Archive for Living Blues
Living Blues Rave for Doug MacLeod’s A Soul To Claim
The May/June 2022 issue of Living Blues Magazine features a rave review for Doug MacLeod’s A Soul To Claim: “A Soul to Claim builds on MacLeod’s skillful, expressive acoustic guitar work, supported here by Dave Smith on bass guitar, Rick Steff on keyboards, and Steve Potts on drums. The arrangements are subtle, with lots of spaces between the notes and a warm, intimate character. The bass, drums, and keys are often felt more than heard;…
Living Blues Reviews Fiona Boyes Blues in My Heart
Living Blues reviews Fiona Boyes’ 20th Anniversary Digitally Remastered release, Blues in my Heart: “One listen, and well, yeah, she’s blues alright, that and then some. There are not enough acoustic blues women, and even less who compose their own songs at her level. She graces the genre with the remastered 20th anniversary edition of her first solo recording, Blues in My Heart. Listeners will appreciate the generous helping of 18 songs on this CD,…
Voodoo in the Shadows Casts a Seductive Spell
The December 2018 issue of Living Blues reviews Fiona Boyes’ multiple-award-nominated Voodoo In The Shadows recording: “For her latest album, [Fiona Boyes] turns her focus to the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans, and Voodoo in the Shadows delves into the sound, textures and cultures of the region. Boyes serves as her own producer on this collection, and as the album’s title suggests, matters of the spirit are a going concern. … She threads the ode…
Voodoo in the Shadows in Living Blues
After coming in at #4 on the Living Blues October Charts, Fiona Boyes’ Voodoo in the Shadows was up to #3 for November! The album also received a review in the December 2018 Living Blues Magazine: “Guitarist and singer-songwriter Fiona Boyes draws musical inspiration from a variety of influences, displaying a prowess unbound by style or genre. … With excellent musicianship and a spirited atmosphere throughout, Fiona Boyes’ Voodoo in the Shadows casts a seductive…
Break The Chain a Living Blues Top Album of 2017
Living Blues released their Top 50 Blues Albums for 2017 and Doug MacLeod’s Blues Music Awards-nominated album, Break The Chain, comes in at #48! “Like all good blues storytellers, Doug MacLeod sings and speaks the truth. Indeed, the blues as a medium of truth telling appears throughout his latest release, Break the Chain. In the liner notes, MacLeod reveals that his son, Jesse, who plays guitar on the disc, was diagnosed with spindle cell melanoma…
October Living Blues Review for Break The Chain
Order Now “Like all good blues storytellers, Doug MacLeod sings and speaks the truth. Indeed, the blues as a medium of truth telling appears throughout his latest release, Break the Chain. In the liner notes, MacLeod reveals that his son, Jesse, who plays guitar on the disc, was diagnosed with spindle cell melanoma at the time of the recording (the cancer has since been removed). The title song speaks to the issue of family abuse,…
Living Blues Reviews Professin’ The Blues
Order Now Living Blues Magazine reviews Fiona Boyes’ new Professin’ the Blues recording in their latest issue: “Fiona Boyes continues to make superlative music grounded in the various styles of the blues. … A master of audio engineering, [‘Prof’ Keith O.] Johnson creates a sound that is warm, present and balanced so that the instruments and vocals can be heard clearly and distinctly. Boyes uses four different guitars throughout the album’s 16 songs…and she coaxes…
Two Top Living Blues Albums of 2015
Living Blues has released their Top 50 Albums of 2015 and Doug MacLeod’s Exactly Like This comes in at #14 and Fiona Boyes’ Box & Dice lands at #36! Congrats to both of these great blues artists! Doug MacLeod: Exactly Like This HDCDVinyl LP Amazon Apple Music Fiona Boyes: Box & Dice Order from RR! Amazon.com Apple Music Spotify
Living Blues Reviews “Exactly Like This”
Living Blues has a new review for Doug MacLeod’s Exactly Like This release: “Exactly Like This, Doug MacLeod’s latest offering in a career that spans nearly 30 years. MacLeod considers Exactly Like This to be a tribute disc of sorts—the guitar riff in Vanetta is an obvious nod to John Lee Hooker, while Jerry Reed’s influence can be heard on Ain’t It Rough? Others songs, according to MacLeod, reflect the influences of his other musical…
Brand New Eyes Review
Living Blues reviews Doug MacLeod’s Fresh! release “Brand New Eyes“: “What’s remarkable about Doug MacLeod’s music is the stuff you don’t hear. MacLeod does not dabble in filler or extraneous patter. He’s a master of direct, Delta-inspired storytelling, with an audible foot tap present throughout and a National Reso-Phonic guitar upon his hip speaking in steel-timbered tongues… “MacLeod exudes credibility, passion, and a quiet fire of artistic expression… MacLeod’s sense of optimism is evident from…