Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release, Slow Burn ,from The Betty Fox Band and I really like it. Opening with a modified James Brown style R&B chugger, Think About It , Fox comes out kickin ass and takin names. She has a really mature attack and with a little Prince and Ella Fitzgerald this track takes off. Kid Royal sets down a real tight funk riff and also shows some cool riffs. Backed by Barry Williams on bass who runs some nice lines of his own, warm keystrokes by Shawn Brown and a not so quiet drummer in Sam Farmer this track is a great opener. A Curtis Mayfield like feel creeps out in Sweet Memories and the richness in Fox's voice is even more apparent... think tastes of a female Al Green. Royal steps up again squeezing droplets of soul from his guitar like a great session musician on an old Muscle Shoals session. Title track, Slow Burn , is a cool soulful ballad that really gives Royal his nicest showcase and he doesn't waste a note. Excellent! Funky, Solid Ground , ...

I just received the newest release, Detroit Thang , from Randy Volin and The Hard Ones and it's a super blues rocker. Opening with When She Says Jump , Volin is out the door with a loping blues number with solid lead vocals and nicely blended harmonies. Volin handles vocals, keys and guitar laying down a nice mix of pop and blues. Come Back Home has a Jimmy Reed feel with nice slide work and, keys and horns. Funky blues, Mr. Johnson , has a real nice driving guitar rhythm and a tight beat. Horns bringing up the back gives it a real funky feel and Volin does a nice job on vocal. It's Gonna Be Alright has a simple raw blues feel but with a rock style beat. Cool drum beat and snappy guitar riffs gives this track a I Want Your Lovin' a Bo Diddley beat. Volin digs in pretty nicely on guitar making this a stand out track. Mofocito has a real 60's kind of sound with possibly a Freddie King feel. This track has a cool twist feel and showcases Volin on guitar. Very nice! B...

NEW ALBERT CUMMINGS ALBUM ! Guitar Wizard Releases "Someone Like You" Albert Cummings, a rare talent renowned for his uniquely muscular yet polished guitar wizardry, has released a new studio CD entitled Someone Like You. The album was produced in Los Angeles by Grammy-winner David Z, and features special guest and labelmate Jimmy Vivino (bandleader on the Conan TV show) on three tracks. Producer Z, who's worked with Buddy Guy, Prince, Jonny Lang, and Gov’t Mule, said, “Albert Cummings writes, plays and sings the blues like nobody else.  What a blast to watch him jell in the studio with some of the best musicians in Los Angeles.” Master builder turned master guitarist, Albert has become a favorite of fans who love soulful, explosive rocking blues.   Double Trouble, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section, was so impressed wit...

I just received the newest release, Scorched Earth Policy: Deluxe , from Brother Dege and it's a smart blend of swamp blues, rock, pop and psychedelia. Opening with Set It Off , a marching rocker, Dege's slide work paired with intense drumming and sonic vocals makes this a natural radio track. With a more rural feel, Pay No Mind has the sound of the pure south utilizing slide resonator behind solid vocals and basic rudimentary percussion. Somewhere has a polished feel with a cool bass line from Ian Guidros and supporting drums from Greg Travasos. Dege's vocals and guitar work are almost hypnotic. Day I Was Born has a real somber melody accompanied by resonator slide and including guitar work by Howie Wells and Danny Devillier on drums. This is a cool track with a heavy feel, kind of like a southern Led Zep. Black Sabbath's Supernaut has a lively almost European feel. Lead slide resonator and a solid drum beat moves this track. Yellabone is an interesting composit...

I just received the newest release, I'll Be Yours Tonight LIVE , from Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion and it's quite good! Opening with a rocker, Your Sun Shines Rain , Schwarz reminds me a lot of early Yeah Yeah Yeahs but done in San Francisco in 1968. Interesting. Fine & Mellow is a perfect title for this track. Schwarz really uses nice phrasing vocally and I particularly like the guitar work of Rob Koral. Pete Whittaker on Hammond and Paul Robinson round this band out nicely, Whittaker even taking a really nice expressive solo of his own. Very cool! High energy rocker (think My Generation), Let Me Sing The Blues with a light country twist gets the crowd moving. Si Genaro joins on harp and Andy Urquhart on trumpet adding even more dimensionality. Koral is not afraid to step out at all and his work on this track is cool and blistering. Smile has a really distinctive San Francisco sound. Vocal tension, instrumentation and backing vocals. Angel Of Mercy for some reason puts...

Stony Plain Records Signs Acclaimed Singer/Guitarist Colin Linden & Will Release His Latest CD, Rich in Love , on September 25 Special Guests Include Charlie Musselwhite, Reese Wynans, Amy Helm and Tim Lauer EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces the signing of acclaimed eight-time Juno Award-winning singer/guitarist Colin Linden and the September 25 release date for his latest CD, Rich in Love . The new CD marks a return to the same label that released Colin’s first studio album, The Immortals , in 1986, and also represents his first new studio recording since From the Water in 2009. Colin Linden’s last album was a live recording released in 2011. To stream an exclusive preview of the song, “No More Cheap Wine,” click here: http://bit.ly/nomorecheapwine Sporting a beautiful cover designed by Jim Sherraden of Nashville’s famed Hatch Show Print, Rich in Love was produced, recorded and performed by Colin Linden (guitars, vocals, ukuleles and mandolins) a...

Heritage Music Bluesfest 2015 Main Stage Lineup BUY TICKETS HERE FRI 7 ·          11:30am - 1:00pm - Taste of the Blues FREE PREVIEW ·          4:00 pm - GATES OPEN ·          5:00 to 6:00 - Eric Gales ·          6:30 to 7:30 - Nikki Hill ·          8:00 to 9:00 - Albert Cummings ·          9:30 to 11:00 - The Lowrider Band ...