Bman's Blues Report

In the mid 1990s we formed the urban blues band So Long Angel, releasing two CDs, "Would it Matter" and "Falling", and touring extensively. In recent times Mike and I have been playing mostly as a duo, enjoying the intimacy of this style and producing two CDs "Restless" and "The Road that you Believe In", which have been very well received and were great fun to record. Last year, we toured the UK as members of the Spikedrivers Blues Roots Revue and had such a ball that we decided to expand our sound a little, so we've got together with Roger Nunn, the drummer from So Long Angel to form the Fran McGillivray Band. We're loving playing as a trio, with Roger switching between full kit and djembe . We think we produce a highly distinctive sound, with lots of scope for dynamics, interplay and rhythmic improvisation. In addition to original songs, our live set features our take on songs by Little Walter, Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon as wel...

Big Walter Price (2 August 1914 − 7 March 2012) was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist. He moved to San Antonio where he released his first song called "Calling Margie" in 1955. In 1955 he moved to Houston, where he lived until his death. In 1960s he singned with Peacock Records and released several of his singles. His song "Pack Fair and Square" was covered by the J. Geils Band on the J. Geils Band album.   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 favorite band!

I just received the new release, Road Worn and Ragged from Jeff Jensen . Assembling a strong cast of supporting players Jensen hits it hard right out of the chute with Brunette Woman , a blues rocker with hot harp from Brandon Santini and rippin' guitar riffs from Jensen. Tom Waits' Heart Attack and Vine has a Cab Calloway style with a mostly spoken lead vocal and a slinky rhythm. Again solid guitar work gives the track a special something but laying the table open for some slick organ work from Chris Stephenson. Possibly my favorite track on the release, Pepper is a fast swing number with a bright and lively guitar lead. Les would be proud... a d*** fine track! Classic blues/jazz track, Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You gets a really strong blues infused jazz treatment and with a slow pace is instrumentally super. Jensen playing Montgomery style licks really shows polish. Morganfield's Crosseyed Cat has an interesting pace with James Cunningham playing almost mili...

NavaCross hail from the Colchester/Chelmsford area and are…. Dean Baker – Vocals Noel Gander – Guitar/Vox/Harmonica/Uke Mike Skinner – Guitar/Vox/Banjo Andy P – Drums/Percussion Gary Choules – Double Bass NavaCross have been on the scene for a number of years, performing at many venues and festivals across the South East, including Gig in the park (Halesworth, Suffolk), G-Fest (Harlow), Fling Fest (Chelmsford), RT fest (Braintree) Minories Gallery (Colchester), The Half moon (Putney, London), Icarus Club (Lewisham), The Bull (Colchester), The Golden Fleece (Chelmsford) The Victoria Inn (Colchester), along with a number of live radio sessions on BBC and St FM stations. Started as an acoustic trio of guitars and vocals, quite soon percussion and drums were added. For a long time we didn’t have a bass player but over time the songs have evolved to necessitate the need for bass. And we are now joined by our friend Gary Choules on Double Bass. Our self titled first album and our ...

I just received the newest release, Play By The Rules , by JT Lauritsen . Opening with William Bell's Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday , Lauritsen lays down an extremely soulful track with essential keys by Paul Wagnberg; clean guitar soloing by Arnfinn Torrisen and Ian Fredrick Johannessen and super gospel like vocal backing from Atle Rakvag, Sven Zetterberg, Larry McCray and Kerry Clarke. Really strong. up next is original track Next Time , a New Orleans style track with jammin rhythm by Jon Grimsby on drums and Victor Wainwright on piano. Josh Roberts plays a cool guitar riff on this track and the vocal backing crew is again spot on. On Play By The Rules vocal duets between Lauritsen and Teresa James and Debbie Jamison are really nice but you also can't miss sizzling slide guitar work by Josh Roberts throughout. Nice job! On Big Walter's Need My Babe , Billy Gibson steps up on harp and pushes Lautitsen who sings lead and also plays harp into a really super Chicago sty...

Blues Boy Kings will be at Newark Blues festival in the autumn. BBKs always looking for more great venues. Coming back soon to THE TAP & SPILE, LINCOLN --- THE CARPENTERS ARMS, BOSTON --- THE RUM RUNNER, RETFORD ---- THE QUEENS ARMS, BAKEWELL and THE HOPE TAVERN, HOLTON LE MOOR. Hope to be in Howden, Ripley, Harrogate, Maryport, Leicester, Birmingham, Sheffield and the rest of the Midlands beckons. See you at a gig soon, check our website www.bluesboykings.com for more GIGS, ALBUM NEWS and other details!   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 favorite band!

            "Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band...For Over Two Decades!"         You're Invited: Howard And The White Boys                             Live Album Recording At        Rosa's Lounge in Chicago - Friday, August 2    (CHICAGO, IL)  - It's the perfect musical match: Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band," Howard and the White Boys, recording their long-awaited new album (and follow-up to critically-acclaimed " Made In Chicago" ) at "Chicago's Friendliest Blues Lounge," Rosa's Lounge , 3420 W. Armitage Ave., this Friday night, August 2. 9:30 p.m. $10. Info: (773) 342-0452 or log onto http://rosaslounge.com/show.cfm?id=102216.   The veteran blues quartet continue ...

