Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release, Spaghetti Juke Joint from Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo and it's a blast! Opening with Sonny Boy Williamson's Bye Bye Bird , Poggi on harp and lead vocals has the joint hopping already. Guitar riff master Enrico Polverari really drives the boogie and with reckless abandon... Boogie! Up next is Slim Harpo's King Bee with a New Orleans feel set up by the drum march styling of Gino Carravieri. Claudio Noseda lays down a really nice piano base and guitar slide king Sonny Landreth trades terrific riffs with Poggi. Excellent! Another boogie track, Little Milton's The Blues Is Alright is a special track being one of the best versions of this track that I have heard. Featuring the smooth guitar flair of Ronnie Earl, driving bass lines of Tino Cappelletti and strong back beat of Caravieri this track is cool! Original track, Devil At The Cross Road , has a real nice gait and stinging guitar riffs from Polverari. Excellent! On Junior ...

I just received the newest release (February 17, 2015), Ain't In No Hurry , from Jorma Kaukonen and it warm and soothing. Opening with a laid back version of classic Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out , featuring Jorma on vocal and guitar, Myron Hart on bass, Justin Guip on drums and Larry Campbell on mandolin and fiddle. A loose folk country jam creates a very nice opener. The Other Side Of The Mountain has a rockier but acoustic feel with Campbell and Jorma trading riffs. Woody Guthrie's Suffer Little Children To Come Unto Me has a distinctive Jorma/Dead sound with a cool recurring guitar riff. In My Dreams is a quiet acoustic ballad featuring Jorma, Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin and Myron Hart on bass. Very nice! Sweet Fern is a true country classic with a waltz rhythm, my last time hearing it was on the Porter Wagoner show. Joined by Teresa Williams on vocal, and with Campbell on lap steel it definitely has a early country feel and performed much more clean...

Introducing Half Pint Blues A Unique Show for today's youth Social Media/Internet Radio station Blues102.com has raised the bar again starting in January Blues 102 will be adding an additional show to their list of programs, this show will be titled 'Half Pint Blues'. Half Pint Blues will be a blues show targeted for kids. Kool Breeze, one of Blues 102's radio hosts, approached Blues 102 Program Director Bill Kenton with the idea. Bill immediately agreed saying, "This ties in to our mission statement of supporting the blues and doing our part to keeping the genre alive and flourishing.  It's the children that legacy will fall to."  Kool Breeze adds that, "It's all about the kids." Gizmo Media Stations management team, Rich Strunck, Katrina Kenton, and Bill Kenton are extremely excited about the Half Pint Blues offering including the initiative and follow through exhibited by Kool Breeze. Sai...

I just received the newest release (1/13/15), the real thing , from D.A. Foster and it's a lot of fun. Opening with Good Man Bad Thing , D.A. Foster gets up a funky groove with Mike Finnigan on B3 and Lenny Castro on percussion. Darrell Leonard (trumpet)and Joe Sublett (sax) put down some warm horn work and Johnny Lee Schell blows through with fome hot fret work backed by Julie Delgado, Nita Whitaker and Mike Finnigan on backing vocals. On title track, The Real Thing , Foster gets a real strong sway going with Finnigan on piano and bluesy guitar riffs from Schell. Tony Braunagel on drums and Larry Fulcher on bass set the pace. We All Fall Down has a real nice R&B feel with lead guitar work from Josh Sklair and piano work from David Garfield. With Steely Dan brilliance and smooth vocals, this is the top radio track on the release. Funky Ain't Doing Too Bad gets Foster into a whole new territory with a swampy groove punched up by the horn section. Very nice! Soul track, ...

It is with great sorrow that we learn that the great James Wheeler has passed away. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. We will release more details as they become available. James will be greatly missed at Rosa's Lounge , in the Chicago blues community and throughout the world. He was one of the sweetest human beings we have ever encountered and what a wonderful singer and picker he was too. Rest in sweet peace our dear James. Blues guitarist James Wheeler was born in Albany, GA, on August 28, 1937. His earliest musical influences were the big bands of the time, especially Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and his first idol, Louis Jordan. Following his older brother Golden, Wheeler moved to Chicago in 1956. Golden had started playing harmonica in the clubs, becoming friends with many blues musicians, including Little Walter. It was after the move to Chicago that James Wheeler picked up the guitar and started jamming with local musicians. Wheeler's...

