Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release (Feb 3, 2015), Morose Elephant , from Jeff Jensen exhibiting a broad spectrum of cool music. Opening with Make It Through , a happy springy bluesy track, Jensen leads the way on vocals and lays out some pretty nice guitar riffs. With a taste of R&B, Victor Wainwright adds a Whirlitzer layer and Reba Russell adds to it's spiritual feel. Get Along is a pretty straight up rocker with Bill Ruffino on bass, Robinson Bridgeforth on drums and Kirk Smothers and Marc Franklin bringing up the horn section. Jensen shows he's no beginner with some really hot guitar riffs as well. Ballad Fall Apart with its soulful lead guitar work coupled with Jensen's vocals, Chris Stephenson on keys and Smothers and Franklin on horns make this one of the strongest tracks on the release.  Going Home is given a little funk with great backing vocals by Russell and nice horns by Smothers and Franklin but Jensen really shines at the lead on both guitar and voca...

Lee Palmer, Al Cross, Lance Anderson, David Woodhead, Elmer Ferrer       Toronto based singer-songwriter and guitarist Lee Palmer has released two full length CDs, both recorded live off-the-floor. His third recording is set for release in Spring 2015.   “Those Winter Blues” is a sneak peek from Lee Palmer’s third album,  Like Elway .  The seasonally correct single highlights well known Toronto musicians Al Cross, David Woodhead, Lance Anderson and Elmer Ferrer. Elmer Ferrer also mixed, co-produced and co-wrote the track “Wonderful Life”, from Like Elway , to be released in the Spring of 2015. Respected recording engineer, George Seara recorded the 10- track, live album at Noble Street Studios in Toronto. It all took place one cold winter day, this past December. “Those Winter Blues" is available on CD Baby, Radio Submit and Airplay Direct. Quotes:   "...Americana with a big arching A, incorporating blues, f...

NEW RELEASE FROM SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK & BNOIS KING NOW AVAILABLE!   Blind Pig Records has released Fat Man's Shine Parlor ,  the latest studio album from Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King , one of the most talented guitar tandems in any genre. Joe and Bnois have been thrilling music fans all around the world with their red-hot Texas rockin' blues for twenty-five years, and have developed into a dynamic musical tour de force, with Joe's flame throwing guitar work complemented by Bnois' cool, jazz-inflected playing and soulful vocals.  Their incendiary live shows feature two top flight guitarists intuitively locked in with each other and backed by a firepower rhythm section, making for a powerful and irresistible combination. Regarding the CD title - as a young musician, Smokin’ Joe Kubek would venture in the wee hours after a gig to a declining, somewhat unsavory Dallas neighborhood in search of fried chicken. A comme...

I just received the newest release, Boomerang , from Eric Sardinas and Big Motor and it rocks! Opening with with kick ass Run Devil Run , a blues rocker with a strong back beat and great slide. Great opener featuring Sardinas on vocal and slide, Levell Price on bass and Byran Keeling on drums. Kicking out the stops with a real rocker is title track Boomerang . This is a hard driving rocker with the heart of a freight train. Taking down the tempo a little, Tell Me You're Mine keeps a heavy rock flavor but with slide and blues riffs, it's hard not to hear the blues roots. Sardinas has his own slide style which breaks the Duane Allman/Derek Trucks/Bonnie Raitt mold influenced more by the likes of Steve Marriott or Johnny Winter to my ear. Morning Glory has a much more acoustic blues feel featuring mostly Sardinas on slide and vocal. Very nice. Bad Boy Blues takes the standard 12 bar format and classic guitar riffs complimented by Dave Schulz on keys. This is a straight forw...

