Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nightlife , from John Clifton and it's solid gold blues. Opening with Charlie Musselwhite's Strange Land , John Clifton on lead vocal, harp and guitar, joined by Scott Abeyta on guitar, Matt Moulton on bass, John Shafer on drums and Brian Szopinski on piano set a solid old style groove. Lee Moses' excellent soul number, Sad About It is up next and Clifton's really plays it to the hilt. The band really sits on this one making it one of my favorites on the release. Little Walter's Long As I Have You is another top track with excellent vocals, super harp and excellent guitar soloing by Abeyta. Very nice. Cool original track, Swamp Dump has a smooth Latin blues feel with a nice tandem harp/guitar melody and easy rhythm. Jump track, How About That is an excellent instrumental with a driving bass line fluid lead guitar work along the lines of Gatemouth Brown and hot harp work leading the way. Very cool...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Chosen by the Blues, from Willie Jackson and it's solid. Opening with Just An Old Dog , Willie Jackson sings the blues, old style joined by Dillon Young on lead guitar, Jon Willis on bass, (Paxton Eugene on drums and Ace Andersson on harp. On slow blues, Big Boned Woman , Jackson really delivers on vocals and also gives Young a chance to show his stuff as well. His articulate lead work, coupled with the harp work of Andersson makes this track one of my favorites on the release. Sleeping On The Job is a real cool, real time blues track with contemporary a theme but with old style roots, rich vocals and slid harp. Wrapping the release is up-tempo shuffle, Diggin' My Shovel with some strong innuendo. A lively guitar solo, and a firm bass line, this is a super closer with catchy lyrics that will certainly leave a memorable smile on many listeners faces.   If you support live Blues acts, up and coming ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Powerful Stuff! , from Webb Wilder & The Beatnecks and it's a high energy rocker. Opening with Make That Move , Wilder on lead vocal and guitar sets a quick pace and euphoric guitar mood. Backed by Jimmy Lester on drums, Donny Roberts on guitars and Kelley Looney on bass, this is a cool opener. Lost In the Shuffle is a cool "shuffling rocker" with a solid melody and with greasy guitar riffs has just the right edge to make a great radio track. My favorite on the release, I'm Wild About You Baby , is a tense rocker with a rockabilly beat and real nice slide work by Wilder. Super. Another high energy rocker, Nutbush City Limits features a great driving beat and stinging guitar riffs, pushed by Blakely on bass and Lester on drums. Revenooer Man is a great rock and roller with a country twist. No missing the chance to get a few country style riffs and keeping the Blaster style vocals, this track is q...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Eyed Soul Volume I , by J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters and it's very cool. Opening with R&B track, Anything I Can Do , J.T. shows just how smooth he can be on lead vocal backed by Ian Frederick Johannessen and Arnfinn Torrisen on rhythm guitar, Morten Nordskaug on bass, John Grimsby on drums, Paul Wagnburg on B3 Jens Petter Antonsen on trumpet and trombone and a nice guitar intro by Dave Fields. Stay With Me All The Time is a classic with a super melody and really nice balance. On Allen Toussaint's Nothing Takes The Place Of You , J.T. really shines with his soulful lead vocal with Borge-Are S. Halvorsen on sax, Deanna Bogart on backing vocals and nice solo guitar work by Mike Zito. Excellent! Funky blues number, You Got Me Down has a great bass line compliments Nordskaug and the clean cowbell work of Grimsby is not at all lost. Guitar solos by Johannessen and Torrisen give the track that s...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hard Blue Space , from Little Boys Blue w/ Kid Memphis and it's a super dose of solid blues. Opening with Six Feet Down , a real nice blues groove with interwoven tones of Kid Memphis on guitar, JD Taylor on vocal, Dave Thomas on B3, David Mallard on bass and Mark Brooks on drums. Excellent opener. On 12 bar number, Loving Kind , Alex Taylor, Andrew White run the rhythm as Kid solos and JD handles vocals and harp. With it's primary backbone based on Chicago blues, this track has great feel. Blues Bug really sits down low giving JD the opportunity to really shine on vocal and harp. Sure footing and nicely phrased guitar work by Kid makes this my favorite on the release. R&B track, Cold Inside shows a different dimension of the band with Steve Cropper like rhythm and strong vocal delivery by JD. Fluid guitar runs by Kid Memphis and stinging harp attack compliment JD's lead vocals. Might