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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Lost Cause Records artist: Clint Morgan - Scofflaw - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Scofflaw, from Clint Morgan and it's a winding road of interesting passages. With an intro of children singing This Little Light of Mine, this release covers gospel, blues and country styles. Waco almost smells of John Wayne with a heavy bottom by bassist Dave Roe and Jerry Roe on drums and with Clint Morgan on piano and vocal with raggedy nice guitar by Kenny Vaughan. Early rocker, Wild One maintains a lot of it's country flavor but rips with some nice guitar and piano work and Morgan's vocals are perfect. I Got A Gun is an easy country rocker with Jonathan Yudkin on violin with Morgan painting a cool lyrical story. I Don't Know Where To Turn is a cool boogie woogie track with real nice piano work backing Morgan's duet with Diunna Greenleaf on lead vocals. Dripping country, Vaughan lays out some real nice guitar work on the bluesy track. Eastham Farm has a lot of Johnny Cash in style balanced by nice harp work by Jim Hoke, additional rich vocals by Greenleaf and just the right touch of horns. Country flavored, D.B. Cooper Blues, is right down the middle pre pop country with solid vocals, piano and guitar work. Very strong. David Allen Coe's, I Love Robbing Banks gets a fresh coat of paint with a really hot sax solo and tight drums. Morgan is very comfortable in singing this kind of music along with his piano, sounds like he was born to do it. A Johnny Cash flavored, Bad Man Blues, has the solid acoustic guitar/bass vamp, tight little snare riffs and even steel guitar riffs giving this track it's classic sound. Love it! Boogie track, Thief In The Night, has the droning bass line and low key vocals setting up nicely for a pretty nice guitar score. Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash penned, Wanted Man has the sounds of a prison cam song with effective drum stomp and backing acoustic slide. Morgan's vocals nicely score on the Johnny cash connection and violin and electric guitar work add nicely to the fabric of the tune. The Face In The Mirror is a nicely introspective track with a subtly blistering guitar solo by Vaughan. Two stepper, A Sackful Of Cash, is high energy with a carnival of sounds but with great piano work, sexy sax and flashy country style guitar riffs. Very cool! Bessie Smith's Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair holds that New Orleans blues sound with the rolling piano, bluesy guitar and wailing clarinet, making it one of my favorite tracks on the release. Old hymn, Softly And Tenderly, Jesus is Calling is a duet with Maria Muldaur, handled with the utmost respect backed by piano, mandolin, guitar and dobro. Very nice. I Done Made It Up In My Mind, a spiritual number written by Muldaur, is nicely performed featuring Muldaur on lead vocals. Morgan's secondary vocals are clean and uplifting and his piano and organ work is top notch. The release is closed with an alternate take of I Got A Gun. Gritty and full of western, this is a n appropriate closer for a really western release...dig the guitar effects! This is a really interesting release and make certain you check the liner notes which is plastered with outlaw photos (one in a wooden box) and notorious characters of all kinds.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Vizztone Label Group artists: Nick Schnebelen Band - Live At Knuckleheads Vol 1. - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Live at Knuckleheads Vol 1  from Nick Schnebelen Band and I really enjoyed it. Opening fleet fingered rocker, I'm Goin', this band is on fire. Nick Schnebelen, founding family member of Trampled Under Foot, has lead vocals and guitars and he's ripping. Joined by Heather Newman on guitar and vocal, Joe Voye on drums and Cliff Moore on bass, this is a great opener! Newman takes the lead on Willie James, with a little more of a country flare, the band is taking this crowd by storm. Schnebelen's riffs are hot and explosive. Cover of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, featuring Newman on lead vocal maintains it's original pop format but with a snarling guitar solo backing Newman's solid vocals. Slow ballad, Desperate Heart, again features Newman on lead vocal and gives Schnebelen a terrific opening to really kick out the stops on his blues riffs. Clocking in at over 5 minutes and with a touch of old San Francisco, this track is a screamer! With a taste of Son House, Break Of Day, takes on a modern day blues rock format. Schnebelen is back on lead vocal and sticks it on his guitar riffs. Tight backing by Voye, Newman and Moore makes this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Bad Disposition is a modern rocker with blues roots. Elongated guitar riffs and a very strong bass and drum combo give this band some of the best characteristics of Cream. With Muddy Waters like slide work and a stomping pace, Tailgate Swing, featuring Newman on lead vocal has strong underpinning. Willie Dixon's Spoonful has nice interplay vocally between Schnebelen and Newman with super drumming, again putting me in mind of Cream. Very nice. Classic Santo and Johnny track, Sleep Walk, is covered very nicely by Schnebelen on slide. Resurrected by Jeff Beck a number of years ago, this track has become a modern classic and great that it has. Nicely done. Dolly's, Jolene, is up next and Newman covers it nicely with a country inflection in her voice. Schnebelen shows his skills at Knopler style riffs blending nicely with the modern country style. Wrapping the release is driving rocker, New Orleans, by 60's rocker, Eddie Hodges. This track is burning hi octane with Schnebelen on slide and vocal and the band leaving nothing but dust. Great closer to a highly energetic release.


