffiths. But Suzanne’s strength is in the poetry of her lyrics. “Most songs begin life as poems that I later mould to fit the shape of a riff or melody. One of my favourite things to do is to play around with word sounds and syllables and take the listener on a journey through a series of moods and colours .... most lyrics are autobiographical and I hope that my melancholic songs have the ability to console and that my happier songs have the ability to encourage positivism.....” There’s no lush slush here though - a hard edge and keen vision keeps breaking through. No indication on the copy sent through where this was recorded - but however it was done it’s a very fine job indeed. For more about Suzanne Elizabeth Marron visit www.SuzanneElizabethMarron.com and www.myspace.com/suzanneelizabethherbalvitamins. Single download (79p) and free download at www.myspace.com/bigfmusic. But get to a gig and buy this CD. Highly recommended.
	February 2008: Live at The Grosvenor Steve Phillips & The Rough Diamonds A new album from local godfather of the blues Steve Phillips, aidly abetted by the Rough Diamonds: the famed Chris Parkinson (Roland FR7 V-Accordion), Jack Gibson (drums), Phil Moore (piano and keys), with bass duties shared between Kevin Butler and Mick Wheeler. Guesting are the great Gin Saw (piano), and Kevin Brown (lap steel guitar). Recorded live at the Grosvenor Hotel, Robin Hood’s Bay, where Steve and the band can be seen playing every Tuesday. And this 14 track CD brilliantly represents the experience of a night at the Grosvenor. No holds barred good time jumpin’ blues played by musicians who are clearly njoying every minute of it. And musicians don’t get much better than this bunch. The CD opens with a rollicking (!) version of ‘See That my Grave is Kept Clean’ - a tradional tune re-arranged by Steve (attributed to Blind Lemon Jefferson on Dylan’s first album). Willie Brown’s cool walking swing ‘Mississippi Blues’ follows, then Fred McDowell’s “Write Me a Few Short Lines” picks up the pace (with a few instrumental nods to Howlin’ Wolf). Steve’s world class slide playing is at the forefront of Robert Johnson’s classic ‘Kind Hearted Woman’, ‘Oh Red’ is good-time - excellent breaks from Parky, Sleepy John Estes ‘Broke and Hungry’ is a straightahead shuffle. in the background we can hear the crowd - clearly enjoying themselves. Steve’s own “Bad Water Rising” is followed by Chester Burnett’s rollicking ‘House Rockin’ Boogie’ - then an exceptional version of Dylan’s reflective ‘Not Dark Yet’. Another classic take: Robert Johnson’s ‘From Four Until Late’ then the chugging ‘Deep River Blues’ from the Delmore Brothers. Then an ultra laidback version of Leadbelly’s ‘Goodnight Irene’, an intricate uptempo ‘Hillbilly Boogie’ and, of course ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ to close. Get to the Grosvenor and check out these amazing sessions and buy this CD. Mail order from www.stevephillipsmusic.com.
	December 2007: this...is what we do ssssssssssssssssssGerry Richardson From the opening bars of the first tune this album exudes sheer class. The personnel are a roll-call of some of the very best musicians currently playing in the North East: Gerry himself on Hammond, Rhodes, keyboard-bass and vocals, Rod Sinclair (guitar), Paul Smith (drums and percussion), Garry Linsley (saxes), Gordon Marshall and Dave Hignett (trumpets and flugelhorns), Don Fairley and Ken Norris (trombones), Sue Ferris (flute and saxes), Ray Dales (saxes), Neil Harland and Harry Richardson (bass guitars), augmented by Sting, who provides lead and backing vocals on one of the two cover tracks ‘Springtime in the City’: a tribute to Graham Bond and to Last Exit - the band originated by Gerry in the 70’s, with Sting on bass and vocals. This tune was one of their favourites at the time and, says Gerry, “unusual for a pop song it uses all the notes in the chromatic scale!” The album features a track from the Gerry Richardson Trio, who are then occasionally augmented by Rod Sinclair and Neil Harland (though Gerry plays great bass with his left foot on the Hammond pedals!) Four of the ten tracks are from the Big Idea - an extraordinary nine-piece outfit. The CD opens with a straight soul jazz cool groove from the trio ‘ Going Out’ - based on Mel Torme’s great ‘Coming Home’ followed by the contrast of ‘Another Dark One’ where drum n bass influences fuse with swing. The other cover on the album comes from a main influence - Mose Allison ‘I’m Getting There” - an upbeat and humorous description of the musician’s lot - “People ask me questions ‘bout the way I’ve spent my life, Thirty years in showbusiness, only had one wife, Of limousines and swimming pools, I didn’t get my share, But I’m not downhearted, I am not downhearted ..... But I’m getting there!”. The big band belt out ‘Blues for Big Red’ and then the sextet lead by Sting give us a shot of 60’s British R&B. ‘Global Village Idiot’ (for George Bush) is the most ambitious track on the CD - a suite of five tunes seamlessly interweaved describing the relentlessly recurring idiocy of aggression and war. ‘Big Jazz Club’ is a paeon to a fairly representative list of all-time jazz greats and ‘Think I’ll Lay Waste to Myself Tonight’ is a drinking song (though not in the Bavarian sense). The Big Idea give us a “funky samba” and the album closes with a a totally contemporary radical re-mix of ‘Another Dark One’ by Gerry’s son, Harry, who adds his own bass. Totally recommended. Check www.gerryrichardson.com. Samples at the ‘news’ and ‘exclusives’ sections of www.sting.com. Available as a CD through e-bay and download at i-tunes.
