Some Outstanding 2010 Releases That Are Neither Blues Or Jazz

My final list of outstanding releases. These are recordings that don't fall with the rubric of blues and/or jazz.

Deke Dickerson Live at Duff’s Major Label/ Hep 400. A record for guitar freaks. “Plenty of country swing and twang with some jazz and blues accents added, like James Burton meets Duane Eddy with other genre hopping just like the backing band of the Modern Sounds whose approach may be rooted more in jazz and swing traditions, but provides a thoroughly compatible and sympathetic backing …”

Johnny Moeller BlooGaLoo (Severn). Presently guitarist with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Moeller “has been turning heads with his raw, soul-funk blues guitar playing that comes across as a wild blend of Freddie King, Jimmy Nolan, John Lee Hooker and Frankie Lee Sims. … Fans of raunchy blues guitar mixed with heavy doses of funk, and rock’n’roll will certainly find this latest effort by Johnny Moeller much to their taste.”

Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Up In Flames (self-produced). Accordion playing son of Rockin’ Dopsie, this is exciting zydeco in vein of the legendary Clifton Chenier. About the Zydeco Hellraisers I wrote, “Rhythmically they are tight and in addition to Dopsie’s accordion playing, saxophonist may be as good as sax player in an zydeco band I have heard since Blind John Hart was with Clifton Chenier and Rockin’ Dopsie.”

Ensemble Fatien Seguenon Presents Ensemble Fatien (Threadhead Records). I had the pleasure of seeing this marvelous african-jazz ensemble that includes Jason Marsalis on vibrophones, Margie Perez on vocals and Dr. Michael White on clarinet at the 2009 Jazz and Heritage Festival. This album captures the lively and enticing music of that performance.

Red Baraat Chaal Baby (Sinj Records). Led by Sunny Jain, Red Baraat is a brass band based in the music of the Indian subcontinent with a fresh take on the modern brass band.

Derek Trucks Band Roadsongs (Sony). The Derek Trucks is often labelled as a blues band which does not credit the originality of their music enough. As vocalist Mike Mattison states about the Trucks Band, “This was a multi-generational, multi-cultural, and above all, live band.” The music here ranges “from the bluesy “I’ll Find My Way,” and “Down in the Flood,” from Bob Dylan’s songbook; reggae with a gospel tinge on “Sailin’ On,” as a homage to John Coltrane on the Mongo Santamaria classic “Afro-Blues”…”