Orleans Records artist: Rockie Charles - Born For You

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Born For You, by Rockie Charles and I really like it. Opening with title track, Born For You, Rockie Charles quickly establishes that he is going his own route with influences from many reaches. I am first taken by his smooth vocals and JL Hooker like phrasing, complimented by Jerry Embry on sax. Old Black Joel feels a lot like 60's soul and Clarence Carter. A solid backing band made up of Jerry Pekinto on bass, Rick Allen and Wayne Lohr on organ, Tony D'Alessandro on drums, not to forget Charles' own Spartan guitar playing and with really sweet backing vocals by Karlene Arena and Rhea Kahler, this sound is really earthy. Excellent. On easy paced, Oh My Darling, Look What You're Doing To Me, Charles sings with the ease of Al Green in a style more like Willie Nelson. Smoky Greenwell adds a soothing harp overtone giving the track just the right hint of spice. Please Tell Me It Ain't So is one of my favorite tracks on the release with Hooker like phrasing and Green like vocal tones...an unbeatable pair. R&B track, I Need Your Love So Bad has a terrific groove with a super lead line and tight horn work by Wilber Tank on trumpet and solid vocal backing by Arena and Kahler. Don't Let Me Go calls to mind the great Wilson Picket and his vocal work over arpeggiated guitar work. One of the most soulful tracks on the release is I Just Called To Wish You A Merry Christmas. Charles falsetto vocal and Sean Kenny's bari sax are a really nice pair supported by Lohr's organ sea. Very nice. Wrapping the release is There Is A Rainbow Hangin' Over My Shoulder, a super soul track with Charles adding some really nice guitar riffs. Horn phrasing on this track really gives it that 70's Wilson Pickett feel but it's all Charles and a super track to close a really strong release.

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https://www.amazon.com/Born-You-ROCKIE-CHARLES/dp/B000003TXK

Janiva Magness' 'Love is An Army'

GRAMMY-NOMINATED SINGER-SONGWRITER JANIVA MAGNESS REACHES A NEW CREATIVE APEX  WITH THE POWERFUL, GENRE-SPANNING  LOVE IS AN ARMY She’s reunited with producer Dave Darling for her 14th album, which fuses the classic sounds of Memphis and Nashville with a modern focus on songs that balance love, hope and protest. Street date: February 23rd. Guests on this Americana-Soul album are Americana pillars Delbert McClinton,  Poco’s Rusty Young and Della Mae’s Courtney Hartman, as well as prolific blues artists Charlie Musselwhite and Cedric Burnside

