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


Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Brooks Williams - Lucky Star - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lucky Star, from Brooks Williams and it's got a bright, bluesy folk feel. Opening with Bright Side of the Blues, a poppy track with Williams on vocal and acoustic guitar, backed by Phil Richardson on piano, Kevin McGuire on bass, Stuart Brown on drums and Rab Noakes on smooth backing vocals, Williams shows his strong capabilities as a singer songwriter. Something You Got is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's easy feel and melodic guitar soloing by Williams. With it's Caribbean styling, Mama's Song has a great rhythm. With it's country blues form, Gambling Man has nicely blended vocals and cool finger picking. Ballad, Whatever It Takes has a strong melody with only the necessary backing from McGuire on bass, Brown on drums, and Rachael Lightbody on backing vocals. Very nice. A second inclusion of Rock Me, this time with only Williams on guitar and vocal and Hans Theessink on mandolin and backing vocal. Very nice.  Wrapping the release is a second cut of Gambling Man, this time again with Theessink on acoustic guitar and vocal. This is a strong original track and a solid closer for this solid release.



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Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Stone Stanley - The Mudstomp Tapes - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Mudstomp Tapes, by Stone Stanley and it's quite good. Opening with Bitter End, this setup, Jason Trombley on vocal, drums and guitar, Scott Longnecker on bass, Dan Stevens on percussion, Jim McComas and Ralph Gilbert on guitar has a raw, rugged and soulful sound that just grabs you. Trombley's vocals are gripping and Gilbert's guitar is in your face like a stiff slap. Very cool. Another rocky raw blues number, So Glad uses the same formula but it just doesn't get tired. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Beast Inside, has a country ballad format, soulful slide soloing and solid country licks. Cobble Hill is stepped up in tempo but the fat slide work is ever present and vocals are crisp. Another standout track is Unfaithful Woman with a really nice melody and clean electric guitar soloing along the lines of Peter Green, Mark Knopler or David Gilmore. Very nice. Warren Haynes' Soulshine makes a strong appearance showcasing just how soul filled Trombley's vocals can be. With just rhythm work on guitar, bass and drums and the howl of the slide guitar, this is a really nice track. Wrapping the release is Bottled, an isolated acoustic vocal and guitar number. I found this a very enjoyable release and one with guts.



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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Vanessa Collier - Honey Up - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Honey Up, by Vanessa Collier and I really like it. Opening with funky, New Orleans soaked, Sweating Like A Pig is a great track with  sassy vocal lines and great sax swing. Collier is really getting it going now. With Nick Stevens  on drums, Nick Trautmann on bass, William Gorman on keys, Laura Chavez on guitars, Quinn Carson on trombone and Doug Woolverton on trumpet, this track is a opener that's hard to beat! Title track Honey Up has a deep funky groove and Trautmann really sets the pace. Collier is booked as a sax player but her vocal style and efforts are top notch giving this track a certain spank. This track has an incredible groove led by Trautmann and Stevens and with this horn section you better step back... it's about to blow. Hot! Percolatin' has an infectious feel and Collier really sails on it showing her excellent feel for the music, shored up by Gorman on organ. Super. The Fault Line give Chavez a wide open floor to express herself and she doesn't need much encouragement with big fat chops and loads of experience. Excellent! Bluesy, Bless Your Heart, has solid radio appeal with strong vocals by Collier and just the right guitar spank from Chavez. Very nice. With it's strong James Brown beat thanks to Stevens and a sweet melody, You Get What You Get, is another track with solid radio appeal featuring Collier on vocal balanced by Gorman's keyboard work and capped off with a swinging sax solo.  Wrapping the release is Chris Smithers' Love Me Like A Man done slow blues style with some of Collier's most soulful vocals featuring Sparky Parker on electric guitar and of course a healthy sax solo by Collier to close the show. This is an excellent closer for an excellent release. 

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Monday, September 10, 2018

"Every Soul's a Star" on New Dave Keller CD, Due from Catfood Records on October 19





Every Soul’s a Star on New Dave Keller CD, Due from Catfood Records on October 19



Label Debut CD Produced by Grammy-Winner

Jim Gaines



EL PASO, TX – Catfood Records announces the October 19 release of Every Soul’s a Star, the label debut from acclaimed soul/blues singer and guitarist Dave Keller. Produced by Grammy-winner Jim Gaines (Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Luther Allison) and recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, Every Soul’s a Star showcases 10 original songs, plus a scintillating cover of the Aretha Franklin classic, “Baby, I Love You.”



