Bloggerhythms

D. B. Rielly has released two full length studio albums and two live EPs under his own name and all of them have been favorably reviewed here . Currently, Rielly is back with his new duo, The Lore Dogs. He said the name comes from "a penchant for songs that tell stories: tales of love and the human condition; contrasting darkness with light. And, well, we happen to be dog people." The New Yorker sings and plays guitar, banjo and accordion. His partner, producer/percussionist/violinist, Rohin Khemani, has played in Rielly's band for a long time. Rielly explained how The Lore Dogs began. "Rohin is my friend and my favorite drummer. He's on both my studio records and plays with me any gig I have unless he's out touring. Last fall, he approached me saying he wanted to get off the road and start his own project and then thought of a duo with me. He pitched me by saying he's always loved my songs and style and wanted to pair it with ethnic instruments...

Back when the famous horn-rock band was known as Chicago Transit Authority, they released a top-notch single called "Questions 67 and 68," off of their 1969 eponymously titled debut album. It didn’t do much on the charts, reaching only number No. 71 on the Hot 100. Later, in 1971, with Chicago firmly ensconced as one of the hottest bands in the galaxy, they edited the original album version of the song down to a length that would please radio programmers and re-released it. This time it reached No. 24 which, at the time, was disappointing for an outfit of Chicago's stature. Perhaps it was because "Questions" wasn't filled with the friendly hooks radio coveted. "Questions" benefits from a really terrific Jim Pankow horn chart. The three-man section he still leads today opens the song with some inspired Terry Kath guitar work on top. It's immediately followed by an outstanding Peter Cetera vocal with an assist from composer Robert Lamm. The t...

One cannot write about Paul Thorn without including a brief biography because of the rich and varied life the man has led. Before turning to music full-time, Thorn was a professional boxer who fought Roberto Duran on television. He made chairs for a living. He was a skydiver. His vibrant, offbeat paintings grace his own CD covers. Currently, he is a blues-influenced, rock 'n' rolling, singer-songwriter with a view of the world that is both spiritual and cerebral. Thorn's father is a Church of God minister and his religious upbringing is apparent on all twelve tracks. Yet most of the songs on his very literate third CD, Mission Temple Fireworks Stand , are not necessarily about a specific religion. Thorn's goal is not to convert his listeners but to make them think. His songs are character studies, most set to a loud, pungent, blues-tinged rock beat. On "Even Heroes Die," Thorn sings about the warped celebrity status and cult following of Elvis Presle...

This partially rewritten review was originally published in February 2006. I'm re-posting it now because it only had 38 visitors in all of these years, and some of them were me. That sad fact has nothing to do with the music contained in the album and everything to do with the fact this blog was less than a year old at the time and had yet to build its readership.  __________________________ Bett Butler, from San Antonio, Texas, is meant to play those dark smoke-filled jazz clubs in Manhattan, New Orleans, or Memphis. This singing and piano-playing lady is full of jazz and R & B influences. There are eleven original tracks, nine of which feature a brass section or horn-playing jazz soloist that displays both Butler's songwriting talent and her ample vocal skills. The fact that Butler is from the Lone Star State is only apparent on tracks like "Bubba's Inconvenience Store," in which she relates a tale of what happens at a small corner store while waiting fo...

J. J. Cale (1938 -2013) always lived on the fringes of fame so I guess you would have to call him a cult artist. Such is the fate of a lot of musicians who have been large influences on many of the world's most famous stars. That said, I've never known anyone who heard Cale's music and didn't like it. For all of you who are new to Cale, he wrote "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," both heavily associated with Eric Clapton in the 70s. Cale's best known top 40 hit was "Crazy Mama," way back in 1972. It peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was his only Top 40 hit. Cale's The Definitive Collection,   a twenty track, single disc retrospective, includes all three tracks mentioned above plus "Call Me the Breeze" covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, and John Mayer. Lucinda Williams, Poco, Beck, Johnny Rivers, John Mayall, Tom Petty, and a host of other devotees have also covered Cale's work. What is most appealing a...