Black Crowes Solid Tapping Bluesy Roots

The Black Crowes “Three Snakes And One Charm” (American Recordings)

Black Crowes fans who expect nothing more than solid, roots-oriented blues-rock will find it aplenty on the group’s latest offering, the follow-up to the commercially disappointing “Amorica.” Among the most typically Crowesian tracks here are “Under A Mountain,” “Blackberry” and Stones-inspired ballads “Good Friday” and “Girl From A Pawnshop.” Beyond its core sound, the band stretches out on the sweet, melodic “Nebakanezer,” the jangly, quasi-psychedelic “One Mirror Too Many,” the gospel-inflected “Only Halfway To Heaven” and “Bring On, Bring On” and the funky “Let Me Share This Ride,” featuring a Bo Diddley beat and effective horn charts.

Kevin Salem “Glimmer” (Roadrunner)

Second album from singer/songwriter Kevin Salem is an unassailably impressive collection of solid rock tunes, a number of which recall Neil Young’s proto-grunge sound - which is no coincidence, since Crazy Horse Frank Sampedro guests on some tracks and producer Niko Bolas has also produced Young. In a field of gems, standouts include the glorious midtempo groove of “Run Run Run,” the gleaming guitar lines of “Innocence,” the hard-driving dramatics of “Chemical Night Train” and the splendid, overflowing tones of “Damned.”

The Cox Family “Just When We’re Thinking It’s Over” (Asylum)

A lovely outing from the first family of bluegrass. Check out the song selection: Besides original Del McCoury, Del Shannon, Hank Williams and Motown’s Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield. The latter duo’s “That’s The Way Love Is” suggests Marvin Gaye in the mountains. Shannon’s “Runaway” has gotten plenty of versions over the years, but this one works perfectly with Suzanne Cox’s lovely lead vocal.

Phil Driscoll “A Different Man” (Word)

Some artists don’t inspire a lot of hoopla, they just consistently create great music, album after album. Phil Driscoll falls into that category. One of the most talented horn players in any field of music, Driscoll is a double threat in that he also possesses one of the most evocative voices on today’s musical landscape. Though his voice sometimes invites comparisons to Joe Cocker, Driscoll has a warmer tone and less crackling delivery. His deep and powerful style emerges on such strong selections as “Love Won’t Let Me” and anthem “Road To Jerusalem,” featuring Dana Powell & the Straight Gate Choir. Other outstanding cuts include the Dennis Matosky/Richard Page-penned “A Different Man,” Lynn Keesecker’s “Can God? God Can!” and the buoyantly funky “Everytime I Say Yes.” There’s also a great cover of Lennon and McCartney’s “The Long And Winding Road.”