So the other day I wrote a out one of the two songs that have been in my music rotation this month, Albert Cummings‘ latest album Strong. The other album is Mike Zito‘s new album Life is Hard. Like Cummings Zito has been a favorite of mine for many years a now. I started listening to his music back around 2010 in when I heard his album Pearl. I think that his last two albums, 2021 Blues for the Southside Live and Life is Hard have been the best of his career.
Ok so since September of last year my wife and I have spent most of our days babysitting our 4th grandchild, Emma. We’re at my daughter’s house from 7 am until roughly 5 pm. The result is I don;t have a lot of time to blog and/or listen to music. But I’ve been trying to listen when I am out and about on the weekends and at night. Lately, the two blues albums that have been in my music rotation are the latest releases from two of my favorites. First came Albert Cummings latest releases Strong. Then came Mike Zito’s Life is Hard .
Throughout Writing on the Wall Montoya’s vocals are as strong as his impeccable guitar playing. Additionally, the album is the first to feature Coco’s touring band.
Writing on the Wall is the second Coco Montoya album Grammy Award-winner Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) has.produced. In addition, Tony provides drums on four tracks. The band’s keyboardist Jeff Paris (Keb’ Mo’, Bill Withers).co-produced and recorded at Jeff’s Garage. Other members of the band include bassist Nathan Brown and drummer Rena Beavers.
Musicians joining Coco and the band on the album include: guitarists Ronnie Baker Brooks, country star Lee Roy Parnell, and Dave Steen.
Of the 13 tunes that comprise the album five were composed or co-written by Montoya. Steen wrote four and Paris one. All three together they co-wrote the title track .
The following quote found at the top of Coco’s biography on his website pretty much sums up Coco’s music:
“Blistering contemporary blues…piercing attack, funky, shivery guitar tones and aggressive, soulful vocals” -Blues Revue
While the following advice from Albert Collins seems to be taken to heart on Writing on the Wall...
’Just play what you feel, be real about it, and enjoy yourself.’ That’s what Albert Collins taught me,”
It seems that bringing in his touring band to create this album has been a real success and produced one of Coco’s best if not the best albums. From the start of his solo career Montoya has incorporated the lessons he learned from his mentors, both the iconic Collins (for whom he originally drummed), and UK legend John Mayall,
His first solo album in 1995 won him the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist. And from that point forward Montoya has been one of the top blues artists in the world. But he hasn’t rested on his laurals, but continues to find new ways to improve his music! And sharing the songwriting with his band along with the top-notch producing of Tony Braunage in the creation of Writing On The Wall have done just that!
The bottom line is Writing on the Wall is an A+, so Check It Out! AllMusic writes the following about Coco and I totally agree!
“One of the most prodigious and gifted electric bluesmen on the planet…a deeply soulful singer and incendiary guitarist [with] a seemingly endless penchant for invention.” –AllMusic
CocoMontoya.com
CocoMontoyaBand.
com
I’ve been running on a regular basis over the last few months. Today I was torn between a 3.1 and a 4 mile run. I chose the 3.1 mile option. In addition I told myself I needed to take it easy.
Even though I thought I was taking it easy, my time for the first mile was 11:30. Ok so I thought I’ll take it easy through the rest of the run.
However, my pace hovered around 11:30 and I was running fairly comfortably over mile two. subsequently, I ran that mile in 11:26. I thought can I finish with an average pace less than 11:25 which would be my fastest time for the year!
I ran the last mile in 11:21! And with an old man sprint of 9:52 pace over the last .12 miles of the run, I finished with an average pace of (drumroll please!) 11:22 min/mile! Yeah me!
Total Dist: 3.12 miles Time 35:28. Pace: 11:22 min/mile
Splits
Mile 1 11:31 Mile 2: 11: 27 Mile 3 11:21 Mile 0.12 9:52
Avg HR 145 Max HR 161 Cals Burned: 370 Cals
All in All a great morning!
What Key is Trouble in? has been in my music rotation for a while now and it may be my favorite blues album for 2023.
Nick Schnebelen is a multiple Blues Music Award Winner. Nick joined the elite of the blues community in 2008 as a founding member of the Kansas City band Trampled Under Foot.
