Cleopatra Records artist: Big Jay McNeely - Honkin' & Jivin' At The Palomino - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Honkin' & Jivin' At The Palomino, from Big Jay McNeely and it's hot! Kicking down the door on the opener, Palomino Hop, McNeely has flames coming from his horn, backed by Marty Rifkin on pedal steel, Steve von Gelder on fiddle, Dale Watson on guitar, Ronnie Mack on guitar, Keith Rosier on bass and Billy Block on drums. Excellent! On Don Gibson's, I Can't Stop Loving You, McNeely set out a soulful rendition not unlike Ray Charles own arrangement.  Pretty Girls Everywhere has a cool, sixties twist, beach sound with fiddle work by Gelder, Steel by Rifkin and Big Jay on vocal and sax. Shuffle track, Honky Tonk has extended instrumental lead from McNeely and Gelder plus a great pounding return. Very cool.  Bluesy, Young Girl Blues is set deep with the best vocals by McNeely, and balanced soloing throughout. Wrapping the release is Big Jay Shuffle, and excellent closer with Big Jay honkin' out with swift pace. A crisp steel solo by Rifkin, guitar solo's by Watson and Mack and Gelder's fiddle work add nicely but this is the Big Jay show and he's playing it to the max. Super.

Also included is a DVD of the show. Looking forward to seeing it at home!

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Lloyd Spiegel - This Time Tomorrow - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Time Tomorrow and it's quite good. Australian, Lloyd Spiegel's ninth release opens with Devil On My Shoulder, a rumbling blues rocker with a rough acoustic sound and swaggering edge. Backed by Tim Burnham on drums, and Arunachala on percussion, this track is solid. Spiegel handles lead vocal and guitars and his electric guitar soloing searing through the music like a hot sword gives it a smart balance. With a jazzy rhythm and stinging but muted guitar soloing, All The Cats Are Grey should have broad appeal with nice a melody for the ladies and clever guitar riffs for the dudes. Kansas City Katie has a cool Tex Mex flavor thanks to Spiegel's guitar work and his vocal phrasing quite reminds me of Glen Frey but his overall sound and feel is much more desirable. On rocker, Lost Like Me, Spiegel carries the melody broadly on his vocal shoulders with spanky guitar riffs reinforcements. Cure My Soul has a euro cafe sound with strong bass lines and a great melody. Lisa Sutton plays an outstanding trombone line in this track making it one of my favorites on the release. Excellent! Possibly the best radio song on the release is Into The Blue, joined by Riley Spiegel on guitar, with an almost Sting like feel and appeal. I'm not saying it sounds like Sting, but it has that same clean, inviting presence. Wrapping the release is a cool soulful track, Call You When I Get There. Spiegel is not only an accomplished guitarist and songwriter but a damn good singer as well. This release is so simple but yet so smooth. Really nice! 

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Kelly Z - Rescue - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rescue, from Kelly Z and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with James Brown's What Do I Have To Do, Kelly Z has that driving sound, backed by Teresa James, Shari Puorto and Lisa Orloff Staley on vocal, Rick Reed on bass, John Marx on guitar, and Bryan Head on drums. Mo Beeks really ramps in up with some super keyboard work and the horn section featuring Andy Najira on sax and Stan Martin on trumpet pump up the sound. On The Shirelles' Baby It's You, Kelly shines with only minor changes from the original arrangement one upped by nice trumpet work by martin and guitar soloing by Perry Robertson. Mike Bloomfield's ballad, You Don't Realize has a solid feel, backed by Barry Goldberg on B3 and Roy Weigand on trumpet. Very nice. Tina Turner's high energy Trying To Find My Mind is up next with sassy vocals and featuring Chuck Kavooras on slide. Isaac Hayes' Do Your Thing is my favorite track on the release with a dynamo bass groove by Reed and a slinky guitar solo by Marx. Very cool! Wrapping the release is Jimmie Davis' You Are My Sunshine. This track is almost unrecognizable as the tune we've all heard as children due to it's pumped up horn lines, heavy tom tom and R&B feel. Very smooth closer for a cool release.  

