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Zac Harmon & The Drive - Live - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live , from Zac Harmon & The Drive and it's super! Opening with soulful, NTRO , Nate Robinson on bass and Gino Iglehart on drums set a solid foundation, with Corey Lacy building on keys and lush guitar work by Zac Harmon and Kingston Livingston really setting the bar. Terrific opener. Blue Pill Thrill has super movement and soulful vocals by Harmon. Lacy on keys works the rhythm with Robinson and Iglehart and Livingston and and Harmon play stinging riffs on guitar really giving this track some kick. Deep blues track, Feet Back On The Ground features Albert King like stinging riffs and super soulful vocals by Harmon. Keeping the music floor low allows Harmon plenty of space to go dynamically from soft to wow quickly adding real emotion to the track. Excellent! Boogie Down is a strong jam with a firm piano base by Lacy giving Harmon plenty of headroom for vocal corralling. Lacy lays in some real tasty keyboar...
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Overton Music artist: Russ Green - Stone Cold - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stone Cold , from Russ Green , and it's a driving blues rocker. Opening with Lint Redux , you are immediately in the middle of a swampy blues with modern effects. With a firm foot stomp by Felix Pollard on drums and Vic Jackson on bass Russ Green on harmonica and vocals really has the earthy feel. Giles Corey on slide gives the track great grease and Green's harp work is strong. Excellent opener. 12 Feet of Water opens with a terrific harmonica aria before grinding into a super drum driven romp. With the feel that I can only describe as Hill Country , Green delivers such soulful vocals, comforted by Joe Monroe on keys, this track just grabs you. Green's harmonica is like a shuddering wind blowing through you with the thumping bass of Vic Jackson and Vince Agwada on guitar. Excellent! Easy going shuffle, Nobody Knows has a smooth, supple melody with backing acoustic guitar, minimal drum work and melodic ha...
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The Scott O'Neal Band - Call Me Mr. Blues - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Call Me Mr. Blues , by The Scott O'Neal Band and it's a good mix of rocking blues. Opening with Nothin' To Gain , Scott O'Neal on lead vocal and guitar gets the track rocking with Carl Dalgren on keys, Mike Hutchenson on drums,  Mark Winley on bass and Brian Waterbury on guitars. Solid opener. Just Another Day has strong radio play bones with a cool melody and solid backing vocals by Casandra Long, Mary Kelley and Merri McKee on backing vocals and Dalgren on keys. Shuffle, Givin' me The Blues , has a real nice feel with solid vocals by O'Neal, warm organ work by Dalgren and vital guitar riffs by Waterbury. Rocker, Cash Is King is one of my favorites on the release with a driving guitar rhythm, piano and bottom and the addition of Max Bouchard on trombone, Brad Moors on trumpet and Alex Holland on sax. Trading guitar riffs with Dalgren on piano, and a standout sax solo by Holland, this is a super...
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Sugar Daddy Records artist: Anni Piper - Men Are Like Potato Chips - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Men Are Like Potato Chips , by Anni Piper and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Devil Bride , Brian Foxworth really set a solid drum rhythm giving Anni Piper on vocal and bass a great platform for her chugging rocker. Ted Swanson   lays in some nicely stylized guitar work and Jimi Bott rounds out the band on percussion. Sassy, title track, Men Are Like Potato Chips , has a vintage blues style lead by Chris Shuttleworth on tuba and Steve Kerin on keys giving the full range to Piper on lead vocal. I do like  Shuttleworth's tuba solo on this one. Cheetah , is my favorite track on the release is tasty guitar work by Swanson, and strong drum beat by Foxworth, John Dover contributing a tight trumpet lead and of course smooth lead vocal by Piper. Thunderous drums by Foxworth open Match With A Sasquatch rocking with Piper's vocals and Tim Langford and the track picks up a hot James Brown funky drum rhyth...
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The NTH Power - Never Alone - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Never Alone , from The NTH Power and it's a solid release of pop based, R&B, funk, rock and reggae styles. On opener, Dream Alive , Nick Cassarino leads the way on vocal and rhythm guitar, backed by Nikki Glaspie on drums and synth and Nate Edgar on bass. I like the soulful vocal and syncopated rhythms on Crave You with rock solid bottom and terrific vocal blending by Glaspie and Cassarino with traces of D'Angelo . Very nice.  Could It Be '74 Remix has a real smooth, old school soulful mix featuring Courtney Smith on keys and vocals and Jon Deas on keys. Very nice vocal harmonies and a punchy bottom make this a certain favorite. Wrapping the release is cool jazz rocker, Simple Life featuring Soul Rebels with Derrick Moss on bass drum and cowbell, Lumar Leblanc on snare, Passport P on trombone, Paul Robertson on trombone, Julian Gossin on trumpet and Corey Peyton on trombone. With a funky lead guitar ...
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Origin Records artist: Barry Greene - Giants - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Giants , from Barry Greene and it's killer. Opening with Lonnie Smith 's, Backtrack , Barry Greene really picked a smart track with a solid blues base. Excellent guitar work by Greene illustrates the body of the composition with a smart B3 solo by Pat Bianchi and hot and heavy drum work by Ulysses Owens Jr. Excellent opener. Grant Green 's Green Street is up next with Bianchi setting the background on B3 and Owens Jr on drums. Greene on guitar really has a nice hand trading lead phrases with Bianchi on this Latin infused number. Wes Montgomery 's fleet footed, SOS really hums along with Green taking the lead on guitar and David Kikoski really chasing on piano. Owens Jr. drum work is light and tight with Marco Panascia on bass and Steve Nelson on vibes is spot on with Kikoski really working the 88's over. Wow! Greene original, In Her Room , is a solid blues opening with duet with Nelson on vibes. K...
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deelagee Records artist: Denise La Grassa - A Crossroads Communion - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Crossroads Communion , from Denise La Grassa , and it's a hard driving blues rocker. Opening with Big Bad Dream , Timothy Walker sets a high pace rhythm with Alvin Santner on guitar and Steven C. Manns on bass setting the stage for Denice La Grassa on vocal. Pounding opener. Bluesy, Who Will Mourn You? , has a lumbering feel with a prominant bass line by Manns and super overdriven guitar by John Kregor a blues soaked vocals by La Grassa. I'll Play The Blues For You is my favorite track on the release with LaGrassa sharing the mic with Manns and the addition of Pierre Lacocque on harmonica and dome really nice guitar work from Santner. Wrapping the release is rocker, Go Bad Mouth Yourself with it's cool drum rhythm and La Grassa adding contrasting organ to her own vocals and funky guitar work by Santner.   If you support live Blues acts , up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more abo...
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