Keller’s soulful vocals are beautifully supported by The Rays, which includes not only legendary Motown guitarist Johnny McGee, but also Bob Trenchard – bass; Dan Ferguson - Hammond B3, Wurlitzer, keyboards; Richy Puga – drums; Mike Middleton – trumpet; Nick Flood - tenor and baritone sax, plus the heavenly voices of Janelle Thompson and Shakara Weston - background vocals; and Christopher Serrano – percussion.



Catfood label head Bob Trenchard calls Dave Keller, “The most-talented songwriter I've ever worked with,” and it was he who suggested Jim Gaines to produce the new project.



“This record, for me, is about honoring the star in each person,” Dave Keller says. “The songs are about both love and heartbreak, of course, but also speak about the beauty in each of us, as unique individuals and as people standing up together. This record feels like my strongest yet. I felt more at ease singing than I've ever felt in the studio. That comfort helped me sing more dynamically than I've ever sung before on record.”



Every Soul’s a Star is also the first time Keller had the chance to work with the Catfood Records “house band,” The Rays, comprised of all superb musicians with a boatload of experience backing up many of the label’s artists on record, including Blues Music Award-winner Johnny Rawls.



“What really impressed me about The Rays was how much heart they put into this record,” Keller declares. “They've played on tons of records, and they could easily have just done it as a paint-by-numbers affair. I love how everyone put so much of themselves into the record. I could tell that they really dug the songs, and really cared about doing them justice. I love how you can hear all their individual ideas on the record, and feel their personalities, their souls, and yet everything is in service to the songs.



“It was a special treat working with Johnny McGhee, who has played guitar on countless great soul albums. He started out as a kid – only 12 years old – touring with The Five Stairsteps, and ended up in the band LTD. To each of my songs, Johnny brought the coolest, most beautiful little soul licks. He has an amazing ability to find just the right licks and riffs that pull the song together into something perfect.”



Keller is equally effusive in his praise of producer Jim Gaines. “Jim Gaines is a magician. He really listened to my songs, really got into the meaning of the lyrics, and was able to help me and the band bring them alive with the most heart possible. He's an expert at making songs really shine. I felt blessed to get to work with him.”



Keller also has a special place in his heart for Johnny Rawls, who introduced him to Catfood Records owner and bassist Bob Trenchard about five years ago at the Blues Music Awards. “Bob and I had a conversation then about making a record together, but it took ‘til now for the time to be just right,” he recalls. “As my friend the late deep soul singer Mighty Sam McClain used to say, ‘It may not come when you want it, but it always comes right on time.’”



Recording in Texas was a new cultural experience for Keller, a native New Englander. “Working at Sonic Ranch was really fun. I'd never been to west Texas, so it was a real adventure for me. From the kindness of the ladies who made us breakfast and lunch every day, to the heat – 105 degrees the day I arrived -- to the giant Tarantula Hawks (a kind of wasp) that hovered in the bushes outside the studio. All the little details inspired me and energized me.”



About Dave Keller



Dave Keller is an award-winning, triple-threat: an outstanding singer, an intense guitarist and a talented songwriter. Fueled by his love of deep Southern soul and blues, his performances ring out with passion, integrity, and an ability to break down the barriers between performer and audience.



Ever since renowned guitarist Ronnie Earl chose Dave Keller to sing on his album Living In The Light, Keller's star has been on the rise. In just a few short years, Keller has been nominated for a Blues Music Award for Best Soul/Blues Album, won the International Blues Challenge Best Self-Released CD Award, and been chosen for Downbeat's Best Recordings of the Year.



A bit of a late bloomer, Keller grew up in Massachusetts, loving music, but not picking up guitar until age 16, and not singing in his first band until age 20. But blessed with mentors including deep soul singer Mighty Sam McClain, mystical soul guitarist Robert Ward, acoustic blues master Paul Rishell and soul/blues man Johnny Rawls, Keller made up for lost time.



Relocating to icy Vermont in 1993, Keller found fertile ground to grow his audience, and has become a household name there. Famous for his live-wire shows, Keller can often be found fifty feet out in the crowd, teasing fiery licks from his trusty Stratocaster and singing off-mike as the audience sings along.



