No Label Records artist: Steve Hill - The One-Man Blues Rock Band - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The One-Man Blues Rock Band, a new live album from Steve Hill and it's powerful. Opening with Rhythm All Over, a power rocker, Steve Hill wastes no time making you a believer. With an excellent rock voice, the terrific ability to accompany himself as well as any band and fluid slide riffs, this is an excellent opener. His lead guitar on Go On, make you actually sit back and listen. This guy's playing has such presence that it rivals Jimmy Page and Alvin Lee. We're talking strong phrasing and focused notes. With a solid bass line and strong melody, Hill has great energy.  Excellent! Never Is Such A Long Time oozes blues like it was born in the Mississippi hill country but with a firm grip on modern rock and guitar techniques and tight drum rhythm giving it not only an emotional power but also strong musical punch. Very nice!  Little Walter's Hate To See You Go is a great blues rocker with Hill just killing it on guitar. You hear the initial interpretation style of jack White but pushed to the limits and the energy of young Alvin Lee. Terrific! Still Got It Bad is so beefy with tone that this thing is ready to pop. Excellent! The release is wrapped with a super rendition of Hendrix's Voodoo Chile with dynamics and gripping, soaring guitar riffs.

This is a really strong release and one that should easily plant Hill atop the hill!!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Soars High productions: JP Soars - Southbound I-95 - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Southbound I-95, from JP Soars and it's really cool. Opening with Ain't No Dania Beach, there's a country flavor but still folky/rock along the lines of the Band...you know...just right. Joined by Travis Colby on organ, Paul DesLauries on ultra cool slide, Greg Morency on bass, and Sam Harrison on percussion, this is a stylin' opener. Swamp funky, Sure As Hell Ain't Foolin' Me, is a great track with a solid bass line and vocal delivery by Soars. His guitar playing is really nice as well, backed by Teresa James on vocals, Oscar Santiago on percussion and Scott Ankrom on trumpet, this is my favorite track on the release.  Title track, Southbound I-95 has great Dale/surf feel with dancing guitar work and a great rocking bass line by Jason Newstead. Excellent! Rock n Roller, The Grass Ain't Always Greener, will really get you moving with a tight piano solo by Colby and a ripping sax solo by Sax Gordon. Very hot! Born In California is another of my favorites with a cool back beat courtesy of Chris Peet on drums and Soars on guitar and bass and his vocals are edgy and cool. Straight up slow blues number, When You Walk Out That Door, features blues masters Jimmy Thackery and JP Soars trading guitar solo's in paced, masterful style. Ouch! With a strong dose of southern R&B, Deep Down In Florida is another great number with blazing guitar work by Albert Castiglia and Soars and a tight beat by Peet and sax work by Ankrom. Spanish flavor on Across The Desert really gives it just the right spice. Soars guitar work in duet with Lee Oskar further cements this release as one of the year's best. Another Latin flavored track, Dog Catcher, this time wide open, has great percussion by Santiago and flavorful guitar work by Soars. Very nice. Heavy tom tom work by Jeremy Staska and a flurry of guitar riffs over a driving bass line by Soars and real nice clarinet soloing by Ankron really sets this track off. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a radio edit of Sure As Hell Ain't Foolin' Me with strong vocals and rich funk. This is one of the must hear releases of the year! Check it out!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Ruf Records artist: Jeremiah Johnson - Straitjacket - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Straitjacket, from Jeremiah Johnson and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Straitjacket, Jeremiah Johnson has a hot one on his hands. With a driving beat, a rolling bass line by Tom Maloney, Benet Schaeffer on drums Frank Bauer on sax and Mike Zito on rhythm guitar, Johnson on guitar and lead vocal this is a solid opener. Blues fused but with a great R&B style back beat, Getting Tired is one of my favorites on the release with a hot sax/bass lead and strong guitar fronting. another really cool track is Blues In Her Eyes with a great melody, solid vocals and crisp guitar lead. Rock and roller, Keep on Sailing has a strong boogie underpinning and slick slide work by Zito. Slow blues number, King & Queen, has some of the best vocals by Johnson on the release and an extended guitar solo on this 6 plus minute track is gold. Excellent! Zito move upfront on 9th and Russell, a slower country rocker with powerful guitar riffs and vocal duet. Sax dominant instrumental, Bonneville has a definite 60's soundtrack feel and with bent guitar soloing, a real cool flair! Wrapping the release is Rock N Roll Music To The World written buy one of my all time favorite players, Alvin Lee and a great rocker it is. With Johnson and Bauer on lead vocal and solid rock n roll style guitar work by Johnson and Zito, this is an excellent closer for the release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Ruf Records artist: Vanja Sky - Bad Penny - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 17, 2018), Bad Penny from Vanja Sky and it's a pop rocker with zip. Opening with title track, Bad Penny, Vanja Sky wastes no time in demonstrating her no prisoners attitude with a swaggering track that could easily be from the Lynyrd Skynyrd songbook. Leading the band on guitar and vocal Sky is backed by Mike Zito on guitar, Terry Day on bass, Matthew Johnson on drums and Lewis Stephens on keys. Low Down And Dirty is my favorite track on the release with what to me sounds like Mike Zito on vocal and slide guitar. This track has a gritty two step feel with cool guitar lead and vocals by Sky making this track hot hot hot! All Night has a poppy/rock feel with firm rhythm guitar and polished vocals by Sky. Ballad, Inside Pain has a smooth Mark Knopfler guitar feel and a solid radio melody. Another of my favorites is Give Me Back My Soul with a great SRV /Texas lope with Dave Smith on bass and Yonrico Scott on drums. Very cool. Pop rocker, Do You Wanna has great attitude with a rock and roll rhythm, stinging guitar riffs and a Joan Jett feel. Another track with a rowdy feel is Don't Forget To Rock n Roll, with melodic guitar lead and Patty Smith like vocal attitude. Wrapping the release is a southern based, Crossroads of Life with understated slide guitar and an anthem feel. This is a solid closer for a cool release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Singer Crystal Shawanda Chases Dreams and Trades Country for Blues on New "VooDoo Woman" CD, Coming September 21 from True North Records