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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Luca Burgalassi - Shadows and Fragments - New release review

I just had the chance to review the newest release, Shadows and Fragments by Luca Burgalassi and it's actually quite beautiful. Opening with Shadows, a softly sung ballad over acoustic guitar and electric guitars by Luca Burgalassi, strongly precise bass by Giacomo Bertaccini and light percussion by Ettore Fancelli this is a super melodic opener. Dust and Rust has an open country sound with nicely blended vocal harmonies with Burgalassi on dobro, banjo, guitar, mandolin and harmonica as well as lead vocals, Fancelli on drums, Mimo Pellegrini on bass, Stefano Lunardi on violin and Luca Bellofiore on accordion. An excellent track with nice harmonies, this is great stuff. Nicely arpegiated acoustic guitar and solid vocals are the secret to Dark Cherries and Wine with Franco Ceccanti on cello. With an intricate rhythm and tight electric guitar soloing, this is a cool track. Orange Rooms has a warm, adult vocal, jazzy sound with French cafe accordion and violin ambiance and slick acoustic guitar riffs. Highs and Lows is a bouncy pop track with a strong catchy hook. Lord Randal features Wedny Nieper and Burgalassi trading lead vocals over a somewhat classical sound created by Burgalassi on guitar and mandolin, Pellegrini on bass, and Stefano Lumardi on violin. Starless Night Blues is a real cool track with true jazz style blues guitar riffs. Really nicely presented under Burgalassi's vocals and Pellegrini on bass and Fancelli on drums, one of my favorite tracks on the release. Acoustic guitar instrumental, 34 Orange Road, is really nicely written and performed showing clearly Burgalassi's excellence in his art. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Fragments, a quiet ballad with emotive vocals and guitar accompaniment by Burgalassi, backed nicely by Cerranti on cello. A very solid track to conclude a very solid vocal release.

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Monday, July 18, 2016

Davy Knowles To Release Three Miles From Avalon on October 14 - Extensive Tour Commences Late-July




                                                   

DAVY KNOWLES ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF NEW STUDIO ALBUM THREE MILES FROM AVALON ON OCTOBER 14
Vinyl, Limited Edition Signed Memorabilia, Bundled Merchandising Packages Available Via Pledge Music Now
Digital On-Sale Set For September 30 With All Global Retailers
Extensive Tour Commences Late-July

Chicago, IL --- Davy Knowles has announced the release of a new studio album Three Miles From Avalon on October 14.  Hot on the heels of the 2014's The Outsider, the full-length documentary Island Bound, and an extensive tour schedule, Isle of Man-born Knowles looks forwards with a collection of new songs marking a return to his roots and the sounds that first ignited his passion for music.  Recorded exclusively in his adopted hometown of Chicago, the capital of electric blues provided Knowles with a landscape steeped in legend, inspiring him to creatively explore the genre of music he’s always loved - energetic, guitar driven blues-rock. The pre-order for vinyl, plus limited edition signed memorabilia, alongside bundled merchandising packages is live on Pledge Music here: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/threemilesfromavalonA digital pre-order campaign will be available globally two weeks prior to release on September 30 via all retailers and at www.davyknowles.com.

Knowles began the recording process for Three Miles From Avalon with a fresh approach, one that has resulted in a dynamic, gutsy sound.  He offers, "I wanted to go back to the basics. The band and myself have racked up a lot of playing time together, and we have really started to gel. I wanted to capture that ‘live’ feel in the studio”.  This led naturally to a back-to-basics approach, and a search for authenticity when it came to recording the new materialKnowles reveals, “My favorite sounding records are certainly older ones, recorded to tape, with minimal fuss or overdubs. I wanted that lovely warm, vintage sound that only tape and glowing tubes can do.”

