Ina Forsman, Layla Zoe, Tasha Taylor
Release Date: 06 January 2017
Label: Ruf Records
Packaging Type: Brilliant Case (Jewel Case size, Holds 2 CDs)
No of Units: 2
Barcode: 710347123729
Genres: Blues
Description
Atmosphere. It's the magic ingredient that turns a good live album into a great one – and it comes spilling from the speakers on Blues Caravan 2016. This CD/DVD release puts you right there, in the heart of the crowd, on the hottest tour of the year, feeling the anticipation rise as the clock ticks down and the compère steps up: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Blue Sisters…!"
Twelve years after Thomas Ruf first had his brainwave, the Blues Caravan tour remains a grand tradition for the legendary Ruf Records label, showcasing three artists on the brink of the big-time. In 2016, crowds across the States and Europe were wowed by the Blue Sisters: an international bill taking in Finland's rising star Ina Forsman, American R&B royalty Tasha Taylor and Canada's celebrated singer-songwriter Layla Zoe. Now, with the release of Blues Caravan 2016, recorded February 22nd at the Hirsch club in Nürnberg, Germany, all the thrills of that tour come flooding back.
Ruf Records is renowned as a magnet for next-big-things, and as Tom Ruf says, "there's always enough fresh talent to keep the show on the road". When Ina Forsman hits the stage on Blues Caravan 2016, it's easy to hear why she caught the label's attention. Hailing from Helsinki, this smoky vocalist was gigging from the age of 18, and after a little early guidance from Finnish harmonica hero Helge Tallqvist, this February saw the release of her self-titled debut album (declared "joyous stuff" by Classic Rock). Naturally, Ina's Blues Caravan set draws on that album's self-penned material – from the jazzy Hanging Loose to the hooky No Room For Love – but her spontaneous approach to stagecraft means that anything could happen.
Few performers can work a crowd quite like Tasha Taylor. Having spent her formative years on the road with her father (R&B pioneer and Stax titan Johnnie Taylor), Tasha's own star rose with releases like Taylormade and this year's Honey For The Biscuit. "The musicianship is top-notch," noted The Blues Mag, "the production dials up a satisfying soul-funk sound, and Taylor's voice is strong, supple and soulful throughout."
A truly prolific talent, Layla Zoe has won global acclaim for her ten-album back catalogue, with 2013's The Lily dubbed "thrilling" by The Blues and this year's Breaking Free praised for its "passion and integrity". But if you only know her studio albums, you've only heard one side of the coin. The Toronto songwriter made her first waves on the local live circuit, and since then, she's triumphed at auspicious venues from Montreux to Rockpalast. "She's created probably the biggest buzz vocally of any singer I've heard about in years," noted the late blues great Jeff Healey. "She's wonderful."
Three hot-tip performers. Three unforgettable sets. But of course, this wouldn't be the Blues Caravan without the traditional onstage hook-up, and as the Blue Sisters unite to play us out with a climactic Rock Me Baby, you'll be howling for more. It all adds up to another triumphant year for the Ruf Blues Caravan, and a CD/DVD release that catches every last drop of atmosphere in the bottle. When you play Blues Caravan 2016, you'll be right there…
Tracklisting
Eddie 9V
Katarina Pejak
Roger Chapman
Pavlov's Dog
Canned Heat
Dani Wilde, Victoria Smith & Samantha Fish
Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado
Pavlov's Dog
Henry "Rag Time Texas" Thomas
John Mayall
Jimmy Vivino
Erja Lyytinen
John Lee Hooker
BB King
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Kai Strauss