Singer Crystal Shawanda Chases Dreams and Trades Country for Blues on New VooDoo Woman CD, Coming September 21 from True North Records

Her New Gritty, Soul-Drenched Release Available Via Download Now

TORONTO, ON – True North Records announces a September 21 release date for singer Crystal Shawanda’s new CD, VooDoo Woman. The new album is already available via download at these platforms:

  

iTunes
Labelstore

Spotify

Sometimes, even the most instinctive singers need a little time to find their true voice. Just ask Crystal Shawanda. The celebrated Canadian-born, Nashville-based songwriter and musician has built a decade-long career on her hugely emotive performances, scoring a major label deal, chart hits, critical acclaim, marquee tours and a fervent fan following along the way. She was even the subject of a reality show, “Crystal: Living the Dream” on the CMT television network. Yet it has taken Shawanda until studio album number five — the gritty, soul-drenched, and positively electrifying VooDoo Woman — to pinpoint her essence as a blues singer, even though her previous albums would mostly be filed under country and she has been performing since her teens.

With her country debut album producing a Top 20 radio hit, Top 20 Billboard Country Albums chart status — plus more than 50,000 copies sold in the U.S. — Shawanda couldn’t help but feel out of place within the genre.

“The whole time I was singing Patsy Cline on stage, I was singing Etta James at home,” Shawanda admits.

VooDoo Woman presents a modern take on the blues, capturing the resilience of the human spirit with the intensity and range of a multi-faceted woman whose story is finally being told. “The songs just fell out of me and it was like setting my voice free,” Shawanda confesses. “I can’t help but feel like I’m home, no longer holding back.”

Indeed, that deep veneration of the blues is positively palpable on VooDoo Woman. Witness Shawanda’s thrilling interpretations of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog” and “Ball and Chain,” Koko Taylor’s “Voodoo Woman,” Dorothy Moore’s “Misty Blue” and Etta James’ "I'd Rather Go Blind,” all gold-star gems in the blues canon demanding equal parts knock-kneed reverence and enormous skill. Shawanda and husband, guitarist/collaborator Dewayne Strobel bring both.

And VooDoo Woman — cut live-off-the-floor in Nashville alongside a boatload of talented guests— is a dazzling mix of “tributes to my heroes who led me to the blues” and previously released originals recut to meet the ever-evolving standards of co-producers Shawanda and Strobel.

“These are all first-take vocals. We didn’t redo anything,” explains Shawanda, who can frequently be found moonlighting, guitar in hand, at Nashville’s famed Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar. “My fans have often said they wished they could feel the energy of the live show on the records. That was a goal for us. Every time I went into the vocal booth, I treated it like a live performance.”

Not surprisingly, the new album kicks it right out of the gate. Scorching opener “Wang Dang Doodle” is a harp-goosed corker penned by blues legend Willie Dixon. The track provides Shawanda’s soaring, sandpapery delivery with maximum momentum.