A raw, vintage sound is evident in the album’s opening two tracks, the hard-driving "Ain’t Much Of Nothing" and the live favourite, "What You’re Made Of", a homage to one of Davy’s musical heroes Rory Gallagher.  He offers, "Rory has been a huge influence for me, his energy and drive was so mesmerising. I wanted to get back to that high energy, big guitar riff style of writing.”

The album's third track "Falling Apart" adds dark drama to the record’s driving pace with its smoky verses and heavy, snarling, blues riff. Knowles reflects, "I’ve had this song kicking around for a long time, but it wasn’t until I had found this guitar pedal called ‘The Octron’ (one of only two pedals used by Knowles on the entire album) that the song and the riff really came to life, it’s got this wonderful menacing sound.” 

Storytelling has always been a vital ingredient in Knowles’ work, and the repertoire introduced on Three Miles From Avalon continues this legacy of introducing indelible characters to the listener's mind.  Weaving a moment of pathos into the track list is "Oxford MS" – a fictional account of shady dealing and violence.  Knowles offers, "Songs with characters and stories have always grabbed me, and I wanted to write one in the blues and gospel vein.  This one specifically is a story of blackmail, gambling and regret, though certainly not an autobiographical one!”  The title track itself brings forth a personal reflection through songs which the artist states, "is really all about being slightly further away than where you want to be, and the frustration that comes with that. Avalon is this Arthurian legend, the Island that could never be found. It became my metaphor for things just out of my grasp.”  The song also reveals the musical influences close to Davy’s heart, showcasing his love of blues and classic rock with affection.

The album closes on a hat tip to one of the all-time greats, Willie Dixon, with a re-working of his blues classic "What In The World." Performed with a live, ‘after hours’ feel, the track showcases Knowles’ confident and distinctive guitar playing, but also a powerful solo on the Hammond B3 by Andrew Toombs – demonstrating that Knowles and his tight-knit band all possess not only stunning technical ability, but soul too.  There is no question that this long road Knowles has travelled finds the artist passing through a crossroads with clarity focused on the destination he strives to reach.  Perhaps not as unattainable to reach as this fictional, mythical place he metaphorically alludes to in title.

In support of the new studio album, Knowles has announced initial dates on an extensive global tour.  Confirmed appearances include:
7/23     Sunrise Beach, MO                                         Picklehead's Roadhouse
7/29     Bethlehem, PA                                                Levitt Pavilion
7/30     Alexandria, VA                                              The Birchmere
8/03     Northampton, MA                                          Iron Horse Music Hall
8/04     New York, NY                                               Iridium
8/05     New York, NY                                               Iridium
8/06     Hoboken, NJ                                                   Maxwell's
8/07     Pawling, NY                                                   Daryl's House
8/11     Charlotte, NC                                     U.S. National White Water Center
8/12     Salisbury, MD                                     Headquarters Live
8/13     Philadelphia, PA                                             Hard Rock Cafe
8/14     Fairfield, CT                                                   Stage One
8/18     Rockport, MA                                     Shalin Liu
8/19     Burlington, VT                                                Higher Ground
8/20     Londonderry, NH                                           Tupelo Music Hall
8/26     Lombard, IL                                                   Brauerhouse
8/27     Elkhart, IN                                                      Lerner Theatre (w/ 38 Special)
10/01   Carbondale, IL                                                Carbondale Rocks
10/15   Auburn Hills, MI                                            Callahan's
10/21   Evanston, IL                                                   SPACE (Album Release Party)
11/04   Des Moines, IA                                               Des Moines Social Club
11/05   Marion, IA                                                      Campbell Steele Gallery



ABOUT DAVY KNOWLES
Davy Knowles has staged over five hundred appearance in support of his two Billboard-charting studio albums, DVD's and live albums.  The Chicago-based artist began his journey as a young man growing up on the UK's Isle of Man, and his commitment to succeed led to his emigration to America at 19 with his band Back Door Slam. His acclaimed debut album Roll Away (Blix Street Records) delivered TV appearances on Jimmy Kimmel and Good Morning America fueled by the radio hit "Come Home."  His second studio release Coming Up For Air was produced by Peter Frampton, yielding radio hits "Tear Down The Walls" and "Taste of Danger."  Knowles made appearances at festivals that included Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits, headlines the globe, and was invited to tour with Jeff Beck, The Who, Warren Haynes / Gov't Mule, Joe Bonamassa and Peter Frampton amongst others. 