	November 2007: Georgian Ghosts Archer Street Blues and the Candy Factory ggggggggggggggggHigh Plane Drifters Album of the Month, November, is a first from Stockton-on-Tees High Plane Drifters. 10 tracks on black vinyl packaged in a sleeve reminiscent of the best of Blue Note. We’ve already heard the singles / EPs from this extraordinary outfit - all of them sold out within months of release - on this album you get the full picture from a self proclaimed “Psychedelic Garage Blues Band”. Though it echoes “half a century and more of blues n’ roll” heritage the High Plane Drifters are totally original. Maybe the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are in a similar frame but HPD reference a much broader territory. Mark Lamar described the Blues Explosion as the most exciting band he’d ever seen - if that’s the case then Teesside’s High Plane Drifters would totally blow him away. No surprise that they were recently given the accolade of the prestigious PRS Foundation ATOM award. Only available through nomination this award is given annually to a handful of the most creative musicians in the UK, assessed by industry experts. High Plane Drifters are Timothy James Oxnard on guitar and Wesley Stephenson on drums - together they sound like a stampeding herd, like a three or four piece band mixing amazing counterpointing drums and percussion with riffs reminiscent in range from the Ventures to Hendrix (sometimes, as in the opener “Electricity in My Bones”, in the same tune) and vocal delivery as full-on as Hound Dog Taylor at his wildest or Magic Sam or Screaming Jay Hawkins at their most eccentric. Then “Gumbo” and “Meek Damo Caged” take you to the Louisiana swamps, Tim’s guitar break flying above. “Shake, Shake” is stratospheric, “Cry Like A River” is James ‘Blood’ Ulmer territory, “Rendered By Distance Inarticulate” is reminiscent of Mingus in his Mau Mau days. Adventurous instrumentation and Tim’s famed cello-like guitar bowing mixed with Shanai like wailing from an eastern bazaar or the Atlas mountains. “Despair - I Couldn’t Escape the Feeling that it Would End at Any Given Moment” brings us down to roots with Howlin’ Wolf type riff, followed by a live favourite “I Wish I Was a Happier Man”, and the brushes driven, gently driving, “Road Theme” takes us out .... all expertly recorded and mastered by Stephen ‘Nobby’ Norman of Soul Fire Sounds. Get this groundbreaking, totally original album from Sound It Out Records, Stockton or online at www.donttellclare.co.uk
	September 2007: We Start Fires vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvWe Start Fires Following a haul of successful singles (Strut, Hot Metal, Magazine) Teeside electro-indie outfit We Start Fires are set to release their hotly anticipated self-titled debut album on 1st October 2007 through Hot Noise. We Start Fires combines spiky punk, slick electro and pure pop, displaying all the musical characteristics the band’s ever-growing fan-base have come to love. Excellently co-produced by Stephen Norman and mixed by Pat Collier, We Start Fires is a 12-track rollercoaster ride through first loves, nights out on the town, and bad boys. The album kicks off with the playful romance of Blondie-like Play You, ‘my life long dreams/ ripped at the seams/ you came and fixed them up for me’ before leading straight into the Devo-inspired electro breakdown of Magazine (the first single to be taken from the album). Swinging between the feminist pop of Hipshake (‘You’ve got eyes like sin/ And skin like cream/ But I won’t fall that easily’) to the heartbreak of Looking For You, We Start Fires seamlessly moves from genre to genre, silver screen drama conveyed through flawlessly pop vocals, jagged guitars and beating synth sounds. Plus driving rhythm section. Since their first DIY release – the John Peel championed Caught Redhanded - We Start Fires have lived up to their name, creating a red-hot buzz that certainly doesn’t seem like it’ll be extinguished any time soon. Endearing themselves to XFM, Radio 1 and 6 Music – as well as the Guardian, the Times and NME – their live shows have seen them support the likes of The Rakes, Dirty Pretty Things, Giant Drag and Nine Black Alps. Variously described as “like one of the Deal sisters in a cosmic deathray fight with Be Your Own Pet’s Jemima” (NME), ‘gratifyingly aggressive and winningly pop’ (The Times) and ‘a prime piece of girl punk’ (Guardian), We Start Fires’ flames are surely bound to grow even higher. A national tour to promote this album concludes at the Inside Out Club in their hometown Darlington on Friday 19th October. www.westartfires.co.uk
