Arts & Entertainment Archive - 8-29-2025

-Asbury Hall @ Babeville-Buffalo, NY-June 25, 2025-

Blues guitarist and vocalist Samantha Fish brought her Paper Doll World Tour to Asbury Hall @ Babeville in Downtown Buffalo on June 25, 2025 before a sold out house of music aficionados. Fish is a rising star on the national blues circuit with a take no prisoners approach in her live performances and outstanding album releases. If you are not familiar with her music now is the time to educate yourself on this astounding talent.

This was Fish’s second appearance at Asbury Hall (she played there in of April 2024) and the ninety plus minute set was a virtuoso clinic in the blues. She kicked off the show with blistering run through the MC5’s classic “Kick Out the Jams” before launching in to the title cut from her latest album “Paper Doll”. From this moment you knew the girl came to play and was on her “A” game tonight. Lots of incendiary guitar work throughout the show as she changed guitars, showed her awesome slide guitar mastery and even donned a cigar box guitar as she prowled the stage to the crowd’s delight. Other highlights from the show include a cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell on You” (also famously covered by Credence Clearwater Revival), “Can You Handle The Heat”, “Bulletproof”, “Don’t Say It”, “Rusty Razor”, “Dream Girl” and a set closing smoking run through “Black Wind Howlin’”. She returned for an encore and brought out the openers Texas Headhunters for a rousing run through the R.L. Burnside classic “Goin’ Down South”.

Speaking of Texas Headhunters, this new Austin super group is comprised of the triple guitar attack of Jesse Dayton, Ian Moore and Johnny Moeller. Their forty five minute set featured selections from their upcoming debut album including “Maggie Went Back to Mineola”, “Pocket”, “Kathleen”, “Seein’ Around Corners” and a set closing “Fool Don’t Play With Fire”.

Two amazing performances from two extraordinary artists who are both keeping the blues alive.
For more upcoming shows from Soul of Buffalo visit them at www.facebook.com/SoulofBuffalo
For more upcoming shows at Babeville visit them at www.babevillebuffalo.com

The latest album from singer songwriter Willie Nile titled The Great Yellow Light features ten songs from the pen of one of America’s finest songwriters. For this album Nile convened to Hobo Sound in Weehawken, NJ with his ace band consisting of Johnny Pisano on bass, Jon Weber on drums and Jimi K. Bones on guitar along with an amazing guest list of musicians including Steve Earle, James Maddock, legendary Irish singer Paul Brady, Chris Byrne and Larry Kirwan from the band Black 47, David Mansfield, Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian from the band The Hooters and master guitarist Waddy Wachtel among others. Lots of highlights off The Great Yellow Light including the raucous rocker and opening track “Wild Wild World”, the anthem for the ages “We Are, We Are”, the high energy greasy groove of “Electrify Me”, the heartfelt Celtic tinged “An Irish Goodbye” featuring Paul Brady on vocals, the dynamic and building title cut “The Great Yellow Light” which is a reference to the letters Vincent Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo while living in France about the light that inspired his paintings, the jangly Roots rocker about the musician’s life “Tryin’ To Make A Livin’ In The U.S.A.”, the bluesy rocker “Fall On Me”, the piano ballad “What Color Is Love”, the powerful anthem for our times duet with Steve Earle “Wake Up America” and the LP closer with members of The Hooters “Washington’s Day”. Willie Nile’s latest album The Great Yellow Light is one of the strongest albums from this distinguished artist. For more information about Willie Nile and his new album The Great Yellow Light visit his website https://www.willienile.com or go to https://www.facebook.com/willie.nile

One other note, the album jacket features a fine collection of photographs from acclaimed photographer Cristina Arrigoni. You can view some of her other work here https://cristinaarrigoniphotography.com

Maria Muldaur will always be known as the singer of the smash hit “Midnight at the Oasis” but most of her sixty year career has been spent as a student of American Roots and Blues music. Expounding on that tradition Muldaur’s latest album titled One Hour Mama-The Blues of Victoria Spivey pays tribute to Spivey’s influence and the mentorship she provided to Muldaur early in her career. Spivey is someone worthy of celebrating too. Her career started in the 1920’s with a brand of bawdy and risqué blues numbers and she worked with Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Memphis Minnie to name a few during her music career. She moved on to Broadway and to motion pictures to expand her career and in the ‘60’s started Spivey Records where she was the first person to record Bob Dylan and gave Muldaur her start in the music business. For One Hour Mama-The Blues of Victoria Spivey, Muldaur is joined in the studio by Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal and the band Skinny Tuba along with a host of other talented musicians. Lots of keepers among the twelve tracks on One Hour Mama including a trio of her classic double entendre songs with the sexy “My Handy Man”, the slow moaner “Organ Grinder Blues” and the bluesy and horny title cut “One Hour Mama”, the sage advice of “Don’t Love No Married Man”, a snappy duet with Elvin Bishop “What Makes You Act Like That?”, the delicate and breezy love song “Dreaming of You”, the spicy, sassy put down from a lover to her man duet with Taj Mahal “Gotta Have What It Takes” and the lazy blues moaner “T-B Blues”. Maria Muldaur’s One Hour Mama-The Blues of Victoria Spivey is a great tribute to a legend and a fresh take on this somewhat forgotten era of vintage Jazz and blues music. To find out more about Maria Muldaur and her latest album One Hour Mama-The Blues of Victoria Spivey visit her website at https://mariamuldaur.com or you can go to https://www.facebook.com/mariamuldaurmusic