Nick and His siblings Danielle and Kris, overwhelmed the competition to win that year’s
International Blues Challenge. Nick won the Albert King Award for “Best
Guitarist”. While the band later won the “Contemporary Blues Album” Blues Music Award.
In 2014 Nick left the band. What Key is Trouble In? is his fourth solo album. The album is comprised of 13 original blues rock tracks that showcase Nick’s great guitar work.
His band mates include Adam Hagerman (drums), Cliff Moore (bass), Red Young (keyboards), Buddy Leach (saxophone), Aaron Mayfield (organ).
The album was co-produced by Chris Hardwick.
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Nick Schnebelen
Ok so I confess I am not a huge Grant Derrmody fan. I first listened to his music in 2020 when he released his fourth album My Dony. I remembered I liked the album so I was excited to hear his latest release Behind the Sun. Well I was blown away and Behind the Sun has become one of my favorite albums of 2022.
From Grant’s website…
In the hands of harmonica master Grant Dermody the harp rumbles like a freight train, sidles up like a soul singer, purrs like an electric cat, rings out in a rhythmic dance. Pair it up with his voice, a strikingly honest vocal approach that resonates in the direct center of your chest, and the intrigue just increases.
And from Devon Ledger at Hearth Music…
“Grant Dermody explodes your expectations of blues harmonica players. He can get down with the best of them, but he can also tear through a Southern old-time fiddle tune, or step back to tastefully accompany a singer with the most subtle of background flourishes. He’s a musician’s musician, no doubt, which should account for the fact that he’s in such demand these days. His taste is impeccable and his playing inspired.”
Ok I can sit here and try to write about Behind the Sun like I know all about it ..or I can let you read what I discovered at Grant’s website.l’ll choose the later….
Behind the Sun, finds him returning to electric blues; a full band and the inspiration and influence of Louisiana, the place where it was recorded. The title itself references a song by Muddy Waters while also capturing the sentiment and sincerity that shine through in each of its 15 tracks.
A list of outstanding musicians, including longtime colleague and acclaimed guitarist Dirk Powell, accordion player Corey Ledet, bassist Lee Allen Zeno, drummer Gerard St. Julien, and backing vocalists Teka Briscoe and Ahyris Navarre. So too, the album encapsulates the c xdistinctive sounds of Louisiana, environs that inspire its own take on Americana and the blues in particular.
Of its fifteen songs, nine are original compositions, including four by Dermody, three by Powell, one by Powell, Zeno and St. Julien, a traditional tune adapted by Dermody.And covers that come courtesy of Muddy Walters, Rick Estrin, Jimmy Reed, Kim Wilson and Otis Rush.
The bottom line is Behind the Sun is terrific! Dermody’s blues harp rips those 15 aforementioned tracks.Additionally, his outstanding cast of band mates complete the album. So check it Out! And once again I have to listen to some of Dermody’s back catalog.
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Grant Dermody
Ok so now that this site is about all aspects of my life and not just about the books I read or have read. And one of the things you will be reading about is my running. Now you haven’t missed much over the last month and a half because I sprained my ankle on May 28th and I have been rehab since then! The physical therapy I’ve had at NovaCare over the last several weeks has really worked wonders. Over the last few days I have had virtually no pain. So I was hoping for a pain free run..
On my last two walks, I have incorporated half and quarter mile segments of slow running. The total distance of the walk/jogs have been two miles.
This morning, I thought I would try and walk the first quarter mile and then run maybe a mile or a mile and a half. However, when the lady on my Runkeeper app said begin activity I instinctively started to jog! I made the first quarter mile with no pain! I also made it to the first mile with no pain. I knew at that point I couldn’t stop because I would be just a pile of sweat that wouldn’t be able to start up again.
So I kept going and altered the route I was running to maximize the shade and figuring if I could hold on I could finish the run in some shade! I was able to do just that and then walk home, which turned into walking another half mile. So the total workout was 2.5 miles with two miles of slow jogging! The best part was it was a pain free run and a pain free cool down!
Here are those Nerdy Details!