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Catfood records artist: James Armstrong - Blues Been Good To Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Been Good To Me, from James Armstrong and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with title track, Blues Been Good To Me, James Armstrong has a great rolling rhythm going leading the way on vocal and guitar. John Kattke on B3 adds a real nice feel joined by Matt Murdick on keys and Darryl Wright on bass. Second Time Around has a nice slide sound by Armstrong and with his smooth vocals and a modified rock beat. Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love gets a cool, loping swing and Armstrong makes it his own, backed by Amy Slack and Kimberlie Helton as well as the horns of Bryan Fritz, Corey Fritz and Kasimu Taylor. Early Grave is a real nice R&B track and has not only a great feel but premium guitar soloing, vocals and additional vocals by Johnny Rawls and Mary Jo Curry. Very nice! Funky, Old Man In The Morning (Young Man At Night) has a great JGW /WWW R&B/blues feel and clever hook making it one of my favorites on the release. Another super track, Change In The Weather, is a somber bluesy ballad. Armstrong not only shines on vocal but his guitar work in soulful and inviting. Very nice. High stepper, Sleeping With A Stranger  has a cool moving bottom and fluid guitar soloing over top. Wrapping the release is Shot Gun Wedding, a bluesy ballad has a real nice feel and Will Jackson's bass line is solid and groovy. Armstrong has put together a great set of tracks here and this is a solid closer for a real nice release. 

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Sandwich Factory Records artist: Val Starr & The Blues Rocket - I Always Turn The Blues On - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Always Turn The Blues On, by Val Starr & The Blues Rocket. Opening with shuffle track, High Time To Go, Val Starr, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist has the floor showing G&R vocal styling in true Axl flare with John Ellis on bass, Frankie Soul on lead guitar and Paul Farman on drums. Boogie track, Whether Blues, with it's droning bass line gives Daniel Castro a real nice chance to stretch out showing his blues chops on lead guitar.  A real cool shuffle track, You Better Stop has a super walking bass line and fluid guitar lead by Steve Wall. Bad Luck & The Blues has a real nice feel with some of Starr's best vocal work on the release, lower octave guitar work, nice piano work by Todd Morgan and complimentary harp by Tim Baron. Two stepper, The Baby Mama Song shows a twist of country highlighted by Starr's vocals and the key work of Morgan. Bye Bye has a real nice slinky feel and a light touch by Starr on vocal. Barron's harp additions are spot on and Soul's guitar lead is tight and clean. Wrapping the release is It's Always Somethin', a shuffle track with an easy feel. Harmony vocals behind the lead add nice warmth and melodic guitar lead gives the track sparkle for a solid closer.

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Ruf Records artist: Albert Castiglia - Up All Night - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Up All Night, from Albert Castiglia and it's smokin! Up to his 7th release now and still getting better, Castiglia opens with Mike Zito's Hoodoo On Me blistering his way on guitar and leading on vocal. Joined by Jimmy Pritchard on bass and Brian Menendez on drums, this is a great opener. With a heavy footed rock beat, I Been Up All Night is a classic funk rocker. Castiglia has great presence with fluid blues riffs and raspy vocals over the big bass lines of Pritchard and tight drumming of Menendez. Excellent! Driving rock n roller, 95 South is a super track highlighted by real nice slide work by Sonny Landreth. Another Mike Zito track, Quit Your Bitching has beautiful slow blues phrasing and may be my favorite track on the release. Smooth vocals, inspired guitar soloing lead the way. Cyril Neville's Unhappy House Of Blues has a solid blues bass with a great harp topping by Johnny Sansone. Another rocker, Chase Her Around The House, has a great boogie base line giving Castiglia a super opportunity to fly on the fretboard. Excellent! Wrapping the release is lumbering blues, You Got Me To That Place, featuring Zito and Castiglia on acoustic guitar and vocal. This is a solid closer for an exceptional release! 

