Clifford Antone had it right: “THE BLUES IS SO BIG that no one person could ever learn it in a lifetime.” So, when Antone’s called upon their family of blues legends to put together a four-disc set to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Antone’s Nightclub, Antone’s: 50 Years of the Blues boxed set (New West Records, 2025) – of course they came up with more blues than they could possibly fit into one glorious collection. It soon became clear that this embarrassment of blues riches was the start of their next project.
Antone’s 50th Presents Chicago Bound: Honoring Muddy, Cliff & Blue (Blues Till 2 Recording Co. / Select-O-Hits) caps the club’s 50th anniversary celebration while pointing toward its future. The lead single is “Hangin’ on a Cliff,” by Billy F Gibbons and the BFGs; internationally known as the guitarist, primary songwriter and vocalist of ZZ Top, Gibbons has always had a strong connection to the blues, Antone’s, and its founder, his friend “Cliff.”
Live-to-tape recordings produced by Jacob Sciba and Zach Ernst include tracks by blues heavyweights John Primer, Doyle Bramhall II, Kim Wilson & the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anson Funderburgh, Lurrie Bell, and Lavelle White. Other highlights include a Bobby Bland classic by powerhouse Houston vocalist Kam Franklin and backed by Bobby’s son and drummer Rodd Bland, and a Clifton Chenier deep cut led by Louisiana torchbearers Ivan Neville and CC Adcock along with Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Jimmie Vaughan (the latter on harmonica!).
The breadth of talent found across the album’s ten songs is a testament to the enduring legacy of Austin’s Home of the Blues and its beloved founder Clifford Antone, who passed away in June of 2006.
Tracklist:
Chicago Bound – John Primer
One Step at a Time – Ivan Neville & CC Adcock feat. Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood & Jimmie Vaughan
I Wouldn’t Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me) – Kam Franklin with Rodd Bland & the Dreamers
Give Me Back My Wig – Doyle Bramhall II
I’m Not Ashamed – Kim Wilson & the Fabulous Thunderbirds
Backstroke – Anson Funderburgh
The Blues Is So Big (Interlude) – Clifford Antone
Hangin’ on a Cliff - Billy F Gibbons & the BFGs
Act Like You Love Me – Lurrie Bell
Baby What’s Wrong – Lavelle White
Got My Mojo Working – John Primer & Lil’ Ed Williams feat. Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
UPC: 097037138721Label: Blues Till 2 Recording Co.Release Date: 8.28.26Format: CD
Great artists take the pulse of their times. In his half-century as a street-level social observer and scaldingly honest songwriter, blues-rock's resilient icon Walter Trout has never told his fans what to think, how to feel, where to stand politically, or what to scrawl on their protest placards. But in an era when his home nation - and the wider world - is ripping at the seams over the battlelines of modern life, the iconic US bluesman's hard-rocking new album, Sign Of The Times, is the primal scream and pressure valve we all desperately need. "I wanted to convey the anger and angst going on in the world," explains the 74-year-old. "For me, writing these songs is therapy. They're not just about what's happening out there, but how it affects you in your head. Sign Of The Times just became the obvious title."
Tracklist:
Artificial
Blood on My Pillow
Sign of the Times
Mona Lisa Smile
Hurt No More
No Strings Attached
I Remember
Hightech Woman
Too Bad
1
Struggle to Believe
UPC: 8712725750475Label: ProvogueRelease Date: 9.5.25Format: CD
Here is a collection of vintage blues tracks recorded between 1949 and 1957 all on the subject of money. All the major stars had something to say about the dollar or a lack of in their pocket either literally ometaphorically. John Lee Hooker's later version of his classic, "House Rent Boogie" offers advice on how to pay your rent by throwing a party and charging admission and charging for drinks. Other great stars featured on this CD include Amos Milburn, Eddie Vinson, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Even if you have no real money problems all you need to do is simply enjoy these musical treasures for what they are. Great blues and rhythm and blues. Our recent Juke Joint Jump CDs prove how popular Blues compilations are. UPC: 604988317121Label: Jasmine RecordsRelease Date: 7.16.21Format: CD
Tracklist:
It Keeps Raining
Bogey Man
Trouble in My Home
Times Are Getting Hard
Worry Blues
I Don't Know
I'm Mad
Night Latch
You're a Fool
Monday Woman
I Got to Go
Cruisin'
Would You, Baby
Late Again
Poison Ivy
Say Man
Come on Baby
Wow! I Feel So Good
Seventh Son
Lucinda
Knock on Wood
Got to Let You Go
I Gotta Go Now
Michell
I Don't Know
I Got to Have Her
Got to Have Some
Why Did It Happen to Me
Fannie Mae
Mean Mistreater
Early One Morning
Got to Have It
Beggar or Bandit
Life Could Be Miserable
I'm Tired
Lonely Blues
Willie's Blues
He Lied
Someday You Gotta Pay
Why Did It Happen to Me
I'm Mad at You
I Love My Baby
UPC: 824046359027Label: AcrobatRelease Date: 4.3.26Format: CD
Formed in Gillingham (south-east UK) in 2020, The Zac Schulze Gang are an electrifying blues-rock trio built on the playing of front man Zac Schulze, joined by bassist Ant Greenwell and drummer Ben Schulze. The gang create their signature sound by blending rock and blues with influences from punk, funk, country, jazz, soul, metal and pop. After earning a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the country, they are now touring internationally across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and North America. They have toured and shared the bill with artists such as Samantha Fish, Jesse Dayton, Eddie 9V, Nine Below Zero, Aynsley Lister, Band of Friends and The Cinelli Brothers. The gang have been nominated multiple times in both the 2023 and 2024 UK Blues Awards, winning the UK Blues Emerging Band of the Year award for 2024. They were also invited to play at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival 2023 in Los Angeles and made an appearance at Fairport's Cropredy Convention in 2024 to large acclaim.