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — After Janiva Magness added a 2016 Grammy nomination to her 26 Blues Music Award nominations — with seven wins, including Entertainer of the Year — she might have taken at least a short rest on her laurels. Instead, one of the preeminent voices in contemporary American roots music has raised the bar for herself. Magness’ 14th album, Love Is an Army, is a brilliantly crafted bridge between the past and present, blending the echoes of classic soul and Americana music with timeless themes of love and the very contemporary sound of protest. Love Is an Army’s dozen songs reverberate with the character of the enduring Memphis Rhythm & Blues patented by the Stax and Hi Records studios, especially in tracks like “Back to Blue,” which opens the album and sets its tone, and “Hammer,” which features Charlie Musselwhiteon harmonica. Another Tennessee music city, Nashville, is the geographic touchstone for the title number, a duet with Texas singer-songwriter Bryan Stephens, and for “On and On,” with Poco frontman Rusty Young on pedal steel guitar. Like Magness, both Stephens and Young are on Blue Élan Records. Other guest artists include the legendary Grammy-winning R&B singer Delbert McClinton, Grammy-nominated Mississippi hill-country blues torchbearer Cedric Burnside, and Americana Music Award-nominated bluegrass guitar and banjo virtuosoCourtney Hartman from the band Della Mae. Magness’ inspired vocal performances unify all the elements of Love Is an Army and serve as a beacon for her coterie of guests. She displays new heights in her clarion tone and elegant phrasing, which are laid bare to the soul in the stone gospel voice-and-piano arrangement of “Some Kind of Love.” But the core of the album is, of course, the songs that Magness and her cast serve superbly in their performances. And many of those songs are essentially protest numbers, so it’s fitting they take musical inspiration from the ’60s and ’70s recordings by the likes of The Staple Singers and Al Green, whose lyrics about strength and love cut through the hubris and deceit that surrounded the Civil Rights struggle and the Vietnam War like a laser. “Dave Darling and I had a real sense of urgency when we were writing and recording this album,” Magness explains. “What led the album was the lyrics, and the things that are happening right now — the division, the racism, the violence, and our leaders’ lack of concern about basic human issues like health care and poverty. The first song Dave and I wrote was ‘Love Is an Army,’ and then David brought in ‘Home,’ and the direction of the album was clear.” Dave Darling has produced six albums that garnered Grammy nominations. His collaborations include albums with Brian Setzer, Glen Campbell, Dan Hicks, and the Stray Cats.  Magness considers the title song a rallying call and an expression of her sense of purpose. “When I sing ‘you know that I will fight for you/There’s no divine inspiration/Something else calls us here/And our hearts know what to do,’ I really mean it. Now, in particular, it’s once again important for us all to do the right thing, and I’m willing to do that, regardless of the cost.” “Home,” a duet with Cedric Burnside, is equally galvanizing. “Mom and pop protect the borders,” Magness testifies over a deep groove punctuated by handclaps and tambourine. “Draw the line deep in the sand/Load the guns for sons and daughters/To steal freedom of another woman and man.” Burnside reinforces the lyrics with a heart-searing performance that balances his earnest singing with burly psychedelic guitar tones that sting like an angry bee.  “I realize that this album might be a challenge for some of my fans,” Magness says — although her singing and the album’s rich arrangements are a panacea throughout. “But I need to be honest, and I’ve always been a fighter.” As if spotlighting that, Magness carried a pair of boxing gloves on the cover of 2016’s Love Wins Again, which earned her a Grammy nomination and cemented her crossover success in the Americana music scene. That year she also performed at the Americana Music Association’s annual festival in Nashville. And, indeed, Magness fought some tough battles before she launched her career. She lost both parents to suicide as a child and was placed in a dozen foster homes. But, inspired by the encouragement of her final foster mother and a galvanizing performance by the legendary bluesman Otis Rush, she found stability and salvation in music. Since the early ’90s, Magness has built an impressive career in American roots music, brick by hard-earned brick. She has traveled millions of miles, sung on thousands of club and festival stages, and made a string of recordings — including five albums and the 2017 EP of standards, Blue Again, with Darling — that have earned accolades and awards. Beginning with 2014’s Original, she has also emerged as a talented songwriter. That album entered the Billboard blues chart — where her titles routinely appear — at number five and topped the blues radio charts, as did Love Wins Again, which remained in the top 10 for seven months and crossed over to the Americana charts. Those two albums spent several weeks each on the Americana radio chart including the Top 25.  She is only the second woman, following blues giant Koko Taylor, to receive the honor of B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, presented to her by B.B. King himself and Bonnie Raitt, and she has been keeping up with year-around touring throughout the U.S., in Europe, and even as far as Australia and India recently.  “Getting a Grammy nomination was a dream,” Magness offers. “I never thought I’d be a Grammy-nominated artist. But I guess I also feel a certain amount of pressure to follow that with an album that really makes a statement — a statement about who I am and what I believe and the music I love. Love Is an Army does all of that, and I hope it helps somebody else to be as inspired and empowered as I was when we were making it.” # # #

The Jimmy Zee Band - What you see is what you get. - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What you see is what you get, from The Jimmy Zee Band and it's a solid rocker with diverse flavors. Opening with title track, What you see is what you get, Jimmy Zee shows a cool, laid back story telling style as lead vocalist not unlike Jackie Lynton, backed by Rob MacDonald and Tim Porter on guitars, Miles Hill on bass, Joel Fountain on drums and Darryl Havers on keys. I Ride Alone is a power rocker featuring Harpdog Brown on harp. I really like this tracks heavy footed bottom, snarling guitar and swaggering feel. Money has cool, almost Stones like rhythm and a great rock beat. Zee's vocals are tight and sax by Steve Hilliam, a cool track. My Old Lady Is A Freakshow that is a blend between ZZ Top and hiphop. I really like this track and backing vocals by Annabelle Chvostek. With it's laid back funk, She's A Mystery to Me, is one of my favorites on the release with Zee's raspy vocals contrasting against Chvostek's, a cool rocker with a slippery back beat and choice harp work by Brown. very cool. Wrapping the release is ballad, I'm No Good Without You with a much more somber feel overall. Understated resonator slide work sets the mood and Havers' key work provides a nice cushion for Zee's vocals with Chvostek. A nice melody and a solid feel, this is a cool closer for an interesting release.

