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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!


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Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Al Corte' - Mojo - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mojo, from Al Corte' and it's a cool soul & R&B release. Opening with title track, Mojo, lead singer Al Corte' sets the stage for this cool track with a solid melody and nice vocals. Featuring Leroy Hodges on bass, Rev. Charles Hodges Sr. on B3 and Steve Potts on drums, this track hums with a strong guitar solo by Michael Toles and backing vocals by Candice Rayburn, Sharisse Norman and Stefanie Bolton. Also contributing throughout the release are Jim Spake on tenor sax, Kirk Smothers on bari sax, Lannie McMillan Jr. on tenor sax, Marc Franklin on trumpet and flugelhorn. I'll Never Lose My Love For The Blues features a cool slide riffs by Brad Webb and a strong bottom end. Very cool. John Nemeth's harp contributions to Juke Joint Jive add a crisp edge to this soulful stepper and I particularly like the Hammond work by Hodges and the soulful work by Smothers on the bottom. Soul tune, Blessed To Have Your Near has a super gospel edge nicely complimented by Hodges Sr. on piano and the strong overall vocals. It's A Good Day has a really cool groove with moving percussion by Corte' and perfect accents by Franklin, Hodges, Rayburn, Norman and Bolton. Very nice. Wrapping the release is soul ballad, You Hurt Me So Good showcasing Corte' at his best, with warm backing vocal harmonies, Ron Miller.s piano, Hodges Sr's B3 and McMillan Jr.s tenor sax. Excellent closer.



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Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Goonzy Magoo Records artist: Jim Vegas - Soul Shattered Sister - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Soul Shattered Sister, from Jim Vegas and it's an interesting mix of rock, pop and soul. Opening with title track, Soul Shattered Sister, Jim Vegas leads on vocal and guitar backed by Sam Young on bass, Luke Young on sax and Philip Holmes on drums. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Till The Whole Thing Blows, an easy paced ballad with a nice melody, warm sax tones and comforting guitar riffs. Not That Strong is a solid boogie with a driving pace and sax overtones. Love Is Coming Back Around has a polished Steely Dan feel with it's tight, solid rhythm, Fagan like vocals and jazzy sax approach. Very nice.  Another lead track on the release is Lightning Hit The Box with warm sax, polished guitar riffs and soulful singing. Very nice. Closing track, Sun Is Gonna Smile, has a smooth sway and nice melody. This is an interesting release with plenty of easy paced melodies. 

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Monday, December 11, 2017

Andre' Bisson - Break - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Break, from Andre' Bisson and it's a solid set of bluesy tracks. Opening with title track, Break, lead guitarist and vocalist, Andre' Bisson belts out a cool R&B melody, backed by Gordon Aeichele on alto and tenor sax, Bil Holinaty on bari and tenor sax, Loretta Hale on trumpet, Mike Rowell on bass, Sean Bruce Parker on drums and Jesse O'Brien on piano, B3 and Wurlitzer. With a lot of that early 70's style, Bisson throws his riffs out like a true pro. Funky, I Got The Right, has a great horn backing and especially nice bari sax leading into a fluid guitar solo by Bisson. I also really like O'Brien's piano work giving the track real sparkle. Ballad, The Reason Why, is particularity strong with and solid melody, warm vocals and nice backing horn work. Hi Stepping, Next In Line is power packed with some of the best vocals on the release, backed up with punchy horns and rocking guitar riffs. Latin flavored, Your Attention (I Don't Need) has a really nice feel with snappy rim shots, wurlizter piano soloing and powerful vocals. Slower blues number, Reflections, has a really nice feel and opens nicely for Bisson to solo on guitar, Backing keys by O'Brien add nice tension and horn work adds dynamics. Very nice. Another funky number, The Last Sandwich in Hungry Town, has a cool bass groove, courtesy of Rowell, with O'Brien, Aeichele, Holinaty and Hale setting up for Bisson's light, jazzy solo. Eleanor Rigby has a clever light jazz approach with a real nice trombone solo by Rob Sommerville. Wrapping the release is simple, rural flavored ballad, Nothing At All (Live) with very nice harmonized vocals, and cello by Hale. A nice closer for a cool release.