Not one to rest on his laurels, Keller has been expanding his base beyond New England these past few years, performing at some of the biggest festivals in the East, including the North Atlantic Blues Festival, the PA Blues Fest, and the Discover Jazz Festival. He has also performed at the Blues Music Awards ceremony twice, accompanying Ronnie Earl, and Johnny Rawls (with whom Keller frequently tours).

Connor Ray Music Set to Release New CD from Houston-Based Duo, Dry Johnson, "Long Live Them Blues Vol. 1", On October 5









Connor Ray Music Set to Release New CD from Houston-Based Duo, Dry Johnson,

Long Live Them Blues Vol. 1, On October 5



HOUSTON, TX – Connor Ray Music announces an October 5 release date for the debut CD from Houston-based duo, Dry Johnson, Long Live Them Blues, Vol. 1.   



Dry Johnson is comprised of bassist Terry Dry and drummer Matthew Robert Johnson, who collectively have formed the powerhouse rhythm section backing award-winning Texas guitarslinger Mike Zito for almost two years. Zito returns the favor on Long Live Them Blues, Vol. 1 by playing guitar and singing on several tracks of the new disc. Zito also joins another Houston favorite, Annika Chambers, for a soul-searing vocal duet on the lead-off song, “Daddy’s Got a Cadillac.”



Other special guests on the Dry Johnson debut include legendary singer (and Connor Ray labelmate) Trudy Lynn, guitarists John Del Toro Richardson, Mighty Orq and James Wilhite, harmonica ace Steve Krase, and beloved Houston musician Kevin “Snit” Fitzpatrick on vocals. 

All of the songs on the new CD are originals, with the exception of a nifty cover of Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Hit the Highway.”



“Getting this out has been a year and a half in the making,” admits Matthew Robert Johnson.” Terry and I originally thought up the idea after a gig with Mike Zito in a hotel room in Florida. We discussed the idea of doing a project as a rhythm section, with all of the artists that we have either worked with in the past, or would like to work with in the future...and Dry Johnson was born. I can only hope that we have done this great city and its incredible musical legacy some justice with this recording.”

“I met Matthew Robert Johnson and Terry Dry in St. Louis around 2002 when I opened a show for Hadden Sayers,” writes Mike Zito in the album’s liner notes. “I still remember thinking they sounded really good and had a big sound.

“Matt and Terry share a love for the American art form. The blues brought them together and has given them a musical purpose to work toward. Matthew's drumming is strong and immense, while Terry's bass playing is solid and straight forward. Together they make a sound that is large and tight, round and moving. Always musical and consistent, they work together to form a foundation that any guitarist, vocalist or band can make great music with.

“When I was ready to put together a band based in Texas, my first choice was to get Matthew and Terry and build on that big sound. They have delivered in spades. Dry Johnson has stood the test of time. Rarely do musicians stay together this long or continue to complement one another, but Dry Johnson forges the Blues that brought them together. It was only a matter of time for the duo to make their own album and showcase more of their talent. I am very excited to have been included on this debut recording and I am proud to have Dry Johnson backing me on stages all over the world.”

Terry Dry and Matthew Robert Johnson met for the first time in Fargo, North Dakota in 1998 and played together a few years later in Houston, Texas. They have continued playing music together off and on for 20 years. Throughout that time, they have learned to back many guitar players and singers on bandstands, festivals and recordings.

Eller Soul Records artists - Blue & Lonesome duo - Pacing the Floor - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Pacing the Floor by Blue & Lonesome duo (Li'l Ronnie & Gordon Harrower) and it's solid. Opening with Honeyboy Edwards' Drop Down Mama, Ronnie Owens on vocal, foot drum and harp and Gordon Harrower on vocal and guitar digging deep in fertile delta roots. Wine Headed Woman is a rumbling boogie with a driving guitar rhythm and strong harp chants. Very nice. On Muddy Waters' Mean Red Spider, Harrower's vocals are inspired and his guitar work spot on providing perfect balance for Owen's harp riffs. Original track, Too Fast For Conditions is a cool blues rocker with rich slide work by Harrower on resonator guitar and featuring Owens on harp. Super nice. Another original and title track, Pacing the Floor is a traditional boogie, stripped down with a solid guitar line and vocal by Harrower and harp soloing by Owens. This band really does create the magic of  Sonny and Brownie, Cephas and Wiggins or Siegel Schwall. Tight! Eddie Taylor's Country Boy has a super rhythm line with just the perfect amount of R&B. This is likely my favorite track on the release with just the right amount of everything. Super. Jimmy Roger's Out on the Road is another solid choice with some of Owen's fullest harp work on the release. Wrapping the release is another original, More Than Eye Candy featuring the vocal work of Owens with just the basics of guitar and foot drum, leaving you wanting more. A solid ending for a solid release.


