Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I'll Sing The Blues For You , from Trudy Lynn and she doesn't miss a beat. Opening with rockin' blues shuffle, Alright Baby , Lynn is joined by Steve Krase on harp, David Carter on guitar, Terry Dry on bass, Randy Wall on keys, and Matt Johnson on drums. A cool jam, Lynn leads the way and Krase is really jammin'. On Lowell Fulsom's Black Night , Carter steps up with a cool guitar solo, nicely framing Lynn's featured vocals. With a cool bass line by Dry, Thru Chasin' You , has a funky bottom and cool instrumentation. Shuffle, Honky Tonk Song , has a real nice groove with lead harp work by Krase and tight key work by Wall. Memphis Minnie's World Of Trouble is up next and the definite standout track on the release. Lynn's vocals are deep and sultry bathed in blues. Ramblin' Blues is a easy driving blues along the lines of Key to The Highway. Lynn lays it out there capped nicely by K...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Simmered & Stewed by Tas Cru and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with snappy revival rocker, Dat Maybe , Tas Cru is grooving his own tune on vocal and guitar with Ron Keck on percussion, Mike Lawrence on bass, Chip Lamson on piano and Guy Nirelli on organ. Boogie track, Grizzle N' Bone is up next with cool backing vocals by Mary Ann Casale and Andy Hearn on drums, Bob Purdy on bass, Jeremy Walz on guitar, and Nirelli on organ. Somber ballad, Time and Time is a real nice track with super bluesy guitar work from Cru and warm backing vocals by Casale and Alice "Honeybea" Ericksen. Excellent! R&B track, Road To My Obsession has a really cool rhythm along the lines of Tony Joe White. With harp work by Dick Earl Ericksen and stylistic guitar work by Cru, this may be my favorite track on the release. Cover My Love is a cool ramblin song with cool resonator work by Cru, nice harp work by Ericksen and ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Know My Name , by Marty Manous and it's a solid rocker. Opening with title track, Know My Name , Marty Manous is back this opener is a good view of things to come. With Manous on guitar and lead vocal, Mark Wilson on bass, Sean O'Rourke on drums, Joe Morgan on keys and Sketch Ellis on percussion, this track has drive and stinging guitar riffs. Bitches saunters across the floor blues roots and metal sting. Manous' vocals are well suited for this styling and his guitar riffs are relentless. This guy can really rip when he wants to and his keeping the wolf at bey until just the right moment is really cool. Really bad attitude and warm tones. Excellent! My Girl is a solid rocker with tight drum work and a cool hook. James Clark's Look Over Yonder Wall feels a little bit like a Dickey Betts arrangement with country rockin' guitar rhythm and a taste of SRV or Chris Duarte attitude. Manous has his own gui...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, SoulRepo from Michael Hornbuckle and it's cool. Opening with Sweat , a bluesy rocker, Michael Hornbuckle on guitar and lead vocals is joined by Andras Csapo on harp, Jeff Andrews on bass and Desmond Washington on drums paving a nice groove. Me & Melody adds a bit of pop to the mix with a snappy drum riff and a certain melodic hook, reinforced by Alexander "Ace" Baker. With a bit of led in his boots and some funk in his foot, Hornbuckle lays out one of the coolest tracks on the release with a great beat. Sarah Snead on backing vocals adds nice texture and Hornbuckle's own guitar and vocals really hit the spot. Very nice! Bluesy ballad, Risin' Sun is really nicely written with soulful vocals over arpeggiated guitar chords. One of the most soulful guitar solos on the release also makes this one of my absolute favorites on the release. Candle For Mary is another soulful rocker with not only suppl...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Cab Driving Man , from Mississippi Heat and it's a cornucopia of blues. Opening with R&B track, Cupid Bound , Pierre Lacocque is on the harp with sweet tone. Inetta Visor has the lead vocals. Chris "Hambone" Cameron sets up the keys backed by Brian Quinn on bass, Kenny Smith on drums with excellent guitar riffs by Michael Dotson and Sax Gordon on sax. Nice opener. Title track, Cab Driving Man , has great pace with Terrence Williams on drums and sweltering bari sax by Gordon. Visor's vocals are solid and Ruben Alvarez's percussion is tight. Boogie track, That Late Night Stuff features Dotson on lead vocal and his lead guitar work really hits the spot. On delta style blues, Flowers On My Tombstone , Visor lays in some of the best vocals on the release, backed by Sumito Aruyo on piano, Lacocque on harp and Dotson on guitar. Very nice. Icy Blue has a real nice funky bottom to it thanks to Quinn and...