The latest release from Larry Kurtz & the Law Breakers titled Take a Ride features fifteen original tracks of honest and raw blues and roots songs. Kurtz grew up singing in his church and as a teenager started playing the harp and was soon hitting the circuit. Kurtz who handles harmonica and vocals is backed by his stellar outfit The Law Breakers featuring James Legere on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Sam Carothers on bass and Scott Bruyea on drums. Highlights off Take a Ride include the swampy foot stomping opening track “Headwaters Hill Country”, the funky bottom blues “I’m a Carpenter”, the percolating harp howler “Cold Hearted Daddy”, the dark and brooding “Let Me In”, the arena style rocker “God’s Gift”, the top down blues rocker and title cut “Take a Ride”, the witty take on suburban life “Subdivision Blues”, the rockin’ rave up “So Glad You’re Home” and the buzz saw guitar boogie number “Teardrop Tim”. For more information about Larry Kurtz & the Law Breakers new album Take a Ride visit their website https://www.larrykurtz.ca or go to https://www.facebook.com/larry.kurtz.714

Al “Piper” Green and his band The Hard Times have been delighting people with their style of funky soulful blues for over twenty years now. Based out of Nashville, TN the band has won numerous awards and saw their debut album make it to the top of the blues charts. Eager to keep the momentum going they began polishing new material and headed to the studio to record their latest album titled Good Company. Sadly just as the album was to be released and a tour planned Piper was diagnosed with cancer. The band has curtailed their touring schedule to allow Piper to focus on his healing and health. For Good Company, Piper (vocals/songwriter) and The Hard Times Steve Eagon (guitar/songwriter/bandleader) and Dave Colella (drums/songwriter) are assisted by Amy Frederick (piano/organ/Fender Rhodes), Parker “Porkchop Funkstick” Hawkins (bass), Eddie Meyer (Tenor Saxophone), Charlie DiPuma (Saxophone), John Wallum (organ) and Lisa Oliver-Gray and Etta Britt (backing vocals). Tracks of note off Good Company include the horn soaked tale of a reformed Lothario “Now I’m Lovin’ You”, the driving and rocking title cut “Good Company”, the soulful and funky “Tear It Down”, the big and delicious funky riff on “Cowboy Gucci”, the reverb drenched guitar blues lament “Turn The Tables”, the galloping blues rave up “Runaround Man”, the tough love blues rocker “Cheatin’s Gotta End”, the heavy bottom funky blues strut on “My Place” and the outstanding take it to church tale of remembering about the innocent times of our youth “Those Days”. For more information about Piper & The Hard Times and their latest album Good Company head over to their website https://www.piperandthehardtimes.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064814292830

-A Place Where Songs Come To Live-
Singer songwriter Vincent Cross has released a new album titled A Place Where Songs Come to Live a twelve track collection of songs about people, places, memories and relationships. Seven of the twelve tracks were recorded at Creamery Studios in Brooklyn before an intimate audience with the remaining tracks recorded the in the same manner sans audience. Fellow artists assist Cross (guitar/vocals) include Stephen Anthony Elkins (bass/harmony vocals), Shane Kerwin (drums), James Panagakos (bass) and Mike Robinson (pedal steel). Tracks of note off A Place Where Songs Come To Live include the sunny and up tempo opening track “Heart of Hearts”, the all too true “Goodbyes Are Never Good My Friend”, “Water Under the Bridge” about moving on and forgiving, “We Become Songs” about keeping the spirit of those who have left us alive through songs and stories, “Horses Are Wild” about how we all long to escape somewhere, the up-tempo country blues number about the redemptive power of music “Boombox”, a trio of songs about family the waltz time tribute to his father “In the Eyes of My Father”, the heartfelt ode to his sister “My Sister Was Like a Mother To Me” and “Momma Can’t Sing the Songs She Loves” about all the woman who endure life’s conflicts, the outstanding “Barefoot With the Blues “ a tale of a prodigal child having to return home to care for an aging parent only to find out things and life have changed and not for the better and the album closing Gospel spiritual “The Bright Crystal Fountain” about contemplating what awaits us after we depart this life. With a mix of Roots, Americana, country and blues and solid songwriting and lyrics the latest from Vincent Cross is a delight from beginning to end. For more information about Vincent Cross and his latest album A Place Where Songs Come to Live go to his website https://vincentcross.org or go to https://www.facebook.com/vincent.cross.16