Eric Bibb's version of the blues is calm, wise, hushed, and elegant, as much or more about redemption as it is about despair, and above all, Bibb sees the blues as narrative, part of the story we all drift through. His best songs, often built on traditional patterns and rhythms, are wise and affirming, and they fall to the brighter and more hopeful side of the blues. There are several such gems on Deeper in the Well, including the opening track, a delightful piece of Louisiana shuffle funk called "Bayou Belle," the string band gospel bounce of "Dig a Little Deeper in the Well," a modal and relentlessly driving "Boll Weevil," "Sittin' in a Hotel Room," which is a wise and hopeful story of contentment, and the final track, a stunningly beautiful banjo version of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'." It all adds up to a beautifully redemptive album, one of Bibb's best. (less)

A loving fusion of post World War I Mississippi Delta and post World War II Chicago blues, lovingly and authentically presented, is the stock in trade of The Cash Box Kings.

Ten years into their career, the core group of Joe Nosek, Oscar Wilson, and Kenny “Beady Eyes” Smith deliver a steady, if not spectacular, meat and potatoes album done with talented foils. In the process, they give a whole new meaning to the notion of roots blues by stretching back 100 years and by stressing spare, tasteful ensemble playing.

Half covers and half originals, the album also features a 50/50 lead vocal split.

Harmonica player, bandleader, and album producer Nosek sings three originals — the country blues shuffle album-opening title track, the standard Chicago blues progression with hooks and licks Fraulein.

On Paulina, and the hooky stomper Sara. His cover of Hank Williams’ Blues Come Around is distinctive and authentic. Across the board, his songs never lack for licks and grooves.

Wilson is the gifted wailer of the two. He shines on everything from the spoken word Chicago tale That’s My Gal to a fun cover of The Rolling Stones’ Off The Hook. He also gives his effective and authentic tales on a pair of blues masters.

His with-the-band cover of Muddy Waters’ Feel Like Going Home and his solo guitar accompanied version of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Katie Mae display him as a soulful blues frontman. His original Barnyard Pimp, meanwhile, shows that he can be a howler with panache too.

Drummer Smith (the son of Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, who was Waters’ drummer from 1968 until 1991) anchors the rhythm section. Lead guitarist Joel Paterson shines throughout. Standup bassist Jimmy Sutton takes one vocal lead, a capable cover of Ray Sharpe’s Oh My Baby’s Gone.

The whole unit gets to shine on a pair of Nossek-penned originals — the old-timey Hayseed Strut and the more ambitious album take out Tribute To The Black Lone Ranger.

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**** Second album further blurs the lines of pigeonholing their sound.

Since releasing their debut in 2009, this road-seasoned, acutely-talented trio has taken Canada by storm. Their infectious blues-based gumbo features some of the best harmoica, guitar and big-bottomed rhythm you've ever heard--all without a bass player--but, lest you think this is some artsy acoustic experiment, you'd be wrong. The band's middle name does appear to be 'experiment' but they constantly prove how little risk is involved as thye've mastered all the elements from their collective years treading the boards. Roots music made right through a work ethic of tireless execution.

Lead singer/harpist Steve Marriner has a phenomenal voice--perfect for the territory they cover and that's before he even picks up the harp he used to cut out a name for himself (cue 'The Marrinator')--since adding baritone guitar, keyboards and anything else not nailed down to his musical arsenal. Guitarist Tony D (Diteodoro) has the longest legs, musically, bringing guitar chops to the band that sound like three players, alone. Matt Sobb is the underestimated lynchpin of this team of friends, more than anchoring the trio with bulletproof beats and rhythmic voodoo. More than anything anything, these three are childhood pals and they play like they not only mean it, they're willing to meet you out back to prove it.

Without question, this new record is different from the last--as was their intent. Added elements of soul--a challenge easily met by Marriner's vocals, join bits of funk and Diteodoro's scorching, blues-rock leads. Which is exactly why they can't be pigeonholed. They're more interested in getting people to thier feet and moving than they are following a setlist or a gameplan for success, as evidenced from coast to coast at festival after festival. Blues, r&b, funk--it's all the same to them and TO BEHOLD ups the ante with 9 new songs and a Hank Williams III cover.  Harp, aggressive guitar breaks, slap-happy backbeats announce their arrival while they slip into a spiritual treatment of Hank's You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave). A drumbeat-led, funked up Right Now segues into the slow blues, B3-blessed Let Her Down, as Tony D leaves yet another mark. Their own With These Hnads carries a strong Stax groove as Marriner sounds very much in control, backed by noted country singers, Tracey Brown and Kelly Prescott. A few lacklustre tunes are thrown in but there's little wonder why this roots-rich trio fared so well in Memphis at last year's international Blues Challenge, plus a 2010 Blues Music Award for best new artist. Running In The Rain has a 1950's rock'n'roll feel, which lets some steam out of the running order, redeemed by Diteodoro's own mid-tempo, slide and B3-infected All About You--a highlight of a different colour. Marriner's own instrumental workout, the aptly-named The Marrinator--in which the harpist extraordinaire offers insights into how he earned his earlier blues moniker, 'Southside Steve.'

All in all, regardless of the new genre they're carving out for themselves, an aural pleasure to behold.