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Swirl Disc artist: Freeworld - What It Is - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What It Is, from Freeworld and it's a horn infused party. Opening with Deeper By The Minute, Richard Cushing, lead vocalist and bass player sets the pace with Dr. Herman Green on tenor sax, Peter Climie on tenor, bari and alto sax, Andy Tate on guitar, Chris Stephenson on keys, Jared Dover on trumpet, Freedman Steorts on trombone and Greg Lundy on drums. A funky rocker with tight horns and a funky beat, cool opener. Shrimp N' Grits is a solid horn saturated instrumental. One of my favorite tracks on the release it features a real nice flow of trumpet and sax solos by Dover and Green as well as a vicious guitar solo by Tate. Another of my favorite tracks blends funk and neo soul on It's Alright. A great bass riff and shimmery piano work shine and punchy horn work keeps it tight. I fat guitar solo by Tate really hangs out against the somewhat conservative horn backing making it all the more impactful. Taking a jazzier route on For The Moment, Cushing's bass line is terrific, Dover's muted trumpet work is very cool, and flanged guitar soloing by Tate really pushes it over the top with anxious horn punch. Very nice! A great sax lead on Sideswiped really digs in over a subdued funky key rhythm and punchy horns. An expanded electric key solo adds to the overall tension of this cool instrumental and then it's back to Tate who is not bashful throwing down a bold guitar solo. Very nice. Wrapping the release is eastern influenced, Eve Waits. A creative, classical jazz track with lead bass and instrumental weaving over a solid western drum rhythm. Interesting conclusion to a really cool release. 

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Johnny Max Band - Roadhouse Soul - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Roadhouse Soul, from the Johnny Max Band and it's a cool boogie rocker. Opening with shuffle track, Couldn't Happen To A Nicer Guy, Johnny Max shows his solid vocals skills upfront as lead vocalist with nice slide work by Kevin Vienneau and backed by Jim Casson on drums, Rob Gusevs on keys and Russ Boswell on bass. With it's funky, jazzy rhythm, (I'm Your) 911 has a super groove, getting you hopping around in your seat. Boswell's bass line is tight and backing vocals by Quisha Wint really warm up the mix.  Two stepper, I Wish I Could Write You A Love Song had a driving rhythm and Keith Richards like guitar riffs, and cool piano work adds nicely to Max's lead vocals. Title track, Roadhouse Soul is a super rocker with a grinding guitar rhythm. Gusevs' piano work really sparkles on this track and the track presses hard on the drive button with a cool overdriven guitar solo by Vienneau. With a bit of swagger and barrelhouse piano, Time Well Wasted has a real nice feel. A boogie guitar line and a tight handle on the drums gives Max full rope to swing and he does. Vienneau lay out some real nice bluesy guitar slinging here giving the track a nice kick. Wrapping the release is We've Been Together For Such A Long Time with it's mysteriously bluesy rhythm. Complex rhythm and a cool piano part make this a real nice closer for a cool release.

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Heather Newman - Burn Me Alive - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Burn Me Alive, from Heather Newman, and it's a cool blend of cool tracks. Opening with country flavored, Willie James, vocalist/bassist Heather Newman shows rich contemporary vocal styling, backed by Keith Ladd on guitar, Ryan Ladd on keys and Cole Dillingham on drums and guitars. shuffle track, Howling For Love again shows the richness of Newman's voice complimented by some cool guitar riffs by Ladd.  Latin influenced, Burn Me Alive is one of my favorites on the release with snappy drums, tight guitar riffs and sassy vocals. With it's slinky belly, How Many Times? really has a solid bottom and a super melody. Blended vocals and stinging guitar soloing make this another of my favorites on the release. Newman's own bass line sets the pace on Dirty Blues and Michael Lefever's sax work throws fuel on an already smoky fire. Stepping up with a R&B bottom, Share Your Love has a real cool feel. Newman's vocals are even more amped up and Ladd pushes the fever up with some real nice organ work. Wrapping the release is I'm Through With You and it's snappy beat. Newman really commands the floor and Dillingham's drumming is tight and precise. Ladd adds in some really flavorful guitar lines making this a real nice closer for a solid release.