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Stony Plain Records artist: Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters - The Luckiest Man - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (November 17, 2017), The Luckiest Man, from Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters and it's really strong. Opening with Don Robey's Ain't That Loving You, and a great groove featuring Diane Blue on vocals, the band is smoking. Earl's perfect syncopation on his solos backed by Dave Limina on keys, Forrest Padgett on drums and Paul Kochanski on bass...excellent opener. Jim's Song is a quiet, introspective track using primarily guitar chords as the skeleton and guitar lead soloing as a lush environmental flesh. Very nice. With a cool swing, Blue is back up front on Heartbreak (It's Hurtin' Me). Limina really takes the floor with his B3 solo and Earl tears it up nicely with great balance and style. Soul track, Never Gonna Break My Faith really shows off Blue's vocal style at it's best. Earl and Limina carry the weight, but this track is all about Blue and she kills it. Sugar Ray Norcia's slow blues, Long Lost Conversation features Sugar Ray on lead vocal and harp, backed by Anthony Geraci on piano, Mike Welsh on guitar, Neil Gouvin on drums, Mudcat Ward on bass and of course Earl on lead guitar. This track is extended (over 10 minutes) and excellent! Blues For Magic Sam is another excellent track. Purely instrumental, Earl plays the melody of this excellent track with expressive confidence, technique and style. Really nice!  Wrapping the release is Fenton Robinson's You Don't Know What Love Is with it's funky beat. Blue is back up front on lead vocal works really nicely with Earl adding as much strength vocally as Earl does on guitar. This is a really strong closer for a really solid release.

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Likho Records artist: Likho Duo - Blues And The World Beyond - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues And The World Beyond, from Likho Duo, and it's quite cool. Likho Duo was formed by Italian guitar and harmonica player, Noe' Socha and upright bass player, Cliff Schmitt in 2016. Opening with acoustic boogie, Derby Street Blues, Schmitt sets a firm footing on bass and Socha plays clean stylized guitar riffs, accompanying himself on harp. Schmitt also takes a few bars for himself rounding out the track. Nice opener. Willie Dixon's Spoonful is next with reinforcement of the melody on bass with tight harp lead. Slide work by Socha takes the blues influence even deeper complimented by his harp work. Muddy Waters' I Can't Be Satisfied it a real hot take with lead work by Socha on harp supported by Schmitt on bass. Kicking it into high gear, Socha rips out the slide and harp to the end. Very nice. Socha's Romance Among Thieves is a really nice track. Possibly my favorite on the release with an almost gypsy feel providing nice soloing opportunities for both himself on acoustic guitar and Schmitt. Excellent! Another cool track on this release is an acoustic Black Dog (Led Zep). With harp lead and tandem guitar and bass melody this is really quite enjoyable. Classic Freddie King on Hideaway has a cool feel with clean, articulate guitar runs over a basic blues bass line. Another really nice original from Socha, Almere, has a classical jazz feel with a strong solo by Schmitt on bass. Great track. Sonny Boy Williamson's Good Morning Little Schoolgirl gives the floor to Socha on harp and really bluesy tones. Very cool. another track with a gypsy feel is Tu VuoFa L'Americano. Schmitt holds tight on bass and lays down really nice bass lead trading with Socha in a classic gypsy style boogie. Wrapping the release is a really strong composition, Waltz For Katja, by Schmitt. With lead bass and in duet with Socha's harp work, a super closer for a very strong release. 

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Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes - Cursed - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the debut release, Cursed, from Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes. Opening with Snatch & Grab It, Raha Javanfar, lead vocalist and bassist for Toronto based swing band is kicking it. A walking bass line with Andrew Moljgum on sax, Galen Pelley on drums, Tom Moffett on trumpet and Adam Beer Colacino on guitar makes for a great opener.  With it's Latin influence, I Don't Know About You, is a super track showing Javanfar's vocals, and Tom Moffett on trumpet and Moligun on bari really set this track off. Very nice. Memphis Minnie's bluesy, Bad Luck Woman has a cool feel fired by Jay Swinnerton's piano work and stylistic guitar work by Fraser Melvin. One of my favorites is Spinach Song with it's rag feel. Javanfar's vocals are perfect and with strong bass, cool rhythm guitar and kazoo...perfect. Boogie track, Went Down, has a real nice feel with a great bass line, strong trumpet soloing by Moffett. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Ay La Bah, a blues rocker with punchy horns and cool vocals. Moffett sets down a real nice trumpet solo and Melvin's guitar work is smart. Super closer for a cool release.