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Friday, December 8, 2017

Casey James: Strip It Down - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Strip It Down, by Casey James and it's quite good. Opening with blues rocker, All I Need, Tommy MacDonald sets a Ray Manzarek style bass groove and Casey James on lead vocal and guitar takes the bait. His vocals are gritty and his guitar tone is warm and rich. Backed by Kevin McKendree on Wurlitzer, Tom Hambridge on drums and Ron McNelley on rhythm guitars, this is a band made in heaven. Two stepper, Bulletproof, has a great feel and Delbert McClinton joins on vocal giving it great style and screaming harp work gives it great edge. Hurt Me More has a real nice Texas lope where McKendree's dancing key work nicely compliments James' vocals and guitar riffs. Very nice. Pat Buchanan's harp work sets the tone for Latin flavored blues number, I Got To Go with a great sound. Hambridge's tight rhythm patterns drive this track, McKendree's B3 solo adds color and James guitar soloing and vocals are top notch. Little Willie John's, Need Your Love So Bad, is one of my definite favorites on the release showcasing James' vocal style and providing just that right forum for an expressive guitar solo. Excellent! With a taste of R&B, James steps forward on strong radio track, Different Kind Of Love with a solid melody, joined by Wendy Molten on backing vocals and potent horn work by the Muscle Shoals Horns. Very nice. McKendree opens Makin' Up, a potent rocker, with a rolling piano riff and they're off to the races. A definite foot stomper, and excellent piano/guitar exchange make this another of the favorite tracks on the release. Wrapping the release is Fight You For The Blues, a raw blues number with James on lead guitar and McNelley on slide giving the track real grit. McDonald's bass lines and McKendree's B3 work add to the tension and Hambridge's perfect accent drumming really kick it. Super closer.



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Thursday, December 7, 2017

The McKee Brothers - Moon Over Montgomery - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Moon Over Montgomery, by The McKee Brothers and it's flavorful. Opening with Pig Feet, a jazzy track with cool backing vocals, Jeff Robinson on lead vocals, backed by Denis McKee on guitar, Hammond and vocal, Bobby West on keys, Ralph McKee on lap steel, Bobby Watson on bass and particularly Jerome Edmonson on classic drums. Andy Wilson adds a really nice chromatic harp, Bob Schultz on bari sax and Andy Georges  on acoustic guitar are complimented by Maxayn Lewis, Melissa McKee, Dennis Lockett on vocals. Funky, I Feel Like Dynamite, has a cool James Brown feel with tastes of the Temptations, Tower of Power and Dave Mason. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release, You Know How I Lie, has some of the best vocals, both lead and lush backing on the release, smart lead guitar runs by Laith Al-Saadi, trumpet and trombone by Lee Thornburg and tenor and bari sax by Doug Webb. Very nice. With an orchestral quality, Kicks, has a boogie beat and Denis McKee lays down some real nice guitar riffs, punctuated by Thornburg and Webb. Gotta check out Webb's tenor solo on this one...very nice. bayou Man has a real nice groove, nicely blended vocals and slick slide work by Stan Budzynski. Smooth but funky jazzer, Go 2 Work! has a great bass lines by Bobby Watson and in addition to the rich vocal leads by Robinson, Reggie Gonzales, Maxayn Lewis and Melissa McKee features really nice beautiful soprano sax lines by Webb. R&B track, Runaway Love has a classic hit lines with a great melody, nicely matched vocals and instrumentation. Latin flavored, Late at Night has warm vocal work and exceptional rhythm with punchy trumpet by Thornburg and great lead vocal and guitar by Larry McCray. Funky blues number, Blues of the Month Club, features Denis on lead vocal and guitar. Tight horn work by Thornburg and Webb and precision drum strokes by Edmondson nicely frame funky blues guitar riffs by Denis. Wrapping the release is Kenny Loggins' Celebrate Me Home featuring Melissa McKee on lead vocal. A culmination of the bands efforts on the release with Webb's solo, a solid closer. 

