Bluestone Company ~ Japan

Supernatural Delight (2008)

When I'm out digging in the wilds, I'm always on the lookout for obscure new tunes to check out. When I found this one, I figured it was just another one of those dime-a-dozen blues CDs that are everywhere, and generally worthless. I was intrigued by the title though, and looking at the back cover it seemed like it might be psychedelic too. It was only 25 cents, what do I have to lose? As we joke at "The Bins", our collective gravestones will say "but it was only 25 cents".

I had no idea the band was Japanese until I put the CD in the changer and took a closer look at the booklet. After a brief synth introduction, tracks 1), 2), and 3) will proceed to blow your head off. Blues rock? Southern rock? Not on your life. Not even primo Allman Brothers. It sounds more like Ozric Ed Wynne got stuck in Tokyo and decided to jam with Happy Family and Kenso in between trips to Disk Union. It's been ages since I was this exhilarated about something post-2000. At least from a band I had no clue who they were.

It's not until 4) that, OK yes, it is a blues rock album after all. The star of the show is clearly guitarist Toshihiro Sumitomo, who plays a very raw and intense electric guitar throughout. It's exactly what I wanted from Stevie Ray Vaughan all those years ago. But Vaughan stuck closer to Texas Blues. Sumitomo is more like Blue Cheer Blues. His background is from a blues band called The Savoy Truffle. Another new name. 5) slows things down until Sumitomo gets bored and starts wailing about halfway through. 'Colonel Panic' is a cover song from an American jazz fusion band known as Jing Chi. Never heard of them either. 7) is another heavy blues song in the same tradition as 4). 8) is largely blues rock but there's some trippy trumpet at the end adding some much needed spice.

9) is none other than The Meters' 'Cissy Strut'. Heavy blues style and gets really psychy flipped out towards the end reminding me quite a bit of Frank Marino's later live works. The closer 'Desert Blues' really does conjure up the Arizona landscape, and Sumitomo provides the ethereal electric guitar to create the right aura.

Get this one.

Ownership: 2008 Grooveyard (CD). Booklet with recording details and a band photo. My copy is signed by all four members no less. Acquired in 2026.

6/23/26 (review)

Bluestone Company has two more albums with Texas blueser Chris Duarte. 

6/23/26 (new entry)