I just received the newest release, What's A Little Heartbreak , from JT Spangler . A clever R&B style pop release it has a full blown frontal attack at the airwaves. Opening with No, No , No , Spangler shows his ability to catch the groove and write a down right great track. All Alright is a straight up happy pop track with all of the characteristics that have made successful hit makers for years. Rendezvous has a sneaky rhythm pattern with calculated stops for dramatic highlight. Another track that is likely to see strong airplay, this is all about the melodic singing and slick production. What's A Little Heartbreak gets back to the R&B groove and if you like the pop side of R&B it's hard to find fault with this. Very smooth. Something About You finds Spangler digging a little deeper into soul , maintaining the fine polish of a radio track with subtle backing vocals and keys and staying back on any guitar work. Take My Time has a vague reflection of I P...

With 12 rave-reviewed cd releases and constant globe-trotting since turning professional in 1995, London-born Martin has been called "The Ambassador of British Blues". As adept on acoustic instruments as electric, and as a soloist or band leader, he ranks amongst the most succesfully versatile bluesmen in the world. Nominated best UK Blues Guitarist, Best Harmonica Player, Best Band, Best Acoustic Artist and Best Blues cd release many times, his songs have made it onto TV and film soundtracks and to the song stable of Alligator Records. He has been broadcast live on international radio and tv with 3 sessions for BBC Radio 2, including at the famous Maida Vale Studios. He is now touring internationally with Trio and Big Band to promote his new rave-reviewed cd "Looking Forward Looking Back" ("this album is special" Blues and Soul "Excellent" Blues News) featuring Pee Wee Ellis (ex James Brown) and the Little Big Horns (ex Mick Jagger), and as ...

Adam Gussow and Alan Gross, a.k.a. The Blues Doctors, are Mississippi-based blues veterans who play a mix of down-home Delta standards and urban grooves from the Texas-to-Chicago axis with some New Orleans funk thrown in. They're a two-man band with a full-on sound: Gussow on harmonica and drumset, Gross on guitar, with both men sharing vocal duties. Adam Gussow needs no introduction to fans of the blues. Founder of ModernBluesHarmonica.com, organizer of the Hill Country Harmonica teaching festival, Gussow is best known for his twenty-five year partnership with Mississippi-born guitarist and one-man-band Sterling "Mr. Satan" Magee as the duo Satan and Adam. Their releases include the W. C. Handy-nominated Harlem Blues (1991), Mother Mojo (1993), Living on the River (1996) and Back in the Game (2011). Gussow has performed and recorded with many guitar-men during his career, including Wild Jimmy Spruill, Larry Johnson, Charlie Hilbert, Robert Ross, Andrew "Sh...

John Weldon Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013), known as JJ Cale or J.J. Cale, was a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and musician. Cale was one of the originators of the Tulsa Sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz influences. Cale's personal style has often been described as "laid back". Songs written by Cale that have been covered by other musicians include "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton, "Clyde" by Waylon Jennings and "Call Me the Breeze" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1956. Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he first worked as a studio engineer.[ Finding little success as a recording artist, he later returned to Tulsa and was considering giving up the music bus...

Harmonica player Charlie Sayles is starting to carve out a hard-fought niche for himself in U.S. blues circles, thanks to some help from the London-based JSP Records. Sayles has three excellent albums out on JSP, Night Ain't Right (1990), I Got Something to Say (1995), and Hip Guy (2000). Although life hasn't been easy for Sayles, he seems to have come through the traumas OK. They started in his childhood, when he was shifted from his broken home to a long procession of foster homes. He ended up joining the Army in the late '60s and was promptly shipped to South Vietnam. His tour of duty ended in 1971, and he came back to Massachusetts for a time. Sayles picked up the blues harp while he was in Vietnam, and made a slow adjustment back to civilized society upon his return from three years in the infantry. He discovered the music of Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) after he returned home, and learned all he could from those recordings. Sayles began to make trips to New Y...

Good Rockin' Charles (March 4, 1933 – May 17, 1989) was an American Chicago blues and electric blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter. He released one album in his lifetime, and is best known for his work with Johnny "Man" Young, Otis "Big Smokey" Smothers, Arthur "Big Boy" Spires and Jimmy Rogers. He was born Henry Lee Bester in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, and later known as Charles Edwards. He relocated from his birthplace to Chicago, Illinois in 1949, and was inspired by fellow harmonica players, Sonny Boy Williamson I, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter. In the following decade, Charles found steady work with local Chicago blues musicians such as Johnny "Man" Young, Otis "Big Smokey" Smothers, and Arthur "Big Boy" Spires. In 1955 he settled on working in the backing band for the blues singer, Jimmy Rogers. Two years later, the short-lived independent record label, Cobra Records, offered Charles the o...

Old Pal Records Set to Release New CD from Hank Mowery, Account to Me , on August 6 Album Offers an Appreciation of the Late Blues Singer/Harmonica Player Gary Primich and Features Five of His Songs, Including Two Previously Unrecorded Tunes GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Old Pal Records announces an August 6 release date for Account to Me , the new CD from singer/harmonica player Hank Mowery featuring five songs written by the late singer/harmonica player Gary Primich, including two previously-unrecorded tunes. Account to Me will be available for sale through CD Baby and iTunes, with additional sales info available at www.hankmowery.com .      “We don’t consider this a ‘tribute’ CD, but more of a collaboration with the Primich family,” says Hank Mowery about the new album, which also features Gary’s former bassist Patrick Recob, and detailed liner notes about the songs as well as Primich’s importance to blues by Severn Records singer/...

$10 Fat Possum Sale   Sale Ends August 31 WE HAVE NEW T-SHIRTS, LOOK BELOW   T-Shirts, CDs & LPs are $10 .  Double LPs & Picture Discs are $15 . Visit the Fat Possum Store to begin shopping.       NEW T-SHIRTS