And still I rise by the Heritage Blues Orchestra

And still I rise by the Heritage Blues Orchestra

I was first attracted to this record because of the presence of Vincent Bucher on harmonica. But it's a good surprise, and while it's undeniably blues (as you'd expect), it's hard to pin down to a particular genre or influence. It's all over the map, and I like it. I was even quite stunned by the intro to the closer 'Hard Times', which would not have been out of place on a Lester Bowie record. First impression is of a really good album, undeniably faithful to the genre, but nonetheless with its own voice. It's blues, but doesn't sound like something I've heard already.