BO & THE BLUESDRIVERS ARE SOCAL'S HARDEST-WORKING BLUES BAND WHO ARE NOW ON TOUR THROUGHOUT 2015 Performing Locally: Sue's Tavern in Frazier Park - Saturday, February 7        “I’m out on the streets again/I’ve been sleeping in my car/I got these worn-out shoes/ Just smoked my last cigar,” drawls the St. Augustine, FL, native known simply as Bo, front-man of Bo and the Bluesdrivers , buttressed by a stinging guitar and a sturdy rhythm section held down by longtime musical partners, Bluesdrivers bassist Brian “Chewy” James and drummer, J. J. Garcia.    * Bo and the Bluesdrivers perform locally at Sue's Tavern , 3440 Mt. Pinos Way, in Frazier Park, Saturday, February 7. Showtime 9 p.m.-1:15 a.m. Free Info: (661) 245-1100 or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sues-Tavern/ .    Bo and the Bluesdrivers Cover Story in the December issue of All Access Magazine. Read it here: http://allaccessmagazine...

I just received the newest release (2/10/15), Heart Of Memphis , from Robin McKelle & The Flytones and it's got a cool vibe. Opening with About To Be Your Baby , a funky, high stepping, horn infused soul track. If you grew up in the 60's and 70's listening to Al Green and the like, you'll certainly find this groove! Up next is Good Time , a faster, Ike Turner like track again in the soul vein. Thick with horn and including a tambourine, this track is jumping. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood , made popular by The Animals, gets a bit of a kick in the pants with a faster pace, unusual key work and brighter vocals. Control Yourself is an easy paced ballad with pop jazz overtones. It really has a nice bop making me think a bit of Badu. Very cool! Delbert McClinton's Forgetting You is a soulful ballad with simple horn backing and a country twist ... almost like a Muscle Shoals recording.  Title track , Heart Of Memphis is an easy soul ballad with a simple back ...

D.A. Foster ~ The Real Thing Shaboo/VizzTone 01/27/2015 "Four decades in R&B music. Now it's his time. He's the real thing...." Mike Finnigan We're doing some additional work for D.A. Foster above and beyond the work being undertaken by VizzTone. Please reply if you would like a review copy. D.A. Foster learned to sing the blues from some of the greats, up front and personal. Starting at age 19 and all through his 20's (1971-1982), he was hands-on co-owner of the legendary Connecticut roadhouse, the Shaboo Inn. The Shaboo introduced newcomers like Aerosmith, the Police, Hall & Oates, Journey, ACDC, Cheap Trick, Dire Straits and Elvis Costello, and hosted blues greats by the week — Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King, Bonnie Raitt, and ...

I just received the newest release (February 17, 2015), Way Down South , from Igor Prado Band and Delta Groove All Stars and it's smokin! Opening with Ike Turner's, Matchbox , Sugaray Rayford leads the way on vocal and Prado really romps the guitar. A heavy slung blues, Prado throws stiff riffs and wild trem work making this a terrific opener! John Hunter's, Ride With Me Baby has an easy rock beat with deep blues roots. Kim Wilson has the lead on vocal and Prado shows his fleet fingered guitar work. Yuri Prado on drums and Rodrigo Mantovani on bass keep it tight. Muddy Water's She's Got It , featuring Mud Morganfield on lead vocal sounds like it's right out of 60's Chicago with Ivan Marcio on harp and Donny Nichilo doing a great Otis Spann. Morganfield, Marcio, Nichilo and Prado really do capture Muddy's band sound with a lot of authenticity. Very cool! Lowell Fulsom's Baby Won't You Jump With Me features Ari Borger on piano and Lynwood Sli...

Celebrating The Blues With Heartfelt Gospel Feeling Seven veterans of the blues unite and share the feeling with the world About six months ago Neil Barnes, a west coast bluesman here in the United States, contacted me about a project he had been working on for years.  He told me about his idea of assembling great soulful, powerful voices along with a band that could deliver a sound as if it came out of heaven. I must say that Neil had my attention. So we worked together and created the one sheet that would accompany the new release as it went into radio distribution. Months would go by and every once in a while I would get a note from Neil letting me know the project was very much alive and that he was grateful for my patience and my assistance.  In one such note he let me know that he had retained Todd Glazer, the Alaskan Blues Radio promoter.  This meant...