Queen Fareena

Although Kelly Carmichael is an accomplished guitarist who played with Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath, he began performing the blues as a solo artist in 2002 and never looked back.

This was a smart decision for Carmichael since the result of his switch was the creation of two albums, the second being 2009's "Queen Fareena." He has fun playing his music, and it's apparent in the way he uses both his instruments and his voice.

The tracks are a mix of obscure oldies and originals. There are no two songs exactly alike. The most enjoyable songs are track five, "Salty Dog," which I think is a love song of sorts, with Carmichael asking if he could be someone's salty dog, and track ten, "Terrible Operation Blues." The best part of the latter is the lyrics, which are from the point of view of a patient in a hospital, and it's quite funny.

For fun, catchy, ragtime/blues/Cajun tunes, check out "Queen Fareena," and enjoy the ride down the lazy river.