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Rip Cat Records artist: Alastair Greene - Dream Train - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dream Train, from Alastair Greene and it's a smokin' rocker. Opening with title track, Dream Train, Greene on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Jim Rankin on bass and Austin Beede on drums really hit the road hard including fiery slide work by Greene. Big Bad Wolf is a great boogie rocker with grinding guitar rhythm and slashing solos. Excellent! Billy Gibbons penned, Nome Zayne  has a heavy bottom and cool pinched guitar harmonics. One of my favorite tracks on the release is blues ballad, Another Lie, featuring features Walter Trout on guitar and Mike Finnigan on organ and some of the best Greene guitar riffs on tape in a while. Excellent! Acoustic instrumental, Song For Rufus, shows Greene's guitar virtuosity with serious intent. An exceptional piece of recording and playing. Dare Devil is a cool 12 bar number with a nice solo from Dennis Gruenling on harp, Mike Finnigan on organ and of course Greene on guitar for one of the most balanced tracks on the release. Blues guitar super star, Debbie Davies joins Greene on funky rocker Grateful Swagger with both artists really ripping some great riffs. Tight bottom instrumental... very cool! A beautiful instrumental tune, Iowa shows colors of electric guitar in lead soloing over tom tom. This is a very nice presentation and a nice showcase for sensitivity and guitar craft. Thick power rocker, Down To Memphis,  adds super guitarist Mike Zito with a lot of girth. Very nice. Wrapping the release is jazz fused, Lucky 13, with snappy drums, a driving beat and fluid guitar runs. This is a great track to wrap a really solid release.

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Severn Records artists: The Original Blues Brothers Band - The Last Shade of Blue Before Black - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Last Shade Of Blue Before Black, by The Original Blues Brothers Band and it's great! Opening with Jimmy Reed's Baby What You Want Me To Do, Bobby "Sweet Soul" Harden with Tommy "Pipes" McDonnell on harp and vocals and Rob "The Honeydripper" Paparozzi on harp and vocals take center stage with super harmony and John Tropea plays terrific guitar soloing backed by Tom Malone on trumpet, Baron Raymonde on alto sax, Eric "The Red" Udel on bass, Lee "Funkytime" Finkelstein on drums, Leon "The Lion" Pendarvis on organ, Rusty "Cloudmeister" Cloud on clav, Wurlitzer and piano. High stepping, Cherry Street, features McDonnell on lead vocals, Birch Johnson on trombone and Raymonde really rips on alto sax. Eddie Floyd is up on lead vocals on slinky, On Saturday A Night, and guest Tom Malone on bari sax  and with tight, warm horn backing. Harden takes the lead on funky, Itch and Scratch. This is a mover with hot horn work pushing all the way and snappy drum work over the funky bass line by Udel. Joe Louis Walker had the lead on Willie Dixon's Don't Go No Further. This track has a great groove with Rob Paparozzi on chromatic harp and featuring a cool harp solo by Tommy McDonnell. This track is saturated with soulful horns punctuated by Steve Howard's trumpet solo and a  classic guitar solo by Matt "Guitar' Murphy. A hot version of James Brown's Sex Machine is lead by Paul Shaffer on lead vocal and piano with David Spinozza on guitar and Tom Malone on trumpet. New Orleans flavored, Your Feet's Too Big has Paparozzi on lead vocal and harp. The horn work throughout is super with standout solos on this track by Cloud on piano and Lou Marini on clarinet. Excellent! Dr. John is front and center on Qualified with his distinctive vocal and piano styling. With Birch Johnson on trombone, Baron Raymonde on alto sax, Lou Marini on bari and tenor sax solos, this is one of my favorites on the release. Title track, The Last Shade Of Blue Before Black has a real nice Johnny Guitar Watson bluesy R&B feel featuring Lou Marini on lead vocal. This is a super closer with Tropea featured with some ultra tasty guitar and a sultry tenor sax solo by Marini. Excellent! 

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Hwy 11 Records artists: Sunday Wilde & Reno Jack - Two - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Two, from Sunday Wilde and Reno Jack and it's colorful. Vocalist/ piano player, Sunday Wilde leads the way on opener, Howlin' Wolf's Howling For My Darling with guitars by Steve Koch and Johnny MacLeod, bass by Reno Jack and drums by Cleave Anderson. I really like Jack's interpretation on Moonlight Rising which is like a cross between Lou Reed and Roger Waters. Very cool. Shuffle track, 5-10-15 Hours has a super blues feel pairing Jack and Sunday on a cool duet. MacLeod's bass work and light brush strokes of Anderson are a nice backdrop for a cool jazzy guitar lead. Bluesy ballad, No Matter How Far features Sunday on lead vocal and piano in her best vocal track on the release. Wrapping the release is duet, Leaving On Your Mind which really sets off Jack and Sunday against Jack's bass playing. A solid closer for an interesting release.

