Bman's Blues Report

           "Nelson tackles not just traditional blues, but rock, country and even a bit of jazz. It’s quite the mix, but Nelson deftly pulls off the transitions. One thing about Nelson is that he’s a heck of a talent on the guitar: if Brian Wilson thought he was starting fires in the neighbourhood where he was recording Smile just by making music, Nelson pretty much starts infernos every time he touches his instrument’s strings. The guy can shred, particularly at slide guitar, and his voice is somewhat reminiscent of heartland rocker John Hiatt. " - PopMatters Drew Nelson , conceivably one of Canada’s most criminally underrated musicians, is back with his first album in eight years and a renewed determination to reignite a successful career that he had almost turned his back on. The Ottawa based singer/songwriter/guitarist decided to focus on domestic life for a while after many years of playing 200-plus dates. “I gre...

I just received the newest release (October 28, 2014) Legacy , from Dave Ray and I have to say the intensity of these recordings is staggering. I've been listening to the raw blues since I was a kid and am really only familiar with Ray's work in passing. This is a 3 disc collection of blues tunes with roots in the 20's, 30's and 40's which for the most part has never been widely available. Disc one is primarily solo work, recorded between 1962 and 1987. 16 tracks beginning with Leroy Carr's Alabama Women and you would swear that this is a clean recording of an original artist from the time. Excellent! Included on this disc are a number of tracks written by Ledbelly, Brownie McGhee, Skip James, Sleepy John, Muddy, Blind Blake, originals by Ray and concluding with an incredible version of Fenton Robinson's Loan Me A Dime . Outstanding! The second disc covers 1988 to 1994 and the Ray and Tony Glover Years. 21 tracks on this disc are a little more polished...

I just received the newest release. Heart 'O' Chicago from Liz Mandeville and it's quite cool! Opening with Cloud Of Love , a blend of soul, R&B, funk and gospel; I really like the feel! Featuring sax solo's from Oz Landessberg and Eddie Campbell as well as a cool trombone work from Eric Campbell and hot bass from Darryl Wright, this smokes. On These Blues , the band falls back into a calm swing and Mandeville goes from a hot spiritual vocal style to more of a club jazz style. Minoru Wright on guitar and Joan Gand share the instrumental spotlight backed by Wade baker on trumpet, Eric campbell on trombone and Oz Landessberg on sax and the slick stick work of Jeremiah Thomas on drums. Don't Doubt My Love finds Charlie Love in a vocal duet with Mandeville on an easy R&B track. Maruyama lays down a nicely stylized guitar solo on this track which nicely dresses it. So Called Best Friend has a cool groove set by Wright and Thomas and featuring Mandeville on ...

Chris Duarte Group Lucky 13 Blues Bureau International 14 October 2014   Chris Duarte Group emerged on the scene out of Austin, Texas, in the early 90’s and gained notoriety after wowing a packed room of industry insiders at the South X Southwest convention. In the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s passing, Duarte quickly gained a national reputation as a young m...

I just received the newest release, Warning Shot , from Mississippi Heat and it's real nice! Opening with Sweet Poison, an Elmore James like track, featuring Inetta Visor on vocal and Giles Corey on super slide. Pierre Lacocque lays in some smoking harp work backed by Neal O'Hara on piano, Brian Quinn on bass and Kenny Smith on drums. Alley Cat Boogie is a fast paced boogie with a driving piano line from O'Hara and Andrew Thomas on drums. Visor really rolls with the vocals on this track backed by Mae Koen, Diane Madison and Nanette Frank on backing vocals. Lacocque rips a super harp solo on this track and Sax Gordon blows a fine solo of his own! Come To Mama has a definite New Orleans flavor with added percussion from Ruben Alvarez. O'Hara puts a real authentic spin on the piano work and Gordon adds some really cool sax work to compliment Lacocque's excellent harp phrasing. I Don't Know is a club style ballad and Visor really digs into her vocal style. L...

Yonder Mountain String Band Announces 4-Day NYE Run @ Boulder Theater December 31, 2014 - January 3, 2015 Boulder, CO Boulder, CO -- Thursday, September 25, 2014 -- New Year's Eve in Boulder, CO has become a tradition for Yonder Mountain String Band . Come ring in the New Year at the Boulder Theater for a 4-night run with plenty of foot stompin' and hand clappin' as Yonder burns it down with special guest violinist Allie Kral and mandolin player Jake Jolliff ; additional special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. This year, YMSB kicks off the run on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. On New Year's Day, the venue will roll out some mighty fine Bloody Marys and other libations to help fans start the year off right as YMSB keeps the party going through Saturday, January 3, 2015. Pre-sale tickets are now available via YMSB's Tour Page with the general on-sale starting this Friday, September 26, 2014 via the Boulder Theater box offic...