I just received the newest release, House Money , from Wumbloozo and it rocks! Opening with blues rocker, Lucky 13 , Michael Richard is up front on lead vocal and guitar and Herbie Katz on harp. Stan Harrison warms the bottom on keys and Mark Peters on bass and Ben Beckley on drums keep it tight. On funky track Losin' Ticket Blues , guitarists Greg Krueger and Richard on guitar add a lot of the funk to Richard on lead vocal and Beckley really has the groove. Very nice! Eric Brown joins on harp on I Lost My Key To The Highwa y, a straight up 12 bar number hitting a nice duel with Krueger on the bridge. Still Still Night is a quiet bluesy ballad featuring strong vocals from Richard. Subtle harp harmonic lines from Katz nicely appoint the track. Title track, House Money is a pop track with a Dire Straits/country flair. Stylized guitar work from Richard and Kreuger adds a nice touch to this radio styled track. Night Train hits the road running with Joe Bull on lap slide. A driving ...

Acclaimed Guitarist Arlen Roth Convenes a Slide Guitar Summit on New CD, Due January 13, with Special Guests Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin, Produced by Tom Hambridge CD Release Performance with Special Guests Set for Nashville’s City Winery on January 20 to Include Screening of Film Documentary on the Making of the Album RIDGEFIELD, CT - Guitarist Arlen Roth, the “Master of the Telecaster,” announces a January 13 release date for his new CD, Slide Guitar Summit , which teams the acclaimed musician with an incredible lineup of fellow slide guitar greats – Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin – for what promises to be one of the most celebrated albums of the new year. Produced by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge, Slide Guitar Summit was recorded at studios in N...

I just received the newest release, Buckle Up , from Steve Krase and it really cooks! Opening with a fast paced 50's style rocker, Jolene , piano man Randy Wall hits the floor running and sets a healthy pace for Krase on harp and vocals. James Henry lays out the slide and this track is on fire! Cherae Lerie adds rockin background vocals with Terry Dry on bass and Michael Morris on drums. Daddy's Got A Cadillac has an eclectic blues rock feel with steady slide work and nice harp riffs. With just a pinch of country, this track reminds me a bit of early ZZ Top. Blues classic, I Just Want to Make Love To You takes on the characteristics of the remake by blues rocker Foghat but with a flavor all it's own. Featuring round harp riffs from Krase and deliberate vocal style of Krase ad Trudy Lynn, this keeps more of the ruggedness of the original with an updated rhythm. Very cool. Misery is a smooth 12 bar with really nice harp work from Krase. With a solid groove this is a grea...

British singer Joe Cocker, whose had hits that included "You Are So Beautiful" and "Up Where We Belong," and a contortionist style of performance memorably parodied by John Belushi on "Saturday Night Live," has died. He was 70. His London-based agent, Barrie Marshall, said Cocker died Monday of lung cancer in Colorado, where he has lived for the past two decades.   © The Associated Press FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2000 file photo, singer Joe Cocker poses in Central Park in New York. Cocker, best known for the songs, "You Are So Beautiful," and the 1980s duet "Up Where We Belong," with Jennifer Warnes, died Monday, Dec. 22… Cocker, a song interpreter more than a songwriter, first became known through his hit cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends," and a characteristically manic performance at the ...

I just received the newest release, Live In Lerwick , from Steve Lury and Andres Roots and it's simply cool! This live performance was recorded at the Shetland Blues Festival in Lerwick in September of 2013. Opening with Jr. Wells' Tomorrow Night , Steve Lury handles vocal and harp and Andres Roots on slide guitar with Peeter Piik on bass. Next up is Sonny Boy Williamson's Born Blind . Roots is excellent on slide nicely balancing Lury's harp work. With a very stripped down approach but with modern amplification, the notes soar. On Tampa Red's Rambler's Blues they pick up the pace a bit and Lury really digs in for some great harp riffs. Roots original, Build Me A Statue , has a slow and somber pace. With Roots leading the way on a slide guitar melody and nice harmonizing on harp by Lury, this is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Very nice! On Robert Jr. Lockwood's Take A Little Walk With Me , Roots really winds out the slide, Elmore James style, w...

