Bman's Blues Report

    Electric Hot Tuna 's music is unique, an expression of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady 's individual personalities who forge their improvisational sounds with a feeling of significance into a dynamic event. Their electric sound is complete with the addition of drummer Justin Guip ,* whose "emphatic yet fluid timekeeping is a true complement." Starting August 25, Steve Kimock , the blazing psychedelic guitarist versatile enough to touch almost all aspects of American music, will join Hot Tuna on tour.    ...

Harmonica Ace Steve Krase Expands His Blues Roots on New CD, Just Waitin’ , Coming June 15 from Connor Ray Music HOUSTON, TX – World-class harmonica player Steve Krase expands his blues music into new territory on his fourth CD, Just Waitin’ , coming June 15 on Connor Ray Music. Produced by Rock Romano (who also played bass and sang backing vocals), Just Waitin’ features Steve Krase (vocals and harmonica), backed by a solid cast of additional notables, including David Carter (guitars and backing vocals); Tamara Williams (drums, percussion and backing vocals); James Gilmer (percussion); Brian Jack (accordion); Mike Vee (rubboard); and Kenan Ozdemir (lead guitar). Steve Krase will celebrate the new album with a special CD pre-release show at Houston’s famed Big Easy Club on Friday, May 18th (5731 Kirby Dr., Houston), where he’ll be joined by several special guests including the legendary singer Trudy Lynn, plus James Gilmer on percussion and Brian Jack on accordion. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dial It In , from Reverend Freakchild and it interesting. Opening with Opus Earth , with it's early delta sound, Freakchild plays National Steel guitar, organ and bass and performs what is described as a chant but really sounds like Yoko Ono, joined by Chris Parker on drums. Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus gets a solid blues rock remake and it's strong, featuring Hugh Pool on harp. Cool. Original track, Hippie Bluesman Blues , has some country overtones and featuring the rev on national Steel guitar and lead vocal, Pool on guitar, Parker on drums, Robin Sylvester on bass and Mark Karan on lead guitar and vocal. With a light funky edge and distortion, Roadtrance is an simple interesting jam with Rev on vocal and NSG, Pool on guitar, banjo and electronic sounds, and parker on drums. Actually fairly cool. 15 Going on 50 is a driving rocker strongly led by Brian Mitchell on piano and featuring Pool on lead guit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Puppet Show , from Ally Venable and it's quite good. Opening with Devil's Son , a powerful blues rocker, Venable leads on guitar and vocal, backed by Elijah Owings on drums and Bobby Wallace on bass. Gary Hoey adds some voracious guitar riffs on this track giving it a smoking hot edge. Very nice. Steve Krase joins on traditional delta style, Blackwater Blues , with a stripped down opening and then opening up to a full tilt blues rocker showcasing some of Venable's best riffs on the release. One of my favorite tracks on the release is a cover of Taj Mahal's, He Caught The Katy , with it's super bass line and solid vocal and guitar work by Venable. Excellent! With the swagger of Lynyrd Skynyrd, title track, Puppet Show is a solid rocker with really nice guitar riffs by Venable and warm keys by Eric Steckel. Another of my favorites on the release is slow blues, Comfort In My Sorrows with it's big t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love Songs & Life Lines from Kris Lager Band and it's breezy and rhythmic. Opening with instrumental, Aurora Borealis , the band shows influences of world music with intricate guitar sounds by Lager, bass by Aaron Underwood and percussion by Scooby Sha Bo Bo. Adventuresome and soothing. Super ballad, I Wanna Hold You In My Arms has flavors of R&B and The Band. Lager's vocals are strong and his slide guitar adds nicely to the overall feel of the track. Very nice. San Francisco Bound is another strong track a good melody, slide guitar and sax by Lefever with trace sounds of Garcia and Van Morrison. Pickin' Up The Pieces is a bluesy, country flavored ballad. I like the general looseness of the track and blazing sax work of Lefever. Very cool! Another warm ballad, I'm Still Here And I Ain't Lettin' Go , features heartfelt vocals by Lager and Lefever's sax over organ a bed of richness...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Human Race , from Tim Woods and it shows strong influences of blues and rock players of note. On Can You Feel It , a solid blues rocker, traces of Cream and Robin Trower permeate the flow and Woods' Leslie West like vocals ride high on the backing by Bobby Lee Rodgers on guitar, bass, drums and keys. Solid! Instrumental, Step has a funky bottom giving Woods a real nice platform to lay down his best rock riffs with snappy drums and bass by Rodgers. Roger Waters like composition, Take A Minute has more of an American flavor but the Brit's clues are there. With a poppier edge, another solid contribution. Title track, Human Race pulls trace sounds from the Yardbirds and the Doors to create an electrifying driving rocker. TW Funk has a cool yet funky vibe fueled by a rich bass groove, clean, tele sounding lead and wah wah guitar backing. Very nice! Trixie is a catchy jam with "Dead like" melody. Woods...