Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 10000 Feet Below , by Eliza Neals and it's quite cool. Opening with a pop blues number, Cleotus , featuring Eliza Neals on vocal and Howard Glazer on guitar and slide. A cool opener with solid roots. On Another Lifetime , Glazer lays down a real nice guitar intro for a steamy blues ballad. Neals' vocals are strong and Glazer's guitar work is tight, backed by Skeeto Valdez on drums, Paul Randolph on bass solid keyboard work by Neals. On rocker, Burn The Tent Down , Glazer's guitar work is raspy and overdriven, nicely complimenting Neals vocals. On boogie style track, You Ain't My Dog No More , Brian Clune leads the way on drums with John Abraham on bass and with hot slide riffs by Glazer, delivers a hot number with a Thorogood flavor. Very cool. A solid pop entry, Cold Cold Night features Paul Nelson on guitar and nicely blended vocals not unlike Buckingham Nicks. Unbridled guitar playing is the tick...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Revolutionary Soul from Derek Davis . Opening with title track, Revolutionary Soul , Derek Davis drives forward with a dance beat, a rumbling bass line, tight guitar riffs and his own solid vocals. Blending acoustic guitar over a wah wah rhythm, and keys, on Rapture , Davis' vocals are well phrased and spot on. Amy Winehouse's Valerie gets a makeover with a funky bottom. Davis's vocals are cool and ever dance-able. Sticking with the light funky groove, Think About It is a high energy R&B style track with a cool bass line strong vocals. With broad wave slide work on the intro and deep rolling bass, Love And Abuse brings the tempo down a bit and with synth horns and classic guitar riffs, this track has great radio appeal. With a real funk/rock style mix, classic blues number, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out , is nearly unrecognizable but with obvious lyrics. Interesting. Quiet soul ballad, Vici...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Misery , from 55 Rose Street . Opening with Black Ice , a cool blues number with a smooth walking bass line by Mick Metz, featuring Sarah Mac on vocal,  Heather Gillis on lead guitar, Chris Balding on harp, Rick Brunetti on drums. On rocker, Ray Of Texas Sunshine , Balding takes the lead on vocal and Gillis lays out some real nice guitar riffs with a jagged rhythm. Cool. The Blues Is What I Live With has a firm 12 bar framework and finds Gillis on lead vocal. Pat Buchanan's guitar attack balanced with Balding's harp work makes for one of the best tracks on the release. Clyde Ramsey has lead vocals on Juke Joint Under The Stars and also adds a nice keyboard line to a tight rock mix. With a nice blues rock form, Empty World is another of my favorite tracks with a cool bass line and Buchanan again stepping up on guitar. On boogie track, Devil Done Put Me Out , Ramsey is back up front on vocal and Balding plays so...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (April 7, 2017), Different Voices from Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues and it's quite different. Corky Siegel, once member of the famed Siegel-Schwall Band, is back with an interesting concept. Orchestral blues. Opening with Missing Persons Blues - Op 25 forms around a traditional Chicago blues theme but featuring the strong sax work of Ernie Watts with Siegel on harp, Jamie Gorgojo on violin, Chihsuan Yang on violin, Dave Moss on viola, Jocelyn Butler Shoulders on cello and Frankie Donaldson on tabla.   One features lush harp work by Siegel and crystal clear vocals by Matthew Santos on vocal, this track having more of a euro, show sound. Time Will Tell Overature - Op. 25 features Sandeep Das on tabla balanced with Siegel and enriched by nicely orchestrated violin accompaniment. On pop track, Lay Down Sally, an Eric Clapton and Marcy Levy composition, Marcy levy takes the lead on vocal, maintaining it's po...