Knowles is one of only a small handful of artists who’ve had their music beamed straight into space for astronauts listening on the International Space Station.  A headline show at the inaugural Garden Party Festival in the Isle of Man was memorably gate-crashed by the same astronauts who had heard Davy from the ISS. In 2011, Knowles wrote, recorded and released "Reach Higher" as official anthem for the Youth Commonwealth Games, and in 2014, as ambassador for the Isle of Man's Year of Culture he took part in several key events – making an appearance at the International Celtic Festival in Lorient, France.
More recent, roots-driven projects have emerged in the form of the music documentary Island Bound, produced in association with DAM. Tracking the migration of Celtic and European folk music to America, Canada and Australia, Knowles enlisted the help of musicians such as Richard Thompson and Martin Simpson to explore the origins of bluegrass, folk, country and Americana, the sounds that influenced blues, pop and rock music of today.



‘THREE MILES FROM AVALON’
Personnel:
Davy Knowles - Guitars and Vocals
Bryan Doherty - Bass Guitar and Vocals
Andrew Toombs - Hammond Organ, Piano and Wurlitzer
Michael Caskey - Drums and Percussion
Produced by Davy Knowles and Anthony Gravino
Engineer - Anthony Gravino
Recorded at Shirk Studios and Drake Studios, Chicago IL

Roy Rogers






"Sounds the way good bourbon tastes, smooth and with a kick" - Spin
Summer fun is here! Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings help you welcome the warm summer months with some cool blues. Check out the upcoming show calendar! August 18th head to Harveys Lake Tahoe where Roy & the band, open for Steve Miller Band with special guests Carlos Reyes & Jimmy Pugh. The power trio - Roy Rogers, Steve Ehrmann and Kevin Hayes - will appear at Bluesapalooza and The Big Blues Bender. Look for a special performance in the early fall at the King Biscuit Blues Festival on October 6th with fellow slide guitarist Sonny Landreth! For the second year in a row Roy and the band perform at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ. Tickets are on sale now.
Watch for the 2016 release of a special collaborative project with all new songs from Stringshot featuring Roy Rogers with Carlos Reyes and brazilian guitar goddess Badi Assad.
 
Into the Wild Blue was released last summer in June. Grab another copy for a friend and revisit the special exclusive feature on Roy Rogers from Blues Blast Magazine

 UPCOMING SHOWS:

AUG 7th
Bluesapalooza / Mammoth, CA
AUG 18th
Harvey's Lake Tahoe
SPECIAL: Opening for Steve Miller Band
with special guests Carlos Reyes & Jimmy Pugh
AUG 27th
Fairfield Theatre / Fairfield, CA
SEP 3rd
Trinity Tribal Festival / Junction City, CA
TBA

SEP 8th & 9th
The Big Blues Bender / Las Vegas, NV
SEP 10th
Musical Instrument Museum / Phoenix, AZ
OCT 6th
King Biscuit Blues Festival / Phoenix, AZ
SPECIAL: with Sonny Landreth
TBA


 


Booking Direct for 2017. Contact: gaynell@roy-rogers.com

Uptown Theatre Napa - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, July 30



The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, July 30
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Thirty-five years later, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine, whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances. They have revitalized the brass band in New Orleans and around the world, progressing from local parties, clubs, baseball games and festivals in their early years to touring nearly constantly in the U.S. and in over 30 other countries on five continents. The Dirty Dozen have been featured guests on albums by artists including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Widespread Panic, Modest Mouse, Dave Matthews Band and the Black Crowes. 

Tickets $40/35/20, click HERE to purchase!. Call (707) 259 0123 x 6 for more info.

Uptown Theatre description: 

Nestled in the famed West End district, this stunningly restored art deco masterpiece from 1937 showcases only the finest acts in music and comedy. A historic landmark, the Uptown offers a phenomenal, intimate live show experience with world class sound and site lines. Distance from the last row to the stage is only 98 feet making every seat truly a great seat!

The Uptown has played host to some of the biggest names in blues, rock, jazz, folk, and country entertainment; live music and comedy. Uptown Theatre is a must-see hot spot for anyone visiting Downtown Napa or looking for things to do in the Napa Valley!