I just received the newest release, Modern Classic , from Robin Banks and it has an appeal all it's own. I've listened to this a number of times now and it has a clearness and clarity that is rarely heard in today's music. Opening with A Man Is Just A Man , Banks demonstrates the clarity of her voice and also her intentions of making a album of music that came out of a '57 Chevy. It has that kind of simple human quality. Superhero is a easy bop with really nice guitar work from Duke Robillard. Again the sound is early sixties pop. I Really Dig You goes back even a bit further to possibly Dinah Washington and that early pop jazz sound. Bruce Bears on keys and Robillard spice up the track with clarity and swing and Mark Early lays out a real nice sax solo as well. Crazy has some really cool guitar effects and Doug James really lays in some nice Bari sax. Mark Teixeira keeps the rhythm tight giving it a nice sparkle and again Early steps up and kicks it! My Baby Love...

I just received the newest release (January 13, 2015), Living By The Minute , by Josh Hoyer & The Shadowboxers and I really like it. Hoyer's last release, a self titled CD was hot and this one is a super followup. Opening with soul strut title track, Living By The Minute , Hoyer with his strong soulful voice and fine keyboard playing backed by Denny Kushner on guitar and vocal, Justin G. Jones on drums and vocals, Josh Bargar on bass and vocal, Mike Dee on sax and vocal, Tommy Van Den Berg on trombone, Brian Morrow on flute and Hanna Bendler, Kim Moser & Megan Spain on backing vocal really hit the groove. Excellent! Misfit Children has a funky jazz groove with a hot horn/organ thing. I particularly like the drum riffs by Jones on this track popped by Morrow on flute. Great track! Over The City is s soul/R&B ballad with warm backing vocals and cool trombone by Van Den Berg. A Man Who Believes His Own Lies has a strong radio vibe with swinging pace and pop backing vo...

I just received the newest release, Ghosts , from Bill Phillippe and it's quite true to it's form. Opening with Robert Johnson's classic, Come On In My Kitchen , Phillippe uses an arrangement very similar to Johnson's own with simple accompaniment but with to my ear more of an African influenced guitar style. Very interesting. Father's Lament is a quiet acoustic ballad with a beautiful melody. Broken Cup has a nice 3/4 pace and war vocals with clear acoustic support. One of my favorites, Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning , has a modern approach to a classic track. With a much more rudimentary beat and contemporary vocals it has a new appeal to contemporary listeners. Tightrope is a moody ballad with a haunting melody. Big Bill's Dream has an interesting sound with blues like strumming but with subtle hints of western music. Traditional track, Motherless Children , has an entirely different feel with a contemporary feel but with thumb bass and a country bl...

These guitars feature stunningly beautiful woods, at times distressed by insects, fungi, and mineral spalting. The organic shape of each instrument is a blend of the shape suggested by the particular piece of wood, inclusion of the natural “raw edge” where practical, and ergonomic considerations. Woods that are both structurally sound and stable are hand carved into three-dimensional musical sculptures; woods that are not structurally sound are laminated to woods that are structurally sound, yielding a more traditional aesthetic. Electronic and pickup offerings will vary, with an eye toward minimizing the visual impact of these non-organic components while retaining versatility. Neck woods are typically vertical grain mahogany or eastern maple, with ebony fretboards; some will have custom inlay. Neck details include fretboard binding to match the body wood and a headstock overlay to match the body wood. Finishes are natural oil to enhance grain depth and detail; they are long-wea...