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Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Lost Bayou Records artists: Lost Bayou Ramblers - Kalenda - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kalenda, from the Lost Bayou Ramblers and it's a earthy taste of Lousiana. Opening with Sabine Turnaround, Andre Michot on accordion and Louis Michot on vocal and fiddle present this rural music in it's purity supported by Eric Heigle on drums, Korey Richie on bass, Jonny Campos on guitar and Kirkland Middleton on T-fer. Granny Smith is a real foot stomper with particularly hot drumming by Heigle. La Valse de Balfa/ The Bathtub is a particularly cool track with environmental sounds over Kirkland Middleton on drums. Very cool.  Si J'auris Des Ailes is another interesting track with a strong melody by accordion and fife over super, stumble march drumming. Nezpique is a lively jig with a droning bass line, churning fiddle and tom tom. Title track, Kalenda, has a very cool African feel with definite Creole/Cajun influences. Mysterious and cool. Wrapping the release is Aloha Golden Meadow, Andre's playing pedal steel, Hawaiian style against sonic backing. The tune is haunting and enchanting...very nicely done.



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Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Big Wing Records artist: Kings & Associates - Tales of a Rich Girl - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tales of a Rich Girl, by Kings & Associates and it's quite good. Opening with slinky blues number, Truth Be Told, Benjamin Cunningham leads the way with slashing lead guitar and lead vocal in duet with Angela Portolesi, backed by Stephen Portolesi on bass, Matt Williams on guitar, Kelvin Sugars on drums and Louie Higuera on Hammond and piano. Very nice. Deadwood is a driving blues rocker with a great bass line and stinging guitar lead. Soul tune, Nitty Gritty, is really well constructed with a great duet with Portolesi and Cunningham and impressive instrumental dynamics. Peace x Peace is a super, gospel based track beautifully featuring Portolesi's vocals. I particularly like the organ and piano work by Higuera adding super tension and the backing vocals on this track are over the top. Excellent! Another real mover is All That's Good has a great bass line and Higuera's Hammond work is tops. Charlie B is a smoking James Brown style R&B track with tight drumming by Sugars. Hot! Live and acoustic, Tales of a Rich Man, features Cunningham on lead vocals along the lines of Delaney and Bonnie. Nicely blended vocals on a laid back blues base. Wrapping the release is 1000 Ways, a strong ballad featuring Portolesia and Cunningham sharing lead. Cunningham's melodic guitar soloing, paired with nice vocal blending and dynamic drumming by Sugars make this an excellent closer for a strong release.



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Monday, December 4, 2017

Lock Alley Music artist: Lara and the Bluz Dawgz - Out Here In The Blue - New relese Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Out Here In The Blue, by Lara and the Bluz Dawgz and it's smooth. Opening with Easy Come, Easy Go, vocalist Lara Germony has the lead backed by Gregg Germony on bass, Al Rowe on guitar, Carlos Ruiz on drums, Reggie Murray on sax and B3 and Dan Nadasdi on keys. Soulful title track, Out Here In The Blue gives Murray a chance to really show his chops with smooth Sanborn like tones. Germony vocals on this track are particularly strong Rowe gets a chance to stretch a bit as well making it one of my favorites on  the release. Catch Me If You Can has a pop. Steeley Dan guitar rhythm but a soulful sax line by Murray giving it a real nice feel. High stepping, Smoke Break, has a great bluesy bottom with strong lead from Murray, Rowe and Nadasdi. Boogie, Custom Made, sports a cool walking bass line, a bright piano solo by Nadasdi and a fat sax solo by Murray. R&B track, Moonlight is a nice showcase for Germony on lead vocal and a slick solo by Rowe. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Wrong Question with it's driving R&B rhythm and Jr Walker like feel. Eric Walker sets out a deep bari line with Chuck Lyons on trombone, Stuart Naylor on trumpet and with Murray on sax solo and nice phrasing by Rowe on guitar this is a solid closer.