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Jimmie Bratcher - This Is Blues Country - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Is Blues Country, from Jimmie Bratcher and it's fresh. Opening with Hank Williams' Honky Tonk Blues, Jimmie Bratcher on guitar and vocal, adds a blues spin to this country classic joined by Aaron Mayfield on keys, Terry Hancock on drums and vocals and Larry Van Loon on B3 and Wurlitzer. Jimmie Davis' You Are My Sunshine gets a snappy jazz makeover putting in mind an arrangement by Passport. With hot drum work by Hancock and flashy guitar riffs, this track takes on a whole new life. Marty Robbins' Singing The Blues has a real nice groove, with a hot electric guitar solo and slide guitar work by Sean McDonald is great for added spice. Hank Snow's I Don't Hurt Anymore has a real contemporary ballad feel and Santana like guitar clarity definitely enhances it's appeal. Very nice. Jim Reeves' Am I That Easy To Forget is slowed way down and placed into a blues frame. It really sounds quite a bit like an Elvis Costello meets David Bowie. Very cool. Marty Robbins' Don't Worry About Me has a real cool blues lope but retains a country flavor with honky tonk piano and gains rock footing with a thick raw guitar solo. Low slung, Today I Started Loving You Again, a classic Merle Haggard track, has cool acoustic resonator slide and warm backing vocals. Wrapping the release is a New Orleans flavored I Can't Stop Loving You originally a track by Don Williams. Slinky blues guitar lead really sets this track off against Bratcher's signature vocals. This is a real cool arrangement of a country classic and an excellent closer for a really cool release. 

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Severn Records artist: Kim Wilson - Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, from Kim Wilson and it's a heavy dose of old style Chicago blues. Opening with harp instrumental Bonus Boogie, Wilson is hitting on all cylinders, backed by Big Jon Atkinson on guitar, Bob Welsh on guitar, Troy Sandow on bass and Malachi Johnson on drums. Excellent! Sonny Boy Williamson's, Ninety-Nine features Wilson on lead vocal and harp and it's one of my favorites on the release. Pure Chicago style and Wilson's tight harp tone is the ticket here. Big Maceo's Worried Life Blues is up next with a solid slower pace highlighted by the keen piano work of Barrellhouse Chuck. John Lee Hooker's Same Old Blues has a swinging blues feel a la BB King or T Bone Walker. Billy Flynn steps in with some choice riffs on guitar, complimented by Larry Taylor on bass, Richard Innes on drums and Jonny Viau on horns. Very nice! Magic Sam's Look Whatcha Done has a great groove with slick guitar riffs by Atkinson and Welsh. Big Walter's Blue and Lonesome is another of my favorites on the release with Atkinson and Nathan James on guitar, some of the best vocals on the release and tight guitar attacks under the melody throughout. Wilson really belts it out on this one crushing it. Kim Wilson's own instrumental, Edgier is a great shuffle with harp lead. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Jimmy Rogers' You're The One. With solid vocals and harp by Wilson, Dodson on drums, and Atkinson on guitar, this is a super closer for a really solid release.

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Rockin' Johnny Burgin @ The Rhythm Room In Phoenix - October 2017

I saw a great show at the Rhythm Room, the premiere blues club in Phoenix, last week and it was great. The Rhythm Room is a real Phoenix landmark that took over where the mason Jar left off. That's where I last saw Albert King. At the Rhythm Room I've seen a number of super shows and artists including Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa and Jimbo Mathus. I moved a while back and live outside of the city now. It makes it a lot tougher to see a mid week show, but when I heard that Rockin' Johnny was playing town, I knew I was going to be there. I've seen Johnny a number of times both on his own and with Tail Dragger.  I remember seeing him on film a number of years ago where he was playing backup player and just with a few riffs, he stood out and got my attention.