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Running Out Of Time , from Peter V Blues Train and it's got style. Opening with Stay On Track , a simple blues rocker, lead vocalist and guitarist, peter v. is backed by Aron Louis Gornish on keys, Sean Graverson on bass and Alex D'Agnese on drums. Danny Walsh on sax lays down some memorable lead on Buzzed Busted & Blue , a modern blues number with solid lead vocals by Peter and real nice piano work by Jeff Levine. Big Maceo's Worried Life Blues , has really nice pace and not only sets a nice stage for Peter's vocals but also gives him space for some of his nice guitar riffs on the release. Very cool. Title track, Running Out Of Time is a funky blues rocker built along the lines of Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign. With stinging guitar riffs by Peter, solid organ lines by Gornish and rumbling bass by Graverson, this is a very cool track. Funk horn track, Time to Collect is really nice with e...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Here In Babylon , from Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps and it got a funky yet soulful sound. Opening with I Know I Ain't Been So Perfect , James on lead vocal and piano really captures the new neo soul feel with a great opener, backed by Jay Bellerose on drums, Billy Watts on guitars, Mike Finnegan on B-3, Terry Wilson on bass. Very cool. Laid back, Head Up, Heart Open has a nice sway (think Doobies) with tight backing vocals by Watts, Wilson, Gregg Sutton, Jessie Wilson and James and the warmth of horns added by Darrell Leonard on trumpet and Joe Sublett on sax. Lumbering, Ground Zero , has a solid bottom, courtesy Wilson and a plucky guitar line by Watts. With it's smoky club feel, You Had To Bring That Up is really the nicest showcase for James on piano and vocal. Relaxed, cool and gritty, a really solid track. Piano boogie, I Gotta Roll is another favorite with a super groove, punched up by Leonard an...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Got The Blues , from Freddie Pate and it's quite cool. Opening with Willie Dixonesque, Let the Juke Joint Jump , Pate on lead vocal and guitar has a flashy, yet stylistic guitar style and just enough raggedness to his vocals to give it edge. Backed by Terry Dry on bass, Matt Johnson on drums, Lewis Stephens on keys and Mike Zito on rhythm guitar, this is a cool opener. On Elmore James, Sho-nuff I Do , Pate really belts out the blues and with grinding tone, tells it with his guitar. Stephens' piano work dances above the solid bottom of Dry and Johnson giving this track an authentic feel. Hank William's Hey Good Lookin' gets a 60's rock (Watusi)  make over and I really like it. Alan Toussaint's Nothin Takes The Place Of You has a strong soulful delivery and exhibit's Pate's best vocals on the release. 12 bar number, and title track, I Got The Blues has a strong roll and Elmore James like...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Gospel Truth Live , from Marie Knight and it's rich. This performance was recorded on October 19, 2007 at Margaret A. Hart '35 Gospel fest at the Church Street Center in North Adams Massachusetts. Unfortunately, Knight passed in 2009 after a stroke and a bout with pneumonia. Fortunately, these tracks are now available for the public. Opening with Rev. Gary Davis' I Belong To The Band , Marie Knight is pure gospel with strong piano backing from Dave Keyes. Excellent! On Sister Rosetta Tharpe's Beams Of Heaven , Knight shows just how tightly the blues is bound to gospel music. Keyes piano work is terrific and Knight is off the charts. Davis' 12 Gates To The City has a great swing and Knight and Keyes are really rockin'! Knight's rework of Anna Warner's Jesus Loves Me , shows not only pure talent but pure love for the Lord and her work. Another Davis track, Let Us Get Together , has a s...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rhymes For Mellow Minds , from Steven Troch Band and it's really cool. Opening with The Short End , Belgian harp maestro and lead vocalist, Steven Troch lays out the first of 13 super tracks with a strutting blues rocker. With Steven Van Der Nat using a clean picking style, backed by Liesbeth Sprangers on bass, and Bruce James on drums. Nice opener. Bad Taste has an Otis Rush general feel with excellent guitar riffs and chords by Van Der Nat and super melodic lead harp work by Troch. This is style! One of my favorite tracks on the release is Long Long Beard (check it out Stilladog), an easy paced folk like track with only basic accompaniment and community backing vocals by Van Der Nat, Sprangers and Heirman. Jump track, White Line Express really turns up the heat with a solid bass line, snappy drums and some  of the best vocals on the release. Troch struts his stuff on the harp and Van Der Nat adds just enough to...