Kaz Hawkins - Live In Brezoi (I)

Album: Live In Brezoi (I)
Size: 167,9 MB
Time: 72:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues/Soul/Rock mix
Art: Front

1. Don't Make Mama Cry (4:58)
2. Drink With The Devil (6:24)
3. The River That Sings (4:06)
4. Lonely Boy (4:39)
5. Feeling Good (9:00)
6. One More Fight (5:32)
7. Hallelujah Happy People (5:33)
8. Woman (4:02)
9. Get Up And Go (4:19)
10. Because You Love Me (9:24)
11. Better Days (4:25)
12. I Just Want To Make Love To You (10:15)

If there is one place where Kaz Hawkins' talent is perfectly expressed, it is the stage. This album recorded at the Summer Camp Festival in Brezoi, Romania is irrefutable proof. Having become one of the most important blues festivals in Europe, Brezoi has long crowned Kaz Hawkins as one of its queens, with the Northern Irish woman being one of the headliners of the event each year. This public recording of 12 tracks is a new stone in Kaz Hawkins' musical edifice which is growing day by day to now approach the summits of the genre. A pure treat.

Personnel: Kaz Hawkins (vocals, acoustic guitar); Stef Paglia (guitar, backing vocals); Julien Boisseau (bass, backing vocals); Amaury Blanchard (drums); Marcian Petrescu (harmonica track 12).

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Dom Martin - Buried In The Hail

Size: 229 MB
Time: 39:43
File: Flac
Released: 2023
Styles: Rock/Blues
Art: Front

1. Hello In There (1:19)
2. Daylight I Will Find (4:37)
3. Government (4:08)
4. Belfast Blues (3:45)
5. Crazy (3:51)
6. Unhinged (3:23)
7. The Fall (5:34)
8. Howlin' (3:37)
9. Buried In The Hail (4:31)
10. Lefty 2 Guns (3:56)
11. Laid To Rest (0:57)

Dom Martin grew up on the streets of Belfast, and is inspired, but not limited, by the blues. In 2019 he made his international breakthrough with his debut album “Spain To Italy”. Martin has a unique guitar style that, in combination with his deep lyrical voice, touches many hearts. Blues in Britain magazine wrote that you “rarely encounter a talent that makes you wonder whether what you have experienced has actually unfolded before you”. Dom Martin is often compared to Rory Gallagher and the great man himself would be proud that his legacy is being continued so well. Martin was the first artist ever to be nominated in five categories for the UKBlues Awards.

Buried In The Hail FLAC

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Kaz Hawkins - Until We Meet Again

Album: Until We Meet Again
Size: 108,0 MB
Time: 46:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2023
Styles: Blues/Soul/Rock/Pop mix
Art: Front

1. Pray To (4:56)
2. Get Up And Go (4:24)
3. The River That Sings (3:44)
4. Hold On For Home (4:33)
5. Lonely Boy (3:49)
6. Until We Meet Again (3:40)
7. Don't Make Mama Cry (4:15)
8. Standing Tall (4:09)
9. I Gotta Be Me (4:19)
10. Get The Jack From The Bottle (3:47)
11. One More Fight (Bonus) (4:59)

When she sings, Kaz Hawkins takes us into her vast and colourful universe, simple words express the strong emotions she writes about in an artistic universe that matches her endearing and free personality. Kaz Hawkins has never made a secret of her painful past, but her story has become her strength in writing soulful lyrics and singing with a rare sincerity and intensity. Performing other people's music for 20 years, Kaz discovered her talent as a songwriter in poems she had written in secret. These poems then became lyrics when she began to put the melodies she had in mind within her own words.

Known mostly for her ballads like "Because You Love Me" and "Lipstick and Cocaine" (later renamed "One More Fight") these songs were born and immediately found their audience. An eclectic audience: young, old, male, female, English-speaking and non-English-speaking... Everyone is affected by these songs, which are the trademark of this unique Northern Irish artist. Kaz's world is also made of great blues and soul references, guitar riffs and iconic performances on stage. She thus imposed her name and voice on the Irish scene, then on the European scene by winning the European Blues Challenge in 2017. Approached by the French record label Dixiefrog, Kaz Hawkins presented "My Life and I" in 2022. An anthology of 17 tracks that introduced Kaz to the French public, who adopted her since 2018 through a series of concerts and festivals.