Elsewhere, as on the candlelit focus track “I’ll Always Love You” written by Larry Grisham and Tommy Stillwell (aka The Beat Daddys and friends/mentors to Shawanda and Strobel), the singer dials down her power to unearth the song’s richly evocative and wholly universal emotion.

“I fell in love with that song, which first appeared on The Whole World’s Got the Blues, but we completely re-recorded it here,” she says. “We didn’t feel we had caught its heart before. After our daughter Zhaawande was born, the song took on a different meaning. I started singing it differently; it was sweeter, more personal. And I recorded that song — and most of this album — with Zhaawande in my arms. So,” she laughs, “that’s probably my favorite song on the album.”

Equally resonant is Shawanda’s reading of the classic “Misty Blue,” elevated to megahit status in 1976 by Dorothy Moore. “You don’t have to add much flash to a song like that,” Shawanda confirms, though she pretty much can’t help but adding flash to every song she tackles.

Notable originals on the new album include the saucy and slowly percolating “Cry Out for More,” a Shawanda/Strobel co-write. “It’s a song about the push and pull of relationships… working through those moments of ‘You drive me crazy… but I’m also crazy about you,’” Shawanda howls. “And because we are husband and wife, we can really put that out there.

“Dewayne and I also wrote ‘Bluetrain’ to show the correlation between the missing and murdered Indigenous women in the north and missing and murdered Black women in the south. It's about finding peace.”

“Trouble,” another blistering original on VooDoo Woman, showcases both Shawanda’s peerless belting and her broader influences. “That song has a bit of a throwback, Tina Turner-feel to it.  It’s about being in love with bad boys,” she says. “It was done so fast and I just love it.

Having grown up a native North American on the Wikwemikong reserve on an island in Ontario, it was there her parents encouraged Crystal to sing, play guitar, and ultimately find her start in country music. It was her oldest brother, however, who introduced her to the blues. “Singing the blues is like letting a bird out of a cage,” she says. “This feels like what I am supposed to be doing. When I sing the blues, I can let loose and really be who I am as a vocalist and song stylist.

“That’s what VooDoo Woman is about,” she adds. “I am so grateful to my country fans for the career they’ve given me. But everybody has new dreams every day and if we don’t chase them, we’ll never figure out who we really are. I hope my country fans find the courage to chase their dreams, too.

“VooDoo Woman is a whole new Crystal Shawanda. And when you think about it, blues is the root of everything; country, pop, rock — they all derive from the blues.  Even country led me to the blues. Hank Williams sang ‘Lovesick Blues’ and ‘Long Gone Lonesome Blues.’ Maybe this album is like a mini-education in blues! If that’s how people approach it, well, that’s fine with me.”

Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen - Break It Down - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Break It Down, from Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen and it's quite cool. I've listened to this release a number of times and I keep hearing new stuff. Opening with A Little Bit, a really cool neo soul track blended strongly with raw guitar attack by Dustin Douglas, a meaty bass line by Matt Gabriel and tight drum rhythms by Tommy Smallcomb and you get something really cool. Think "D'Angelo light' jamming with David Gilmore in a modern rock band. Very cool! Destiny has an even more rocky feel almost into Living Color territory. Goodbye is another particularly interesting track with a Led Zep spin. It doesn't have the Bonzo bottom but the riffs are the children of Page and even the vocals are "Plant"ish, although Douglas' vocals are much more listenable than Plant's. Another track with a definitive Page riff and a JP Jones line is Out Of My Mind. This is a particularly interesting track with a soft underlying bass line and perfect drum timing setting up soulful vocals and guitar riffs that have Gilmore and Gibbons influences. Excellent! On Your Face Is Stunning, Douglas seems to take the band even farther into the mist with another guitar led track. Santana like riffs but Gilmore like phrasing over solid rock footings yields even yet another cool direction. Wrapping the release is No More Tears to Cry with a pure blues rocker. With a raggedy approach and fat slide guitar work, this is a solid closer for a really enjoyable release. Very nice! 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Mike Farris - "Silver & Stone"

Coming off of an incredible GRAMMY win for 2015’s SHINE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE (Best Roots Gospel album), Nashville rocker Mike Farris keeps it earthy and personal on SILVER & STONE, out September 7 on Compass Records. The title refers to his wife's ring, and the album is a celebration of their 23 years of marriage and her steadfastness in sticking by him through his years struggling with addiction and alcoholism. Now sober for 7 years, Farris has the energy and conviction of a man saved, a stack of anecdotes and life experiences that would make most people’s heads spin, and a soulful vocal delivery reminiscent of Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. SILVER & STONE isn’t a “gospel” album by any means, but Farris still takes us to church on these 12 engaging tracks, including a cover of Bill Withers’ “Hope She’ll be Happier.” 