As Well is a coo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Living With Your Ghost , from Kara Grainger and it's solid. Opening with straight up rocker and title track, Living With Your Ghost , Kara Grainger leads on vocal with Anders Osborne on guitar, Ivan Neville on keys, J.J. Johnson on drums and Dave Monsey on bass. With it's steady rhythm, slick guitar solo and memorable melody, this is a certain radio track. Working My Way Back Home has a particularly intriguing drum rhythm and super slide from Osborne. Very nice. My favorite vocal track on the release is Nowhere To Be Found nicely showcasing Grainger's emotional delivery, emphasized by Neville's organ work and warm slide work of Osborne. Spirited track, You're In New Orleans features a vocal duet by Osborne and Grainger. Lightly salted with guitar, drums and keys and with the injection of the Texas Horns, excellent. Funky, Groove Train really gets a great groove going with a solid bass line by Mo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Farmer's Almanac , from Brother Dege and it's a more refined progression on his earlier foundations. Opening with Partial To Bitters , a somber instrumental, Dege crafts a very interesting fabric of music on guitar and slide joined by Doug Belote on drums and Kent Beatty on bass. The Shakedown has a really strong feel with Greg Travasos on kick drum and Deje on vocal and resonator. The drumming by Travasos and the frenzied playing by Deje really gets this one cranked up. The Ballad of Ingo Swann is a solid rocker with powerful vocals and a jagged beat and almost UK euro rock feel making this a definite stand out track. Laredo is on of my favorites on the release with swampy rock roots and penetrating slide work. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Partial To Bitters Pt. II . As it begins ... so it ends with a haunting melody and well crafted scenes. Very cool.    If you support live Blues acts, up an...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Desert Heat , from Too Slim and the Tail Draggers , and it's quite good. Opening with Chambers Brothers' classic, Time Has Come Today , with it's driving beat and memorable guitar riff, led by Tim "Too Slim" Langford on guitar and vocal. . Cool opener. Breaking into Trouble , Langford sets up a cool boogie, joined by Sheldon "Bent Reed" Ziro on harmonica, Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes on drums and Zach Kasik on bass. Stories To Tell has a classic "Jimi" rock styling with a strong guitar solo with great bends and squealing pinched harmonics. Very cool. With it's low slung Texas swagger distorted "fuzz" guitar and tandem vocals, One Step At A Time, sounds like early ZZ Top. Very nice. Wrapping the release is instrumental title track, High Desert Heat , with it's western undertones, low range guitar riffs and shimmery guitar lead. Langford's solid slide ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Steel , from Joe Goldmark . Opening with instrumental, Night Flight , Joe Goldmark showcases his steel guitar craftsmanship on a modern country/jazz track backed by Paul Ravelli on bass, Tony Lufrano on keys and Gary Potterton on guitars. On Rufus Thomas' All Night Worker , Goldmark shifts into R&B mode with Glenn Walters on lead vocal and maintaining his just this side of country edge on steel. Jimmy McCracklin's The Wobble is high energy with DeWayne Pate on bass, Henry Salvia on keys and Rob Sudduth on sax. Very cool. Lefty Frizzell's Look What Thoughts Will Do , is pure country and my choice for best track on the release featuring Dallis Craft on lead vocal and authentic country steel swinging by Goldmark. BB King's Beautician Blues has a great swing with Glenn Walters on lead vocal this track has a swinging blues style. Very cool. Slow country style instrumental, I Want To Be With You For...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Black Crow Callin' , from Polly O'Keary and the Rhythm Method and it's a serious blues rocker. Opening with Hard Hearted World , Polly O'Keary attacks on vocal and bass with a take no prisoners drive. Backed by Tommy Cook on drums  and with punishing guitar riffs by David Miller and solid piano work by Eric Robert, this is a great opener. Red Light is another driving rocker with a thumping bass line and scorching hot guitar riffs. Slow blues number, Black Crow Callin' shows a more sensitive side of O'Keary with rich vocals, and Jim McLaughlin on harp. Miller's blues guitar phrasing on this number are rich and fluid. Excellent! High stepper, Yours To Lose , is really pumped up by the Powerhouse Horns featuring Rich Cole on sax and Pete Kirkman on trumpet and the grinding guitar riffs of Miller. Very cool. Reconciled is a solid blues ballad that not only gives O'Keary a chance to belt one ...

