Bman's Blues Report

MASCOT LABEL GROUP LAUNCHES PLAYERS CLUB IMPRINT WITH RELEASE OF KOCH MARSHALL TRIO ALBUM TOBY ARRIVES ON FEBRUARY 23, 2018 The Koch-Marshall Trio Are American Guitarist Greg Koch, His Son Dylan Koch On Drums and Hammond B3 Specialist Toby Lee Marshall New York, NY --- Mascot Label Group has announced the release of Koch Marshall Trio’s Toby Arrives on February 23, 2018.  This will be the first album on the new imprint THE PLAYERS CLUB .  At the heart of this organ trio is a blues sensibility - but Koch's compositions are an amalgam of rock, funk, jazz and country served up with heavy grooves and dynamic improvisations delivered with no small dose of humor and occasional wild abandon. The trio blends the explosive guitar manipulations of Greg, the groove-centric, power-pocket playing of his son Dylan on drums (who share many telepathic musical moments) and the glorious, Hammond organ stylings of the uber-talented Toby Marshall, Greg’s compositions a...

Stony Plain Records Signs Acclaimed Canadian Roots Guitarist/Singer Sue Foley and Will Release Her Label Debut CD, The Ice Queen , March 2, 2018 Special Guests on New Disc Include Jimmie Vaughan, Z.Z. Top’s Billy F Gibbons and Charlie Sexton EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces the signing of acclaimed Canadian roots guitarist/singer Sue Foley, and will release her label debut CD, The Ice Queen , on March 2, 2018. Produced by Mike Flanigin, who also plays organ on the new disc, The Ice Queen was recorded at Firestation Studios in San Marcos, Texas. Joining Sue Foley as special guests is a trio of legendary Texas guitarslingers – Jimmie Vaughan, Z.Z.Top’s Billy F Gibbons and Charlie Sexton - as well as a host of other Lone Star State all-stars, including Chris “Whipper” Layton (formerly of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble) and George Rains (drums), Derek O’Brien (guitar), Chris Maresh and Billy Horton (bass) and The Texas Horns: John Mil...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Keep Walking Woman , from R.D. Olson and it's pretty cool. Opening with high stepper, Baby Boomer Blues , R.D. Olson plays harp and sings with backing by Eric Williams on piano, tenor and bari sax, Jamie Waldron is on bass, Darryl Porras on guitar and Robert Sellani on drums. With a real kicker, swing style, Sheila has a great beat and Olson's vocals are tops with a snappy guitar solo by Porras, a nice piano by Williams, big tom toms by  Sellani and hot harp work by Olson. On slow blues, Miss New Orleans , I particularly like Williams' piano and sax work and Porras' guitar phrasing is very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Johnnie Walker with it's somber overtones and warm sax tones and powerful vocals along the lines of Screamin Jay. This is my favorite track on the release, hands down with great feel and an exceptional jazz infused blues guitar interlude. Excellent! Wrapping the r...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Too Many Bad Habits , by Johnny Nicholas & Friends and it solid hard core blues. This 2 disc masterpiece opens with Mandolin Boogie featuring Johnny Nicholas on mandolin, piano and vocal, Link Davis jr. on tenor sax, Bill Marbry on fiddle, Ray Benson on guitar, Tony Garnier on string bass and Lucky Oceans on drums. On Looks Can Be Deceivin' , Nicholas teams up with Martin Gross on drums and E. P. Jones bass. Very nice. On a strong arrangement of Walter Vinson's Sitting On Top Of The World, Nicholas plays top notch piano riffs and with a sax solo by Davis, this is a super track. Another cool track is Rock My Blues Away with a standard 12 bar format but hot piano riffs and also featuring Nicholas on lead guitar. Big Walter Horton on harp and Johnny Shines sit in on Blues Walk , a crisp instrumental. Nicholas also covers Mr Son House's Grinnin' In Your Face , one of my all time favorite songs. Very n...