Tracklist:
I'm A Man
Hole In My Pocket
Dry Spell
Walkin The Dog
She Does It Right
I Fall Apart
Messin With The Kid / Oh Well
UPC: 810137040677Label: Flatiron RecordingsRelease Date: 9.18.26Format: CD
Gillingham, England - The Zac Schulze Gang is excited to announce the upcoming release of Straight to It on September 26, 2025, via Ruf Records. Straight To It is a fitting title for the Zac Schulze Gang's debut studio album: the trio doesn't mess around with niceties, preferring to play the kind of blues-infused rock'n'roll that grabs your throat and doesn't let go. There's no doubt that their frontman, guitarist Zac Schulze, is a world-class shredder, playing with precision, speed, and passion, but the focus of the trio isn't his solos. The Zac Schulze Gang is an undeniable gang, a group unified by a flinty sensibility that adds an electrifying charge to their rock'n'roll. Zac Schulze rides the thunder generated by the rhythm section of his drummer brother Ben and bassist Ant Greenwell, the three combining to create a massive roar, all without losing sight of their songs. The blend of melody and muscle gives Straight To It a visceral kick. Branching away from the blues that provided the trio their initial inspiration, the Zac Schulze Gang opens the album with "The Rocker, " whose breathless hooks almost feel like a rallying call, and sustain that energy through the blitzkrieg rush of "High Roller." This hard edge is complemented by the bright power-pop of "Angeline" and "Betterland, " an alt-rock anthem that soars toward the skies. Even with these softer touches, the Zac Schulze Gang retains a rough-and-tumble attitude, evoking the slash-and-burn menace of Dr. Feelgood and the fiery humanity of Rory Gallagher."High Roller" finds Zac channeling the slash-and-burn style of Feelgood's guitarist Wilko Johnson, but it was Gallagher that inspired him to form his gang. During the early days of the Coronavirus Pandemic, he discovered footage of the Irish blues legend playing "Bullfrog Blues" on YouTube. Astounded, he brought the clip to Ben, who was also struck by the raw passion captured in the performance. By that point, the brothers were already part of the music scene centered in their hometown of Gillingham, Medway, Kent, in South England, playing a variety of styles as they cycled through different bands. Cutting their teeth on the DIY punk circuit that ran through Europe and the UK, Ben, Ant, and Zac became enamored of the idea of wielding that modern energy within the context of blues. After two years of gigging and woodshedding, the trio got their big break, fittingly enough, at Rory Gallagher's Tribute Festival in 2022, playing a set that helped push them into the thick of the UK Blues scene. Soon, the Zac Schulze Gang established a reputation as road warriors. By the middle of the decade, they played upwards of 250 gigs a year, touring throughout Europe and the UK, sometimes playing clubs, sometimes snagging prestigious gigs like opening for Eddie 9V, Samantha Fish, or a slot on Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in Los Angeles in 2023. All this hard work, combined with the 2023 EP Made of Three and 2024's Live and Loud, helped the band win the Best Emerging Blues Band at the UK Blues Awards in 2024. The following year, the UK Blues Awards named the group as Young Artist of the Year. Produced by longtime associate Ian Sadler, Straight to It finds the Zac Schulze Gang poised to break out of Britain's blues scene. They remain dedicated to amplifying tradition-witness "I Won't Do This Anymore, " a high-octane houserocker graced with greasy harmonica from Nigel Feist-but the record is proof that the trio are hardly revivalists pining for yesteryear: they're a dynamic, aggressive outfit that exists entirely in the now, making some of the most exciting rock'n'roll around.
Tracklist:
The Rocker
I Won't Do This Anymore
High Roller
Betterland
Runnin Dry
Angeline
Damaged Man
Back Again
Turning to Stone
Keep It Things Change
UPC: 710347132929Label: RufRelease Date: 1.23.26Format: CD
![the album cover for Zac Schulze Gang - Live & Loud (Mlps) [Reissue]](http://tumbleweedsct.com/cdn/shop/files/4536809-3695791.jpg?crop=center&height=645&v=1787348844&width=465)