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Friday, December 1, 2017

Moon Voyage records artist: Chris Daniels and The Kings with Freddi Gowdy - Blues With Horns Vol 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues With Horns Vol 1, by Chris Daniels and The Kings with Freddi Gowdy and it's a lot of fun. Opening with country rocker, Sweet Memphis, Sonny Landreth has his slide would up and Freddi Gowdy's vocals a pure. Backing Gowdy and Daniels are Randy Amen on drums, Kevin Lege on bass, Colin "Bones" Jones on lead guitar, Jim Waddell on alto and tenor sax and Darryl Abrahamson on trumpet. Very cool. Fried Food/Hard Liquor is an interesting blend of Steeley Dan and blues. The backing vocals provided by Hazel Miller, Coco Brown, Jacob Davis and the band mates are warm and well blended and acute guitar soloing by Jones is tight. Just the right touch of horns gives this track a super feel.  Get Up Off The Funk is driven by the funky guitar rhythms of Jones and Lege but it's the excellent sax work by Waddell that punts this track out of the stadium. Excellent! Elvin Bishop's Can't Even Do Wrong Right, maintains Elvin's tongue in cheek approach, playing it with a slightly smoother delivery with sweet backing vocals and a nice trumpet solo by Abrahamson. Very cool. Johnny Guitar Watson's infamous, You Can Stay But That Noise Must Go is a great match for this band with it's tight horn section and Gowdy's vocals. always loved this track and this is a cool rework with a crisp guitar solo by Jones. Buddy Miles' Changes, always a great driving rocker slots in next with hardy horn and harp work. Jones gets the go ahead on a more progressive guitar solo and he does a really nice job with fluid runs, punched by horn work. Super. Wrapping the release is original track, Rain Check, featuring Daniels on slide guitar, vocal and harp and John Magni and Doug Krause on keys . This is a light hearted ballad, primarily acoustic in nature with a solid melody.


And I forgot to mention...this extremely expensive looking die cut cover is out of control cool!

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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Koch Marshall Trio To Release Toby Arrives on 2/23/18





MASCOT LABEL GROUP LAUNCHES PLAYERS CLUB IMPRINT WITH RELEASE

OF KOCH MARSHALL TRIO ALBUM TOBY ARRIVES ON FEBRUARY 23, 2018

The Koch-Marshall Trio Are American Guitarist Greg Koch, His Son Dylan Koch On

Drums and Hammond B3 Specialist Toby Lee Marshall



New York, NY --- Mascot Label Group has announced the release of Koch Marshall Trio’s Toby Arrives on February 23, 2018.  This will be the first album on the new imprint THE PLAYERS CLUB.  At the heart of this organ trio is a blues sensibility - but Koch's compositions are an amalgam of rock, funk, jazz and country served up with heavy grooves and dynamic improvisations delivered with no small dose of humor and occasional wild abandon.

The trio blends the explosive guitar manipulations of Greg, the groove-centric, power-pocket playing of his son Dylan on drums (who share many telepathic musical moments) and the glorious, Hammond organ stylings of the uber-talented Toby Marshall, Greg’s compositions are properly portrayed in the blues drenched, funk, chicken-fried, gospely jazz-rock panorama in which they were conceived. Their first release, “Toby Arrives” the first moments of their unexpected musical partnership captured at an extemporaneous jam session earlier in the year. 



“So we went over there…the drums and B-3 were already set up and mic’ed. I sat down with my guitar and said, ‘Let’s just do a shuffle in G.’ And as soon as I heard it back I said, ‘We’re releasing this!’ So the very first notes we ever played is that first song you hear on the album, totally unrehearsed. And just from that very first tune I was like, ‘Holy shit! This is not your grandfather’s organ trio!’” Greg Koch



“Toby had actually retired from music,” Koch says of the 39-year-old Hammond B-3 ace. “For the last several years he’s been working for a farm, driving a semi and taking crops to the Twin Cities from River Falls. He had two young kids so he decided to stop touring to help raise the kids. For Toby, it was kind of like that scene in The Godfather where Michael Corleone says, ‘Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!’ But now he’s so excited to be playing in this trio because this is just such a perfect format for him to let his freak flag fly. It’s the perfect combination of this kind of churchy, bluesy, funky, jazzy, rock, chicken-pickin’ thing, and he fits right in.”