In January 2023, Kaz Hawkins turned 50, an age she never thought she would reach so she wanted to make this year a great celebration, an exceptional event in an exceptional life. What could be more exceptional than the release of a new album with new compositions. This is how "Until We Meet Again" came about, an album in the image of its creator, full of bright colours and positive vibes, created for anyone struggling to help them find the strength to fight and survive. An unclassifiable work with moving ballads, gospel songs, rock guitar solos and even a nod to Kaz's homeland as she added some Irish sounds to the mix.

Until We Meet Again mc
Until We Meet Again zippy

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Kaz Hawkins - Feelin' Good

Year: 2016/2018
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:45
Size: 107,5 MB
Styles: Rock/Soul/Blues mix
Scans: Front

1. Pray (2:34)
2. It Ain't You (4:45)
3. Don't Make Mama Cry (5:06)
4. This Is Me (3:39)
5. Belfast Town (3:48)
6. Feelin' Good (7:11)
7. Don't Run Away (2:52)
8. Because You Love Me (5:43)
9. Soul Superstar (4:14)
10. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (6:50)

Multi award winning Kaz Hawkins is Northern Ireland’s very own soul superstar. The Belfast born singer-songwriter is one of today’s most popular independent artists in the UK and Ireland, as she continues to play to full houses and has been compared to Etta James and Adele and more. Kaz brings a fun, inspiring & hopeful message with her songs. This stellar rise to success will be no surprise to the Northern Ireland’s music fiends and fans over the world she has been wooing for years with her deep, powerful voice, original song writing and soulful tracks. No mean feat for a woman who owes surviving a life of physical and emotional hardship to music with a larger-than-life personality that doesn’t take setbacks lying down!

Being an activist for Mental Health, Kaz has worked tirelessly for different charities over the years. She is now official Ambassador at Aware NI, Northern Ireland’s Depression Charity and has recently completed a library tour for Libraries NI in special sessions where she told her life story using words and song to show how music can be used as a mental health tool. Fans have come to love the many hats that Kaz wears, especially presenting her own show “Kaz Hawkins Got The Blues” on BBC Radio Ulster when she isn’t touring. Always supporting the UK blues scene that has given her so much, Kaz has now joined the UK Blues Federation as a board member and aims to bring more exposure across the UK about the rich blues and soul artists in Northern Ireland.

Feelin' Good mc
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Kaz Hawkins - Get Ready

Year: 2014
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 88,9 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Scans: Front, tray

1. Hallelujah Happy People (3:39)
2. I Saw A Man (3:39)
3. Believe With Me (3:46)
4. Shake (4:43)
5. Get Ready (4:15)
6. Can't Afford Me (3:16)
7. Coz You (3:45)
8. Drink With The Devil (4:07)
9. Born To Be Lovers (4:09)
10. Walkin On My Own (3:02)

Multi award winning Kaz Hawkins is Northern Ireland’s very own blues and soul darling. The Belfast born singer-songwriter is fast becoming a performing icon across UK & Europe & the United States. Her high energy, original shows with her 1950s style swing-dress-meets-Dr Martens look and ability to closely connect with her public contribute to make Kaz one of today’s most popular independent artists in the UK and Ireland, as she continues to play to full houses. Kaz has been compared to Etta James & Janis Joplin to name but a few. Mixing through the genres of music for over 20 years, she finally found her niche in roots and blues, bringing a fun, inspiring & hopeful message with her new debut album Get Ready released in August 2014.

Featuring Kaz’s deep, powerful voice, original song-writing and soulful tracks, Get Ready wooed both the public and the critics, winning the Blues Matters Magazine’ Writers Poll Best Studio Album of 2015 in September. In a hat trick feat during the same month, Kaz accepted the prestigious Barry Middleton Award for Emerging Artist at the British Blues Awards (the first ever Northern Ireland recipient) and also received the Pure M Award for 2015 All-Ireland Best Female Act at a ceremony in Dublin. The success continued in 2016 with her band album Feelin’ Good which was the IBBA album of the year beating Joe Bonamassa. KHB won the right to represent United Kingdom at the IBC in Memphis and EBC in Denmark in 2017. The band went down a storm in Memphis and returned home proud as semi-finalists. They now head to Horsen’s in April to challenge for the European title.

Kaz’s stellar rise to success will be no surprise to the Northern Ireland’s music fiends and blues fans over the world she has been wooing for years with her deep, powerful voice, original song writing and soulful tracks. No mean feat for the 43 year-old funky grandma, who owes surviving a life of physical and emotional hardship to music and a larger-than-life personality that doesn’t take setbacks lying down! Kaz has worked tirelessly for different charities and is Arts Ambassador for EastSide Arts in which she lectured students at Boston University on how she used music to used music to survive trauma. Kaz will be returning to Boston University in March 2017 again, continuing the Belfast/Boston friendship that has been created.