Produced at Compass Sound Studio (AKA “Hillbilly Central” – the birthplace of Outlaw Country) in Nashville by Compass Records co-founder, Garry West, SILVER & STONE finds Farris imbuing his songs with a vibey, lighthearted feel, returning to his roots as a rocker and soul singer. The album weaves through the traditions of American music the way that Tennessee born and bred Farris has done expertly throughout his 25-year career, starting with his major label band, Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies.

Sonically, SILVER & STONE’s warm organic sound and stellar playing recalls the cream of the Stax Records’ catalog. The album opener and Farris original, "Tennessee Girl,” seguing into “Are You Lonely For Me Baby?” and “Can I Get a Witness,” are loose and groove-driven, hitting all the right notes of soul,  and  blues with an effortlessness that shows what a natural Farris is for this sound. 

The studio band includes famed “Memphis Boy” Gene Chrisman (Dusty Springfield, Elvis Presley, Dan Auerbach) sharing drum duties with Derrek Phillips (Robben Ford, Hank Williams Jr.), keyboardists Reese Wynans (Joe Bonamassa, Double Trouble) and long-time Farris collaborator Paul Brown (Waterboys, Ann Peebles), guitarists Doug Lancio (Patty Griffin, John Hiatt), Rob McNelly (Delbert McClinton) and George Marinelli (Bonnie Raitt) with Steve Mackey (Wallflowers, Delbert McClinton) and producer West splitting bass duties. Farris is quick to credit the crew in the band for putting their modern spin on classic grooves and progressions.  The band was given just enough structure so they could add their own flavor. Among the album's many standout moments is Joe Bonamassa's searing solo on “Movin’ Me” (Bonamassa became a fan and friend while opening for Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies in the 90's).

Melding the spiritual and the earthly, Farris says the album is about “reaching something better without actually trying.” This sentiment drives the Farris-penned composition, “Golden Wings”, written for his son, Christian, at “a pivotal point in his life, with so many options in front of him. That feeling of ‘Where am I supposed to be?’” 

Farris told Rolling Stone Country. "It's one of those songs that just flowed out after I did an exercise where you write a letter to your younger self. It has a dual message— something to say to a young person who is looking for answers, but also a reminder to myself to be free and open to the possibilities of life."

Another Farris composition, “When Mavis Sings,” hits equally close to his heart. Over his years as a performer, he’s had the privilege of becoming close to legendary singer and gospel icon Mavis Staples.  He says, “Mavis is everything you want your heroes to be.” Julie Farris elaborates, “She calls him ‘Mikey’.”  The song is actually a history lesson on Mavis' life, as it's completely comprised of literal tidbits of her life.  

“I wanted to explore that upbringing, being in that neighborhood with all of these luminaries and absorbing that music,” he says. “It was exciting to watch all the pieces come together and fit lyrically.”

The album closes with “I’ll Come Running Back To You,” an acknowledgment of the surrender intrinsic in love by accepting the kind of love that conquers shame and self-doubt.  Where the narrator of this song is losing his identity in service of unrequited love, for Farris, it’s quite the opposite—it’s relinquishing a vision of identity that needs to be served by attention or self-medication and instead takes root and grows through love.

“It’s the most essential, yet most difficult, part of faith,” Farris says.  “Remembering to open up and allow the universe to have its way with you and your gifts. Be open and free to the possibilities of life.”

"With a supersized voice filled with the electricity of Saturday night and the godly grace of Sunday mornings ." — Rolling Stone Country

“Mike Farris has enough heart, soul, and power to light up a city. He mixes up the elements and turns them into something new, beautiful, and uniquely his own.” — Buddy Miller

 "Country and gospel music is in dire need of some pure heartfelt soul right now.  He's like a secret weapon — he's loaded with soul."  — Marty Stuart (Rolling Stone Country) 

TOUR DATES:

