Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Way Back Home , from the Backtrack Blues Band and it's solid. Opening with Going to Eleuthera , a snappy shuffle, Sonny Charles leads the way on lead vocals and Kid Royal is hot on his heels on lead guitar. Rounding out the troupe is Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar, Joe Bencomo on drums and Stick Davis on bass. Victor Wainwright is featured on piano and does a real nice job and Charles really makes his harp sing. Nice opener. On Tell Your Daddy , the band sets a funky dance groove with a boogaloo bass line. Breaking into a smooth shuffle Royal plays it like a stud and the deal is on. Breaking back, Charles brings his harp to the forefront with great tone. Shoot My Rooster has a real nice blues lope with Charles' harp on call and Royal's guitar on response. One of my favorite tracks on the release, this track features super piano work by Wainwright in the mix with Royal and Charles. Excellent. Sonny Boy Wi...

I just received the newest release, Age Don't Mean A Thing , from Robert Finley and it's a powerful new soul release. Opening with high stepping Memphis groove, I Just Want To Tell You , Robert Finley wastes no time establishing that his talent far exceeds his professional experience. An extremely soulful vocalist, Finley traveled north to Memphis to work with members of the Bo-Keys. Players include a who’s who of the Memphis soul scene including drummer Howard Grimes (Al Green, Otis Clay, Syl Johnson, OV Wright), Marc Franklin (Bobby “Blue” Bland), Jimbo Mathus (Elvis Costello), Al Gamble (St. Paul & The Broken Bones, the Hold Steady, Alex Chilton), Kirk Smothers (Jim Lauderdale, Buddy Guy), Reba Russell (U2, BB King), Harold Thomas (James Carr) and Daunielle Hill (Solomon Burke). With full soul backing vocals and Al Gamble's B3 rolling this is a great opener. On title track, Age Don't Mean A Thing , Finley really sings with gut wrenching authority. This track...

I just received the newest release (September 16, 2016), Porcupine Meat, from Bobby Rush and it's a mover. Opening with I Don't Want Nobody Hanging Around , Bobby Rush has a high steppin funky opener featuring a cooking horn section, great bass lines and of course some fine harp work. With a smooth R&B feel, title track, Porcupine Meat , is a real cruiser with Vasti Jackson laying down some tight riffs on guitar over a solid bass line. Very cool. Slow blues number, Got Me Accused , really gives Rush the opportunity to show his deep blues roots. With his soulful vocals and crying harp playing, this track is heavy. Again the strong bass lines really anchor the track and salted lightly with guitar, this track is smokin. R&B track, Snake In The Grass , has strong radio play sound with a catchy hook and a solid beat. Funky track, Funk o' de Funk , has really super bass line and the funk is so deep you can smell it. Punched up horns, keyboard and nicely placed harp ...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Mid-Century Modern , from Al Basile and he's spot on. Sporting a who's who of musicians, Basile mixes blues, funk, rock and jazz for a real Mid-Century experience. Opening with Keep Your Love , Where's My Money , a slick new Orleans style track with a cool back beat, Basile and his crew, Rich Lataille, Duke Robillard, Bruce Bears, Doug James, Monster Mike Welch, Mark Teixeira and Brad Hallen set the club scene nicely. Basile sets a real nice table on cornet, complimenting his vocals and super stylized piano by Bears makes this track sing. Funky, Like You or Despise You , has a cool trumpet vamp by Jeff "Doc" Channonhouse and over a nice bass line by Hallen, Basile lays out a really cool cornet riff and Monster Mike's guitar work is slick. On Midnight Blue Persuasion , a straight R&B groove, Basile presents some of the top vocals on the release. This track has a real nice feel, like R&B from t...