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Something I've Done , by Downchild . Opening with a high energy Albany, Albany lead vocalist Chuck Jackson leads the way with strong underpinnings by Michael Fonfara on piano and a super sax solo by Pat Carey. Worried About The World is a pumped up boogie with a driving bass line by Gary Kendall with Mike Fitzpatrick on drums, Donnie "Downchild" Walsh on guitars and crisp harp work by Jackson. Very nice. Soul ballad, Take A Piece Of My Heart , has a rich melody and Jackson's vocals, balanced with hot sax, Fonfara's piano and trumpet work by Peter Jeffrey makes this a certain standout on the release. The sax wags the tail on piano boogie, Mailbox Money with solid vocals and some of Downchild's best guitar work on the release. Blues swinger, She Thinks I Do has a cool groove with rhythm piano, riding organ and pumped up horns. Title track, Something I've Done , has a great bass line, tight ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Healing , from Dave Keyes , and its a breath of fresh air. Opening with boogie shuffle, Change , David J. Keyes on bass lays down a nice groove, with Dave Keyes on lead vocal and piano, Stephen Rushton on drums and Rob Paparozzi on harp backed by Alexis P. Suter, Vicki Bell and Ray Grappone on vocals. Very cool opener. On Bo Diddley flavored, Not So Nice Anymore has a great tom tom beat and nice piano work by Keyes, topped by fiery slide work by Popa Chubby. R&B track, Ain't Looking For Love has a real nice feel with warm vocals by Keyes and a nice duet with Vanese Thomas. I particularly like Paparozzi's harp work on this track. Very nice. Robert Johnsons's Traveling Riverside Blues is one of my favorites on the release with Chubby smoking the strings and Keyes digging in deep on vocals, laying down some real nice piano riffs and with Frank Pagano on drums. Keyes solos out on Boogie for Stefan, an ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Better Late Than No Time Soon , by Leonard Griffie and it's a mover with a definite R&B bottom. Opening with Look Me In The Eye, Griffie on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Doug McAlister on bass, Mark Stever on drums, Michael Vannice on keys, and with highlights by Gordon Greenley on trumpet and a hot solo by Randy Scherer on sax. I Got News is a real cool soul track, highlighting Griffie's love for this music and with tight highlights from Greenley and Scherer. With a melodic guitar solo of his own, one of my favorites on the release. Very nice. Cool shuffle, Leave This Town has a cool strut and stinging guitar riffs. Another R&B track with a country twist, You Done Stepped In It Now has a real nice feel with snappy drums and slick slide guitar. Funky, Ain't No Happy Home , has a solid bass line and tight trumpet riffs really setting it apart. It's Wilson Pickett like cadence and bluesy...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, ... to the Edge , from 61 Ghosts and I quite like it. Opening with Heartbeat , a forward rocker, Joe Mazzari on lead vocal and guitar, Dixie Deadwood on drums and J.D. Sipe on bass have it going on. With Bob Seger like vocals and raw, jangly guitar work, this is a solid opener. No One At Your Door has the drive and sound of a solid raw rocker. Mazzari has the vocals and the style. Right on! My favorite track on the release is World Gone Crazy with flamboyant guitar work, raw vocals and abundant energy (with a blues twist). Excellent! If Tears Were Dirt continues the onslaught with White Stripes like attack. Crisp, focused drumming and flailing guitar riffs give this track great edge without losing it's way. Very nice.  Wrapping the release is acoustic number, Passion Tipped Arrow with a light, Roger Waters like touch. A solid track to close a really cool release.   If you support live Blues acts, ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 9 Miles To Nowhere , by Jeff Fetterman , and it's quite good! Opening with funky blues rocker, Somebody Get Me A Doctor , Fetterman on lead guitar and vocals sets a great stage. With a nice groove and solid vocals, backed by Eric Brewer on guitars, Ralph Reitnger III on bass, John McGuire on drums and Judy Kessler on vocal and percussion, this band is rocking. Nice round tone opens Something Just Ain't Right and the stomping woodblock snap is pure magic. Brand New Day has a tight, thumping bottom and a real good blues rock feel. Fetterman's sense for dynamics is nice with compressed neck pickup picking balanced with open bridge soloing. Goodbye John Brown has a snappy drum riff that really delivers for me and Fetterman's slide works nicely with his rugged vocals. The smoothest track on the release is Broken Hearted , T-Bone Walker progression, just set up for perfectly for lead guitar soloing. A real nic...