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Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Blues Legend Junior Wells “Box of Blues” 6CD Set To Be Released By Cleopatra Blues








Blues Legend Junior Wells “Box of Blues” 6CD Set To Be Released By Cleopatra Blues



Includes vintage studio recordings from 1953 to 1979 of Wells' best loved tracks PLUS never before released live material from 1983 to 1997!



Los Angeles -  Cleopatra Blues is releasing a gorgeous 6CD box set celebrating a true blues legend, the “Sexy Bitch” himself, Junior Wells! The release includes vintage studio recordings from 1953 to 1979 of Wells' best loved tracks such as “Messin' With The Kid,” “She's A Sweet One,” “Little By Little” and more PLUS never before released live material from 1983 to 1997!



Packaged in a custom made, genuine wood cigar box with 48-page booklet of extensive liner notes by music journalist Dave Thompson and rare photos plus a mini harmonica that really works!



Track List:

DISC 1: Stylin' & Profilin'

1. Lovey Dovey Lovey One

2. Little By Little

3. Come On In This House

4. Messin’ With The Kid

5. She’s A Sweet One

6. I Need Me A Car

7. I’m A Stranger

8. So Tired

9. Universal Rock

10. Two Headed Woman

11. I Could Cry

12. The Things I’d Do For You

13. Love Me



DISC 2: Slippin' & Slidin'

1. One Day (Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone)

2. Galloping Horses A Lazy Mule

3. Prison Bars All Around Me

4. You Sure Look Good To Me

5. It Hurts Me Too

6. Better Cut That Out

7. Please Throw This Poor Dog A Bone

8. Blues Hit Big Town

9. Hoodoo Man Blues

10. Snatch It Back And Hold It

11. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl

12. I Just Want To Make Love To You

13. Stop Breaking Down

14. Trouble Don’t Last



DISC 3: Shuckin' & Jivin'

1. Key To The Highway

2. Mystery Train

3. Goin’ Down Slow

4. I Don’t Know

5. It’s A Man Down There

6. Worried Life Blues

7. Juke

8. Baby, Scratch My Back

9. Love With A Feeling

10. I’ll Get You Too

11. When The Cat’s Gone The Mice Play

12. You Don’t Care

13. Cha Cha Cha In Blue (Cut My Toenail)



DISC 4: Reelin' & Rockin'

Live In Osaka, Japan - 1997

1. Messin’ With The Kid

2. Take Off Your Shoes

3. Little By Little

4. Hoodoo Man Blues

5. The Train

6. You Gotta Love Her With A Feeling

7. Sweet Sixteen

8. What My Momma Told Me

9. Little Red Rooster

10. Today I Started Loving You Again



DISC 5: Pushin' & Shovin'

Live In The Netherlands – 1987

1. Everything Gonna Be Alright

2. Driving Wheel

3. Who’s Making Love

4. Messin’ With The Kid

5. Ships On The Ocean / Champagne & Reefer

Live In Philadelphia, PA – 1983

6. Trouble No More

7. What My Momma Told Me

8. I Got A Bag Of My Own

9. I Got You (I Feel Good)



DISC 6: Bobbin' & Weevin'