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Strangers to the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene first heard Maria Muldaur's captivating and playful voice on th epop hit, "Midnight At The Oasis," followed by the anthemic, "I'm A Woman." Since Then, much has been added to Muldaur's discography and performing history in blues, jazz, gospel, and folk than this review can possibly hold.

As a teen, Muldaur started out recording regional roots musicians with the Friends of Old Timey Music. She soon became a major presence in the Village folk scene with pals including John Sebastian, Paul Butterfield, and ex-husband Jeff Muldaur, with whom she performed in the Jim Kweskin and Even Dozen jug bands. The two albums she recorded with Muldaur - Pottery Pie and Sweet Potatoes - remain cult classics.

After nearly 50 years, it's fair to say that Ms. Muldaur has become beloved by fans who have followed her sideways journey through American music. Consistently, she has chosen the material best suited to her voice and singing style. She also chooses to work with talented peers who share her vision of American roots music.

Her current release, Steady Love, was recorded in New Orleans and exemplifies her soulful reinvention within traditions she has always loved - blues, jazz, folk, pop, spirituals. The 13-track CD features some of the best Fat City musicians including Shane Theriot on guitar, keyboardist Dave Torkanowsky, bassist Johnny Allen, and drummer Kenny Blevins.

Gospel highlights are the classic, "As An Eagle Stirreth In Her Nest," along with Eric Bibb's "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down." Very moving is the album's slide guitarist Rick Vito's "I Am Not Alone." Her blues and R&B tracks are well chosen and superbly performed. Her take on Sugar Pie DeSanto's "Soulful Dress" is enjoyable as much for th eperformance as for th fact that Muldaur chose to honor a lesser-klnown blues/R&B performer who deserves the spotlight.

Her soulful voice has probably dropped an octave since the Sixties, but it's gotten grittier and darker and more nuanced. In some ways, Muldaur displays similarities to Mavis Staples, who likewise shared the folk scene, and who's got the same soulful blues/gospel delivery and stage presence.

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Holger Petersen's Talking Music Book Launch

Where: People's Co-op Book Store, 1391 Commercial Dr.

When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Tickets: Free admission

Ain't it funny, as Willie Nelson once mused in one of his bluesier tunes, how time slips away. For Edmonton's Holger Petersen, it must be downright hilarious.

Petersen, an epic blues fan, has been hosting his Natch'l Blues show on Edmonton's gem of a radio station, CKUA, for 40 years now. He's also helmed the Saturday Night Blues show on CBC Radio for 25 years. Plus he's been running the top Canadian roots-music record label, Stony Plain, for 35 years.

And now Petersen has a book out and if you're a music fan, it's a page-turner. With introductions from Petersen, these are the transcripts from 19 of the thousands of interviews he's conducted over the years. Here you have Ike Turner talking about his "Rocket 88" and its effect on nascent rock 'n' roll, Long John Baldry and the start of the blues scene in London that would give us the so-called British Invasion and Bill Wyman who is exceedingly entertaining as he broadly disses Keith and Mick.

Jeff Healey's in here as is Alan Lomax, Mick Fleetwood, Sun Records' founder Sam Phillips - just tons. My favourite is probably the Ry Cooder piece but it's all really fun stuff. Fellow CKUA hosts Roy Forbes (Roy's Record Room) will play a few songs and Terry David Mulligan (Mulligan's Stew) will MC.

Halfway through the book, I started shaking my head at how tortuous it must have been for Petersen deciding on what to leave out.

"Oh, there were so many Stony Plain connections," he says. "Amos Garrett, for example. Ronnie Earl. Also, I could have done a lot more Chicago blues artists, Louisiana."

Sounds like the start of a series.

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Wow! On my first listen (and my opinion has never changed on repeated listens), this is the Duke Robillard I experienced in 1984 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, at B.C.B.S. R&B Picnic sitting with Billy Blough (aka Dr. Martini) of George Thorogood's band. We were in thralled, if that includes drinkin' all day. Although at that time I believe it was a three-piece power trio that had energy out the ass.

Well, this isn't a trio but it has the same ass-kickin' energy, with the addition of long-time band member Bruce Bears on keys and the amazing Sax Gordon on, what else, sax. In my opinion Gordon channels the spirit and Chi-town style of early J.T. (Big Boy) Brown's guttural bleats and squawks that put a big smile on your face.

The recording techniques draw from old-school, sparse mike placement and modern recording equipment that will give you an idea how the masters might sound today. Gut Bucket with Caviar!! Take that and how damn much younger Duke sounds vocally. So strong that I think Michael John discovered a long lost bottle of water from Juan Ponce De Leon's fountain!!

The songs Duke picks out are mostly ones he heard as a youth, you know, the ones that sent him in his initial gritty musical direction. Most are not songs that have become hits as covers over the years, but ones that deserve re-discovery, like the opening track, Guitar Slim's "Quicksand," which immediately gives you the idea of what Low Down and Tore Up promises. Sugar Boy Crawford's "Overboard," sung by drummer Mark Teixeira, makes an old chair dancer's foot tired of tappin'. Next up is Pee Wee Crayton's "Blues After Hours" to help you calm down. This was a big hit … before I was born … unlike Jimmy McCracklin's "It's Alright," that found me at five years old. My favorite (that I really identify with) is another Sugar Boy Crawford tune, "What's Wrong."

Simply put, Duke is a master at every style of guitar and on this one shows his early rough side with youthful abandonment. Put it on and turn it up!

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