Too Bad Jim Exclusively Reissued for Vinyl Me, Please Record of the month club, Vinyl Me, Please, announces the upcoming exclusive pressing of R.L. Burnside’s Too Bad Jim in the year that marks the 20th anniversary of its release. Available only to Vinyl Me, Please members, the 180-gram vinyl reissue includes a custom poster insert (24” x 24”) and is limited to 4,500 hand-numbered copies. Accompanying the album is a bespoke piece of commissioned artwork by Andrew Gunthardt and a cocktail recipe to complete the listening experience. “Fat Possum Records is proud to share this special edition of R.L. Burnside’s Too Bad Jim with the members of Vinyl Me, Please. Produced by New York Times music critic Robert Palmer and recorded in 1993 at Junior Kimbrough’s juke joint near Chulahoma Mississippi Too Bad Jim is Burnside at his best, with a family band and “adopted son” Kenny Brown on second guitar. This record and Junior Kimbrough’s All Night Long are the records that started it all...

   THE CASH BOX KINGS PERFORMING IN PHOENIX, AZ! "The Cash Box Kings' cast of aces sizzle the hip side of classic Chicago blues with an old delta branding iron. A prime homage to the blues' rich history with creative, enthusiastic twists." - Hittin' the Note The Cash Box Kings  make an appearance in support of their latest award-winning CD, Black Toppin ' ,  as follows: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH THE RHYTHM ROOM 1019 E. INDIAN SCHOOL RD 602-265-4842 8:30 PM  $10 These illustrious torchbear­ers skillfully capture the essence of postwar Memphis and Chicago blues, while adding their own bravado, energy and freshness to the mix.  No less an authority than recent Grammy winner Charlie Musselwhite said, "The Cash Box Kings play with taste and feel and it was faith restoring to know there are guys out there that still know and appreciate real blues."    Black Toppin' won the Blues Blast Music Award for "Bes...

I just received the newest release (October 14, 2014), Ragged & Dirty from Devon Allman and it's surprisingly good. Devon's uncle Duane was one of my absolute influences into music listening and everything Allman which was to follow has always been pale by comparison. Devon Allman has finally struck on something really special and I'm happy to be reviewing it. Pairing up with writer,producer Tom Hambridge has been a super decision and this music is a result. Opening with Half The Truth , a blues rocker with a Robert Johnson flavor but a fresh attack is really borrowing from the original Allman Brothers song book. They had a unique ability to take an original blues track and make it sound fresh. Hambridge and Allman have taken a brand new approach with a totally new song based upon a seasoned riff and come out on top. Allman has a really cool voice and a guitar voice all his own. Can't Lose 'em All has a funky rhythm and Allman, joined by Hambridge on drums,...

I just received the newest release (9/23/14), Walk Away , from Jimmy Carpenter and it has style. Opening with Can't Let Go , a strong melodic track featuring Carpenter on vocal and sax, Anson Funderburgh and John Fohl on guitar, John Gros on B3, Casandra Faulconer on bass, and Wayne Maureau on drums. Title track, Walk Away , has clean simple vocal harmonies and a slick funky beat featuring cool sax work from Carpenter. When You're Ready , another catchy tune, shows a stronger hand on guitar with the addition of Mike Zito and a stinging solo results. She's Not You is a slower ballad with a cool sax intro from Carpenter. Reba Russell adds nice backing vocal on this track and Gros warms the bottom with organ melodies allowing plenty of space for Carpenter to solo further on sax. Coming off with a strong strut, 7th Street Shuffle has a real nice swagger led by Carpenter on sax. Fohl has a nice op to lay down a cool guitar solo and Gros is right there with B3 over a solid l...

Let me preface this review by stating I am an unabashed fan of Roy Buchanan and have been since I was 18 years old. I have heard a lot of his recorded material both production and bootleg varieties. I've seen him play live numerous times, particularly during the time period of these recordings. So there's a degree of bias here. The recordings took place for tracks 1 through 7 during a gig at My Father's Place , a famous house of blues on Long Island, NY, back in 1978. The final 3 tracks were recorded in 1984 with a completely new band when Roy returned to that venue. I believe these recordings which come from the sound board were once available as bootlegs. There once was a Yahoo! fan group called Roy's Live Recordings which traded in non-production bootlegs of Roy's concerts. And that's where I think I may have first heard this stuff. But even that's been more than 10 years ago so I cannot be sure. Anyway, this is a production release by Rockbeat Reco...