July 10 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

July 13 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall 

July 14 – Navarro, CA – Redwood Ramble

July 15 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s

Aug 18 – Saugerties, NY – Cantine Veterans Memorial Complex

Aug 23 – Chattanooga, TN – Songbirds

Aug 24 – Lexington, KY – Willie’s Locally Known

Aug 25 – Knoxville, TN – Open Chord Music

Aug 26 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre

Aug 27 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall

Aug 28 – Charleston, SC – Queen Street Playhouse

Sep 6 – Buford, GA – Buford Community Center

Sep 8 – Franklin, TN – Franklin Theatre

Sept 14 – Nashville, TN - AMERICANAFEST

Sep 17 + 18 – Penticton, BC – The Dream Café

Sep 20 – Salt Spring Island, BC – PitchFork Social

Sep 21 – Seattle, WA – The Triple Door

Sep 22 – Victoria, BC – University Centre Farquhar Auditorium

Sep 28 – Franklin, NC – Franklin Town Square Gazebo

Oct 5 - Madrid, Spain - Changó LIVE

Oct 6 - A Coruna, Spain - Sala Inn Club

Oct 7 - Gijón, Spain - Teatro de la Laboral

Oct 12 - Calella, Spain - Fàbrica Llobet

Nov 03 – Moab, UT – Moab City Baseball Field

Nov 29 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House    

Singer Trudy Lynn Declares "Blues Keep Knockin'" on Her New Connor Ray Music CD, Coming July 27

Singer Trudy Lynn Declares Blues Keep Knockin’ on Her New Connor Ray Music CD, Coming July 27

New Album Features Special Guests Steve Krase,

Bob Lanza and Carolyn Wonderland

HOUSTON, TX – Six-time Blues Music Award nominee Trudy Lynn will release her new CD, Blues Keep Knockin’ from Connor Ray Music on July 27.  Backing Trudy’s vocals on the new disc are musicians Steve Krase – harmonica; David Carter – guitar; Terry Dry – bass; Matt Johnson – drums; Jim Brady – trumpet; and Dan Carpenter – sax; with special guests Bob Lanza and Carolyn Wonderland on guitar.

Trudy was recently honored with three nominations for the Living Blues Magazine Awards, with voting currently underway at the magazine’s website: www.livingblues.com.

“I want to thank all my blues fans new and old, or should I say ‘mature,’ for being with me through my journey with the blues, both near and far,” Trudy says in the album liner notes. “My name is Trudy Lynn and I sing the blues for you, some old some new and some borrowed too. I love singing the blues! The blues knocks on my door, on my window and my heart. I must sing and I sing only what I feel and I sing to make you feel exactly what I feel!”

Blues Keep Knockin’ features ten soul-drenched songs dripping with blues and R&B. In addition to a new original song written by Trudy (the album’s title track), she puts her own stamp on   covers of songs from Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Big Maybelle, Big Bill Broonzy and Jimmy Rogers, among others.

“I am so grateful to all the musicians who contributed their talent to this recording,” says Trudy, “with very special heartfelt thanks to producer Rock ‘Papa’ Romano for all the time and effort he dedicated to this CD. (Can’t nobody call him ‘Papa’ but me!!)

“I also would like to give a special thanks to my ‘daughter’ … as I call her, Miss Carolyn Wonderland, who graciously added her talents to this recording. I can recall when she was just starting her blues career; she has blossomed into a force to be reckoned with. Our friend Jerry Lightfoot is smiling down on you. Love you baby girl!”

Blues Keep Knockin’ is Trudy Lynn’s 13^th solo album and her fourth release on the Connor Ray Music label, following up on I’ll Sing the Blues for You (2016), which garnered a Blues Music Award nomination for “Soul Blues Female Artist.” That was preceded by 2014’s Royal Oaks Blues Café, which hit #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart; and 2015’s Everything Comes with A Price, which spent four months on the Living Blues Radio Chart. Trudy was also inducted into the Houston Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

Trudy Lynn was born Lee Audrey Nelms in Houston’s Fifth Ward, where she began singing as a teenager. After high school, Lynn went to visit her aunt in Lufkin, where a club called the Cinderella needed a singer. She decided Lee Audrey Nelms wasn't going to cut it as a stage name. The club had a bunch of cartoon character names painted on the wall and she noticed “Trudy,” which she quickly paired with Lynn. “Lynn was something in those days,” she recalls. “Gloria Lynne, Barbara Lynn. I thought, ‘I’m going to be one of those Lynns, too, baby.’”