	July 2007: Lift Him Up dfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffRay Stubbs and fffffhis Amazing One Man Blues Band A long-awaited new album from the North East’s (some would say the UK’s) premiere bluesman. Produced by Ray himself with assistance from the great Frankie Gibbon, and recorded analogue live at Wildtrax Studios, Chester-le-Street. To those not familiar with Ray’s work not only does he have a unique voice, honed over years of touring, but he plays 6 & 12 String Guitars, Bass Drum, Side Drum, Snare Drum, Garabukas, Washboard, Cow Bell, Hi-Hat, Sock Cymbals x 2, Bass Pedals, Kazoosaphone, Jug, Mississippi Whistle, and amazing Harmonica. His kit is “mechanically operated by head, hands and feet”. Ray has worked alongside and with artists as diverse as Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Vinegar Joe (Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks), Alexis Korner, Memphis Slim, Bo Diddley, Luther Allison, Lowell Fulson, Eric Burdon, Slim Gaillard, Flaco Jimenez ...His website is currently being re-constructed but there’s an amazing, brief, biography up at www.raystubbs.co.uk. Glimpses of 35 or more years on the road. And Ray’s on absolute top form on this album. Some tunes familiar from his past set-lists and some new takes. And his blues groove covers broad territory. The album opens with a song from Blind Willie McTell, the rocking ‘Hide Me in the Bosom”. Then a straight driving groove, almost sinister take on Fred McDowell’s ‘Diving Duck Blues’. A Mexican feel underpinning title track “Lift Him Up” (Washington Phillips) - a naturally ‘uplifting’ tune. Al Wilson (Canned Heat) wrote the next tune. A no-messing straightahead version of “On the Road Again”. Another change comes with an amazing atmospheric take on R.L Burnside’s “She Asked Me”. Harmonica and kick. And a bit of delay. A new track to me - this one blew me away. And then a dance track - Bukka White’s “Jitterbug Swing”, Ray’s slide guitar and self-propelled rhythm section. Then gospel through Laura Hinton’s “I Can Tell the World” followed by a driving version of “Cat’s Squirell” - a tune from Ray’s original inspiration - Dr Isiah Ross. It was whilst supporting Dr Ross with his band ‘Pigmeat’ that Ray was inspired to construct his incredible one-man-band kit. J.B. Lenoir provides “Jonah and the Whale”, another favourite, more dance with Bo Carter, a lamenting “Rolling Log Blues”, Jesse Fuller’s prison song “99 Years and one Dark Day” and out with the great “Bring it on Home” from Sonny Boy Williamson. Available through his new website when it’s complete - in the meantime get this album at gigs and by telephone order on 0191 482 0170.
	May 2007: Musicport World Music Festival DVD sssssss fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffVarious Hot off the press comes this DVD record of the 2006 World Music Festival featuring an excellent and representative cross-section of the festival programme: Go-Lem System, Yasmin Levy, Blowzabella, Fueye Tango, Robert Maseko and Congobeat, Eliza Carthy and the Ratcatchers, Ali Slimani band with Natacha Atlas, Mas Y Mas, Chartwell Dutiro, Vocal Sampling, Reem Kelani and Apache Indian & the Reggae Revolution. Each band / artist contributes a song and the sequence of songs presented really captures the atmosphere and the variety and the spirit of this Festival. Go-Lem system kick it off with good-time up-beat Argentinian / Spanish reggae. A meditative piece from the great Yasmin Levy, then one of the highlights for me, Blowzabella just flow and flow. Underpinned by French hurdy-gurdy prodigy Gregory Joliet - bagpipes, violin, accordion, saxophones, clarinet and bass build up an amazing and intricate groove. All featured on this DVD provide truly extraordinary performances - the precision and swing of Fueye Tango followed by Robert Maseko and Congobeat who build up a relentless rhythm, hypnotic interplay between Dave Moss (violin) and Otis Tabasenge (guitar), Robert holding it all together, driving on a dancing crowd, followed by an audacious piece from the Ratcatchers, Eliza taking an amazing violin break that shows just how good she is . More dance vibe, soaring soulful vocals and theatricality from Natacha Atlas, followed by humour and virtuoso playing from Mas Y Mas, a meditative and hypnotic interlude from Chartwell Dutiro from Zimbabwe playing mbira. “The sound of the mbira is like rain on earth: music to revive the spirit of the ancestors”. More humour from Vocal Sampling - a crowd sing-a-long with the Banana Boat Song, a heartfelt and driving piece from Palestinian heroine Reem Kelani (with an amazing piano break from Mercury award winner Zoe Rohman). And full circle, in a sense, with dance hall banghra reggae from Apache Indian. Good time uplifting music ends the show. This DVD is very well produced by John Wells and his team with some really adventurous camera work and editing. If you weren’t there -get the DVD and get the vibe. If you were there get the DVD - it’s a great addition to the family album.