Clarksdale, Mississippi's 2nd annual Delta Busking Festival pays tribute to blues music's street musician tradition   DELTA BUSKING FESTIVAL FEATURES THE HISTORIC STREETS OF CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI, AS A FREE STAGE FOR THE BLUES   Clarksdale, Mississippi – This weekend, the Delta Busking Festival returns for its second year in blues-historic Clarksdale, Mississippi. It is part of the tri-state area's Bridging The Blues roster of events.   "As far as we know, this is the only blues festival created in tribute to the Delta's street musician tradition," said festival co-organizer Roger Stolle, also owner of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art. "From Robert Johnson to Foster 'Mr. Tater' Wiley, the blues has always been built on the tips and exposure that street performances offer hard-working musicians."   This year's Delta Busking Festival runs Friday-Sunday, September 26-28....

I just received the newest release, Evangeline , from Blind Lemon Pledge and it is cool and quirky. First I've got to say, I really dig his name and sense of humor. Opening with work farm track Buley's Farm , I really think this track is cool and like nothing I have heard recently (except of a Taj Mahal release, Mulebone I think). Featuring solo vocal lead by BLP and backed by the Mississippi State Prison Farm Jubilee Singers and just a stripped down acoustic slide part, this track is about as spartan as they get. Very cool! Next up is Jennie Bell , an acoustic ballad in the flavor of early Bob Dylan. Brimstone Joe is a cleverly constructed ballad with a really nice melody. Breaking the basis of the track and expanding into a ragtime track with Hugh Jorgan on keys and Isaac Izzy Cumming on drums. Midnight Assignation is really a stripped down rocker like a New York poet. With some simple but fluid slide riffs this track is a nice contrast to the balance of the release. Go...

Acclaimed Blues Artist Rory Block Salutes Skip James on Her New CD, Hard Luck Child , Coming October 21 on Stony Plain Records Latest Album Is the Fifth in Her “Mentor Series” Paying Tribute to Those Blues Masters Who’ve Influenced Her Music EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces an October 21 release date for Hard Luck Child: a Tribute to Skip James , the fifth in acclaimed acoustic blues artist Rory Block’s “Mentor Series” of recordings saluting those blues masters who’ve had a profound influence on her music. On her latest album, the multi-Blues Music Award winner pays tribute to Skip James, one of the most important country blues artists in history, whose songs have been recorded by a host of contemporary musicians over the years including Cream, who covered perhaps his most famous song, “I’m So Glad,” on their debut album in 1966. The 10 tracks on Hard Luck Child include nine original Skip James songs and the Rory Block original compositi...

I just received the newest release (10/7/14), Blues Scars , from the Skyla Burrell Band and it rocks! Opening with title track, Blues Scars , is a funky rocker with a stinging guitar attack. Burrell handles the lead vocals and shares guitar work with co founding guitarist Mark Tomlinson, and strongly supported by Ezell Jones Jr. on drums and Michelle Lucas on bass. Bluesin' For Your Lovin', a nice Texas style blues rock slams back the door and Burrell's vocals very soulful. Rocker Trouble has a bunch of snap. With it's twisting/surf styling, this is a cool rocker with bright guitar riffs. Stuck In A Struggle is a lighter pop rock track but Burrell's unique vocal style gives it teeth. With it's driving beat, this is a cool radio track. Somber ballad, Love Letters In Blue , has some nicely stylized guitar work and crisp drumming from Jones supporting the vocal work of Burrell. Livin' For The Blues is a modern blues shuffle with a cool bass line from Lu...

I just received the newest release, Reconsider Me , and I really like it! Opening with Fenton Robinson's You Don't Know What Love Is , Myles shows that he has a terrific voice for soul and guitar riffs to match. Joined by Derrick 'D'Mar Martin on drums, Endre Tarczy on bass and keys, Kid Andersen on rhythm guitar and keys, Nate Ginsberg on piano and keys and Lisa Andersen on backing vocals this track is hot! My definite favorite on the release. Rory Gallagher's Do You Read Me is really hot with a funky flavor and Gallagher's intent blended with SVR's flair. This is a really interesting track an one that will likely appeal to a broad audience. One of my favorite old Elvin Bishop tracks, Rock My Soul , is up next and even though it wasn't a Mickey Thomas era track, Myles vocals have a Thomas timbre. A fun track and a feel good track. Breaking into a full rock track, Myles breaks loose with cool rock riffs and Anderson's backing vocals really add a n...

Aside from her newest release, Making My Mark, Annika Chambers has been busy! She recently completed her degree at the University of Houston, Downtown in  December of  2013 in Corporate Communication. She has also been Nominated for Best Blues In Houston by Free Press Houston.  Her musical career has continued to flourish as she opened for Shemekia Copeland, Carolyn Wonderland and performed Mess Around at the blues music awards Memphis in May 2014 with Jeff Jensen and gang,  Pearland Crawfish Fest, Springboard South Houston, Big Music Festival,  Tall City Blues Fest (midland),  Navasota Blues Fest and  played with Brandon Santini during the IBCs 2014! Here my review of Annika's most recent 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 favorit...