Monday, November 20, 2023

New Music: Little Feat, Mark Farner, Blood Brothers

Little Feat's Highwire Act in St. Louis and Mark Farner's Rock 'N' Roll Soul: Live 1989 as well as the Blood Brothers' new concert recordings are available now.



Artist:
Little Feat
Title: Little Feat: Highwire Act in St. Louis (Mercury Studios)
You might like if you enjoy: The Zac Brown Band, Traffic, the Grateful Dead
Tell me more: Originally released on DVD in 2004, Little Feat: Highwire Act in St. Louis has just been reissued as a wonderful Blu-ray+2CD collection (the concert is also available on digital video as well). The 2003 concert performance captured Little Feat in top form with the American band delivering 17 tracks blending rock, blues, soul, folk and Americana over 134 wonderful minutes. The line-up was among the ensemble's best, with Paul Barrere (guitars, vocals), Bill Payne (keyboard, vocals), Sam Clayton (percussion, vocals), Kenny Gradney (bass), Richie Hayward (drums, vocals), Fred Tackett (guitar, mandolin, trumpet) and Shaun Murphy (vocals, percussion) locked in and collectively showcasing their outstanding talents across the set. Highlights span the length of the concert, including the jazzy-rock opener "Time Loves a Hero," '70s-flavored rocker "Day Or Night," aptly-titled "Cajun Girl" bolstered by Tackett's inspired mandolin work, gorgeous Americana original "Willin'," and soulful "I'd Be Lyin'," the latter featuring Murphy's powerhouse soprano. Additionally, there are plenty of extended instrumental jams across the wonderful track listing that showcase the players' impressive musical chops to be sure. The Blu-ray Disc features a bonus 11-minute documentary titled "Little Feat Close Up In St. Louis" which features the band members discussing the colorful history and evolution of the group. Information: littlefeat.net.


Artist:
Mark Farner
Title: Rock 'N' Roll Soul: Live 1989 (Liberation Hall)
You might like if you enjoy: Grand Funk Railroad, Randy Bachman, Blood, Sweat and Tears
Tell me more: The "1989 Woodstock Revisited" Festival was staged at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA in August 1989 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Woodstock. Among the celebrated classic rock favorites to perform at the event were Mark FarnerEdgar Winter, Humble Pie, Canned Heat, Melanie, and Blood, Sweat and Tears. Now Farner's complete set from that event has been issued on both audio CD and DVD. Farner  founding member, lead singer and guitarist for Michigan's Grand Funk Railroad  delivered a powerful 15-song set backed by guitarist Arnie Vilches, bassist Lawrence Buckner, keyboardist Mike Blair and drummer Mike Maple. The set list is a mix of Grand Funk Railroad's beloved hits and Farner's strong solo material. Farner is an energetic and riveting frontman who shines on the mix of material; he even trades in his electric guitar to play electronic keyboards on several cuts ("Footstompin' Music" and "Mean Mistreater"). Farner and company immerse the crowd in blues on "Judgement Day Blues," which features the notable guitar work of Farner and Vilches. The soulful "Some Kind of Wonderful" features Buckner and Farner sharing lead vocals. Other highlights of the set include the tuneful sing-along "Bad Time," ambitious "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home," riff rocker "Heartbreaker" and festive closer "The Loco-Motion." Information: liberationhall.com.


Artist:
 Blood Brothers
Title: Blood Brothers  Live in Canada (Gulf Coast Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Walter Trout, Tommy Castro, Joe Bonamassa
Tell me more: Fans of scorching electric blues will want to run out and pick up a copy of Blood Brothers  Live in Canada. The ensemble featuring Mike Zito (vocals, guitar) and Albert Castiglia (vocals, guitar) delivers a fiery performance across the 12-track live recording that was captured at Blue Frog Studios in British Columbia, Canada on May 19 and 20, 2023. The blistering blues-rock opener "Hey Sweet Mama," dazzling cover of Tinsley Ellis' "Tooth and Nail," rootsy "In My Soul," and poignant countrified blues nugget "A Thousand Heartaches" are early standouts. Just as luring are the Chicago blues-styled Zito original "No Good Woman," slide guitar-adorned take on John Hiatt's "My Business" and tender "Gone To Texas." Closing out the concert CD is an explosive reading of Neil Young's especially timely "Rocking' in the Free World." The other band members heard this night (bassist Doug Byrkit, drummer-percussionist Matt Johnson, drummer-percussionist Ephraim Lowell and keyboardist Lewis Stephens) contribute mightily to the performance. Information: gulfcoastrecords.net.


Robert Kinsler


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