Prior to striking out on her own, Trudy was the vocalist for such Texas greats as I.J. Gosey and Clarence Green, where Trudy spent five years as the vocalist for his band. Green was a stern mentor, but Lynn credits him with helping her become a professional. “He molded me well,” she says. “He's still in me because of what he taught me. It takes that.” After leaving Green’s band, Lynn began performing on her own. For years she struggled to get recorded in a manner deserving of her talent, until 1989 when Trudy signed with John Abbey’s famed Ichiban label and provided the opportunity for her to tour the world and perform at the most prestigious festivals, including Lucerne and the Chicago Blues Festival. While at Ichiban, producers had a strong hand in directing her recordings. Since joining forces with harmonica wizard Steve Krase and the Connor Ray Music label in 2014, Lynn has played curator for herself. She has been writing original songs that blend nicely with the vintage material. The songs are mostly about good times and bad men. “Each one of these songs means something to me,” she states. “I truly understand something about each one of them.”

David Olney - New Album This Side Or The Other - Out August 24

DAVID OLNEY

THIS SIDE OR THE OTHER

Black Hen Music, Release Date: August 24, 2018

David Olney’s New Album Examines The Shadowy Situations Up And Around Walls, Over Borders and Asks For Open Hearts

Nashville, TN – One listen to the brand-new album, “This Side or The Other,” and you’ll know David Olney is a man familiar with the wandering life and yearning heart of a poet. After more than 30 years in music, he’s had as many incarnations as you can imagine. His resume has expanded to include acting, poetry and a popular weekly stream cast. All of this adds to Olney’s strength as a songwriter’s songwriter, and one of Nashville’s founding fathers of Americana music.  

While “This Side or The Other” is not a concept album, there are some recurring themes. The frequent reference to walls in these songs – walls being built and tumbling down – will suggest that while Olney has encountered more than his own share of walls, he is still trying his best to understand them.  

“I wanted to explore the idea of walls,” says Olney, “What does a wall mean? What does it mean to be an immigrant who comes upon that wall as a wanderer, someone lost and alone?” 

A wall in a song can be the symbolic blockage from one place to another or the flat finality of something coming to an end. In life as in art, Olney has scaled walls and torn them down. Yet, it’s not his own path he is particularly interested in exploring. David Olney has always been an observer, a student, and writer of life for as long as he could hold a pen.  

“I’m not comfortable writing about my own dirty laundry,” says Olney, “It’s better for me to look at characters and what they might be going through. When I write about the heavy stuff of life, it’s usually while I’m in someone else’s shoes.”  

“This Side or The Other” contains solid musicianship as good as anything Nashville has to offer, and a stark, moody production by Juno Award-winning producer Steve Dawson.  

“I look for a producer I can be relaxed around," Olney says, “And I really wanted to work with Steve on this record. And while I knew he was a good producer, I had no idea what a terrific musician he was until I had him play guitar on ‘Death Will Not Divide Us.’ He did a beautiful job.” 

The other musicians on “This Side or The Other” are Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie McCoy, The McCrary Sisters, Fats Kaplin, Anne McCue and Olney’s regular band: Daniel Seymour on bass, Ward Stout on fiddle and Justin Amaral on drums.  

The ten songs on “This Side or The Other” have been compiled from new and old writings, as well as a few collaborations with friends. Olney says he enjoys collaborating. “Annie McCue and John Hadley cowrote the title song, ‘This Side or The Other’ with me. It’s currently my favorite song.” 

In “Stand Tall,” a song Olney’s been writing on-and-off for 25 years, he admits “I’m never going to change the way I am” – a sentiment that will gratify his longtime fans from all over the world, who like him just the way he is and only want more of the same.  

“Breaking out of your comfort zone,” admits Olney, “can lead to certain encounters with banana peels, but that’s the chance you have to take to get songs and performances with a certain edge. I tend to stay on the margin of the page. I’m always looking for that ‘otherness,’ staying a bit off center.” 

The sweetest song on the album, a plaintive love song called “Open Your Heart (And Let Me In),” is one-part plea and one part indictment of a would-be lover who’s missing the chance for real love.  

Olney’s last track is a rootsy cover of The Zombies’ 1965 hit, “She’s Not There.” It’s a delicious reminder that everything David Olney touches gets infused with a rare blend of dark chocolate. Despite it being the cover of a popular song, we hear words we’ve never heard in the same way before.  

But David Olney knows words. He knows what they can do, and when paired with a bitter/sweet melody, they can take on a life of their own.  

And maybe they can even tear down walls. 

David Olney Tour Dates:

June 22                              Moccasin Creek Festival                               Effingham, IL

June 23                              Lettersong Gallery                                         Louisville, KY

June 24                              Players Pub                                                    Bloomington, IN

June 30                              Private Event                                                 Mt. Juliet, TN

Aug. 17                              Pearl Street Warehouse                               Washington, D.C.

