WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT STONY PLAIN ARTISTS
Rory Block
A Woman's Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith
"Kicking it off with a tribute to Bessie Smith, she leads us into the land of jellyrolls, poodles and all that other sexy stuff we never really got as kids wondering what they were singing about. A modern musician as well as a great historian, all Grammy voters within the view of my words ought to make a point of moving down the ballot to the blues category this year and giving Block the sugar that belongs in her bowl. Killer stuff. The mantle has been passed to the new empress of the blues." - Midwest Record
"Rory has arranged these songs in her own country blues style for vocals and guitar, sometimes overdubbing more guitar parts, bass, homemade percussion and harmony vocals herself. So, while these 10 songs are familiar from Smith's versions, Rory makes them her own – with her powerful guitar playing and soulful singing… I'm looking forward to more volumes in Rory's tribute series to legendary blues women with great anticipation." – Folk/Roots Branches
"... on this acoustic masterpiece, Block does everything herself... All this proves that Block, like Smith, is an important "Power Woman of the Blues". She is a strong contender for the most influential acoustic artist of our time." - Making A Scene
Sue Foley
The Ice Queen
"Its chilling title aside, The Ice Queen is the kind of album that ought to elevate Foley to a higher tier. Capable of exuding both fire and finesse, Foley has obviously earned her crown."– Lee Zimmerman, Living Blues Magazine
"When one considers contemporary blues guitarists, naturally several come to mind, and being a bit northern-centric, Sue Foley immediately jumps to the fore. That paisley-bejeweled pink Telecaster wouldn't be nearly as impressive in lesser hands, and over the course of nearly three decades as a touring bandleader, the Ottawa-native has certainly established a niche all her own…The Ice Queen is Sue Foley's first album in six years, and a more welcome, forceful, and confident return couldn't be imagined. I imagine it is everything fans have been waiting for, and more." – Fervor Coulee
"It's easy then to see why guest stars such as ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Charlie Sexton and Jimmie Vaughan were so drawn to working on The Ice Queen with Foley, a past Juno Award winner whose increasing maturity and diversity as a songwriter is something to behold. From the wild, '60s garage-rock swagger of "Run" to the smoldering, organ-driven "81" and a warm, cheery "The Lucky Ones," where a coy Foley duets playfully with Vaughan, The Ice Queen—one of the most enjoyable blues records in recent memory—is moody, but easy to love." - Peter Lindblad, Elmore Magazine
Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne
Inspired by the Blues
"…he's still the modern version of iconic pianists like Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, and others…Wayne is an entertainer with big flashy suits, a charismatic stage presence and an endless sense of humor which comes across in his lyrics…" – Elmore Magazine
"One of the big reasons we enjoy Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne's piano-based boogie-blues is the sheer joy he gets from playing and singing, and that joy carries over onto his recordings… Folks, this set is chock-full of favorites…Currently, Kenny Wayne makes his home base in Kelowna, British Columbia, but good luck finding him there. He's constantly touring both stateside and in Canada, and his fans can't get enough of that two-fisted boogie-woogie approach to his music. He's definitely been "Inspired By The Blues!" – Don and Sheryl's Blues Blog
"The grand master of blues and boogie-woogie piano, Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne is back with his fourth album for Stony Plain… this selection is wonderfully played, and Kenny Wayne, a very affable singer, sings and plays wonderfully throughout this splendid new release." – In a Blue Mood
"An incredible mighty record that shows there wasn't a single lesson learned over the last 50 years that was lost on Bibb. A double-CD, recorded all over the world with a host of killer players, this set pulls together world, roots, soul, politics and more into a theatrical journey that'll just blow your mind. As he's a known quantity, all this is no surprise but the way it's all pulled together is just mind boggling. Certainly, sounding like nothing you'd expect, this something that has to be heard to be believed. A high octane, high quality experience throughout." – Midwest Record
"…As the album unfolds, the combinations and blend of instruments is often stunning and sneakily soulful. Bibb voice has absolutely no tinges of anger but his lyrics poignantly comment on the current state of the world, almost from the outset. Bibb is totally adept at marrying the African roots of blues with the American styles, is more than willing to share the spotlight with gifted musicians from all over the globe and is fearless in his approach where commentary on the current state is ultimately positioned as cries for a hopeful future. It may be rather bold to mark this as Bibb's best, considering his impressive 40-year body of work, but it should certainly earn another Grammy nomination or two. It's clearly among the best of this year's roots music albums." – Glide Magazine
"Eric Bibb bites off a lot in making Global Griot: going from traditional to modernized, Western to African, spiritual to topical. Oftentimes, he's putting both ends of each spectrum together. But if there's anyone who can chew all that up and distill it into a meaningful, articulate document about delivering stories and messages through the universal power of music, it's this guy." – Something Else Reviews