Multi Blues Music Award Nominee Al Basile Brings His Songs and Stories to Life on New CD, Me & the Originator , Out June 15 on Sweetspot Records RUMFORD, RI – Multi Blues Music Award nominee Al Basile brings his original songs and stories to life on the new CD, Me & the Originator , releasing June 15 on Sweetspot Records. Produced by Duke Robillard, who also adds his guitar talents on the new disc, Me & the Originator showcases Al’s abilities as a storyteller in poems and songs, and as a vocalist and cornet player , backed by an additional group of New England-based all-star musicians, including Mark Texeira (drums), Brad Hallen (bass), Bruce Bears (keyboards), Doug James (tenor and baritone sax) and Jeff “Doc” Chanonhouse (trumpet). Al Basile, who is also a prize-winning poet , will celebrate the release of the new CD by performing Me & the Originator as a one-man show at the West Chester Poetry Conference, West Chester, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Ju...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fried Rice & Chicken , from Little Freddie King and its a lot of fun. Opening with Willie Woods' super groove, Cleos Back , Freddie Martin aka Little Freddie King lays down his primitive, real deal blues. King has a loose but smart guitar style on this instrumental, backed by Earl Stanley on bass, Kerry Brown on drums and Crazy Rick Allen on organ. Very cool. Slow blues number, Mean Little Woman features King on vocal and this is where the rubber meets the road. Not only does King have meaty raw chops, but his vocals are authentic and unpolished. Excellent. The Great Chinese is drums laden with cool guitar rhythms. Ray Charles' What'd I Say is spirited with vibrant key work by Allen and  tight guitar and vocal by King. Very nice. Sing Sang Sung is a great rumble with Wacko Wade Wright on drums, Anthony Anderson on bass Bobby Lewis DiTullio on harp and of course Kings own spontaneous riffs on guitar. V...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unfinished Business , from Victoria Ginty and it's versatile. Opening with title track, Unfinished Business , Victoria Ginty leads this shuffle on vocal with solid sax and guitar solos over a rock solid bass and drum foundation and tight horn work. Take Me Down has a super early spiritual sound with deep rich vocals. Evolving into a funky dance number, Ginty's vocals are solid and backing vocals and horns set up nicely with a really nice guitar solo. Jimmy McCracklin's Every Night, Every Day is a strong blues ballad and possibly the best vocal showcase for Ginty on the release. Grace Lougen plays a sensuous guitar solo giving this track a gripping spark. Very nice. Terrence Trent D'Arby's track, Sign Your Name has a clever Latin fused rhythm with tight percussion and almost falsetto vocals which resonate nicely with a fat sax solo and a clean melodic guitar solo. Smooth. Another of my favorite tra...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Problem Child , from Dany Franchi and it's quite good. Opening with Back To The River , a full bodied R&B, horns and all with Dany Franchi on guitar and vocal,  Anson Funderburgh with round tone soloing and the Texas Horns chasing. Super opener. Give Me A Sign has a real nice piano rhythm by Jim Pugh and excellent guitar riffs by Franchi, backed by Nate Rowe on bass and Wes Starr on drums. With it's solid texas lope, Big Town Playboy features strong harp work by Greg Izor and rich lead guitar work by Franchi giving this track real traction. Soul ballad Real Love features some of Franchi's best vocal work on the release, with warm horns by Kaz Kazanoff, John Mills & Jimmie Shortel and a nice melodic guitar solo by Franchi. Very nice. Another favorite, Don't Steal My Time , has a great blend of warm vocals, great guitar riffs and fat horns. Excellent. Freddie King's Sen-Sa-Shun has real snap...