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Temperature , from JW - Jones and it may be his best yet. Opening with rocker, Price You Pay , JW-Jones seems to have taken a new direction with tighter riffs and more relaxed vocals. Joined by Colin Linden on guitar, Kevin McKendree on keys, Dominic John Davis on bass and Bryan Owings on drums this is a solid opener. On How Many Hearts , Jones is joined by Jaida Dreyer on second lead guitar and in addition to slick lead guitar riffs and a nice groove, I really like the over saturated tones on the rhythm guitar. Title track, High Temperature is a great blues shuffle and that over driven guitar tone is through the roof. Along with McKendree's key work, Jones lets the guitar off the leash with some real string lashing making this one of the best tracks on the release. Excellent! Who I Am is a really cool track with an almost Robert Cray feel. With it's heavy bass and tight drums, Jones is way out front on vo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mr. Senator , by Murali Coryell and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Mr. Senator , Murali Coryell, son of guitar legend Larry Coryell, leads on vocals and guitar, with Ernie Durawa on drums and Chris Alcaraz on bass. A light radio style track, it has a memorable melody and clean articulate lead guitar riffs and nicely blended guitar additions by Louie Ortega. Dysfunctional Child is an autobiographical modern blues track with a R&B sound. An almost Dickey Betts influence shows through on the guitar riffs, with cool vocal blending and a solid bottom. Tuff Love , has rock feel and strong radio potential. Bill Evans contributes a real healthy sax solo giving the track more bite. One of genius, Leon Russell's best known tracks, also covered very successfully by George Benson, This Masquerade , is covered here nicely by Coryell with his best vocal effort on the release. I really like Levin's bass wor...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cigar Store , by The Smoke Wagon Blues Band and got a bit of everything. Opening with Walking Cane , a funky blues rocker, Corey Lueck has the lead on vocal and Jason Colavecchia on bass and Tibor Lukacs add the hot bottom. Nick Succi brings it on piano and Gordon Aeichele lays down a cool sax solo. Must've Read It Wrong is a driving blues rocker with a solid bass line by Colavecchia. Succi and Aeichele each lay in nice solos and Mike Stubbs' on guitar and Lueck on harp add the dressing. On R&B style track, I Tried , Stubbs lays in a nice intro and Aeichele plays warm sax lines complimenting Lueck's soulful lead vocals. Hoodoo Woman has a real interesting contemporary blues sound, stripped down and basic. With cool raspy vocals and a simple melody line and guitar riff, reinforced by Lueck's harp work. Put The Quilt Out To Dry has a cool percussive feel over a basic, Sonny Boy Williamson feel. With i...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Back To The Shack , from Jack Mack & The Heart Attack Horns and it's solid fun! Opening with Standin' Before The King , Mark Campbell on lead vocal and Melanie Taylor harmonizing lay out a solid rocker with nice piano work by Mike Finnigan, hot bluesy guitar riffs by Andrew Kastner and solid horn work by Les Lovitt on trumpet, Bill Bergman on sax and Lee Thornburg on trumpet and trombone. Cocky, Somethin' In The Water has strong bottom with Tony Braunagel on drums and Bruce Atkinson on bass. Vocal lead by Campbell with backing by Niki J. Crawford, Kathy Merrick and Melanie Taylor works really nicely with Kastner's guitar riffs and the solid backing of the HA Horns. A brassy intro on Don't Let Her Go leads to a smooth radio track. Never Too Late is a nice bluesy shuffle with a balance of guitar riffs and horn punch. It takes a powerful singer to lead this group of guys with intense guitar riffs...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blowin' Down The House , from Big Jay McNeeley and it'S quite cool. Opening with club style funky track, Love Will Never Fail, McNeely shows his trademark squeal and rich horn work that has made him stand out among horn players. On soul track, My Love Never Ended , McNeely hits a solid groove with one of the best tracks on the release and soulful sax honking. Very cool. I've Been Mistreated has a real aggressive sound like early James Brown, Ike Turner or Hendrix. With rockin' guitar work and fat sax work, this track is way cool. Hard driving, Party , really jams with fluid guitar riffs over a rumbling bass lines, Mcneely really gets the place screaming for an exceptional jammer. Swing track, Big Jay's Hop , is a bit more contained but no less rockin'. McNeely's trademark lead sax work is unmistakable and fat fat fat. Blow, Blow, Blow is really hopping with sax sax sax. Excellent! Willie T...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But the Blues  by David Bromberg Band and it's terrific! I've been listening to David Bromberg most of my adult life and he just keeps finding new angles to make it happen. Opening with Robert Johnson's Walking Blues , Bromberg has the lead on vocal and electric guitar, joined by Mark Cosgrove on guitar, Butch Amiot on bass, Josh Kanusky on drums and Bill Payne on piano. Maintaining a traditional but more modern raw feeling, this is a super opener with cool slide work. The clever, How Come My Dog Don't Bark When You Come 'Round? , is really right up Bromberg's alley. A solid portion of his song base is done me wrong, satyric and story telling tracks and he does a real nice job on this one. Adding Nate Grower on fiddle, Steve Bernstein on trumpet, Lou Marini on sax and Birch Johnson on trombone. Little Hat Jones' Kentucky Blues is up next and played straight. ...