Get Ready mc
Get Ready gofile

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Clare Sands - Join Me At The Table

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:41
Size: 102.3 MB
Styles: Folk blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Satisfy Me
[6:09] 2. Surfing Up In Clare
[4:14] 3. Join Me At The Table
[5:21] 4. Mo Chroí Briste The Road To Chicago
[3:48] 5. 30 Silver
[2:14] 6. Let You Go
[5:59] 7. New York, Be Kind
[3:53] 8. I'm Shakin'
[5:54] 9. Better To Have Loved
[3:42] 10. Stella Fiesta

With a fiddle in one hand and a guitar in the other, Cork based Clare Sands is a singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and music teacher. She performs in a variety of genres, her own material being a mixture of Blues & Folk. With deep roots in Northern Ireland and County Wexford, Clare started playing the fiddle at the age of four, learning tunes off her father Seamus on a weekly basis. As well as playing Traditional Irish Music from an early age with different family members, Clare also trained classically on the violin. Her mother Susan bought her a guitar in her early teens, and gave her a strong love of the Blues, playing legends like Muddy Waters and Eva Cassidy on the way to school. She soon found a love for song writing, and used whatever instruments that lay around the house like the guitar, the piano, the bodhrán or the mandolin to accompany herself.

Following the release of her critically acclaimed debut single ‘Change is a Comin’ in 2014, Clare has played prestigious venues across Ireland, Holland, Germany, and New York City over the last two years while finishing her degree in Music & Italian at UCC. ‘Join Me at The Table’ (Released October 7th) is Clare's highly anticipated debut album- an eclectic mix of Blues/ Folk/ Irish Traditional & Jazz that simultaneously soothes and excites as it unfolds.

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Join Me At The Table zippy

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Pat McManus Band - 2 albums: Walking Thru Shadows / 2 PM

Over the years Pat has played on a massive amount of other peoples albums too numerous to list from such diverse artists as haunting rock star Ambeon to dutch blues band Never Say Never , from pop pin up Samantha Fox to dance genius Tricky, from religious star Eamonn McCrystal to Country and Western singer The Singing Bricky (don’t ask) and from John Parr to local projects Hidden Fermanagh,Cool Celi and just last year Pat wrote the song 'Can't Go It Alone' for the Wishbone Ash album 'Elegant Stealth' and helped and recorded on several other artists projects,with artists such as Spike from the 'Quireboys', Smokie and many others.

Album: Walking Thru Shadows
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:11
Size: 126.4 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Danger Zone
[5:42] 2. Walking In The Shadow Of Giants
[4:16] 3. Hey You
[5:45] 4. Give Me Love
[5:36] 5. Ready To Rock
[4:36] 6. Short Sharp Shock
[7:22] 7. Walking Shoes
[4:26] 8. The Riddle
[3:27] 9. E-Tap
[5:13] 10. Slave To The Rhythm
[3:28] 11. Oldest Rocker

Pat McManus - Vocals, Guitars, Slide Guitars, Fiddle, Bouzouki, Bass Guitar and Tin Whistle; Gordon Sheridan - Bass and backing vocals; Paul Faloon - Drums and Percussion; John McCullough - Keyboards; John "Fitz" Fitzpatrick - Violin; Mudd Wallace - Backing Vocals, Bass, Programming and String Arrangements; Maura Donaghy - Backing Vocals; Peter McCauley - Additional Backing Vocals.

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Album: 2 PM
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:22
Size: 140.5 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:09] 1. Chasing Away the Blues
[4:11] 2. Trouble
[3:36] 3. Best Friends (End of the Line)
[5:15] 4. Rough Diamond
[6:13] 5. Law of the Jungle
[3:22] 6. Big Hair (Slight Return)
[3:35] 7. Voodoo Boogie
[3:38] 8. Addicted to the Rush
[4:10] 9. dogging me around
[3:02] 10. So Bored
[3:39] 11. Whole Damn World (Getting on Our Backs)
[3:56] 12. Satisfaction Guaranteed
[3:30] 13. Born to Be Bad
[3:53] 14. Lucky Man
[4:08] 15. Blowin' the Wind

Pat McManus - Lead Vocals, Electric, Accoustic, Steel and Slide Guitars, Bass, Violin and Bouzouki; Paul Faloon - Drums; Gordon Sheridan - Bass; John McCollough - Keyboards; Mudd Wallace - Backing Vocals, Additional Bass and Drum Programming; Maura Wallace - Backing Vocals; Ali Clinton - special guest for additional guitar on "Blowin In The Wind".