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Three Rivers , from Jordan Officer and I'm really looking forward to getting it home on the real system Office has a unique style of blending easy playful tunes with intense bursts of guitar and the opener, Your Body's My Home . An easy paced guitar rhythm and a mellow melody is the stage for crisp and intense burst of guitar energy, backed by Zev Katz on bass and Charley Drayton on drums. Very cool. Big swinger, One Handed Push-Ups is a great jump track featuring officer on lead vocal as well as guitar and violin. This is a snappy track with real fireworks. Super! Easy rocker, Dream of You and Me has nice paired vocals and with solid bass lines, and brushed drums, Officer riffs off some real nice melodic lead solo lines. Slow and quiet is how he approaches Just To Be With You with solid vocals, cool fiddle soloing and crisp guitar riffs...all by officer over bass and drums. Very effective. With a Bo Diddley ...

The New Orleans Suspects began playing together in 2009 at the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans as a pick-up jam band. They originally called themselves The Unusual Suspects. Since they are all such accomplished musicians they quickly established a special chemistry. Well known in New Orleans, I first heard of them when I visited the Maple Leaf in fall of 2013. But they had actually been touring for 2 full years by then under the name New Orleans Suspects.. They began releasing albums and attracting crowds from coast to coast. Live at The Hamilton is their 5th release. The band consists of Willie Green who was the drummer for the Neville Brothers for many years, Jake Eckert, the longtime lead guitarist of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. CR Gruver, a classically trained pianist who has completely embraced New Orleans style piano –pretty damn good on the Hammond B3 too!. Reggie Scanlan who has layed down the bass lines for The Radiators for as long as I can remember. And Jeff ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love Lives On , from Dana Fuchs and it's a soul drenched release that could have been done by Stax. Opening with Backstreet Baby , a R&B track with just a taste of southern rock, Fuchs winds it up with her distinctive vocals and Reverend Charles Hodges on organ, Jack Daley on bass, Steve Potts on drums, and Kirk Smothers and Marc Franklin on horns. On high stepper, Nobody's Fault But Mine , Fuchs gets into a groove that could have been created by the Queen of Soul herself. Punched up Smothers and Franklin, this track is hot. Sittin' On has solid radio styling with a super melody and balanced instrumental backing and featuring a nice steel solo by Eric Lewis. Ballad, Faithful Sinner , has a strong melody and with the firm horn work of Smothers and Franklin and soothing keyboard work of Glen Patscha, a solid radio entry. Ready To Rise is another of my choices with cool conga work by Felix Hernandez and s...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Premonition of Love , from Kathy & The Kilowatts and it's solid. Opening with surf flavored, First Do No Harm featuring Kathy on lead vocal, with Bill Jones on guitar, Nina Singh giving it just the right snap on drums, Jeff Botta on bass, Dan Torosian on sax and Eric Johnson on trumpet. One of my favorites on the release is Beggars Can't Be Choosers with it's sultry blues feel and nice lead with pinched harmonics by Jones. Lightly seasoned with funk, Always Fooling Me has a bluesy Albert King kind of feel without the characteristic King riffs. Very nice. Shuffle track, Black Nights , shows a nice blend of lead vocals, horns and well phrased guitar lead. Deeper into the blues with Final Verdict and JL Hooker guitar riffs, Kathy drills down the lead vocals, Benny Turner lays down a heavy bass line, Jones steps on it with some really nice trem bends and hammer ons and Kim Field adds in just the right ha...