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Ilya Portnov - Strong Brew - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Strong Brew, from Ilya Portnov and it's quite good. Opening with shuffle track, Sunny Afternoon Blues, Ilya Portnov leads on melody on harmonica, joined by Kid Anderson on bass, Chris Burns on keys, Ben Andrews on violin and June Core on drums. Cool key work and sinuous violin work give this track an earthy feel. Surfin' the Baltic Sea is a real cool surf track with a definite twist. Dynamic harp work and a great melody, spanked along by snappy drums and a smoky organ solo and a super guitar add by Andersen makes this a real killer. Dance of a Lonely Doll is a particularly cool track featuring Portnov on chromatic harp and it's old world charm makes it one of my favorites on the release. Andersen's bass work and classic handling of piano riffs really emphasize the beauty of the track. Very nice. Rev. Gary Davis' Cincinnati Flow Rag is a cool and loosely flowing acoustic track with slappy drum work giving it real charm. Bouncy harp work by Portnov works really nicely with the rhythm and Rob Vye adds nice guitar work. Another really strong track, In A Town Garden, transports you to eastern Europe and a quieter time. Portnov masterfully plays his harp and Core's drums work is excellent. Burns works in a really nice organ solo and Andersen really captures the spirit on a nicely stylistic solo of his own. Terrific. Chicago style blues, Behind The Wall really gets a groove going with Robby Yamilov on bass, and Portnov really digs in showing a solid feel for the blues. Very nice. Title track, Strong Brew, has blues roots but with a Euro/jazz undertone. Harmony by Portnov is complex and expressive, giving way to the round tones of Burns on organ and the fluid jazz runs of Kid Andersen. Excellent! 1928 has a definitive tango style rhythm and with it's rich melody and Portnov's beautiful harmonica work, complimented by Andrews' violin styling makes for another solid entry. Wrapping the release with a Bo Diddley beat on Till The Early Morning, Portnov creates a cool, train like tone and Andersen's shimmery guitar work, and bouncy piano contributions by Burns and drumming by  Core and percussion my Vye make this a solid closer. I really like this release, not only for it's musicianship and execution but for it's unique melodic beauty. Very nice job. 

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Mama SpanX - State Of Groove - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, State Of Groove, from Mama SpanX and it moves. Opening with Rocket, a funky dance tune, lead vocalist, Nikki Armstrong is backed by Steve Johnson on guitars, Harlan Spector on keys, Steve Sadd on tenor and soprano sax, Julie Sax on alto and bari sax, Russ Mullen on trumpet and trombone, David Ambercrombie on bass, and Ben Beckley on drums and percussion. With slick sax solos by both players and a tight guitar solo by Johnson, this is a cool opener. R&B strutting, Wild Emotion has an authentic 60's sound with trumpet and sax fillers, a nice bass line, cool backing vocals and a snappy bottom. Blues ballad, Wrong Side Of The Garden, is a showcase for Armstrong. Warm sax soloing and tight guitar riffs nail this track. James Brown's influence is really clear on Alligator Boogaloo with it's funky back beat. Julie and Steve both step up with tight sax solos on this one giving it super traction. Wrapping the release is title track, State Of Groove and Abercrombie lays it down. With funky B3 lines and horn punch this track gets into the slot and rides it all the way. Solid closer.

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Singer/Songwriter Patrick Coman Reflects on the "Tree of Life" with New CD of Blues-Roots Music Coming February 23, Featuring Peter Parcek and Marco Giovino

Singer/Songwriter Patrick Coman Reflects on the Tree of Life with New CD of Blues-Roots Music Coming February 23,

Featuring Peter Parcek and Marco Giovino

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Roots-based singer/songwriter Patrick Coman announces a February 23 release date for his new CD, Tree of Life, on his For the Sake of the Song label imprint. Produced by acclaimed guitarist Peter Parcek and drummer Marco Giovino (Robert Plant, Buddy Miller), who both also play on the new disc, Tree of Life was recorded at Dagotown Recorders in Holden, Mass., and features 11 original songs penned by Coman, plus a cool cover of Leon Russell’s “Magic Mirror.”

Watch a live video in the studio during the recording of the title track, “Tree of Life:” 

In addition to Patrick Coman on vocals and rhythm guitar, plus Peter Parcek on lead guitar and Marco Giovino on drums, percussion and organ, the talented group of players assembled for the recording sessions included Joe Klompus (Letters to Cleo) - upright and electric bass; Neal Pawley - tuba, trombone, lap steel, baritone guitar, guitar and electric mandolin; “Beehive Queen” Christine Ohlman - vocals (who lends her unmistakable grit to the spirited duet, “Don’t Reach”); Kylie Harris and Abbie Barrett - background vocals; and Tom West  (Peter Wolf, Susan Tedeschi) – keys, organ and accordion.