Live In Rochester, NY – 1994

1. Broke And Hungry

2. My Younger Days

3. Little Red Rooster

4. Got My Mojo Workin’

5. Little By Little

6. Today I Started Loving You Again

Live In Boulder, CO – 1995

7. Help Me



American Showplace Music artist: Bruce Katz Band - Get Your Groove! - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Get Your Groove!, from Bruce Katz Band and it's strong. Opening with the traditional Hesitation Blues, Katz attacks it in anything but a traditional way. With a heavy swing, Chris Vitarello leads the way on lead vocal and guitar, with the powerful strokes of Bruce Katz on B3 and bass and the tight rhythm of Ray Hangen on drums. Vitarello lays out some real clean blues fused guitar lines that really give this track some spank and Katz's own B3 soloing is impeccable. Freight Train is a cool Allman influenced, nearly 10 minute jam track with plenty of stretch time for Vitarello and Katz with an interlude from Elizabeth Reed and the power drumming of Jaimoe.  Funky, Shine Together (Tribe of Lights), has great feel and features really nice drum soloing by Jaimoe and a cohesive, combined solo effort by Katz and Vitarello. Very nice. Somber blues ballad, River Blues is one of my personal favorites on the release with a strong melody, sweet soloing by Vitarello, beautiful piano lines by Katz and featuring Matt Raymond on bass. With nicely styled piano lead from Katz, title track, Get Your Groove has a cool 60's R&B sound with just a touch of Dixie. Very cool. With an easy "Steely Dan" slung groove, Zone 3 is my choice for the top radio track with a strong melody, nicely articulated guitar lead and rich lower octave lead by Katz. Very cool.  A funky Meter's based Rush Hour sets a firm groove giving Katz and Vitarello rich soil to mine extended improvisational solos. Nice and easy, Wasn't My Time, showcases Vitarello back up front on lead vocal and showcasing his inventive blues riffs. This track is nicely paced and is definitely one of the highlights of the release with soulful lead by Katz emotional lead by Vitarello. Very cool. Wrapping the release is shuffle track, The Bun with excellent runs by Vitarello and strong footing by Katz making this a super closer for another strong release from BKB.



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Wednesday, August 29, 2018

American Showplace Music artists: The Bennett Brothers - Not Made For Hire - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Not Made For Hire, by The Bennett Brothers and I really like it. Opening with driving rocker, Junkyard Dog, with it's stone free rhythm, Jimmy and Peter Bennett storm in on guitar and bass respectively and lead vocals, backed by Lee Falco on drums and John Ginty on B3 and piano. Jimmy's guitar work is fluid and wailing and the bottom is tight and strong. Hold On Tight has more of a country two step feel with real nice slide work, and a perfect off beat cymbal stroke. Very nice. Bluesy, I Just Don't Want The Blues Today has a 60's San Francisco feel with rich tension and Linda Pino on backing vocal. Instrumental shuffle, Blues #9 has a nice swagger as Jimmy stretches out on guitar and Ginty lays down trademark riffs of his own. Very cool. Boogie track, Rocking Chair has a great walking bass line setting up a clear lane for Jimmy to open it up wide on slide. On How Long, the band does a pretty sweet "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac sound" with a Latin beat, glistening guitars and loads of space. Ginty also contributes with an inventive B3 run of his own. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Walk With The Devil with the basic feel of the theme from The Wire (TV Show by Tom Waits).With it's Latin framework and stylistic guitar work, it's really nice. Wrapping the release is I Got A Woman, a straight up blues rocker with strong commercial appeal. Jimmy and John both lay down notable solo's and Peter and Lee hold it together nicely. This is a solid closer for a really solid release. 

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Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Yep Roc Records artist: Tony Joe White - Bad Mouthin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 28, 2018), Bad Mouthin', from legendary songwriter and performer, Tony Joe White and its very cool. Opening with title track, Bad Mouthin' , with it's Jimmy Reed feel, White has his classic vocal style on a stripped down format of guitar, drums and harp. Joe William's Baby Please Don't Go is up next and White shows how natural a fit he is for raw blues with his basic guitar, harp and foot pat behind his able vocals. Very nice. John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom has a bit more depth with electric bass and guitar. White does a real nice cover of this track with raw energy and gritty harp and grinding electric guitar gives it a nice edge. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Rich Woman's Blues with it's down low pace, execution and vocals. Super. Awful Dreams has a strong Hooker feel as well not in structure but in execution with tight little guitar runs and firm vocals. Very nice. Up tempo blues track, Down The Dort Road Blues, has a driving guitar/drum rhythm and soulful vocal and harp. Wrapping the release is Elvis' Heartbreak Hotel relying more on real feel with only acoustic guitar and a bunch of hip swivel. White performs quietly, but his feelings are there. Very nice. 