2 PM mc
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Rab McCullough - 2 albums: Belfast Blues/Belfast Breakdown

Rab McCullough was an active contributor in the 60's and 70's when the blues baby came of age, sharing stages with his peers who went on to be rock & roll legends including Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and John Mayall & The Blues Breakers. Unfortunately, the violence and political unrest in Northern Ireland put an end to Rab's career and destroyed the once great music scene. Rab stopped touring and remained in Belfast picking up a job as a steel scaffolder to keep his family. In 1998 he traveled to the home of American blues — Memphis. While attending the famed Beale Street Music Festival he was asked to join Arthur "Mississippi" Williams on stage. It was this performance (by all accounts one of the most intense ever witnessed at the Beale St. Festival) that proved to be the catalyst for Rab to resume the career he thought he had lost forever. In 2000, he returned to Memphis to compete in The Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge. He took home 3rd Place and left his name on the tongues of everyone who witnessed his blistering performance.

Album: Belfast Blues
Year: 2001
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:53
Size: 73,2 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Louisiana Woman (4:29)
2. Walkin' Back To You (3:42)
3. Ain't Gonna Be Your Fool (5:46)
4. Trouble (4:21)
5. Mistreatin' Me (3:33)
6. Shame On You (5:16)
7. Further Up The Line (4:43)

Little known but critically acclaimed, "Belfast Blues" was awarded the Best Foreign Release of a Blues Record by the Canadian magazine, Real Blues. "Belfast Blues" is known as a soundtrack to the struggle to overcome but it is also a magic potion of hope. Rab’s fiery guitar playing and soulful vocals were molded and refined on the streets of Belfast. Rab has used the Blues to take him past the turmoil of Belfast to a place where all can have good times. Rab’s blues is a passageway to that better place and time that we all seek. Pete Brown, Cream lyricist and one of Blue Storm Music’s advisors, says, "the thing about Rab that is quite interesting is that you give him a song and he comes up with a take on it that you might not have thought of". Rab McCullough dedicated "Belfast Blues" to the memory of the late, great Irish guitarist and fellow Belfast native, Rory Gallagher.

Belfast Blues mc
Belfast Blues zippy

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Album: Belfast Breakdown
Year: 2003
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:53
Size: 130,2 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Traveling With The Blues (4:43)
2. Don't Get Your Hopes Up (4:55)
3. Blues Radio (3:46)
4. Dirty Black Water (4:33)
5. Can't Get You Out Of My Mind (4:24)
6. Red Skirt (3:00)
7. A Little Rain Must Fall (3:57)
8. Before The River Runs Dry (4:29)
9. Voodoo Doll (4:40)
10. When The Blues Comes Calling (5:41)
11. Jimi's Story (4:32)
12. Dancing Shoes (6:01)
13. Mariano (2:08)

"Belfast Breakdown" is an excellent blues rock album from a bluesman who really should be more familiar to blues music fans. The album has many blues styles, including country, R'n'B, soul, funk, and Latin/Santana type influences. His collaboration with artists such as Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf), Nickie Scott (Van Morrison), Brian Mitchell (Bob Dylan) and Tony Beard (Jeff Beck) help make this record a masterpiece.

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Rusty Jacks - Holler 'N' Howl

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:13
Size: 131.0 MB
Styles: Southern blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. There's No Good Way
[6:18] 2. Holler 'N' Howl
[7:09] 3. Never Had The Blues Before
[4:31] 4. The Hunter
[3:57] 5. Bad Seeds
[3:13] 6. Pay My Dues
[4:14] 7. Good Morning Little School Girl
[2:41] 8. You Tease Me
[5:01] 9. Down In The Gutter
[5:51] 10. Saturday Night Again
[4:49] 11. Way Over My Head
[4:33] 12. The Sun Is Shining

Holler 'N' Howl comprises twelve tracks of no-nonsense meat and potatoes blues from a gutsy Northern Irish five-piece. Along the way, among the riffing, Chicago and the Southern states are referenced and paid due homage in a fluid and varied set. The surprising dearth of informative sleeve notes leaves the listener guessing about almost everything except the songwriting credits, and even then, The MGs will be miffed to see that ‘The Hunter’ is credited to Free. Putting that criticism aside, however, there are some sparkling moments on Holler ‘N’ Howl. The seven minutes of 'Never Had The Blues Before' would not be out of place on a Bluesbreakers' album and 'Bad Seeds' succeeds in fusing Rossington-Collins guitar shredding with four-on-the-floor rhythmic pounding, to pleasing effect. Their reading of Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl' also recalls John Mayall, and it succeeds in moving this blues staple away from stodgy, tired interpretations in a riff-based, Texas guitar-driven dynamic take, somehow referencing the Wolf's 'Howlin' For My Baby' atop a monster bass figure not too far removed from Roger Waters' 7/4 'Money' riff.