Now with a number of his own excellent releases under his belt, Rockin' Johnny puts on one hell of a show! He pulls from his most recent release Neoprene Fedora as well as a few other terrific releases including Greetings From Greaseland and Grim Reaper. Johnny is a great showman and at the Rhythm Room he plays 2 sets. Obviously what originally got my attention was Johnny's powerful if not often wild guitar riffs but Johnny is actually turning out to be a really good singer. Every time I see him I think, man this guy is really a good singer but I always remember those power riffs of his. Johnny isn't a Bonamassa or Clapton clone and he doesn't ape Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page or any of the other spectacular guitar players like most of his contemporaries. Johnny has his own style which is a mix of classic, underplayed riffs and his own style and blues, R&B, soul and rock. I don't take a lot of notes at a concert (hell, I'm there to drink beer and listen to a band just like you). Johnny hits the floor hard and pushes himself to gets things hopping fast. After only a few tracks, he really settles into a groove and it just keeps getting better and better throughout the show. I believe he played most every track from his Neoprene Fedora release (which is terrific by the way) and my recollection is that he played the title track near or at the end of the first set.



Excellent!  Club owner and renown blues harp player, Bob Corritore, joined Johnny on stage for a few hot Chicago blues numbers and Bob never fails to impress. He's a great harp player and extremely knowledgeable blues enthusiast, running a blues radio show on National Public Radio for many years.



Recalling the show, I'm certain that he played Guitar King, Won't Get Married Again, Give Me An Hour In Your Garden, Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear, and  Goodbye Chicago. there were a few tracks that were just over the top. From Greaseland I remember Cold Chills, She's A Hit and Homework as well as the highlight of the show for me, Johnny's take on The House Of The Rising Sun. Unfortunately the footage was unusable for reasons out of my control. Grim Reaper and I Did The Best I Could were among the best of the rest but the ultimate best groove is Smoke and Mirrors. I really think that this is one of the best grooves caught on a contemporary blues release in years.

 Off the floor, Johnny is a hell of a nice guy and just wants to put on a great show. Catch him in a smaller club while you can. It may not be next week, but this guy really has something special and you should get your share.

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Bake It Black Records artist: Paul Dougherty - Spankin' Hank - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Spankin' Hank, from Paul Dougherty and it's interesting. Dougherty, born in Houston is now living in Munich and reinterpreting Hank Williams tracks opening with My Sweet Love Ain't Around. A casual swing with cool guitar riffs, a cool opener. On Move It On Over, Dougherty adds a Bo Diddley beat, organ and with his lower octave vocals, gives the track a whole new feel. Slide guitar with what sounds like Hawaiian tuning really gives it a cool vibe. Tear In My Beer has a simple country rocker beqat with snappy drums and vocal harmonies. I like it. Another track that really stands out is Low and Lonely with it's lope and again Hawaiian sounding lap guitar. Very cool. Bluesy track, Lonesome Whistle, maintains a bit of it's country flavor but with the addition of casual military style drumming and harp. With a more straight forward rock style, Rockin' Chair Money has a cool groove.  Wrapping the release is a skeleton of a track, I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome featuring a compressed vocal by Dougherty backed by electric piano. This is an interesting release and certainly a new take on Hank.

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Ruf Records artist: Savoy Brown - Witchy Feelin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Witchy Feelin', from Savoy Brown and it's quite good. Opening with Why Did You Hoodoo Me, Kim Simmonds is back, better than ever with Pat Desalvo on bass and Garnet Grimm on drums. With a pounding bass rhythm and some of the most scorching riffs to come off of Simmonds guitar on record in a long time, this track rocks! There's something about a Gibson humbucker and a Marshall amp that just has that tone and Simmonds has it. Title track, Witchy Feelin', is a somber, dark blues number with light backing highlighting Simmonds vocals and exceptional soloing. Very nice. Gun Slinger kicks it into gear with modern boogie style. With a droning bass line and raw, saturated guitar tone Simmonds uses this basis to deliver one of the best rockers of modern Savoy Brown's history. Standing In A Doorway is a solid, old school blues style number with sweet slide work with tone not unlike Ron Wood on the Stones Love In Vain. This may be my favorite Savoy Brown track in many years.  Excellent! Memphis Blues is a blues rocker with a solid bottom. With Simmonds' signature rock slide sound and some of the best vocals on the release, you can hear a clear tie to his records of the 70's. Very nice. Another of my favorite tracks on the release is Thunder, Lightning & Rain with it's droning boogie bass line and extended guitar soloing. Brilliant! Wrapping the release is Close To Midnight, an enticing instrumental with a smooth, mellow melody and clean guitar riffs. This is the strongest Savoy Brown offering in a number of years. I am excited to hear Kim sound so inspired.

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