Stony Plain Records Signs Acclaimed Canadian Roots Guitarist/Singer Sue Foley and Will Release Her Label Debut CD, "The Ice Queen," March 2, 2018







Stony Plain Records Signs Acclaimed Canadian Roots Guitarist/Singer Sue Foley and Will Release Her Label Debut CD, The Ice Queen, March 2, 2018



Special Guests on New Disc Include Jimmie Vaughan, Z.Z. Top’s Billy F Gibbons and

Charlie Sexton



EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces the signing of acclaimed Canadian roots guitarist/singer Sue Foley, and will release her label debut CD, The Ice Queen, on March 2, 2018.



Produced by Mike Flanigin, who also plays organ on the new disc, The Ice Queen was recorded at Firestation Studios in San Marcos, Texas. Joining Sue Foley as special guests is a trio of legendary Texas guitarslingers – Jimmie Vaughan, Z.Z.Top’s Billy F Gibbons and Charlie Sexton - as well as a host of other Lone Star State all-stars, including Chris “Whipper” Layton (formerly of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble) and George Rains (drums), Derek O’Brien (guitar), Chris Maresh and Billy Horton (bass) and The Texas Horns: John Mills, Al Gomez, Jimmy Shortell, Randy Zimmerman and Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff.



I’m extremely excited to be working with Holger Petersen and Stony Plain Records,” Sue Foley says about the new CD. “Holger is one of the most knowledgeable ‘real music’ people in the business. Stony Plain is known to put out great music and I know The Ice Queen has found her home.”



Sue Foley is the only female member of the famed “Jungle Show,” featuring Billy Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughan, Mike Flanigin and Chris Layton, which became one of the hottest tickets in Austin in 2016. Soon after playing two sold out shows at Austin City Limits Live 3TEN Club in December, Foley entered the studio with her Texan pals and began laying down tracks for the new album. She will return to Austin for more of “The Jungle Shows” on December 26 and 27 at Antone's.



Recorded throughout 2017, The Ice Queen represents Foley’s full circle journey – her return to the roots of her career in Austin with producer Mike Flanigin. The album was recorded with her long-time friends and collaborators Vaughan, Gibbons, Layton, Sexton and others, as well as members of the Tedeschi Trucks and Gary Clark Jr. bands.



“When I was a teenager I idolized Jimmie Vaughan and Billy F Gibbons,” Foley says. “They're both legends now so this feels like an historical event (at least it does for me). And I grew up sitting at the feet of players like George ‘Big Beat’ Rains, Derek O'Brien and The Texas Horns. I spent many nights watching Charlie Sexton and the Arc Angels with Chris Layton. I learned and grew more musically in my years in Austin than at any point in my life. The fact that all these mega talented musicians have graced my album is beyond anything I hoped for. I am still pinching myself.”

                                                                                                                                    

A flood of inspiration and themes can be found on each of the tracks – ranging from lost love, anguish, and struggle to release, forgiveness and rebirth.  Mostly recorded live in the studio, Foley’s emotional vocal delivery, conviction, accessible yet inspired lyrics and intrepid guitar playing are all laid out, bare and raw for the songs to reveal.