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Monday, August 27, 2018

Gypsy Soul Records artist: Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar - Run To Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Run To Me, by Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar and it's got a cool R&B vibe. Opening with You're The Love, an edgy R&B ballad with a solid radio hook, strong vocals by Martin, Sherie Marshall and Mwansa Mwansa and really cool guitar work by Curtis Chaffey and Michael McCallum and tight backing by Steve Marriner on keys, Darcy Yates on bass and Dani Nash on drums. Cool opener. Another track with solid vocal and a strong hook is Will We Ever Learn with glass clean guitar rhythm and cool organ by Marriner. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Wanna Be Your Lover with just the right amount of lag in Martin's vocal delivery. Melodies are all strong on this release and this track is no exception, cushioned by guitar reverb and smooth vocal backing. Horn soaked, Over You, has really nice construction with soul and gospel feel with rich backing vocals and Shamus Currie on Trombone, Andrew Moljgun on sax and Thomas Moffett on trumpet. Very nice! Only So Much is a particularly soulful ballad with nice tension added by Marriner on organ and a stylistic guitar solo making this another of my favorites on the release.  Wrapping the release is All Night Long, an uptempo R&B track with nice vocal blending. This is a really nice release by Martin that should win her more accolades and a lot more fans.


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Friday, August 24, 2018

Ghetto Surf Music artist: Billy Hector - Someday Baby - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 25, 2018), Someday Baby, by Billy Hector and it's really good. Opening with funky blues fused Wizard of Babylon, Billy Hector on vocal and guitar really has it going. With van Romaine on drums, Wilbo Wright on bass, David Nunez on keys and Steve Jankowski on horns this is a great spunk funky opener. Title track, Someday Baby continues the funky blues groove and Hector's grinding guitar riffs give his music it's unique personality. Wondering already if you'll like this... you like Albert King...you like Johnny Guitar... you like Frank Marino.... you'll love this. OK, now we're kicking out all the stops with a new Orleans style over the top funky blues, Butt Naked and Funk. If there was ever a party track that gets you up off your old ass...this is it! Using a talk box, and terrific horn punctuation by Jankowski, Tom LaBella on sax and John Martin on bari, and backed by Rich Monica on drums and Erik Boyd on bass this track is off the hook! Slow blues, Hit The Road, is pure with Hector's soulful vocals, gripping guitar soloing and just the heaviest horn punch. Excellent! Instrumental shuffle, Bareback is a great romp with Nunez and Hector driving an incredible melody supported by Larry Crockett on drums and Winston Roye on bass. Excellent! With a change up, Hector does a cover of Alabama Bound with nicely blended duet with Suzan Lastovica on this traditional country style rocker. With his slide flaring, winding is some tasty harp work by Dennis Gruenling and with the able bodied assistance of Lee Finkelstein on drums and Chris Plunkett on bass, another winner. Hector fires up the slide again for On Your Bond, a Taj Mahal track and with a great swing and warm horn backing really gets it moving. Digging deep and with great dynamics, another terrific track is Whiskey. This track has the base characteristics of hill country music but taking it just another step with gripping guitar soloing and just the right amount of organ back. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a R&B track Road To Happiness with a vocal exchange no unlike Terrell and Gaye. Hector spins on his super slide voodoo making this a solid closer for an exceptional release.



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Thursday, August 23, 2018

Award-Winning Keyboardist Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne Is "Inspired by the Blues" on New CD Coming September 28 from Stony Plain Records







Award-Winning Keyboardist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Is Inspired by the Blues on New CD Coming September 28 from Stony Plain Records



Special Guests Include Harp Master Billy Branch, Guitar Legend Duke Robillard and Long-Time B.B. King Bass Player Russell Jackson



EDMONTON, AB – Acclaimed award-winning keyboardist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne will release his new CD, Inspired by the Blues, September 28 on Stony Plain Records. The new disc was recorded at Dan/Lyn Studio in Edmonton, Alberta, and produced by the “Blues Boss,” himself. Inspired by the Blues features 11 original songs, plus a live bonus track of Kenny performing “Georgia on My Mind” that was recorded in Mexico.