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sometimes The Blues Got Me , from Breezy Rodio and it's quite good. Opening with Lee Hazelwood's, Don't Look Now, But I've Got the Blues , Breezy Rodio on lead vocal and guitar sets off on the right foot, with a power play, backed by Ariyo Ariyoshi on piano, Ian Letts on sax, Chief McGarrie on sax, Constantine Alexander and Art Davis on trumpet, Chris Foreman on organ, Greg Essig  on drums,  and John Lauler on bass. Shuffle track, Change Your Ways exhibits a particularly nice blend of Rodio's vocals and Ariyo's piano work, complimented by Simon Noble on harp. With Rodio's stinging guitar styling in the style of the great Albert King and even a bit of funk, Albert King's Wrapped Up In Love Again has a great feel with tight trumpet punctuation by Davis and Alexander. Jump track, I Walked Away has a great T-Bone Walker feel with over a smooth horn saturated bottom and featuring a super so...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Have No Hold Over Me by Ten Second Pistol and it's quite interesting. opening with slow blues number, Hold My Hand with Benny Chang leading the way on lead guitar and vocal, backed by Davis Alexander on bass and Manny Ayala drums. Chang's guitar riffs are fluid and constant, making this a great opener. On soul track, Hold On , the band shifts gears a bit and Chang's emphasis is on soulful vocals and lush chords. His stinging lead guitar soloing is crisp and nicely adorned. Very nice. Slow blues number, Get To Steppin' is really nicely formed wailing vocals and well placed guitar accents. Ayala really tips the cart on drums giving the track just the right heaviness and machine gun guitar riffs by Chang give it a nice flair. Bluesy ballad, Like A Bird is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's haunting melody and warm, nicely executed guitar solos. Burn Baby Burn incorporates a reggae...

I just had the opportunity to review Memphis Rent Party , the soundtrack to Robert Gordon 's 6th book, and it's excellent. Opening with a ragged but remarkable rendition of Guy Clark's Desparados Waiting On A Train by Jerry McGill. Backed by Mud Boy and the Neutrons, this is subtly terrific with excellent piano and slide work under McGill's haunting vocals.  On Chevrolet Luther Dickinson and Sharde Thomas exchanging lead vocals and playing fife vs slide backed by snappy marching like snare drums and powerful bass drums strokes.  Junior Kimbrough is up next with his trademark sound on All Night Long , recorded in Kimbrough's living room in the middle of a cotton field in 1986. Very cool. Another unmistakable sound is the sound of Furry Lewis' vocals with his own slide guitar on Why Don't You Come Home Blues , recorded in his living room in the 60's. How does it get any better than this? The surprise track for me was Calvin Newborn on Frame for the B...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Keepin' It Real , by Guitar Jack Wargo and it's a soulful mix of R&B, Blues, Pop and Jazz. Opening with solid blues number, You Don't Feel The Same , AD Beal leads on vocal and Wargo shows his guitar prowess with stiff in you face guitar riffs that will have you nodding your head. Backed by Edoardo Tancredi on drums, Matt Bragg on bass and Arlan Oscar Shierbaum on Hammond, this is a super opener. On Power of Love , the band gets more into an easy, Donald Fagan style groove with it's swaying rhythm and smooth melodic feel. Turning up the funk a bit, Keep On Keepin' On is a bright jazz rock track with nice bluesy guitar riffs and a strong melody. Another track that really slides in the Steely Dan groove is Inventory Blues . Bragg gets the bass popping on Shipwrecked giving the track a particularly funky feel, highlighted by Shierbaum keyboard work and super vocals by Beal. This gives a really nice open...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Shake The Love Around , from Suzie Vinnick and it's light rocker with fine vocals and a poppy feel. Opening with Happy As Hell , Vinnick lays down a cool funky guitar line and with Gary Craig on drums, Johnny Johnson on sax and Dean McTaggart they really set up a tight foundation to support her strong vocal lines. Another track with a nice back beat, Lean Into The Light has a real infectious feel with nicely harmonized vocals courtesy David Leask and slick guitar work by Vinnick. A particularly cool track is Danger Zone with Vinnick accompanying herself on bass. Excellent job. My favorite track on the release is Creaking Pines with a haunting melody and some of Vinnick's best vocals and nicely stylized blues guitar riffs. Excellent. Wrapping the release is Drift Away , a strong ballad with a smart melody. With only light electric and acoustic guitar, drums and Hammond by Mark lalama, this is a sweet closer for...

