Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tree Of Life , from Patrick Coman and I really like it! Opening with Heartbeat , a rangy, bluesy, somber song Patrick Coman, singer/songwriter/guitarist sets a certain mood. Joined by Peter Parcek on lead guitar, Marco Giovino on drums, Tom West on keys and Joe Klompus on bass, a great opener. Good advice on stripped down rocker, Don't Reach , Coman blends early British, punk, rock, folk and a lot of other sounds to get this really cool sound. A loose but fluid guitar solo by Parcek kicks the track nicely. With a twist of cha cha and a real nice bari guitar solo and cool female vocal harmonies by Abbie Barrett and Kylie Harris. The Judge has a real Johnny Cash spank. Coman's vocals are loose and cool and Parcek's guitar work is perfect. Super! Another track with a cool country rock twang is 9-5ers with a real country style guitar solo and drums ... and get this...tuba (nice job Neal Pawley). One of my favo...

Powerful Soul Ensemble Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Set to Release Sophomore Recording Run To Me out April 27 followed by hometown CD launch party April 28 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto Watch/Share new live video for "All Night Long" here For Immediate Release: March 29, 2018 (Toronto,ON) - Toronto-based Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar’s latest recording, entitled Run to Me , is scheduled for release on April 27, 2018. Produced by Darcy Yates (bassist for Bahamas), the new album explores the full range of the vicissitudes of love: desire, betrayal and, at times, emotional and sexual satisfaction. The lyrics are incisive, the melodies are constantly arresting and the harmonies and arrangements call up the best of the soul sounds of Stax Records and such contemporary artists as Leon Bridges, Sharon Jones, and Lee Fields. Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar’s ...

INSTRUMENTAL SOUL/JAZZ ACT DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO KICK-OFF THEIR 2018 U.S. TOUR DATES IN APRIL IN SUPPORT OF THEIR RECENTLY RELEASED ALBUM " CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR ” DLO3'S "CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR”  JUST DEBUTED AT #1 LAST WEEK ON BILLBOARD’S CONTEMPORARY JAZZ CHART , AS WELL AS LANDING AT #3 ON THEIR JAZZ CHART AND #20 ON THEIR HEATSEEKERS CHART! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO'S "CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR" VIA SPOTIFY COLEMINE RECORDS TO RELEASE A VERY LIMITED RED VINYL PRESSING OF "DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO LIVE AT KEXP!"  ON RECORD STORE DAY! DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO 2018 TOUR DATES Apr 02 Earshot Jazz Festival - Seattle, WA Apr 12 Sonic Boom Records - Seattle, WA Apr 14 Dakota Jazz Club - Minneapolis, MN Apr 15 Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA Apr 16 Reggie’s, Chicago, IL Apr 18 Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 - New York, NY Apr 19 Funk N Waffles - Syracuse, NY Apr 20 Beachland Tavern -...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Feeling Fine , by Marshall Lawrence and it's a solid rocker. Opening with title track, Feeling Fine , Lawrence on lead vocal and guitar is joined by Zach Daniel Robertson on bass, Alan Beveridge on drums and Andrew Glover on keys, the band has nice vocal harmonies somewhat similar to Good Rats. Country/blues flavored rocker, Ida Mae , has a cool shuffle spine and aggressive guitar lead and tight drums reminding me a bit of Molly Hatchet. Blues number, Blues Still Got Me has a great 12 bar feel. Grinding guitar lead gives this track a definite edge making it one of my favorites on the release. Bluesy ballad, Help Me Find My Way Home , has strong radio appeal with a nice melody, modest but interesting guitar lead and well balanced backing. Latin flavored, Keep On Walking , features Lawrence on slide guitar and he sets a nice groove. With tight drum riffs and a solid bass line, this is a great lead into the release cl...

THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING TO APPEAR ON NPR'S MOUNTAIN STAGE New CD, The High Cost Of Low Living , Debuted At #3 On The Billboard Blues Chart Nick Moss's muscular, electric energy combines jaw-dropping guitar, gruff, soulful vocals and impassioned songwriting. Gruenling is a contemporary harmonica master...impressive, genuine and fresh-sounding. --Living Blues The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling , whose newly-released Alligator Records debut CD The High Cost Of Low Living entered the Billboard Blues Chart at #3, recently recorded a live performance for NPR's celebrated music show, Mountain Stage . Over 240 NPR member stations around the country will begin airing the program this Friday, March 30. Air times and stations can be found here . The High Cost Of Low Living is already earning rave reviews, as are the band's must-see live shows. The album is a tour de force of the classic Chicago blues ensem...