Watch an exciting behind-the-scenes video about the making of Inspired by the Blues here:




Stream the first single, “Start Rockin,’” off the new album here:




The Boogie Woogie Hall of Famer’s new release includes special guests Billy Branch on harmonica, guitarist Duke Robillard and B.B. King's long-time bass player, Russell Jackson, who’s also a member of the new B.B. King Blues Band. The zoot-suited “Blues Boss” tours Russia (where he just finished an extensive tour), South America, and Europe, in addition to playing various North American clubs and festivals. Living Blues magazine named him the “Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)” for 2015. “There's no boogie-woogie-blues piano man out there today who pounds the 88s with his conviction,” wrote the Chicago Sun-Times.



“I have always said that each time I record a new album this one is my best, and each time I’ve been right; however, I should’ve said that each time it gets better,” Wayne says. “This recording is truly better and with the help of my ace band members and guest artists, it surpasses my previous recordings. I wanted to pay tribute to two of my favorite musical legends that have both passed on: Ray Charles and Fats Domino. I also wanted to bring back that classic style of blues that has been missed for years. I’d like to especially thank Chicago legend Billy Branch and the East Coast legend Duke Robillard for their contributions to this recording. A big thanks to B.B. King’s bass alumni Russell Jackson and to the rest of my well-respected musicians on board: Joey DiMarco, Yuji Ihara, Dave Babcock, Bob Tildesley and Lynne Chwyl.”



Inspired by the Blues is Kenny’s fourth album for Stony Plain Records. His 2011 first album for the label, An Old Rock On a Roll, garnered him a nomination for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Award from the Blues Foundation, as well as being awarded two 2012 Living Blues magazine awards, one for “Best New Contemporary Blues Recording of 2011” and one for Wayne as “Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard).”



Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is a veteran blues and boogie piano player and also a three-time Juno Award nominee (Canada’s Grammy), including a win for his Let It Loose CD. His main influences are Fats Domino, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry’s long-time piano player Johnnie Johnson, as well as Amos Milburn, Bill Doggett and Johnny Otis, king of the West Coast blues sound of the ‘50s.



He was raised in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Orleans, but has been a long-time resident of British Columbia. A touring musician from his teens onward, Wayne settled in Vancouver some 30 years ago, and is now based in Kelowna, BC, but is rarely home — thanks to extended tours in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. His bass-heavy boogie piano work, as well as his original songs, makes for powerful live performances, enhanced by the flashy splendor of his boldly colored, French custom-tailored stage suits.

Ottawa’s JW-Jones Releases First Live Album on September 28, 2018


Ottawa’s JW-Jones Releases First Live Album on September 28, 2018



Canadian and USA tour dates announced







New Video:  JW-Jones - LIVE (Official Promo Video) here

The improv magic you hear on JW-Jones’ 10th album, Live, is the spark that has awakened new sonic frontiers for the veteran Maple Blues Award-winning Ottawa bluesman. 

“I cranked up my overdrive in concert one night for fun, and it opened up this new world of ideas for me,” admits the JUNO-nominated Jones, whose searing axemanship has been praised by Blues Revue Magazine as “a fluid amalgam of T-Bone Walker’s big, bright chords; Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s slashing leads and Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown’s jazzy sting.” 

“I felt a new sense of freedom.” That sense of freedom resonates through Live, an exciting collection of 11 previously-unreleased songs lovingly recorded over two nights at a sold-out Gatineau, QC theatre by producer Zach Allen, fresh off his Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy Award victory for the Taj Mahal/Keb’ Mo collaboration TajMo. 

“This album is a big departure for me,” Jones explains. “Especially on songs like ‘I Don’t Believe A Word You Say’ and ‘Moanin’ at Midnight:’ both of those songs clock in at over six minutes and I’m playing that overdriven guitar in a way I’ve literally never played on record before.” 

As he continues to evolve as one of Canada’s most versatile bluesmen, with one foot in the terra firma of the traditional blues espoused by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin and harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite (who both guested on Jones’ memorable Midnight Memphis Sun, recorded at the historic Sun Studio) and blues contemporaries Robert Cray, for whom the JW-Jones band has occasionally opened, he continues to challenge and raise his standards through his recordings and the 130 dates on average yearly that he clocks in on the road. 