I just received the newest release, Blueberries and Grits , from Sunday Wilde and it's sassy. Opening with New Orleans flavored, Show Me A Man , Wilde's trademark vocal style and piano finesse blends nicely with the trumpet work of Roger Reupert and backed by Sturgis Nikides on dobro, Reno Jack on bass, Rickey "Quicksand" Martin on drums. Latin spiced, Early In The Morning , a Louis Jordan track, is one of my favorite tracks with April Mae on washboard and Dave Fecca on acoustic guitar. Momma's Drinkin's Done has traditional boogie lines featuring strong vocals blanketed in Reupert's trumpet and Wilde's own piano work. Simple rocker, That Man Drives Me Mad , has primitive roots with Mandy Lemons on backing vocals. Billy Earheart's Cottage Pump Organ teamed with Wilde's piano work gives it an interesting sound blended with pop punk phrasing. Radio style track, Too Many Troubles , has a catchy melody and features some nice acoustic guitar wo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tennissippi , from Little Boys Blue and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Tennissippi , singer/harp player, JD Taylor leads a tall strutting blues rocker joined by Tyler Goodson and Brad Webb on super slide guitar, Alex Taylor on lead and rhythm guitar, Dave Mallard on bass, Mark Brooks on drums and Dave Thomas on keys. Super opener. On Lights On , the band has a cool New Orleans style funk (think I Was In The Right Place), with a cool wah wah rhythm and nice horn backing from Ken Waters on trumpet and Bad Brad Guin on sax. Thomas takes a real nice ride on his B3 giving the track a warmer feel. Very nice! Rocker, Pack It Up Baby , is driven by a Mallards' bass work, complimented by a smoking harp solo by Taylor, Alex and Goodson's guitar solos and a super sax solo by Guin. Shuffle track, If I'd A Known , has a nice groove with some tasty guitar work by Alex and Tyler as well as nice B3 solo and a...

I just received the newest release, Dust & Bones , from Gary Hoey , and it's cool. Opening with blues power rocker, Boxcar Blues you get a strong taste of Hoey with a blend of Zep and Paul Rogers. Hoey leads the charge on electric slide and vocal backed by Matt Scurfield on drums and AJ Pappas. Strong. Next up is Who's Your Daddy , a fleet shuffle with the guitar finesse of Skynyrd's,I Know A Little, and driving boogie riffs on bass and drums. Very nice. Born To Love You has the strong drive that I associate with Foghat or Procol Harem blended with ZZ Top rocker. With a great rock style and fluid guitar runs, this disc smokes. Slowing things down a bit, title track, Dust & Bones , has more of a 90's rock feel with ballad like lines and clean guitar melody. Steamroller is a tribute to Johnny Winter with a driving drum and bass line under Hoey on slide (think Mean Town Blues). Solid blues rocker! Lita Ford shares the mic with Hoey on ballad, Coming Home . A w...

I just received the newest release, Blues Revival , from Kat Riggins and she has pure soul. Opening with Now I See (Ooh Wee) , a R&B number with a bit of a James Brown feel, Riggins balances nicely on vocals with Darrell Raines on keys and guitar, some really sweet bass lines from George Caldwell and Doc Allison on drums. Soulful, Good Girl Blue s, has a swampy, lumbering feel with a sensitive bass line and expressive guitar riffs. Riggins' vocal pharsing is smooth and rich. Slow blues number, Wail Away , opens with a nice guitar intro by Raines and Riggins really opens up vocally encouraging Raines to lay it out. Very nice. Shuffle track, Queen Bee , is a solid blues with a cool, low key solo by Raines on guitar. R&B track, Murphy's Law has the hook and melody to be a pop or blues radio track. With it's walking bass line, Music Fiend , has a real nice pace. With just a touch of jazz, this track kicks a groove. After the traditional Let It Shine in simple verse...

Severn Records Sets October 7 Release Date for Seeing Is Believing , New CD from Acclaimed Sugar Ray & the Bluetones ANNAPOLIS, MD – Severn Records announces an October 7 release date for Seeing Is Believing , the new CD from the acclaimed Sugar Ray & the Bluetones. Seeing Is Believing is the band’s seventh album for Severn Records and follows their highly-successful 2014 CD, Living Tear to Tear , which garnered them seven Blues Music Award nominations, including “Best Band,” plus individual nominations for Sugar Ray as “Traditional Male Blues Artist” and “Instrumentalist – Harmonica,” and a song nomination for “Things Could Be Worse.” At the most-recent Blues Music Awards in May, the group was again nominated for “Band of the Year,” as well as individual nominations for keyboardist Anthony Geraci, guitarist Monster Mike Welch and bassist Michael Mudcat Ward. Anthony Geraci’s album with The Boston Blues-All-Stars, Fifty Shades of Blue , received three additiona...

4TH ANNUAL WOODYSTOCK FESTIVAL RETURNS TO HIGH DESERT, FEATURING 2 BIG DAYS OF TOP-NOTCH BLUES AND ROCK BANDS; WITH OVERNIGHT CAMPING ON 10-ACRE WOODARDVILLE RANCH Saturday, October 1 & Sunday, October 2 /Music Starts 11AM  Daily                                   Kenny Cederholm brings his distinct country-blues sounds to the Woodystock Festival when he headlines on Sunday, October 2. Kenny won "Country Artist of the Year" at the 2016 Los Angeles Music Awards. ...