Aug. 18                              Empire State Railway Museum                    Phoenicia, NY

Sept. 15                             AmericanaFest hatWRKS Happenin’           Nashville, TN

Sept. 20                             EOP: Red Clay Music Foundry                      Duluth, GA

Oct. 12                               Musiekpodium Bakkeveen                           Bakkeveen - The Netherlands

Oct. 13                               In The Woods Lage                                       Vuursche - The Netherlands

Oct. 14                               Foundation Museum & Sculpture Garden Grootschermer – The Netherlands

Oct. 16                               Folk in de Walden                                         Oentsjerk – The Netherlands

Oct. 17                               Sociëteit Engels                                             The Hague – The Netherlands

Oct. 19                               Jozef Theather                                               Volendam – The Netherlands

Oct. 20                               Ramblin’ Roots Festival                                Utrecht – The Netherlands

Oct. 21                               De Oude Veiling                                             Aalsmeer – The Netherlands

Oct. 22                               Meneer Frits                                                  Eindhoven – The Netherlands

Oct. 23                               De Schalm                                                      Westwoud – The Netherlands

CeCe Teneal & Soul Kamotion - #5or5000 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, #5or5000, by CeCe Teneal & Soul Kamotion and it's terrific! The significance of the title is a simple one: "We would always say whether there's five people or five thousand people in the audience," Teneal says, "and that just kind of stuck with us for this record. We're gonna give the show of a lifetime, we're gonna lay it all on the line, because every person deserves to get what the message is, they're gonna experience the same thing." Opening with 90 MPH, a soul/rock blend, Teneal has great pipes and a super feel. James Adkins on drums, Terrell Kimble on bass, Chris Baptiste on keys and especially the hot guitar riffs of Lavon Rushing and smoking hot drum beat of James Adkins give this track real beef and the backing vocals of the entire band is tight. I think that readers know I like the neo soul movement and this band blends that with Victor Wooten, Frank Zappa...you name it. Very cool. Lumbering, Rockstar, is like Jill Scott with a rock band. Really nice approach with that plucked bass. With a laid back Al Green like approach and a constant bass line, What I'd Do To Get Your Love Back is a terrific radio style track with a strong melody and easy flowing guitar lead. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is soulful, Lonely (Even When You're Here), not only well executed but beautifully composed. Teneal grabs the phrasing by the nape of the neck and shakes it and the men in the band do an exemplary job on backing vocal, strongly accented by clean guitar soloing by Rushing. Excellent! With a New Orleans style funk, I Betcha Come Back will get you squirming in your seat (if not hoping to your feet). Great slapping snare drumming and rhythm guitar accent the track and perfect delivery by Teneal and excellent blending by the backing vocalists, tied up by slide work Rushing make this track hard not to love. Ballad, Alive starts out with low key, clear vocals by Teneal with keys easily folded in, but the dragon is coming with the addition of powerful guitar, drum and bass attack. Excellent dynamics. Wrapping the release is Home, a smooth soul track with Aretha franklin like phrasing by Teneal and warm spiritual organ backing and some of the sweetest backing vocals I've heard this year. This is an excellent release and one that warrants a good listen. Terrific!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Blues Mountain Records artist: Big Harp George - Uptown Cool.- New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (7/16/18), Uptown Cool, from Big Harp George, and it's tight. Opening with loping shuffle, Down To The Rite Aid, Big Harp George has it running from the first note with his great harp sound, singing duet with Loralee Christensen backed by Chris Burns on piano, Alexander Pettersen on drums, Kid Andersen on bass, Little Charlie Baty on guitar, Michael Peloquin on sax and Mike Rinta on trombone. Very nice. Alternative Facts has a laid back, sauntering feel with real cool harp soloing and great guitar backing by Kid Andersen. Latin fused track, I Wanna Know has strong rhythmic Santana like influences with D'mar on percussion and nice backing vocals by Christensen and warm sax tines by Peloquin, strong bass lines by Andersen and trademark harp soloing by George. On bluesy, Nobody's Listening, Little Charlie really lays in a articulate guitar solo and George some of his best vocals on the release.Standing In The Weather really has a saucy rhythm, augmented by sax work by Peloquin and Andersen chicken picks his way to a really tasty solo on guitar. Bulletproof is another track that nicely showcases the hot hand work of Andersen and George works the lead vocal and harp nicely. Another bluesy track, Cold Snap By The Bay, is one of my favorites on the release with wailing sax by Peloquin, a super