Southern blues, the band’s preferred home territory, assimilates huge soul influences and there’s grave soul sensitivity aplenty in 'Way Over My Head', with the band tightly locked in behind in understated empathetic backing. 'Down In The Gutter' too features anguished pleading over a heavy unrelenting riff. Further reviewer switches are flicked in 'You Tease Me', a loping shuffle in the 'I Ain't Got You' mould, with unusual doo-wop backing vocals, and the gutsy Southern funk of 'Saturday Night Again' featuring impressive Aidan McGuigan harp. Acoustic bottleneck and mellow harp adorn closing track 'The Sun Is Shining', displaying Rusty Jacks’ versatility and a good contrast with the previous plugged-in onslaught. Some songs might be judged a bit over-long, raising the suspicion that the band’s well-honed live act has been enthusiastically replicated in the studio. If so, they are bound to be a live delight, but there’s no shame in pushing the edit button now and again. ~David James Innes

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Henry McCullough Blues Band - Belfast To Boston

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:29
Size: 101.8 MB
Styles: Blues-jazz
Year: 2001/2014
Art: Front

[5:55] 1. Old Black Coat
[4:24] 2. You Can't Do That
[4:20] 3. Hi Ya Folks
[3:45] 4. Down In The Amusement
[6:35] 5. Sick And Tired
[3:38] 6. Murder In My Heart
[3:20] 7. Mess Of Blues
[4:40] 8. I Can't Help Falling In Love
[7:47] 9. Belfast To Boston

Henry McCullough (born 21 July 1943) is a guitarist, who has played guitar in such bands as Spooky Tooth, Paul McCartney's Wings, and The Grease Band. Born in Portstewart, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Henry McCullough is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, and is the only Irishman to play the Woodstock Festival (backing Joe Cocker). He turns up in many different places as sideman or a performer in his own right.

Bass Guitar – Tomasz Grabowy; Drums – Krzysztof Zawadzki; Guitar – Zbigniew Szularz; Vocals, Guitar – Henry McCullough.

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Simon McBride - Crossing The Line

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 45:35
Size: 104.4 MB
Styles: Rock, Blues rock
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:48] 1. Lead Us Away
[3:34] 2. Go Down Gamblin'
[4:54] 3. No Room To Breathe
[3:46] 4. Don't Be A Fool
[4:57] 5. Starve This Fever
[3:34] 6. Alcatraz
[4:40] 7. One More Try
[4:03] 8. A Rock And A Storm
[3:46] 9. Heartbreaker
[3:55] 10. Home To Me
[4:31] 11. Down To The Wire [revisited]

On the opening salvo of Crossing the Line, the first McBride CD to get a proper U.S. release, McBride mimics the sound of an air raid siren, perhaps announcing his intention to drop a sonic guitar bomb on unsuspecting listeners. "Lead Us Away" is actually a sedate opener, although McBride's technical skill is in evidence, even when he's holding back. With a metallic approach he groans out a catchy, Howlin' Wolf style chorus as he peppers the tune with a short, sharp, cascading lead line that whets your appetite for more, and he delivers. "Heartbreaker" is a short, snotty, midtempo rocker full of screaming guitar, a snarling vocal, and powerful support from drummer Paul Hamilton and bass man Carl Harvey. "Down to the Wire," on which he also plays credible Hammond B-3, is a slow groove that alternates his soulful vocals with volleys of grinding sustained notes. "Don't Be a Fool" is a soulful rocker with a Motown flavor, "Alcatraz" sports a strong horn section, soulful vocals, and more dazzling lead work, while "No Room to Breath" features backing vocals from Mia Simone to support McBride's tortured vocals and understated work on guitar and organ. The Belfast-born McBride started playing when he was 10 and by 15, he had won Young Guitarist of the Year from Britain's Guitarist Magazine. He turned pro in 1994 at age 16, and he's been tearing up the U.K. ever since. As Crossing the Line proves, he's ready to become the next Irish guitar hero.

Recording information: Dragon Xing Studio, Annapolis, MD (2012); Hill House Studio, Belfast, N. Ireland

Crossing The Line

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