With the last JW-Jones studio project, the Colin Linden-produced High Temperature, capturing the coveted Memphis Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge honours for Best Self-Released CD, the frequent resident of Billboard’s Top 10 Blues charts and Canadian roots radio favourite continues to accelerate his career momentum to new heights, whether it’s as a personally-requested sit-in with the likes of blues legend Buddy Guy, opening for blues rock icons Johnny Winter and George Thorogood or entertaining thrilled audiences in 23 countries and four continents. 

“Audiences get excited because it’s all so organic,” notes Jones, who stretches out on Live with his Goldtop Gibson Les Paul. “The blues is such a universal language, and the fact that we never play the same solo twice just adds to that vibrant energy, which I think we really capture on this album.” 

Live also embraces Jones’ continuing appreciation of modern days blues music, best illustrated by the album’s opening number, a rendition of Robert Cray’s “A Memo (Nothin’ But Love.)” “The first time I heard that tune, written by Robert’s bass player, Richard Cousins, I fell in love with it,” says Jones. “It’s a really great contemporary blues song because it doesn’t sound traditional and it’s got a great chorus and harmonies. Robert saw a video of our version and gave us the thumbs-up.” It also represents progress, reflecting Jones’ growing modern tastes. 

“When I first started out, I studied old blues records and wanted to be accepted by my heroes. I wanted them to notice that I was staying authentic to the sound. Over the years things have changed, and I want to play and write music that moves me, even if it doesn’t sound like a Chicago blues tune cut in 1956. I feel that I need to play the music that speaks to me personally.”   

An additional highlight is the inclusion of the JW-Jones showstopper – the 17-song medley that rifles through snippets of classic guitar riffs backed by the energetic support of 2018 Maple Blues Award Bassist of the Year Laura Greenberg and the inimitable Will Laurin on drums. 

“It’s been a staple of our live show for years,” says Jones. “People have been asking us to record it forever, so now we’ve finally captured it for everyone to enjoy!” And everyone will enjoy Live, an album for the ages that captures the JW-Jones lightning in a bottle. - Nick Krewen  (freelance contributor for Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, Grammy.com, and Billboard) 

QUOTES

“This young man is one of the people who will keep the blues alive”
- Buddy Guy (7 time Grammy winner) 

“His evolution as a musician and vocalist shine through... JW is the real deal."
- Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones) 

"This is an amazing blues band"
- Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues) 

TRACK LISTING 

1.  A Memo (Nothin’ But Love)  (5:04)
2.  Need You So Bad  (4:05)
3.  I Don’t Believe A Word You Say  (5:59)
4.  Moanin’ At Midnight  (9:37)
5.  Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You  (3:42)
6.  Early Every Morning (4:20)
7.  You’re Gonna Need Me  (4:41)
8.  Catch That Teardrop  (4:46)
9.  That’s Alright  (5:25)
10. Way Down Inside  (3:08)
11. I Might Not Come Home At All / Medley  (5:25)


JW-JONES – LIVE ALBUM - TOUR

28-Sep   Live On Elgin – Ottawa, ON  CD Release Party
29-Sep   Van Aukens Inn – Old Forge, NY
30-Sep   Wakeley’s – Utica, NY
10-Oct    Buddy Guy's Legends - Chicago, IL
11-Oct     Shank Hall - Milwaukee, WI
12-Oct     Ore Dock Brewing Company - Marquette, MI
13-Oct     Famous Dave's - Minneapolis, MN
14-Oct     Ramada By Wyndham - Bismarck, ND
16-Oct     Blues on Whyte - Edmonton, AB
17-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB
18-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB
19-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB
20-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB
21-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB
22-Oct     Wild Bill's Saloon - Banff, AB
23-Oct     The Dream CafĂ© - Penticton, BC
25-Oct     The Flying Steamshovel & Gastropub - Rossland, BC
26-Oct     Finley's - Nelson, BC
27-Oct     Osborne Bay Pub - Crofton, BC
28-Oct     Guilt & Co - Vancouver, BC
1-Nov      Torch Club - Sacramento, CA
2-Nov      Poor House Bistro - San Jose, CA
3-Nov      Covo La Jolla - San Diego, CA
4-Nov      O'Hennings - Bakersfield, CA
8-Nov      Sand Dollar Lounge - Las Vegas, NV
9-Nov      Private Party - San Diego, CA
10-Nov     Tucson Blues Society - Venue TBA - Tucson, AZ
16-Nov     Katie's - Bacliff, TX
17-Nov     Big Easy - Houston, TX