AFTER MIDNIGHT BLUES
Everybody's Gettin' Some (www.aftermidnightblues.com)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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After Midnight Blues has been working more than ever, and that's good news for the greater Midwestern blues community. This past Labor Day, they've returned to the Kankakee Regatta to warm up Lonnie Brooks, and last festival season, their regional shows have included the Merchants' Festival and Momence Gladiolus Festival as well as the Blues Blowtorch Society's Fall Ball. They were finalists at the 2006 Central Illinois Blues Challenge, and if they keep on keepin' on, I can definitely see them playing on Beale Street at a future International Blues Challenge.

If you haven't caught After Midnight Blues yet, their fourth self-released CD is a reason to discover this under-the-radar Midwestern blues band. While their first CD, Love Gamble, was good, Everybody's Gettin' Some is several notches above it. It's landed on Delta Frank's weekend blues show at WGLT-FM at Illinois State University, and it deserves much wider airplay.

The production's cleaner than on Love Gamble, and many of the songs are longer jams that give guitarist Mark Simmons a chance to shine. Chuck Eason on bass and Jim Lindner on drums form a strong foundation, with the twin guitars of Mark Simmons and Barry Love balanced by Karen Brault's soulful vocals.

On "Everything I Do," Barry Love's singing and songwriting talents are first-class, and each time I listen to the song, I enjoy it more. On "Just Like Your Father's Son," Karen Brault shows off a solid set of blues pipes, and it's easy to see (or more accurately, hear) why she's earned the privilege of singing with the likes of Reba Russell. Reba's one of my favorite blueswomen, and Karen's not that far behind. Get Everybody's Gettin' Some online at www.aftermidnightblues.com.

© 2007 - Eric Steiner