A long-time Boston musician and radio personality before recently locating to Charlottesville, Virginia, Coman was very familiar with both Peter Parcek and Marco Giovino. “Getting to play with Peter over the past few years has been like going to school,” states Coman. “From him I’ve learned so much about playing the blues, but perhaps more importantly I’ve learned what it means to be a working musician and a bandleader and to create music with power, substance and integrity.

“Even though a lot of the songs are pretty heavy, we had so much fun during the recording process. Marco has this great studio out in rural Massachusetts that feels like a little clubhouse or what you’d imagine The Band had in mind with Big Pink. It was a place where we felt comfortable letting our imaginations run wild and really creating a sonic landscape for each song. No idea was too crazy for us to try and I think that type of freedom gave us the ambition to strive for something great.”

Nearly all of the material on the new CD was written in the months leading up to and directly following the birth of Coman’s first child. With a new baby in the house, songs were pieced together late at night or early in the morning in that mystical twilight period where dreams and reality blur. This cosmic bridge is reflected in the album’s title and sequence, where haunting opener “Heartbeat” beckons the listener into this eerie dreamlike landscape, before galloping across a fun house mirror version of Americana that reflects back in ways that seem both familiar and strange. It’s clear that Patrick Coman’s Tree of Life has many musical branches.

“The ‘Tree of Life’ comes up in most religions around the world, often as a bridge between heaven and earth or between life and death,” says Coman. “In the last few months before my daughter was born I began to think about her time in the womb in the same way and how this symbol echoed my own transition between my previous life and the one I knew I would step into on the day she was born.”

Coman’s musical foundation was formed at an early age from his upbringing in Oklahoma. “Like many Oklahomans, I grew up revering Woody Guthrie and his affinity for the working class,” he recalls. “Today it is eerie to see how his Dust Bowl-era themes are just as relevant as ever. Although my sound is different, I like to think that Woody would appreciate songs like ‘Trouble #2’ and ‘The Judge.’ He was the master of boiling down an injustice to the point where anyone could understand it and while it doesn’t get mentioned as much, his combination of folk, blues, and hillbilly music paved the way for those of us who work in the cracks between genres.”

In an era where volume dictates attention, Patrick Coman pulls his audience in with a quiet, unshakable confidence. It’s a confidence built from a decade behind the scenes with some of the generation’s best songwriters as a booking agent, sound engineer, and DJ/producer for premier Americana station WUMB-FM in Boston, before stepping into the spotlight with his debut full- length album, Tree of Life.

Turning his back on a career in the music business to spend his time as a stay-at-home father by day and full-time musician by night has paid dividends for Coman as a writer and performer. Over the past year he’s opened for a crop of revered Americana artists like Del McCoury, Robbie Fulks, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Joan Osborne and John Fullbright, while veteran musicians like Parcek and Giovino have taken him under their wing.

Coman’s own vocals bear the laidback blues-inflected style of fellow Tulsa, Oklahoma,  natives JJ Cale and Leon Russell, while the protagonists in “The Judge” and “Trouble #2” bring to mind  Woody Guthrie. The album also stirs in touches of Lou Reed’s street walkin’ strut, the swampy groove of Little Feat, and darkly humorous rockabilly rave ups that swing like demented versions of Sun Studio classics.

“Being a songwriter means grappling with your inner demons in an incredibly public way,” Coman summarizes. “That’s something that I have always been afraid of and so I’ve often avoided writing about myself. One amazing thing about being a parent is that it forces you to be honest with yourself. Digging into my fears and doubts in songs like ‘Keep My Soul,’ ‘Tree of Life’ or even ‘Heartbeat’ was painful at the time, but now when I perform them it feels so cathartic to share those emotions with other people and I’m always amazed because those tend to be the favorite songs when people come up after the show.”

Patrick Coman Tour Dates

2/16 – Me & Thee Coffeehouse (Marblehead, MA) *Tribute to John Prine

2/17 – The Burren (Somerville, MA) 

2/23 – Tellus360 (Lancaster, PA)

2/24 & 25 – Purple Fiddle (Thomas, WV)

3/2 – The Southgate House Revival (Newport, KY – Cincinnati area)

3/14 – Awendaw Green (Awendaw, SC – near Charleston, SC)

3/17 – WDVX’s Blue Plate Special (live radio show in Knoxville, TN)

Paul Winn Band - Live At Lazybones - New Release Review - CD/DVD

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live At Lazybones, from Paul Winn Band and it shows his diversity in music. Opening with blues rocker, Down So Long, Winn on guitar and vocal winds the place up nicely with Rick Wilson on harp, backed by Emile Nelson on bass and Dom Robinson on drums. Cool opener. Adding a little rhythm to the blues, Take The Long Way Home has a pop like feel with a definite funky bottom. Look Around moves into a more jazz arena with smooth vocals and tight harp riffs. A hot sax solo by Gary Honor really punches this track up giving it a edgy character. Very cool. Shuffle track, I Like A Drink, is another super showcase for Wilson's harp work and the overall tight feel of the band. Wrapping the release is Taylor, a solid ballad showing strong songwriting and Winn's strong vocals and fluid, articulate guitar lead, backed by Johann Willenberg on keys. This is a cool release with a little adventure.