Total Dist: 2.5 Time 37:02 Pace: 14:44 min/mile
Splits
Mile 1 12:52 Mile 2: 13:02
Avg HR 139 Max HR 157 Cals Burned: 437 Cals
The soundtrack for the run was one of my favorite albums of 2022 Albert Cummings April 2022 release Ten. Now since it is a great album I think it deserves a post of its own. So until then here are four songs from Ten. Enjoy!
….all rock stars over 50 should retire as they look stupid….
While that may apply to many aging stars who haven’t recorded an album in many years it doesn’t apply to Dion! And just writing this it doesn’t apply to two of her ex-band mates Jorma Kaukonan and Jack Cassidy (Hot Tuna)
Anyway, let’s get back to the eighty-two year young Dion. While I have not seen Dion live, I have viewed many of his recent video. In them he introduces songs from his last two albums Blues with Friends and Stomping Ground and lwhat I’ve seen is an 82 year-old having the time of his life and producing some really good music!
The Friends on Dion’s Albums
Oh, what a difference a cloudy sky and a temperature that is a few degrees lower make on a morning run! I have been making it a habit to check the running conditions each night before a run. Last night the rating for this morning was an 8 out of 10 until after 10am. And the rating was correct! The beat thing was there was no bright sun beating down on me!
I ran the first mile in just a shade under 11 minutes. (10:59). The second mile was slower because much of the mile was uphill. My mile time was 11:20 and the average pace dropped to 11:09. I ran the third mile and fourth mile in around 10:56 with a little sprint at the end.As a result, I was able to finish with an overall pace of 11:00 min/mile and I was a happy runner! Here are those pesky nerdy details
Total Dist: 4.14 Time 45:33 Pace: 11: 00 min/mile
=&1=&
=&2=& 1 10:59 =&2=& 2: 11:20 =&2=& 3 10:56 =&2=& 4 10:58? (I screwed up the Fitbit results by trying to edit my time and lost the exact last 1.14 miles)
=&6=&138 Max HR 152 Cals Burned: 563 Cals
The soundtrack for the run was =&8=&the latest release from Blues Guitarist Mike Zito. I’ve been a fan since I first heard his debut album Pearl back in 2010.
….Resurrection is an album of feelings, emotions, and is very personal. The title track is how I once almost lost my love, but it came back stronger than ever. I have had this song in me for years, but it only makes sense now to share it with the world. After the year we have had on planet Earth, I believe we all need a rebirth. This rebirth has given me an opportunity to be who I want to be musically and artistically.” More
So why is managing my ADHD relevant today? Well, last night in my mind I planned to run this morning. However, in typical fashion I forgot I also needed to take wash to the laundromat.
So should I run first then do the laundry? Do the laundry and put off running until later today or tomorrow? Or do the laundry and run while it’s drying?
In the past I would have done the wash and put off running until later. Then later in the day when it came time to run, I would ultimately put it off until tomorrow. That decision would mean I wouldn’t be able to run again until Saturday!
Anyway, I chose option three. Which actually resulted in me having a light breakfast and running around 10 o’clock. I know that doesn’t seem like much but it’s a little win for me!
As an added bonus the run was my fastest of the year! I started my run pretty well and at the half mile mark my place was right around 11 minutes per mile. Running comfortably I hit the mile mark in just under 11 minutes.I held steady and even picked up the place slightly through the second mile. Then I watched my heart rate through the last mile making sure it didn’t get over 154 bpm.
Anyway, that went out the window when I felt good over the home stretch and I finished with a good old man sprint at the end. Final average pace 10:47 min/ mile!
Total Dist: 3.16 =&0=& 34:09 =&1=&: 11:47 min/mile
=&2=&
=&3=& 1 10:57 =&3=& 2: 10:37 =&3=& 3: 10:58 =&3=& 0.16 – 9:39!
=&7=& 146 =&8=& 160 =&9=&: 436 Cals
All in all I am a very happy camper!
Ok so rather than put off finishing this post and then not finishing it, let’s just finishing by writing I have enjoyed Damon Fowler’s music in the past and I enjoyed what I heard today. Checking past posts I see I’ve written several posts about Damon’s music. I’ll post links later!
For now though, let’s go into the evening with “Some Things Change” from DamonFowler’s =&11=&