Opening with the radio friendly, funky, swamp-meets Bo Diddley beat of “Come to Me,” The Ice Queen also features the upbeat and rollicking tracks “Run,” “The Lucky Ones” (a duet with Jimmie Vaughan) and “Gaslight.” There are several bluesy and soulful tracks, including “81,” “The Ice Queen,” (with its menacing John Lee Hooker vibe in tone and substance), “Fool's Gold” (featuring Billy F Gibbons on vocals and harmonica), “If I Have Forsaken You” (with the horns sounding echoes of the great Bobby “Blue” Bland), and a cheeky, guitar-heavy cover of Bessie Smith’s “Send Me To The ‘Lectric Chair.” Foley also provides some more mellow and unexpected songs on The Ice Queen with the jazzy “Death of a Dream,” the flamenco-blues hybrid “The Dance” (which showcases her acoustic guitar work) and a beautiful cover of the Carter Family’s “Cannonball Blues.”



Sue Foley is a multi-award-winning musician and one of the finest blues and roots artists working today. She is a veritable triple-threat of musical talent as a guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. As with many blues women of the past, Foley has a long history of defying convention, and being a positive role model for aspiring, young female musicians.



She has been working professionally since the age of 16, and by the age of 21, Foley had relocated to Austin, Texas, and began recording for Antone’s, the esteemed blues label and historic nightclub that helped launch the career of Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others. In the two decades that have followed, Sue Foley has been busy touring and recording steadily, all while toting her signature pink paisley Fender Telecaster. In 2001, she won the prestigious Juno Award (Canadian equivalent of the Grammy) and also holds the record for the most Maple Blues Awards in Canada and has earned three Trophees de Blues de France. She has also garnered several nominations at the Blues Music Awards from The Blues Foundation.



The Ice Queen represents Sue Foley’s indefatigable commitment to her craft, and her transparency with the journey that birthed her, further proving that you can’t keep a good blueswoman down, particularly when she is The Ice Queen.


R.D. Olson - Keep Walking Woman - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Keep Walking Woman, from R.D. Olson and it's pretty cool. Opening with high stepper, Baby Boomer Blues, R.D. Olson plays harp and sings with backing by Eric Williams on piano, tenor and bari sax, Jamie Waldron is on bass, Darryl Porras on guitar and Robert Sellani on drums. With a real kicker, swing style, Sheila has a great beat and Olson's vocals are tops with a snappy guitar solo by Porras, a nice piano by Williams, big tom toms by  Sellani and hot harp work by Olson. On slow blues, Miss New Orleans, I particularly like Williams' piano and sax work and Porras' guitar phrasing is very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Johnnie Walker with it's somber overtones and warm sax tones and powerful vocals along the lines of Screamin Jay. This is my favorite track on the release, hands down with great feel and an exceptional jazz infused blues guitar interlude. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Can't Lose What You Never Had in full Morganfield style. Porras has a fine touch on slide and this is fat and raw. With Olson on overdriven harp and vocal, this is an excellent closer for a super release. 

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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Johnny Nicholas & Friends - Too Many Bad Habits - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Too Many Bad Habits, by Johnny Nicholas & Friends and it solid hard core blues. This 2 disc masterpiece opens with Mandolin Boogie featuring Johnny Nicholas on mandolin, piano and vocal, Link Davis jr. on tenor sax, Bill Marbry on fiddle, Ray Benson on guitar, Tony Garnier on string bass and Lucky Oceans on drums. On Looks Can Be Deceivin', Nicholas teams up with Martin Gross on drums and E. P. Jones bass. Very nice. On a strong arrangement of Walter Vinson's Sitting On Top Of The World, Nicholas plays top notch piano riffs and with a sax solo by Davis, this is a super track. Another cool track is Rock My Blues Away with a standard 12 bar format but hot piano riffs and also featuring Nicholas on lead guitar. Big Walter Horton on harp and Johnny Shines sit in on Blues Walk, a crisp instrumental. Nicholas also covers Mr Son House's Grinnin' In Your Face, one of my all time favorite songs. Very nice job a capella. Big Walter joins Nicholas on Tommy Johnson's The New Canned Heat Blues. Another great track with particularly expressive vocals. Big Walter takes the lead on vocal and harp on West Wind, a real gem. Johnny Shines takes the lead on guitar and vocal on Blues Came Fallin' Down playing slide like only he can. Excellent! Gettin' Outta Town is a great boogie with Nicholas on acoustic guitar and Horton on harp. Very cool. Wrapping side one is Robert Johnson's Hellhound On My Trail with Nicholas on lead vocal and guitar, Shines on lead guitar, Big Walter on harp and Martin Gross on drums. Masterful.