	April 2007: Natty Loon aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaElephant Talk Caught up with the newly re-formulated Elephant Talk at the opening gig of Whitby Musicport’s season. “Celtic dance-fused acoustronica!” The gig was held at the Rifle Club - a venue we really recommend - good sound / good beer. And a car park! After 10 years on the road saxist / didge / hammer dulcimer player Josef Greenfield left ET to pursue his own musical path and the band took a rest. Jon Maybey (guitar / loops / programmes) and Adrian Sykes (flute / whistle / tabla / percussion) have recently been joined by Jenny Crooks (electric and acoustic harps), Aaron Catlow (violin), and Dorian Sutton (double bass) - all seriously good musicians who blend into and augment the ET sound. Obviously bringing their own stuff to the party. Aaron Catlow’s credentials are established from the opening track ‘Natty Loon’ with a blistering solo. And there’s plenty more of these to come as the album progresses. Dorian lays down groove after groove - check the soul / funk / celtic / eastern swing of ‘Doctor Benkara’. Jenny’s harp weaves gently through the often intricate ET melodies, counterpointing straight ahead dance beats. Jon’s guitar is essentially acoustic these days, stabbing out rarely heard time signature punctuations then rising above the flow with occasional pure acoustic or wah or whatever FX solo passages. Adrian Sykes flute and whistle as fluent and lyrical as ever - solo swapping with Catlow’s violin. His tabla playing really drives. The music develops hypnotically throughout the album in much the way an Elephant Talk concert progresses - this is seriously beautiful, well considered stuff melding a considerable range of influences. But it’s not precious. At the Rifle Club the audience were dancing from the outset - tough for any band to achieve. 8 new original tracks here plus an excellent 8 minute re-working of ET favourite ‘Kandakoran’. The band are very relaxed with each other and this is transmitted to the audience and listener. The CD is hot of the press - the Musicport gig was the 2nd in a brief national tour to promote it. Further details at www.myspace.com/elephanttalkuk and www.elephanttalk.co.uk. Brilliant production from Jon Maybey and Josh Clarke by the way ....
	January 2007: Something in the Air ggggggggggggggggtttttggggVarious This 2CD set is brought to us by York Oral History Society who deserve total congratulations for pulling together such an enjoyable and significant piece. The double CD complements a book of the same name published by the Society a few years ago and aims to capture the music scene in York as it existed in the 60’s and 70’s. 41 re-mastered tracks from the period ranging through all genres - rock n roll, jazz, pop and folk, with a few brief interviews thrown in providing personal perspective from local stalwarts Ron Burnett, Steve Cassidy, Colin Berriman, Glyn Edwards and Mal Luker. Bands who contributed or were searched out include Ron Burnett’s Jazz Band (with Greg Wadman, Joe Passey, Martin Boyd, Pete Milner and Charlie Abel) , the Wabash Four, Roy and the Zeroes, Johnny DeLittle with ‘Not Guilty’ written by Trevor Peacock (recently seen as Jim Trott in ‘The Vicar of Dibley’), the John Barry Seven playing ‘Hit and Miss’ - this had been unanimously voted a hit on TVs Juke Box Jury and became the show’s signature tune. (John’s father had the Rialto in York - scene of his first performances). John later achieved worldwide fame (and an OBE) for his compositional work. Professional bands such as Angel Pavement, Red Dirt, the Smoke, and lesser known acts such as Steve Cassidy and the Escorts, the Cheavours, the Roll movement, Adrian Kaye and the Corvettes are all represented. The 8 page accompanying CD booklet explains much of the history and significance of the bands and acts - fascinating in itself. This truly valuable and enjoyable CD can be bought from Track Records, Ark Records and Borders in York or direct from York Oral History Society c/o York City Archives, Art Gallery Building, Exhibition Square, York YO1 7EW. Contact Van Wilson for further details and send a cheque for £14.95. This 2CD set should be an inspiration to other such societies in the area.
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