Webb Wilder & the Beatnecks Set to Unleash Some Powerful Stuff! April 27 on Album of Previously-Unreleased Tracks Recorded from 1985-1993 Via Landslide Records NASHVILLE, TN - Landslide Records is excited to announce an April 27 street date for its next release, Powerful Stuff! , by veteran rock and rollers, Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks.  Since 1985, Wilder and his cohorts have been cranking out their own brand of rootsy Rock and ROLL throughout the USA and the world. The band’s energy and intensity is well exemplified by the heretofore unreleased, vintage tracks contained on Powerful Stuff! A potent mixture of roots rock, Americana, blues, and British influences, the album primarily features the “original” Beatnecks: Wilder on lead vocals and guitar; Donny “The Twangler” Roberts, guitar and vocals; Denny “Cletus” Blakely, bass and vocals; and Jimmy Lester, drums. Special guests featured on these rare, unissued tracks include the legendary Al Kooper on...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Toby Arrives , from Koch Marshall Trio and I really like it! Opening with loose shuffle and title track, Toby Arrives , Greg Koch on guitar, Dylan Koch on drums and Toby Lee Marshall on Hammond set the corner stone for this latest release. This is a tight trio with feature strength all round. Funk Meat has a rich bottom provided by Marshall's organ and Greg's funky guitar lead is nicely enhanced by Dylan's tight drumming. Heed The Boogaloo has a driving bass line similar to a Manzarek riff setting a strong foundation for Greg to dig in with adventurous and nicely flowing guitar lead. His float from rock to jazz influenced lead is very nice.  One of my favorite tracks on the release is jazz rock fusion endeavor, Mysterioso , with understated bass and organ lines and a beautiful exploration in chorded melody by Greg and East Indian influenced bending/slide. Very nice. Marshall takes the helm for a solid ride...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent live release, Backstage Pass , from Ghost Town Blues Band and it's a good party. Opening with the Beatles, Come Together , Matt Isbell leads this hill-country take of the British pop classic which is more morphed with the addition of Suavo Jones on trombone and Kevin Houston on sax. With it's driving beat by Preston McEwen on drums, romping bass line compliments Matt Karner, Tim Stanek on keys and Taylor Orr and Isbell on guitars, this track which weaves through Norwegian Wood and Whole Lotta Love is a great opener. new Orleans flavored, Tip Of My Hat has a great feel and Stanek's piano work is tops. A salty sax solo by Houston is up first and I'm always a sucker for trombone work and Jones lays it all out. Givin' It All Awa y is a funky horn heavy track with solid sax work and Betts like guitar riffs giving the track an Allman like feel. A well developed trombone solo by Jones really sets this track apart. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Mutual Admiration Society , from Sterling Ball, John Ferraro and Jim Cox and it's got a cool vibe. Opening with Jesse Winchester's Payday Song, an instrumental featuring Ball on guitar and bass, Ferraro on drums and Cox on clavinet. a simple rock shuffle, a cool opener. The In Crowd , is jazzed up instrumental version of  Billy Page's 60's hit and features Steve Morse giving it his country flavored jazz lead. Nice. Sonny Boy Williamson's Checkin' Up On My Baby has up tempo beat and is the stripped down 3 some featuring snappy riffs from Ball and organ by Cox. Ball's driving bass line is king on Big Joe William's Baby Please Don't Go and Steve Lukather does a real nice job with modern blurred guitar work to compliment the rock style take. Roy Head's Treat Her Right has a detuned (less HP) feel with it's swinging shuffle. Cox is featured on piano and organ and Ball lays i...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release, Victor Wainwright and The Train and it's rockin. Wainwright on lead vocal and keys pushes a nice duel with guitarist Pat Harrington, on Healing , backed by Billy Dean on drums and Terrance Grayson on bass. Also adding a nice bit of oomph are Mark Earley on sax and Doug Woolverton on trumpet. Nice opener. Train is a hot boogie woogie track with Wainwright really driving hard on vocal and piano. Woolverton and Earley fill nicely and Reba Russell's vocals are super.  Excellent track. Soulful, Dull Your Shine is a really nice track that puts me in mind of D'Angelo with a suspenseful approach to the song and super vocals. Also of particular note on this track is a sweet guitar solo by Greg Gumpel. Blues with a distinct R&B feel, Thank You Lucille , is possibly my favorite track on release featuring some of Wainwright's best vocals on the release and Monster Mike Welch handling the lead guita...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, It's Lovin' I Guarantee from Gus Spenos and it's jumping. Opening with title track, It's Lovin' I Guarantee , Spenos leads the way on vocal and tenor sax. Backed by Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Corey Wilcox on trombone, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Tatum Greenblatt on trumpet, Walter Blanding on tenor sax, Bruce Williams on alto sax, Jason Marshall on bari sax, Chris Burger on bass, Cecil Brooks III on drums and Brad Williams on guitar, these guys are really moving. Fool's Blues is a sassy swing number with some real nice sax and trombone solos. With trumpets firing, Every Tic's Got A Toc has a great feel. Spenos lays down some stylized sax work and Hendrix hits the trumpet solos full on. I really like Williams' tight guitar riffs on Livin' Is A Crime and again Hendrix shines on trumpet. Sax work on Lil' Dog is fast and fluid making it one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping th...

The Lucky Losers Deal Winning CD, Blind Spot , on May 18 from Dirty Cat Records San Francisco’s Finest Male/Female Duet-Fronted Band Delivers the Goods with Soul and Style on Their Third Album SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Veteran blues vocalists Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz, aka The Lucky Losers, deliver a soulful ‘60s retro sound on their third CD, Blind Spot , coming May 18 on Dirty Cat Records, distributed through CD Baby. Watch a video about recording the new CD here: Recorded at award-winning Greaseland Studios (John Nemeth, Wee Willie Walker, Billy Price) in San Jose, California, Blind Spot continues The Lucky Losers’ long-standing relationship with acclaimed producer/engineer, Kid Andersen. Bringing back the lost art of the vocal duet, the album is solely comprised of original material created by Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz alongside their illustrious and multi-talented songwriting partner, Danny Caron (Charles Brown). Blind Sp...