Blues All Night

As the blues continues to grow in popularity, reaching a wider audience by breaking down ethnic and social barriers, the inevitable cries can be heard from the "die-hard traditionalists and purists" that what Blues artists are playing, and what people are listening to, is not "real Blues." But if the Blues as a vibrant and living force is to survive, then it needs to adapt to attract and encompass a world that is getting smaller and a potential market that is continually growing. Modern Blues artists like James Harmon, Rod Piazza and Charlie Musslewhite are prime examples of musicians who have discovered, lived with and tended to the roots of this great music while extending there popularity by writing new and original material that is relevant to today but whose depth and feel is still rooted in tradition. To this list we can add the name of Sacramento's MICK MARTIN AND THE BLUES ROCKERS. Their previous CD's, "Blues Plate Special" and "Got To Play The Blues", have recieved critical acclaim, especially in Canada where Real Blues magazine picked "Blues Plate Special" as the "Best Debut Album of The Year" and voted JERRY BANKS the "Best Blues Drummer in the United States". Their latest CD, "Blues All Night" takes their music one step further. TIM BARNES guitar adapts with ease to the different moods, firing out stinging rock-infused licks behind his own raw vocals on numbers like "Clean and Mean" and "Back Talkin' Baby". Throughout the set, the ace rhythm section of bassists STEVE SCHOFER and drummer JERRY BANKS cooks from simmer to boil as each song demands, while MICK MARTIN'S harp rides the mix with the air of a master. Mick says "We want to keep experimenting with the Blues feel in other contexts besides 12-bar" and on Blues All Night" he and the Blues Rockers not only suceeded in doing that, but at the same time reinforce the music's roots, preserving its tradition and enhancing its future.
- Mick Rainsford, Birmingham, England