Disc 2 opens with Move On Down The Line with Shines and Horton, Shines on lead guitar and Horton playing harp and sharing vocal with Nicholas. Prisoner Blues is a terrific track particularly because of Nicholas' primal vocals, floating on a cloud of Shines' lead guitar and Horton's harp. Excellent! Big Boy Crudup's That's Alright Mamma features Nicholas on wailing vocals and slide with only Gross on drums. Very effective. With Boogie Woogie Red on piano and vocal and Horton on harp, Hootie Blues is stellar. Twelve bar, Money, Marbles and Chalk  is another great track with Nicholas on lead vocal, Shines on lead guitar, Horton on harp and Gross on drums. Very nice. Wrapping the release is James Oden's Soon Forgotten with Boogie Woogie red on piano, Horton on harp and Nicholas on guitar and vocal. This is an excellent release which is literally packed full of intense blues. Beautiful!



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Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Downchild - Something I've Done - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Something I've Done, by Downchild. Opening with a high energy Albany, Albany lead vocalist Chuck Jackson leads the way with strong underpinnings by Michael Fonfara on piano and a super sax solo by Pat Carey. Worried About The World is a pumped up boogie with a driving bass line by Gary Kendall with Mike Fitzpatrick on drums, Donnie "Downchild" Walsh on guitars and crisp harp work by Jackson. Very nice. Soul ballad, Take A Piece Of My Heart, has a rich melody and Jackson's vocals, balanced with hot sax, Fonfara's piano and trumpet work by Peter Jeffrey makes this a certain standout on the release. The sax wags the tail on piano boogie, Mailbox Money with solid vocals and some of Downchild's best guitar work on the release. Blues swinger, She Thinks I Do has a cool groove with rhythm piano, riding organ and pumped up horns. Title track, Something I've Done, has a great bass line, tight horns and sweet harp by Downchild... a real foot tapper. Wrapping the release is Evelyn, a nice boogie with a solid lope. Downchild's harp has the melody over Fonfara's piano rolls, Kendall's driving bass and Fitzpatrick's tight drums riffs. A cool closer for a solid release.

  

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Monday, November 27, 2017

Keyesland Music artist: Dave Keyes - The Healing - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Healing, from Dave Keyes, and its a breath of fresh air. Opening with boogie shuffle, Change, David J. Keyes on bass lays down a nice groove, with Dave Keyes on lead vocal and piano, Stephen Rushton on drums and Rob Paparozzi on harp backed by Alexis P. Suter, Vicki Bell and Ray Grappone on vocals. Very cool opener. On Bo Diddley flavored, Not So Nice Anymore has a great tom tom beat and nice piano work by Keyes, topped by fiery slide work by Popa Chubby. R&B track, Ain't Looking For Love has a real nice feel with warm vocals by Keyes and a nice duet with Vanese Thomas. I particularly like Paparozzi's harp work on this track. Very nice. Robert Johnsons's Traveling Riverside Blues is one of my favorites on the release with Chubby smoking the strings and Keyes digging in deep on vocals, laying down some real nice piano riffs and with Frank Pagano on drums. Keyes solos out on Boogie for Stefan, an excellent piano boogie. Boogie/gospel...yup! Strange Things Happening is a lively, gospel style number with boogie piano. Keyes shines on piano (of course) and his own vocals, teamed with The Ministers of Sound is really sweet. This is a really cool track and other of my favorites on the release. Faith Grace Love and Forgiveness is a particularly potent track with a John Hiatt feel and definite gospel overtones with 30 piece, The Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir blending beautifully on queue and a soulful guitar solo by Arthur Neilson . Excellent! This release just keeps building steam with ballad, Take You Back, backed by The Ministers of Sound and Neilson again adding tasty riffs. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Box of Blues, an easy flowing, New Orleans flavored track with Paparozzi on harp, a duet with Diane Cricchio, and full horn support from Chris Eminizer on bari and tenor sax and Tim Ouimette on trumpet. Solid closer.