Scott H. Biram announces new album and premieres song via Rolling Stone Country Credit: Nate Burrell Bloodshot Records will release The Bad Testament on February 24 + Scott H. Biram will release a new album, entitled The Bad Testament , on February 24 . This will be his 10th album overall and 6th with Bloodshot Records, his first since 2014's Nothin' But Blood . The Bad Testament lands somewhere west of the Old Testament and south of the AA handbook, straddling the chasm between sin and redemption. It’s a record of hard-grinding lost love, blues and deep, dark Americana. PRE-ORDER LINK: https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/album/bad-testament Rolling Stone Country announced the release this morning, along with a premiere of a new song "Long Old Time", saying, "Biram evokes the haunted bluesmen and country singers of the past on the greasy blues number, singing as a man out of options and trapped by his bad decisions." LINK: ht...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The James Montgomery Blues Band , from James Montgomery and it's a cranking homage to Paul Butterfield. Opening with funky rocker, One More Heartache , Montgomery blows the doors open with his always powerful harp, backed by George McCann on guitar, David Hull on bass and Jeff Thompson on drums and punched up by the Uptown Horns including Crispin Cloe on sax, Larry Etkin on trumpet, Arno Hecht on sax and Bob Funk on trombone. Super opener. Nick Gravenites' Born In Chicago gets a bit more bounce that Nick's original and McCann sports a real nice guitar solo opening the way for Montgomery's harp solo. Very cool. Little Walter's Blues With A Feeling is solid and Montgomery's vocals are raw and gritty. I particularly like the tight guitar work by McCann on this track giving it a casual pace along with stinging riffs. Young Woman's Love just has that snap making it sit solid on your foot. McCan...

The Soul Of John Black Early In The Moanin’ Is Greasy, Slippery and Groovy Album Out February 3, 2017 “Whole new brand of soul…” - Rolling Stone “Doctor says I can't be helped - by nobody but thee - now lay some hands on me ” - “Can’t Be Helped” The Soul Of John Black is back – it’s part Chicago blues shaken and stirred with Delta mindfulness and a Memphis soul garnish. The Soul of John Black has not been sold. It’s alive and well. He’s out and about – walking the streets with shades over his eyes.  This eclectic mix of blues, soul, jazz and funk with slices of hip-hop grows arms and legs as it spins on the record player. Early In The Moanin’ will be released on February 3, 2017, on Cadabra Records through CD Baby. John Bigham; “JB” – as he’s known to friends – will be appearing at the 2017 Folk Alliance International Conference for two private showcases on February 17 and 18. This will be a one-of-a-kind acoustic setting showing off h...

 Howlin' Wuelf Media Released on Ruf Records distributed by the In Tune Music Group last month, Make Blues Not War , gets knocked out of the #1 slot on XM Sirius' Rack of Blues by... The Rolling Stones (well, hell!) and but UP to #2 on UK's Roots Music Report. The album hangs on in the Top 10 of Billboard's Blues sales chart trailing The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and the like (not bad company to keep!) This is blues guitar gunslinger Mike Zito's second release since leaving the mighty Royal Southern Brotherhood (Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Yonrico Scott, Charlie Wooton). It has been getting great press coverage and I'm including a small sampling below. It's his 13th album overall and perhaps the most energetic of the bunch. I'm hoping you'll consider covering via feature or album review. Please let me know if you need a DL, CD or stream.  ------------------- ...

RONNIE BAKER BROOKS ANNOUNCES CONFIRMED APPEARANCES  PLANNED TO SUPPORT RELEASE OF TIMES HAVE CHANGED,  HIS FIRST ALBUM IN TEN YEARS Produced By Steve Jordan, Featuring Lonnie Brooks, “Big Head” Todd Mohr, Bobby “Blue”  Bland, Steve Cropper, Angie Stone, Eddie Willis, Al Kapone, Felix Cavaliere, Lee Roy Parnell Out On Provogue / Mascot Label Group January 20, 2017 Chicago, IL --- Ronnie Baker Brooks has announced planned initial appearances for 2017.  Following the Legendary R&B Cruise – At Sea in late-January, he will begin the run at SPACE in Evanston, IL on February 3.  Additional shows are confirmed in St. Paul, Des Moines, Milwaukee and Dubuque (detail below).  Today, the second instant gratification track has been provided to purchasers in front of the January 20 th  release.   Brooks, 49, was born in Chicago, and started playing guitar around age six. At 19, he joined his father, Lonnie Brooks...