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Everything Intertwined , from Tom Savage and it's a solid rock release. Opening with Forever, a rocking ballad, Savage on vocal and guitar, shows influences of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond, joined by Tony Silvestri on keys, Seamus Cowan on bass and backing vocals and Bonz Bowering on drums. Title track, Everything Intertwined , is a quiet ballad with a solid melody and acoustic backing. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Sad When You're Not With Me with a catchy melody and warm keys and strong but understated guitar. With more of a humble country rock feel, like the Band, another strong entry is Come Home with Savage's best vocals on the release. Pushing further into the rock arena, 17 Years has a rock solid bottom, twangy guitar riffs and a rocking beat. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Cold But Free , a strong ballad with a good melody and simple but effective instrumentation...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Howlin' At Greaseland , from Kid Andersen's Greaseland Studios and it's strong. This all-star tribute release to Howlin' Wolf features many of today's greatest blues players. Opening with Meet Me In The Bottom , Alabama Mike is upfront on lead vocal backed by Rick Estrin on harp, Alex Pettersen on drums, Bobby Yamalov on bass, Kid Andersen on guitar and slide and Lorenzo Farrell on piano paving a wide path. On Smokestack Ligntnin' , John Blues Boyd has the mic, joined by Rockin' Johnny Burgin and Kid Andersen, Joe Kyle Jr. on bass, Estrin on harp, D'Mar on drums and Jim Pugh on piano. Very nice. Howlin' For My Darling features Terry Hanck on sax and vocals, backed by Johnny Cat Soubrand on guitar, Andersen on bass, Pettersen on drums and Pugh on piano. Both Hanck and Soubrand stretch a bit instrumentally adding nicely to the tight groove.  Tail Dragger is upfront on I'm Leaving Yo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Honkin' & Jivin' At The Palomino , from Big Jay McNeely and it's hot! Kicking down the door on the opener, Palomino Hop , McNeely has flames coming from his horn, backed by Marty Rifkin on pedal steel, Steve von Gelder on fiddle, Dale Watson on guitar, Ronnie Mack on guitar, Keith Rosier on bass and Billy Block on drums. Excellent! On Don Gibson's,  I Can't Stop Loving You , McNeely set out a soulful rendition not unlike Ray Charles own arrangement.  Pretty Girls Everywhere has a cool, sixties twist, beach sound with fiddle work by Gelder, Steel by Rifkin and Big Jay on vocal and sax. Shuffle track, Honky Tonk has extended instrumental lead from McNeely and Gelder plus a great pounding return. Very cool.  Bluesy, Young Girl Blues is set deep with the best vocals by McNeely, and balanced soloing throughout. Wrapping the release is Big Jay Shuffle , and excellent closer with Big Jay honkin' ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Time Tomorrow and it's quite good. Australian, Lloyd Spiegel 's ninth release opens with Devil On My Shoulder , a rumbling blues rocker with a rough acoustic sound and swaggering edge. Backed by Tim Burnham on drums, and Arunachala on percussion, this track is solid. Spiegel handles lead vocal and guitars and his electric guitar soloing searing through the music like a hot sword gives it a smart balance. With a jazzy rhythm and stinging but muted guitar soloing, All The Cats Are Grey should have broad appeal with nice a melody for the ladies and clever guitar riffs for the dudes. Kansas City Katie has a cool Tex Mex flavor thanks to Spiegel's guitar work and his vocal phrasing quite reminds me of Glen Frey but his overall sound and feel is much more desirable. On rocker, Lost Like Me , Spiegel carries the melody broadly on his vocal shoulders with spanky guitar riffs reinforcements. Cure My Soul has a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rescue , from Kelly Z and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with James Brown's What Do I Have To Do , Kelly Z has that driving sound, backed by Teresa James, Shari Puorto and Lisa Orloff Staley on vocal, Rick Reed on bass, John Marx on guitar, and Bryan Head on drums. Mo Beeks really ramps in up with some super keyboard work and the horn section featuring Andy Najira on sax and Stan Martin on trumpet pump up the sound. On The Shirelles' Baby It's You , Kelly shines with only minor changes from the original arrangement one upped by nice trumpet work by martin and guitar soloing by Perry Robertson. Mike Bloomfield's ballad, You Don't Realize has a solid feel, backed by Barry Goldberg on B3 and Roy Weigand on trumpet. Very nice. Tina Turner's high energy Trying To Find My Mind is up next with sassy vocals and featuring Chuck Kavooras on slide. Isaac Hayes' Do Your Thing is my favorite track o...