Down Home Blues: New York, Cincinnati and the North Eastern States: Tough Enough

Just released is the third box set in Wienerworld’s Down Home Blues series that explores the unique regions of the black American blues scene. This release features 37 artists, many of whom were influential in developing the down home blues scene, including Brownie McGhee, Big Chief Ellis, Alonzo Scales, Cousin Leroy and others.

The box set contains the down home blues of the territories of the North Eastern States that encompasses two important cities that certainly helped in the development and growth of this blues genre. Mainly from artists who were far more comfortable playing their music within the bars and out-of-town juke joints. The tough little venues that were quite different from the bigger rhythm and blues, jazz orchestrated venues that New York and North-eastern cities had established for those bigger sounds.

A four CD set, packaged in a deluxe digipak with an outer slip case, featuring 110 rare tracks, all digitally remastered, some of which have never been reissued since their original release.

Also features an 80 page book on the origins of the music and the blues scene in this region by eminent blues writer and scholar Chris Bentley, complete with essay, rare photos, track listing and full sessionography.

official website: https://www.wienerworld.com

Billy Swan and Buzz Cason new release Billy & Buzz Sing Buddy...tribute to Buddy Holly

On Billy & Buzz Sing Buddy, the new album from Billy Swan and Buzz Cason, the Nashville music legends revisit the songs of one of their first musical heroes, pioneering rocker Buddy Holly.

“We both have a lot of love for Buddy Holly,” says Swan, who is best known for “I Can Help,” his 1974 No. 1 hit. “He was the real deal.”

The album, which was released by Arena Recordings on August 17, features 11 songs originally recorded by Holly, plus a song about Holly, “Thank You Buddy,” co-written by Cason and Swan. “We figured that would be a nice way to wrap up the album,” says Cason, who is most widely recognized as the co-writer of the pop and R&B standard, “Everlasting Love,” and the producer of Robert Knight’s original hit recording of the song.

Interestingly, both Cason and Swan have a connection to Holly’s old band, The Crickets. In the early 1960's, Cason co-wrote and produced The Cricket’s hit, “They Call Her La Bamba” before joining the band as lead singer for a year. The Crickets continued to make records over the decades, and in the mid-1990's, they covered a song written by Swan, “Betty Sue’s Still Breaking Jimmy Lee’s Heart.” Crickets drummer Jerry Allison even makes an appearance on Billy & Buzz Sing Buddy, contributing percussion to their cover of “Well...All Right.”

“I’m Lookin’ For Someone To Love” is slated to be the first single from Billy & Buzz Sing Buddy, and they have already posted their hilarious music video for the song to YouTube. Conceived by Cason and featuring a cameo by rockabilly guitar legend Scotty Moore, to whom the album is dedicated, the video was shot at various locations around Nashville including the Tennessee Central Railway Museum, Centennial Park, and Lower Broad.

website: https://www.arenarecordings.net

Marty's review: What can I say about this brilliant album, it's a classic! Whether you're a Buddy Holly fan or not (and who isn't), Billy and Buzz have done a superb job with their passionate renditions of these timeless songs. Buddy and The Crickets would certainly approve as will their legions of fans.