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Friday, November 24, 2017

Leonard Griffie - Better Late Than No Time Soon - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Better Late Than No Time Soon, by Leonard Griffie and it's a mover with a definite R&B bottom. Opening with Look Me In The Eye, Griffie on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Doug McAlister on bass, Mark Stever on drums, Michael Vannice on keys, and with highlights by Gordon Greenley on trumpet and a hot solo by Randy Scherer on sax. I Got News is a real cool soul track, highlighting Griffie's love for this music and with tight highlights from Greenley and Scherer. With a melodic guitar solo of his own, one of my favorites on the release. Very nice. Cool shuffle, Leave This Town has a cool strut and stinging guitar riffs. Another R&B track with a country twist, You Done Stepped In It Now has a real nice feel with snappy drums and slick slide guitar. Funky, Ain't No Happy Home, has a solid bass line and tight trumpet riffs really setting it apart. It's Wilson Pickett like cadence and bluesy guitar solo makes it another favorite on the release. Boogie/jazz track, Up And At 'Em has a real nice bass groove giving Griffie and Vannice a good opportunity to solo giving this track a fresh feel. Title track, Better Late Than No Time Soon, has a straight blues feel with call and response between his vocals and guitar over McAlister's bass line. Punchy, A Dollar Or Two has a driving rhythm and powerful horns leading up to a low slung guitar solo. Wrapping the release is I'm Good Where I Am with a lightly salted Latin feel. With a real nice electric keys solo from Vannice and a cool groove by McAlister, Griffie stretches out nicely on guitar wrapping this release up with a solid instrumental closer.



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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Bluzpik Media Group artist: 61 Ghosts - ... to the Edge - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, ... to the Edge, from 61 Ghosts and I quite like it. Opening with Heartbeat, a forward rocker, Joe Mazzari on lead vocal and guitar, Dixie Deadwood on drums and J.D. Sipe on bass have it going on. With Bob Seger like vocals and raw, jangly guitar work, this is a solid opener. No One At Your Door has the drive and sound of a solid raw rocker. Mazzari has the vocals and the style. Right on! My favorite track on the release is World Gone Crazy with flamboyant guitar work, raw vocals and abundant energy (with a blues twist). Excellent! If Tears Were Dirt continues the onslaught with White Stripes like attack. Crisp, focused drumming and flailing guitar riffs give this track great edge without losing it's way. Very nice.  Wrapping the release is acoustic number, Passion Tipped Arrow with a light, Roger Waters like touch. A solid track to close a really cool release.



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Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Jeff Fetterman - 9 Miles To Nowhere - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 9 Miles To Nowhere, by Jeff Fetterman, and it's quite good! Opening with funky blues rocker, Somebody Get Me A Doctor, Fetterman on lead guitar and vocals sets a great stage. With a nice groove and solid vocals, backed by Eric Brewer on guitars, Ralph Reitnger III on bass, John McGuire on drums and Judy Kessler on vocal and percussion, this band is rocking. Nice round tone opens Something Just Ain't Right and the stomping woodblock snap is pure magic. Brand New Day has a tight, thumping bottom and a real good blues rock feel. Fetterman's sense for dynamics is nice with compressed neck pickup picking balanced with open bridge soloing. Goodbye John Brown has a snappy drum riff that really delivers for me and Fetterman's slide works nicely with his rugged vocals. The smoothest track on the release is Broken Hearted, T-Bone Walker progression, just set up for perfectly for lead guitar soloing. A real nice track. With the Sonny Boy Williamson or Booker T groove, Early Grave has a super base for strong vocals and kicking guitar riffs. Wrapping the release is blues ballad, These Arms Of Mine, with is warm melody, solid vocals and fluid and well placed guitar soloing. Very nice closer.



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