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Ruf Records artist: Samantha Fish - Belle Of The West - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Belle Of The West, from Samantha Fish and it may be her best effort yet. Opening with American Dream you have an immediate sense that this isn't a typical Samantha Fish release. Produced by Luther Dickinson, this release is in a whole new strata. Laden with fife and drums by Sharde Thomas, and with Trina Raimey and Tikyra Jackson on drums, this track has a distinct Mississippi feel. Blood In The Water showcases Fish's lead vocal and harmonies with Amy LaVere who also plays bass. A swampy track with sparse but distinct guitar work and eerie violin work by Lillie Mae, this is a cool track. Cowtown has a distinct country sound with a certain blues flavor. Addition of Fender Rhodes by Jimbo Mathus gives a nice texture and Fish sounds more comfortable both vocally and with guitar work in this "new" style. I also really like the heaviness of the drums on this track which really punch it right. Very nice. Don't Say You Love Me may be my favorite track on the release with absolute sassy vocal sound. I really love the guitar tone on this one too...excellent! Title track, Belle Of The West is a terrific, country (real country) TexMex flavored track with deep roots. I am hesitant to give Dickinson credit for someone else's work, but when he touches something he can bring out the best in people and whatever caused it, this is really good! RL Burnside's Poor Black Mattie is another terrific track with vocals shared with LM. Keeping the Mississippi sound, adding harmonica, and mandolin, really deep. No Angels balances between pop and country blues maintaining it's solid roots and developing a solid boogie. Vocal duet with Lillie Mae, Nearing Home is a warm blues ballad with healthy country roots. It's hard to describe, but easy to listen to. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Gone For Good, a primarily acoustic foot stomper with rhythmic guitar, slide and light percussion under soulful vocals by Fish. I really like this release and suggest you get this one for your permanent collection.

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Juicy Baby Records artist: Bobby Kyle - It's My Life - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, It's My Life, from Bobby Kyle and it's a cool, R&B style rocker. Opening with Johnny Copeland's Daily Bread, Bobby Kyle shows his unique styling in vocal and guitar, backed by Everett Boyd on bass, Joel Perry on guitar, Marc Copell on drums, and Dave Keyes on keys. Driftwood has an almost Allman feel is their early, era. Kyle's vocals are solid and Keyes' accordion work gives it a totally different sound. Soul ballad, Highway Man, is one of my favorite tracks on the release with smooth pace, tension and solid horn backing by Laron Land on tenor sax, Alex Harding on bari sax, and James Smith on trumpet. Radio strong track, Blood From A Stone, is another of my favorites with solid soul roots and super horn backing. Sax solos from Land and Harding as well as a nice trumpet line from Smith give this track a cool edge.  Eddie Kirkland's I've Got My Bloodshot Eye's On You is a simple acoustic blues number with Kyle and Perry on guitar, Joey Simon on harp and solid vocals by Kyle. Tripping Out is a real nice R&B track with a light Latin flavor. Copell's percussion work along with Keyes' tight key work really sets the stage for some of Kyle's best vocals on the release. Wrapping the release is Robert Jr. Lockwood's Little Boy Blue performed by Kyle solo on resonator guitar and vocal. This is a super closer for a real enjoyable release. 

