Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week’s CD releases Malcolm Holcombe,”Tricks of the Trade” (Need To Know Music)- Americana’s answer to Tom Waits may not be a household name just yet, but this grizzled North Carolina native can always be relied upon to reward his discerning coterie of listeners with some of the most poetic and thought provoking balladry that they could ever wish to hear. Malcolm Holcombe’s fractured baritone may not exactly be a thing of beauty but his musical output since the mid nineties has been little less than superlative, and “Tricks of the Trade” marks the latest addition to his impressive body of work as this troubadour of the troubled explores the vagaries of the American blue collar experience via compelling ditties such as “Your Kin,” “Money Train” and “Damn Rainy Day.” The finished product provides a compelling antidote to the demoralising diet of corporate blandness which seems to dominate the contemporary music scene these days.

Jan Schelhaas,”Living On A Little Blue Dot” (Talking Elephant)-The latest addition to Talking Elephant’s Jan Schelhhas re-issue programme focusses attention on this polished 2017 offering from the Camel and Caravan keyboards ace. “Living On A Little Blue Dot” is located firmly at the more commercial end of the prog rock spectrum, drawing on instrumental contributions from some of the illustrious musicians who’ve played with Schelhaas over the years, including Andy Latimer,Pye and Jimmy Hastings and Caravan guitarist Doug Boyle.

“Down Home Blues :Miami, Atlanta and the South Eastern States-Blues in the Alley” (Wienerworld)-The latest addition to Wienerworld’s splendid series of blues anthologies is a lovingly assembled and beautifully packaged 3CD set which explores the work of 29 performers who helped to keep the genre alive in the south eastern states of America. The legendary Ray Charles makes a brief appearance with a couple of early recordings from the archives but the vast majority of the tracks here are supplied by artists who were probably never even household names within their own households, with the likes of Frank Edwards,Curley Weaver and Rudy Greene stepping up to the plate to deliver their messages with power,passion and conviction.