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Been Good To Me , from James Armstrong and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with title track, Blues Been Good To Me , James Armstrong has a great rolling rhythm going leading the way on vocal and guitar. John Kattke on B3 adds a real nice feel joined by Matt Murdick on keys and Darryl Wright on bass. Second Time Around has a nice slide sound by Armstrong and with his smooth vocals and a modified rock beat. Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love gets a cool, loping swing and Armstrong makes it his own, backed by Amy Slack and Kimberlie Helton as well as the horns of Bryan Fritz, Corey Fritz and Kasimu Taylor. Early Grave is a real nice R&B track and has not only a great feel but premium guitar soloing, vocals and additional vocals by Johnny Rawls and Mary Jo Curry. Very nice! Funky, Old Man In The Morning (Young Man At Night) has a great JGW /WWW R&B/blues feel and clever hook making it one of my favorite...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Always Turn The Blues On , by Val Starr & The Blues Rocket . Opening with shuffle track, High Time To Go , Val Starr, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist has the floor showing G&R vocal styling in true Axl flare with John Ellis on bass, Frankie Soul on lead guitar and Paul Farman on drums. Boogie track, Whether Blues , with it's droning bass line gives Daniel Castro a real nice chance to stretch out showing his blues chops on lead guitar.  A real cool shuffle track, You Better Stop has a super walking bass line and fluid guitar lead by Steve Wall. Bad Luck & The Blues has a real nice feel with some of Starr's best vocal work on the release, lower octave guitar work, nice piano work by Todd Morgan and complimentary harp by Tim Baron. Two stepper, The Baby Mama Song shows a twist of country highlighted by Starr's vocals and the key work of Morgan. Bye Bye has a real nice slinky feel and a light...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Up All Night , from Albert Castiglia and it's smokin! Up to his 7th release now and still getting better, Castiglia opens with Mike Zito's Hoodoo On Me blistering his way on guitar and leading on vocal. Joined by Jimmy Pritchard on bass and Brian Menendez on drums, this is a great opener. With a heavy footed rock beat, I Been Up All Night is a classic funk rocker. Castiglia has great presence with fluid blues riffs and raspy vocals over the big bass lines of Pritchard and tight drumming of Menendez. Excellent! Driving rock n roller, 95 South is a super track highlighted by real nice slide work by Sonny Landreth. Another Mike Zito track, Quit Your Bitching has beautiful slow blues phrasing and may be my favorite track on the release. Smooth vocals, inspired guitar soloing lead the way. Cyril Neville's Unhappy House Of Blues has a solid blues bass with a great harp topping by Johnny Sansone. Another rock...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (November 17, 2017), The Luckiest Man , from Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters and it's really strong. Opening with Don Robey's Ain't That Loving You , and a great groove featuring Diane Blue on vocals, the band is smoking. Earl's perfect syncopation on his solos backed by Dave Limina on keys, Forrest Padgett on drums and Paul Kochanski on bass...excellent opener. Jim's Song is a quiet, introspective track using primarily guitar chords as the skeleton and guitar lead soloing as a lush environmental flesh. Very nice. With a cool swing, Blue is back up front on Heartbreak (It's Hurtin' Me) . Limina really takes the floor with his B3 solo and Earl tears it up nicely with great balance and style. Soul track, Never Gonna Break My Faith really shows off Blue's vocal style at it's best. Earl and Limina carry the weight, but this track is all about Blue and she kills it. Sugar Ray Norcia...