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Popa Chubby - Two Dogs - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Two Dogs, from Popa Chubby and it's a straight up rocker. Opening with arena style track, It's Alright, Chubby shows powerful vocals backed by Sam "Freightrain" Bryant on drums, Andy Paladino on bass, and Dave Keyes on keys. With a taste of funk and a rocking backbeat, Tipitina Horowitz on trumpet and Andrew Garrison on tenor sax, punch up the track with Chubby hitting a real nice groove on vocals hot solo guitar riffs. Title track, Two Dogs, has a real cool feel with a slinky dance rhythm and screaming guitar lead under the melody. Very cool. Shakedown is a strong rocker built over a base riff like Heartbreaker/Livin' Lovin' Maid by Led Zep. This is a strong rocker with hot riffs. Latin flavored instrumental, Cayophus Dupree is my absolute favorite track on the release with solid guitar lead throughout over warm organ by Keyes. Excellent! Me Won't Back Down has a jazzy but voodoo sound like a mixture of Dr John and War. I really like this track and it's percussion laden feel and crisp guitar work. Boogie track, Chubby's Boogie has great fluidity with twin guitar leads. Keyes has a nice piano solo to balance out the track and Andy Paladino does a super job on bass giving this track a solid bottom. Very cool. The Stone's, Sympathy For The Devil wraps the release with great tempo, tight piano runs, a solid bass line by Francesco Beccaro, snappy drum work by Andrea Beccaro and a lot of vocal and guitar energy by Chubby. Super closer for a solid release. 

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Jangling Sparrows - 140 Nickels - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 140 Nickels, from Jangling Sparrows and it's a country pop flavored release. Opening with Party Ain't Over, singer, songwriter, guitarist, poet, performer delivers an American flavored Harry Nielsen style track. Pretty nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Burnin' A Hole has a great hook and solid melody. Joined by Todd Omley/Edwin Mericle on drums, Robert Lovejoy on bass, and Eric Ciborski on keys, this is a super radio track. Forward soulful vocals and echoing guitars on Take Home Your Coat make it another of my favorites with real feeling. Cheaper Down The Road is a great country style rocker with snappy drums and hot guitar riffs. Another standout track. Wrapping the release is Pops Is Coming Up, an easy going acoustic number. A cool story teller, this track is a mellow but potent closer for a cool release. 

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M.C. Records artist: Duke Robillard - Duke and his Dames of Rhythm - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Duke and his Dames of Rhythm, by Duke Robillard and it's a mighty swing fest. Opening with From Monday On, Sunny Crownover has the floor, backed by Bruce Bears on piano, Brad Hallen on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums, Jon Erik Kellso on trumpet, Billy Novick on clarinet and alto sax, Carl Querfurth on trombone and of course Robillard on guitar. A bright prance, this track has super clarinet, strong guitar riffs, a powerful bass line and a particularly nice trombone solo by Querfurth. Maria Muldaur had the floor on Got The South In My Soul and again, powerful clarinet soloing by Novick and bright guitar riffs by the Duke really set it off. Kelley Hunt steps up to the mic on Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone, a solid blues ballad with solid vocals, jumping into swing time with Mark Earley's brilliant tenor sax solo. Kellso's trumpet work, Bears' piano work, another clarinet solo by Novick and a tight bass line from Hallen really give this track spank. Madeline Peyroux is a solid choice to deliver the sensuous vocal lines on Squeeze Me. Duke's guitar lines are tight, direct and rich providing a super contrast to the soulful soloing of Novick and the jazzy runs of Kellso. Very nice. Duke steps forward himself delivering perfect lead vocal on Walking Stick. This track has really nice instrumental lead work on it with particularly nice runs by Robillard, Andy Stein on violin and Kellso, with tight instrumental jazz jamming. Excellent! Catherine Russell has the lead on Blues In My Heart, surrounded by the bluesy muted horns of Kellso and Querfurth. On Easy Living, Peyroux has the lead over mild, jazz tones, warm sax harmony, simple piano and tight drums. Novick's tenor sax work on this track is particularly warm and rich and Kellso's trumpet is muted and solid. Ready For The River has a strong Dixieland jazz feel with brassy horns, mellow clarinet undertones and simple cadence. This one of my favorite tracks on the release with really nice balance. Wrapping the release is Call Of The Freaks, an instrumental track with a cool blend of trombone, clarinet, drums and piano stretching out to super guitar and muted trumpet soloing. Strong closer to an interesting release.