Gretchen and the Pickpockets Are Falling Rising on New CD of Soul/Jazz/Rock Sounds, Due April 25 BOSTON, MA – Gretchen and the Pickpockets announce an April 25 release date for their new full-length album, Falling Rising , on their Pickpocket Records imprint. The new disc, which showcases 10 all-original songs, was recorded in Boston at Dimension Sounds Studio, with engineering by Dan Cardinal (Darlingside, Ballroom Thieves), mixing by Nick Nagurka (Vulfpeck) and mastering by Grammy-nominated Emily Lazar (Foo Fighters). Gretchen and the Pickpockets is a six-piece soul/jazz/rock band featuring heavy horn lines and improvisation that started with siblings Gretchen and Mike Klempa. Besides Gretchen on vocals and Mike on bass, the rest of the band consists of Ryan O’Connell on trumpet and guitar; Tom O’Connell on drums and percussion; Richie Smith on guitar; and Diego Tunjano on saxophone. Named after a hometown road with a history for larceny, the group has bec...

Guitarist Steve Dawson Draws Lucky Hand On Instrumental Acoustic Album Coming June 15 from Black Hen Music Special Guests Include a String Quartet Arranged by Jesse Zubot, and Appearances by Charlie McCoy and John Reischman “ It is inspiring to hear modern instrumental music for guitar that is articulated within true song form. Steve Dawson’s new album conjures the ghost of John Fahey for me – not in imitation, but by way of joining a tradition and then extending its range. I find this song cycle to be intelligent and challenging; joyful and deeply romantic; both earthy and untethered. It is affirming – and music to which I shall soon be returning.”  – Grammy-Winning Artist and Producer Joe Henry NASHVILLE, TN – Black Hen Music announces a June 15 release date for multiple Juno-award-winning musician/producer Steve Dawson’s new instrumental acoustic album, Lucky Hand . The new recording showcases Dawson’s brilliant fingerstyle work...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Throwback , from Wentus Blues Band and I really like it. Opening with Carey Bell's Wrapped Up In Love , lead vocalist, Juho Kinaret has a super voice for the blues with excellent riffs from Niko Riipa on guitar, Robban Hagnas on bass, Pekka Grohn on keys and Daniel Hjerppe on drums. Very nice. Eddie Kirkland's Rainbow is very soulful with definite flavors of Robert Cray. Kinaret's voice is spot on and Grohn's organ work adds a real nice texture. Another Kirkland track, Done Somebody Wrong , really rides nicely in the groove with excellent vocals from Kinaret and stinging guitar riffs from Riipa... possibly my favorite track on the release. Hungry John's Feel So Young is a great boogie in the vein of Slim Harpo. With driving bottom work by Hagnas and Hjerppe;  overflowing organ by Grohn and Kinaret, coaxing the whole set along, this is another of the top tracks. Another Carey Bell track, Hard Work...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Remember What You Knew Before , from Katy Guillen & The Girls and it's a solid country, pop, rock release. Opening with Slingshot , a Buckingham Nicks style track with Katy Guillen on guitar and lead vocal, Claire Adams on bass and vocal and Stephanie Williams on drums these ladies know how to blend vocals on a strong melody. Waiting Till The Day is a really nice ballad with only acoustic guitar and electric guitars, bass and drums accompanying  smooth vocals. Very nice. Grabbing a stripped down blues rock feel, Humbucker is one of my favorite tracks on the release with resonator slide and tight vocal blending matching some of the super work of Veruca Salt and Sleater-Kinney . Another cool rocker is Can't Live Here Anymore with a great pop rock feel and just the right edge. Showing her Spanish guitar styling on Quiver , Guillen changes gears but maintains her signature pure blended vocal styling. This really i...