Heritage Blues Orchestra – The next big thing!

Here is a prediction. The Heritage Blues Orchestra are destined to become the next “big thing”. Jools Holland beckons!

The HBO debut album is just out, on BMSF Records out of Japan, and it is a stomping mix of Mississippi delta blues, old time gospel and New Orleans brass. Call it blues, R&B, gospel, Americana – it don’t matter – just give a listen to the You Tube clip above and see what I mean.

The Heritage Blues Orchestra consists: Chaney Sims: vocals, handclaps; Bill Sims, Jr.: vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, handclaps; Junior Mack: vocals, electric and electric slide guitars, dobro. Plus a horn section: Vincent Bucher: harmonica; Kenny ‘Beedy Eyes’ Smith: drums and percussion and a horn section consisting of Bruno Wilhelm: horn arrangements, tenor saxophone; Kenny Rampton: 1st trumpet; Steve Wiseman: 2nd trumpet; Clark Gayton: trombone, sousaphone, tuba. Harmonica player Matthew Skoller is also on hand  on harmonica on ‘Big Leg Woman’.

Their debut album is called ‘And Still I Rise’ and features great renditions of Son House’s ‘Clarksdale Moan’, a rocking version of Muddy Waters’ ‘Catfish Blues’ and Leadbelly’s, ‘Go Down Hannah’. There is some magnificent to slide guitar led ‘Get Right Church’.

Tracks from the album including ‘Clarksdale Moan’, ‘Get Right Church’, ‘C-Line Woman’ and ‘Catfish Blues’ can be heard by visiting their website here.

Great to see the blues is back (but then its never really been away has it?)