It’s Time to Roll on New MonkeyJunk Vinyl LP Version of Band’s Latest Album, as Stony Plain Records Sets May 5 Release Date Edmonton, AB - Stony Plain Records announces a May 5 U.S. release date for the vinyl LP edition of Time to Roll , the fifth album by award-winning Canadian blues/rock trio, MonkeyJunk . Time  t o   Roll   is unique in that it incorporates elements of all four of their previous recordings with added maturity in songwriting and instrumentation, cementing MonkeyJunk’s originality and sound as its own. It is also progressive for the band, as they’ve added electric bass on most of the songs. No MonkeyJunk recording to date has included bass, but they felt that it would be a welcome addition to MonkeyJunk’s sound. In another precedent, the band also recorded one acoustic track for the first time on the new album. Comprised of Steve Marriner on vocals, baritone guitar, bass, harmonica and organ; Tony D on lead guitar; and Matt Sobb on dru...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Neoprene Fedora , from Rockin' Johnny Burgin and it's spectacular! I've had the pleasure to review a few Rockin' Johnny releases and also to see him in person and I gotta say, there aren't too many players out there right now that I'd rather see. (Check here to see my recent interview with RJB) . He is inventive, his guitar work is clean and distinctive, his vocals are cool and he's music is a lot of fun. Opening with the title track, Neoprene Fedora , Burgin hits the strip running with a 50's style blues surfer with great great vibrato, and cool phrasing. The Latin beat and the shimmery guitar soloing is out of sight and Nancy Wright 's sax work is hot and heavy. Excellent! Joining Burgin are Kid Andersen on guitar, Bob Welsh on guitar, June Core on drums and Chris Matheos on bass. On Guitar King Burgin swings back into his Chicago roots and I really like his vocals. Aki Kumar...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Change My Game , from Thorbjorn Risager & the Black Tornado and it's very interesting. Opening with I Used To Love You , Risager sets a new stage with a calm, poised melody and rich vocals backed by Peter Skjerning on guitar, Emil Balsgaard on keys, Soren Bojgaard on bass, Martin Seidelin on drums, Hans Nybo on tenor sax, Kasper Wagner on sax and Peter Kehl on trumpet. On Funky rocker, Dreamland , the band really hits the groove and the horn section pumping up the work of Bojgaard, Seidelin and Balsgaard I really like this track. Title track, Change My Game has a solid radio format with a spunky beat, clever guitar riffs, a cool funky rhythm and cool horn punctuation. With a blues vamp platform, Risager rides high in a cool, polished blues hollar. Hold My Lover Tight is a solid rocker with a driving beat, super vocals and punchy horns. Another of my favorites. Maybe It's Alright has a universal appeal wit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Transatlanticana , from Bill Kirchen and Austin de Lone and it's a country party. Opening with country rocker, Hounds of the Bakersfield , Kirchen on lead guitar and vocal and Austin de Lone on piano deliver a cool country two stepper showcasing some of Kirchen's super riffs as well as solid backing vocals. Joining are Paul "Bassman" Riley on bass, Malcolm Mills on drums and Louise Kirchen on harmony vocal. On straight country track, Wine Wine Wine , Kirchen really pulls out the country stops on my favorite track of the release. With the addition of Bobby Black on pedal steel this track is classic. Shifting to a bit more of a JJ Cale style blues rocker, De Lone takes the lead on vocal for a cool radio track, Let's Rock . Oxblood is a rock n roller featuring Kirchen and Butch Hancock on lead vocals. With Kirchen on baritone guitar and driving it, de Lone on super piano and Gurf Morlix on guitar, Davi...

REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND RELEASES NEW VIDEO FOR “ONE MORE THING” New CD Front Porch Sessions debuts at #1 on the iTunes Blues charts and at #2 on the Billboard Blues charts, just behind the Rolling Stones. BROWN COUNTY, Ind. — “One More Thing” is the latest video from Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band ’s new Thirty Tigers release Front Porch Sessions . The Reverend speaks for the working class in this hauntin...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Meeting My Shadow by Vanessa Collier and it's quite good! Opening with dark, slinky, Poisoned The Well , Vanessa Collier has a great sound as a lead vocalist and her clavinet work on this track and especially her haunting flute work on track one is intoxicating. I really like the bass line by Lenny Bradford and Nicholas Stevens' drum work. Excellent opener. On R&B track, Dig A Little Deeper , Laura Chavez created a cool traditional guitar rhythm and Collier adds her solo sax work to the horn work of Marc Franklin on trumpet giving the track a bit more punch. When It Don't Come Easy has a smooth southern blues rock featuring Chavez on electric guitar and resonator guitar and getting some of the best vocal warmth from Collier. Rock n roller, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Lime features a bit more of Collier's solo sax work with her vocals and some nice piano work by Charles Hodges.  Soul track, You...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Reckoning , from Billy T Band and it's smooth. Opening with soul title track, Reckoning , lead vocalist and bass player William R. Troiani (Billy T) is up front and taking the spotlight backed by Haakon Hoeye on keys and guitar backed by Ian F. Johannessen laying down some real nice lead guitar work, Robert Alexander Pettersen on drums and with Isa Caroline Holmesland, Tara Terese Waaler Waervagen and  Lise Voldsdal on violins, Marius Roe Navik on viola and Kaja Fjellberg Pettersen on cello. Very smooth radio track...think Boz Scaggs. On Shame Shame , Billy T is more in an R&B groove with a super bass line and Steve Cropper like guitar riffs. On Your Own features Johannessen on slide and Billy T balancing nicely on vocal and bass with Pettersen on drums.  With a real 60's style R&B intro, Sad Man is a perfect radio track with a solid melody and smooth vocals. Acoustic based ballad, One Of These Days , ...

Rock 'n' roll icon and musical master Chuck Berry died Saturday at his home west of St. Louis, Missouri, authorities confirmed. He was 90. The guitarist and musican defined the art form's joy and rebellion in such classics as "Johnny B. Goode," ''Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Roll Over Beethoven" in a career that spanned 7 decades and earned him countless accolades. Emergency personnel summoned to Berry's residence by his caretaker about 12:40 p.m. found him unresponsive, police in Missouri's St. Charles County said in a statement. Attempts to revive Berry failed, and he was pronounced shortly before 1:30 p.m., police said. A police spokeswoman, Val Joyner, said she had no additional details about the death of Berry, calling him  "really a legend." Berry's core repertoire was some three dozen songs, his influence incalculable, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to virtually any group from garage band to arena ...