NEW CD! BANG AT THE DOOR - REVIEWS
CHICAGO BLUES GUIDE
Reviewer: Steve Jones
Chicago Blues Guide
Guide to the Chicago Blues Scene
LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE
Reviewer: Frank Matheis
Living Blues Magazine
pages: 53-54
BLEWZZMAN
By: Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro
Blewzzman Reviews
Blues CD Reviews 90
Blues Again!
Reviewer: Giles Blampain
Blues Again!
Le blues dans tous ses etats
REFLECTIONS IN BLUE
Reviewer: Bill Wilson
Reflections in Blue
May 2021 Reviews
ROOTSTIME.BE
Reviewer: Eric Schuurmans
Roots Time
Latest Review
ZicaZic
Reviewer: Fred Delforge
ZicaZic.com
Le Zicazine (French)
BLUES BLUES
Reviewer: Blues / Blues
Blues Blues from the UK
May 2021 Reviews
MAKING A SCENE
Reviewer: Jim Hynes
Making a Scene
Musicians Resource Guide
Blues Corner
Reviewer: Mladen Loncar
soundguardian.com
Blues Corner (Croatian)
Blues Again
Reviewer: Giles Blampain
Blues Again – Spanish
La Hora del Blues Review
Blues Roadhouse Review
Reviewer: Jim White
Roadhouse Album Review
Creates “Acoustic Gem”
Blues Bytes
Reviewer: Bill Mitchell
bluenight.com
Blues Bytes Review
Blues Doodles
Reviewer: Tom Dixon
Reviews Celebrating the Arts
Bluesdoodles Review
Keys & Chords
Reviewer: Philip Verhaege
5 Stars! (Netherlands)
Keys and Chords Review
Southland Blues E-Weekly
Reviewer: Jim Santella
southlandblues.com
7/23/2021 Issue
Blues Matters (in UK)
Reviewer: Steven Harrison
bluesmatters.com
Aug/Sept 2021 Issue
RNR (in UK)
Reviewer: David Innes
rock-n-reel.co.uk
Rock-n-Reel
Blues Van
Reviewer: Attila Horváth
bluesvan.hu
Hungary
Ilpopolodel Blues Online
Reviewer: Silvano Brambilla
Ilpopolodel Blues
Italy
Strutter Magazine
Reviewer: Gabor Kleinbloesem
Strutter Magazine
Holland
ABS Magazine
Reviewer: Robert Sacré
absmagazine.com
France
PBS in Melbourne, Australia
Reviewer: Peter Merrett
PBS 106.7 FM
Australia
BLUES IN BRITAIN MAGAZINECD REVIEW
Blues In Britain Magazine (June 2011)
Donna Herula – The Moon Is Rising
DHR-02016
Like one of her major influences, Rory Block, Donna Herula has dedicated her second CD to one of the acknowledged masters of the blues – Block having honoured Mississippi Fred McDowell, Son House and Robert Johnson whilst Herula pays tribute to slide guitar maestro Robert Nighthawk.
Herula accompanies herself on a 1930’s National Steel Triolian on all tracks, a National Steel Tricone on two tracks, and a PorchBoard Bass (foot stomp) with tambourine attachment, whilst husband Tony Nardiello adds Collings guitar on five tracks with John Jochem playing harp on five tracks.
Herula chooses her tracks to reflect Nighthawk’s full musical legacy – culling them from Bluebird and Decca when he was simply known as Robert Lee McCoy through his highly influential United Records recordings and on to Chicago and Chess.
Herula has a powerful blues voice that still retains the wistfulness necessary to carry Nighthawk’s songs, but permeating it with a trace of menace. She doesn’t try to copy Nighthawk’s slide style but still retains his characteristically earthy beauty, unique phrasing and wistfulness of tone, ensuring that this set is a fine tribute to a wonderful and influential artist, but most importantly is imbued with her own talents and reflects her own personality.
Herula opens with “Take It Easy Baby”, her evocative slide complemented by Jochem’s warbling harp, and it has to be said that each track on which Jochem appears is imbued with a distinctive Nighthawk inspired ChiTown feel – the classic “Bricks In My Pillow” particularly benefiting from this approach as harp and slide intertwine evocatively.
“The Moon Is Rising” is permeated with a sense of menace which is complemented by the addition of melancholy electric violin – “Crying Won’t Help You” and “Gonna Move To Kansas City” are the nearest Herula comes to pure Nighthawk – whilst “Friar’s Point” is updated from it’s Bluebird origins and given a United Records styled reading.
This is the first time I have heard Donna Herula and I have to say I am highly impressed by her work, and fervently hope this tribute will bring more attention to the work of Nghthawk – and – I would love to hear her perform a similar tribute to another great “slide-meister”, Johnny Littlejohn.
Rating 9
Mick Rainsford
BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE
Blues Blast Magazine Donna was one of the three artists featured in the Chicago Blues Guitar Women article that Blues Blast Magazine published on April 5, 2018. Click here to read the article.
Radio Shows
Donna enjoys performing and being interviewed on radio shows. She has been on numerous radio shows including on the legendary King Biscuit Time radio show with Sonny Payne numerous times. Listen to her first show with Sonny on June 5, 2009.