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Blue Barrel Records artist: The Love Light Orchestra Featuring John Nemeth - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Love Light Orchestra featuring John Nemeth and it's a super R&B show. Opening with See Why I Love You super vocalist John Nemeth leads this super group of Marc Franklin on trumpet, Scott Thompson on trumpet, Jason Yasinsky on trumpet, Art Edmalston on tenor sax, Kirk Smothers on bari sax, Jon Restino on guitar, Gerald Stephens on piano, Tim Goodwin on bass and Earl Lowe on drums. Edmalston cranks out a real nice solo on this one punched up by the tight trumpet work making it a terrific opener. Blues shuffle, Bad Breaks has terrific swagger with excellent guitar lead by Restivo and a nice tenor solo by Edmalston. Excellent! Nemeth's vocals are really nice on every track but none better than bluesy ballad, I've Been Wrong So Long, really enriched by warm sax work and punchy trumpet. Very nice.  Another shuffle, Sometimes plays Nemeth's vocals in call and response with Restino's slick guitar riffs. Stephens gets a real nice opportunity to lay out the keys and Edmalston gets the chance to throw down a squealer of his own. Very cool. Lonesome and High has great guitar lead with Nemeth's vocals riding high. The horn section here lacks nothing with depth and warmth. A cool track and one of the best on the release. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Singing For My Supper, with great incredible style. The horn section really pops on this one and Restino's soloing is emotional and fluid.  Wrapping the release is Al Green's Love and Happiness, a great closer. This band has great style and all the talent you could ask for. The people who were lucky enough to see this show live at Bar DKDC in Memphis were damn lucky.

Super job!

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Davide Pannozzo - Unconditionallove - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unconditionallove, from Davide Pannozzo, and it's realy cool. Opening with Six Wires, guitarist & lead guitar player, Davide Pannozzo sets the pace with a strutting funky track with a solid bass line from Will Lee and his own melodic lead. Joined by Steve Jordan and Shawn Pelton on drums and Olli Rockberger and Ricky Peterson on Hammond and keys,  this is a super start. Rocker, One & Only has a definite radio hook, cool melody and tight beat. Chasing Illusions has a real nice modern take on the delta blues with contemporary lines. I particularly like Pannozzo's vocal pairing with Lee's bass lines. George Harrison's Wah Wah is a nice surprise with a more key laden refrain than Harrison's own but with a cool Pannozzo styled guitar lead. Very nice. The Purest Thing is a warm melodic jazz guitar melody. Extremely clean. Billy Cobham's Stratus is always one of my favorites and this one, driven by the intense bass lines of lee is no exception. Pannozzo's guitar lead is warm and fluid and the drum work is clean and tight. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Lord Knows What's In My Heart, a soothing guitar lead melody with pure tones. Shimmery keys, a deep bass bottom and sure lead work by Pannozzo makes this a strong closer for a really nice release.

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Casey Hensley - Live - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, live, from Casey Hensley and it's smokin'. Opening with Big Mama Thornton's, Big Mama's Coming Home, Hensley grinds right into it with gritty vocals and a big presence. Backed by Evan Caleb Yearsley on drums, Johnny Viau on sax and Marcos C on bass this band is first class. I really want to point out that this release features Laura Chavez and I mean it features her. Chavez has always carries a big hammer but this first track has made me a big fan. Chavez really tears it up, reminding me of the style of one of my favorite contemporary players, Rockin' Johnny Burgin and that is a huge endorsement. On original track, Put Your Lovin' Where It Belongs, Hensley digs in her heals vocally with a lot of heft.  Again, Chavez is hot on her heels hot, tasty riffs. A slow grinder with teeth. Classic, You Can Have My Husband, has a cool shuffle feel and again, right with Hansley's front work is Chavez smoking the strings... think Funderburgh. Viau sits in with a fat solo of his own giving the track a wailing kick in the back.  Screamin' Jay Hawkins' I Put A Spell On You is always a welcome favorite and Hensley shares the spotlight with Viau with a cool sax solo. Made famous by Elvis, Hard Headed Woman is a real rocker with a hot solo by Viau and super rockabilly riffs by Chavez. Excellent! Willie Dixon's I Just Want To Make Love To You has a real nice swing to it with some of the best vocals on the track and a free wheelin' guitar solo by Chavez. Very cool. Excellent jump original, Hot! Hot! Hot! really gets you shit moving with a tight bottom by Yearsley and Marcos but it's Hensley's enthusiasm and flaming guitar riffs that makes this track cool! Excellent! Koko Taylor's Voodoo Woman has a real nice funk to it again showcasing Chavez's cookin' style. This track has a great groove and I gotta say I'm glad I'm giving you something this hot before the holiday! Wow! Johnny Guitar Watson's Too Tired has a real nice groove and again Chavez steps up with incredible style. Hensley pounds it out with pro quality and teamed with Viau on sax and with Chavez...oh yeah! Wrapping the release is another Big Mama track, Ball and Chain. Now I gotta tell you, it's hard to beat Big Mama's original and equally hard to compare with Janis' version of this track, but this is a great closer. Clocking over 9 minutes, Hensley gives it her all and Chavez through an extended solo her incredible patience to build intensity slowly until ultimate eruption...I mean goose bumps. Excellent closer for a super release.

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