I just received the newest release, These Blues - The Best of Donald Ray Johnson , and it's quite good. Opening with Al Green's Ain't No Fun To Me , Johnson hops right on Al Green's rhythm train and sticks it! Cool harp work over the melody gives it a more bluesy taste that Green's original R&B track. Gone So Long has a real nice blues saunter with call and response vocal/guitar riffs. An extended guitar solo with a Taj Mahal feel sets it off. With BB King style, title track, These Blues has a solid drive and stiff guitar riffs. A cool sax solo also sets this track apart. Pop ballad Always On My Mind is performed by Johnson with accompaniment on acoustic guitar. A crisp electric guitar solo add nice flavor. Slow Down Baby has a big swing and fat sax. One of the nicest grooves on the release, the guitar is hot and tasty. R&B style track Here To Stay features Johnson's vocals carried on a warm sax ride and a light percussion bass. Me And Jack (Danie...

I just received the newest release, The White Man Made Me Do It , by Swamp Dogg and it's a funky soul party. Opening with funky title track, The White Man Made Me Do It , with a nod to Prince, it's Dogg on vocal and piano leads a large troupe of musicians including Moogster (keys), Charles Hayes (tenor sax), Andy Najara (bari sax), Phil Ranelin (trombone), Roy Weigind (trumpet), Steve "Stoney" Dixon (bass), Billy Haynes (bass), Lucky Lloyd Wright (guitar), Bill Barrett (trumpet), Troy Lombard (trumpet), Larry Williams (tenor sax), Michael Murphy ( organ and keys), Guitar Shorty (Lead Guitar) and Dan Weinstein (string ensemble). Lying, Lying, Lying Woman has more of an R&B sound with a driving beat. Hey Renae has a funky reggae beat and features a nice keyboard solo. Up next is Sam Cooke's, You Send Me , with a different spin on the nicely slung R&B tune. A smooth sax solo dresses this track up nicely against real nice lead vocals. Let Me Be Wrong is ...

RUTHIE FOSTER PICKS UP THIRD CONSECUTIVE GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR PROMISE OF A BRAND NEW DAY Also nominated for the Koko Taylor Award in Blues Music Awards AUSTIN, Texas — Singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster has been honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) with her third straight GRAMMY nomination for Best Blues Album . Foster’s Promise of a Brand New Day , produced by Meshell Ndegeocello , follows nominations for The Truth According to Ruthie Foster in 2009 and Let It Burn in 2012. The GRAMMY Awards are held February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles. Ruthie Foster also received a nomination for the Koko Taylor Award, honoring notable female blues artists, in the Blues Music Awards ceremony to be held May 7, 2014 in Memphis . Released Aug. 19 on Blue Corn Music , Promise of a Brand New Day features special guests Doyle Bramhall II and singer Toshi Reagon . ...

I just received the newest release, Southside Blues Jam , by Junior Wells and it's great! This is another in a series of reissues from Delmark with in this case 6 additional tracks. This release was recorded in December '69-January '70 at Theresa's Blues Bar and one could only have wished to be at one of these shows! Opening with Sonny Boy Williamson's Stop Breaking Down , Spann hits the first key and Wells unleashes that monster voice. It's really great to hear this band featuring the kings of Chicago blues (Wells, Guy, Myers, Spann, Earnest Johnson and Fred Bellow). Wells has such control and composure with Spann who is one of my personal favorites. Excellent! I Could Have Had Religion is up next and Spann is right there! This track comes and goes so quickly but Spann in crystal clear and Wells has the blues in the palm of his hand. Willie Dixon's Just Make Love To Me (I Just Wanna Make Love To You) is right down in the groove and Spann is stellar. W...

Drummer Aaron Comess has delivered by far his most straight ahead, purely-jazz album to-date, a high energy collection of originals and seminal covers inspired by an era that changed the course of his musical life: the Miles Davis Group from 1964 to 1968 (with Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter ,) as well as by the John Coltrane Group (featuring Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison ,) between 1962 and 1965. Comess’ new CD, entitled ‘Aaron Comess Quintet’ and set for March 2015 release, aims to evoke the joyful intensity he felt when exposed to this music. He comments: “The music made by these two groups changed my whole way of thinking -- and to this day are as inspiring as when I first heard them.”   This is a traditional jazz project, recorded live on-stage over the course of three sets and featuring Keith Loftis on sax ( Roy Hargrove, Michael Carvin ,) Barney McAll on piano ( Gary Bartz, Kenny Garrett, Jimmy Cobb ,) Richard Hammo...