piano solo by Burns and some of my favorite guitar sounds by Andersen. Standout instrumental, Uptown Cool, has a really jagged percussion rhythm. courtesy D'Mar with alternating solos by Baty, George and Burns. Very nice. Wrapping the release is easy swing track, Lord Make Me Chaste with gospel like backing by Christensen and Derick Hughes. Bringing on the New Orleans horn styling by Rinta and Peloquin and a taste of falling down the step drumming by Pettersen makes this a fine closer for a cool release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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World Order Entertainment artist: Cyril Neville - Endangered Species: The Essential recordings - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (July 14, 2018), Endangered Species: The Essential Recordings, from Cyril Neville and it's chocked full of New Orleans fused funk. This release is actually one of two releases, the first being a 5 disc retrospective (The Complete Recordings) and the finely distilled 1 disc compilation (The Essential Recordings) which I am reviewing.  Opening with Love Has Got To Win Cyril has a great pumping bass line and with tight rhythms, smart backing vocals and a solid melody, the track is super. Second Line Soca is a polished look at second line rhythms having a bit more sophistication than street music but all of the energy. Very cool. With a funky hip hop rhythm and a floating sax riff, Funkaliscious really moves. One of my favorite tracks on the release is soulful, Calling All Souls with warm lead vocals, a great bass line, super melody and excellent vocal backing.  Running With The Secord Line really has that street feel with trumpets, tuba and wild percussion under frantic yelps. Very cool. R&B track Lift Every Voice has nicely blended vocals featuring Gaynielle Neville, Dane nelson and Yadonna Wise. Wrapping the release is Can't Stop A Dreamer, with electrifying drum rhythms, mellow sax lines and cool bass lines under a solid vocal melody, with excerpts of Dr. MLK interwoven throughout. A solid closer for a solid release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Hipsterdumpster Records artist: Matty T Wall - Sidewinder - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sidewinder, from Matty T Wall and is features some hot guitar playing. Opening with Slideride, an electric slide guitar instrumental, Wall wastes no time in kicking the release into high gear backed by Ric Whittle on drums and Stephen Walker on bass. Great start. On Sam Cooke's classic, Change Is Gonna Come, Wall takes the lead on vocal and does quite a nice job. Complimented by Jonas Petersen on strings, Gordon Cant on organ, Walker on bass and Whittle on drums, the setup is perfect for a sensuous guitar solo by Wall making this a choice track. Rocker, Shake It is another stand out track with a driving beat, cool vocals and ravenous guitar lead. Hot! Don Nix's Going Down gets a remake with a bit of a juke on Beck's earlier "rockification" on this classic. Wall pushes it more with a newer blues rock approach and with tight drumming from Whittle and backing vocals by Deli Rowe feels fresh.  My choice of the more pop/vocal tracks is Ain't That The Truth with a great melody and a nice R&B feel. Sophia's Strut is one of my favorite tracks with a true Jeff Beck like approach... no intention to make a radio track but just a cool guitar showcase. Very cool! Shuffle track, Walk Out the Door has a cool groove with Steve Searle on horns giving it real swing. Wrapping the release is Mississippi Kkkrossroades, a rap track which is somewhat disjointed from the rest of the release but with it's tight beat and driven guitar lines is a cool closer for what is a cool release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Alpha Sun Records artists: Bridget Kelly Band - Blues Warrior - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Warrior, by the Bridget Kelly Band and it's cool. Opening with Lil' Honey Bee, an up tempo shuffle, lead guitar player Tim Fik wastes no time in showing his guitar prowess. Kelly has the lead on vocal backed by Mark Armbrecht on bass and Alex Klausner on drums. Good opener. I like Fik's finesse and dynamics on Stolen, a bluesy ballad featuring Kelly's lead vocals, Mike Hamm on bass and Michael Barady on drums. With it's droning bass line by Armbrecht, No Good Man Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a solid melody and rich guitar lead. Another of my favorites is Alone with its twist on Robert Johnson's Crossroads. Fik powers up in this track showing is pyrotechnical capabilities but it's the basic groove on this track that hits home. Trouble In Texas has a driving boogie beat with traces of Johnny Winter and Billy Gibbons. Jimi influenced Let's Go has a cool flair and Fik again lets it out. He and Kelly balance nicely and Klausner on drums is really tight. Little Mike Markowitz is featured on Blues Inside of Me and his harp work is smoking, stirring the flames under Fik who trades flaming hot riffs. Wrapping the release is Chemo, dedicated to Grandma Kelly, Joyce Hanken and Candye Kane. Kelly's vocals are more focused on this track that anywhere else on the release and Fik is hot as a firecracker making this a solid closer for a solid release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

   “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE