DOG: What Are You Listening To Now? #12

Thanksgiving is coming up and it's time to share your listening pleasures with your family when they come over (or you go over) to dine on turkey and all the stuff that's usually served. And you need to savor the moment and all the food... even the green jello with carrots if necessary. And give thanks for all the many blessings you have, including the fact that you haven't had to go to the family funerals of any of the folks seated at the table. 'Cause someday you will, or they'll be going to yours.

So if you aren't entertained by whatever football is on the tube, scare the living daylights out of them with what you've been listening to! Since I'll be going somewhere that it's best if I just keep my mouth shut, give my thanks, and go outside to play with the resident dog, the best I can do is give you some stuff to check out.

Here's what the Dog's been listening to and giving thanks for finding:

Honorable Mention:

Dr. Hector & The Groove Injectors - Vital Signs.

Otis Grand - Nothing Else Matters

King Biscuit Boy - Official Music

10. A whole bunch of Nighthawks albums from the late 70s & early-mid 80s from when Jimmy Thackery played guitar for them. Probably my choice among these is a live album from the PsycheDelly in Bethesda, MD. It has covers of J. Geils' Whammer Jammer and Little Feat's Tripe Face Boogie. A couple of my all-time favorite tunes.

9. Sonny Criss - Mr. Blues Pour Flirter (Jazz in Paris) from 1963. Sonny Criss was such an outstanding alto sax player it boggles my mind. Perfect tone. Perfect note selection. I have a number of his albums and they're all good but this might be the best one.

8. Todd Wolfe Band - Stripped Down At The Bang Palace. Todd Wolfe used to be the guitar player for Sheryl Crowe (cause Sheryl sure can't play for shit) until he decided to make music he liked to play and started his own band. Again I have a few of his albums and this would have to be considered his best effort to date. Either that or the Live @ Manny's Carwash album which is more pure blues than this one.

7. James Cotton - Live At Antone's Nightclub. All blues classics performed live by classic blues men. Matt"Guitar" Murphy & Luther Tucker on guitar, Pinetop Perkins on piano, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on drums, Calvin Jones on bass, and of course "Mr. Superharp" James Cotton on blues harp. This was recorded in 1988 before Cotton's throat cancer and subsequent surgery which left him able to speak gruffly but not sing.

6. Papa Don McMinn - Home Blues. Don McMinn heads the house band at The Rum Boogie club which is at the corner of Beale Street & Highway 61 in Memphis, TN. If you're ever in Memphis do yourself a favor and go check him out.

5. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Live. This is one of Mrs. Dog's favorites for right now. Big band swing, blues and boogie. A terrific representation of their music and a good place to start if you're ever motivated to check them out.

4. Gov't Mule - By A Thread. This is the new album by the Mule. The first 5 tracks are worth the price of the album. Particularly 'Broke Down On The Brazos' which features guest Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.

3. Debbie Davies - Holdin' Court. This is a brand new release from Debbie Davies. It's an all instrumental blues album and it's terrific. She may not know room 234 is on the second floor of a hotel, but she damn well can play!

2. Johnny Nicholas & The Texas All-Stars - Rockin' My Blues To Sleep. Texas/Louisiana Blues & Dance Hall Favorites. I was unfamiliar with the music of Johnny Nicholas until very recently but this stuff is right up my alley! One to be thankful that I ran across for sure.

And at #1 this time around we have a tie...

At 1b. we've got Larry Carlton - Sapphire Blue. Wow is this a quality recording. Carlton is absolutely great on this one. It's way better than I imagined when I picked it up. It's from 2004 and it's a great example of guitar jazz in the new century.

At 1a it's Brad Paisley - Play: The Guitar Album. I cannot tell you how good this album is. Words do not do it justice. And accordingly there's vocals on only 4 tracks. The top pickers from all over Nashville (Steve Wariner, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Mark O'Connor etc.) join in too as do BB King and Buck Owens. It's not your usual Brad Paisley country album that's for damn sure. Unrestrained by the record company machine, he cuts loose on stuff he just likes to play. There's tributes to his guitar heroes sprinkled throughout including Eric Johnson, Les Paul, and Dick Dale. And songs as diverse as their titles indicate 'What A Friend We Have in Jesus' and 'Cluster Pluck.' You got to hear this one.

So what are you listening to? Taylor "Flavor of the Month" Swift, like everybody else?