Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Complicated Mess , from Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones and it's really strong. Opening with title track, Complicated Mes s, guitar man and vocalist, Doug Deming sets the table for a blues feast. His vocals are solid as always and using machine gun and trem bend, his riffs are hot! Joining are Andrew Gohman on bass and Marty Dodson on drums. Super opener. Kim Wilson's harp work adds great depth and Demings riffs are rich and jazzy on Sweet Poison , a cool bluesy ballad. Sam Theard's classic, You Rascal You , has great wings with Little Charlie Baty on guitar, joining Deming with clever lyrics and an extremely active rhythm section. Excellent! Shuffle, Need My Baby has a great lope and Madison Slim's harp work is strong giving the track a nice edge. My favorite track on the release is slow blues, Deep Blue Sea , with soulful vocal by Deming and smoldering guitar riffs, playing against Bon Welsh's pi...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 149 Delta Ave , from Mick Kolassa and the Taylor Made Blues Band and the talent is thick. Opening with I Can't Slow Down , a 2 steppin rocker, Mick Kolassa on lead vocal is backed by David Dunavent on guitars, Leo Goff on bass, Lee Andrew Williams on drums, Chris Stephenson on keys and Susan Marshall and Daunielle Hill on backing vocal this is a cool opener. Eric Hughes joins on US 12 to Highway 49 , a smart shuffle with solid harp work. Cotton Road is one of my favorites on the release with roots in chain gang work songs. Toronzo Cannon adds some really smart guitar lead and wailing backing vocals make this track rich with feel. Pullin Me Down has a creeping R&B blues style with solid bass work from Goff, crisp guitar soloing by Jeff Jensen and includes tight trumpet and sax work by  Marc Franklin and Kirk Smothers. Very nice. A funky version of Ashford and Simpson's I Don't Need No Doctor has a real...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women from The Bob Lanza Blues Band and it's a super dose of old style blues with a fresh feel. Opening with title track, Kids, Dogs and Krazy Women , Bob Lanza (vocal and guitar), Anthony Krizan (guitar, vocal, drums and percussion), John Ginty (keys), Dave Lockhart (bass) and Vin Mott (drums, harmonica) are a force to be reckoned with. With a slinky rhythm, solid vocals, slide guitar and harp, this track is a cool opener. Texas boogie Not The Man I Use To Be is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's droning bass line, B3 soloing by Ginty and gripping blues solo by Lanza. very nice. Another of my favorites is Full Time Lover with it's slow, blues guitar riffs and soulful vocals. Excellent! Hey Cotton is a strong track with a driving blues pace and rock n roll guitar riffs and hot harp work by Mott in tribute to James Cotton. Shuffle track, Every Side of Lonesome has a f...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fish in dirty H2O , from Barbara Blue and it's solid. Opening with My Heart Belongs To The Blues , Barbara Blue is joined by Will McFarlane on guitar, Dave Smith on bass, Lester Snell on keys and Bernard Purdie on drums. With it's smooth smoky feel, Blue displays the richness of her deep voice. Boogie blues, Accidental Theft features some really nice slide work compliments of Scott Sharrard giving the track a thick gutsy texture to compliment Blues own gutsy vocals. Dr Jesus has a gospel style with warm backing vocals by Maureen Smith, Candace Mache, Lorina McMinn and Lynette "Sue" McCracklin and some spicy guitar accents by Michael Tols.  Shuffle,  Gravy Train has a sparky pace with plenty of horn by Lonnie McMillan on tenor sax, Marc Franklin on trumpet, Jim Spake on bari sax, and Steve Graham on trombone. Another bluesy shuffle, That's Working On Me works really nicely with Blues vocals and te...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Why Did You Have To Go , from Anthony Geraci , and it's rich. Opening with R&B title track, Why Did You Have To Go , Sugar Ray Norcia is upfront on lead vocal backed by Michael Mudcat Ward on bass, Marty Richards on drums, Sax Gordon on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet and with stellar guitar styling by Monster Mike Welch and piano wizardry by Anthony Geraci. Excellent opener. Bluesy ballad, Angelina, Angelina is really strong with really nice piano work by Geraci and lead vocals by Sugaray Rayford. Welch is back again with signature tone, backed by Willie J Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums. Very nice. Soul track, Two Steps Away From The Blues , features Michelle "Evil Gal" Willson on lead vocal with warm piano and B3 work by Geraci. Norcia is back on vocal and harp on Time's Running Out , an easy shuffle, joined by nice pace piano work by Geraci and the strong guitar accents by Ronnie Earl. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Stole My Heart , from Dennis Herrera and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with rock n' roller and title track, You Stole My Heart , Dennis Herrera and piano man Sid Morris really get the track hopping. Featuring sax work by Jack Sanford, Frank DeRose on bass and Robi Bean on drums this is a great start. Takes Money is a cool fusion of boogaloo and rocking blues. I love rolling rhythm, and Herrera's rough vocals with Denis Depoitre's harp, and Rich Wenzels B3 over that tight rhythm section of Bill Stuve on bass and Lee Campbell on drums is tops. Boogie woogie is the word on With No Refrain starting with that bass line by Stuve. Herrera has a smoothness inherent in his rugged vocal that works great with the light piano work of Wenzel and his own understated guitar approach. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Look Out with it's R&B groove and laid back vocal lead by Herrera and the...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mama's Hometown , by Celso Salim Band and it's cool, soulful blues. Opening with Mad Dog , a super track with a cool New Orleans style rhythm and nice "Allmanesque" slide work by Salim to support Rafael Cury on lead vocal. Great opener. Chicago styling plays up on Locked Out In Misery featuring Darryl Carriere on harp and backed by Mike Hoghtower on bass and Lynn Coulter on drums has nice articulate guitar riffs throughout by Salim. Up tempo boogie rocker, Let It Burn , has a really nice feel, with Dave Fraiser on keys and solid slide playing by Salim and cool vocals by Salim, Cury, Fraiser, Hightower and Coulter. Blues ballad, No Need To Be Alone has a strong melody and vocal making it a strong radio contender and fine guitar work giving it real strength with the blues crowd. Very nice. Title track, Mama's Hometown , has a slinky feel and nicely blended vocal melodies, floating on an easy bottom...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Don't Wait Up , from Deb Rhymer , and it's quite good. Opening with shuffle track, Heartache and Trouble , Rhymer and her band of power features Kelly Fawcett on guitar, Andy Graffiti on drums, Clayton O' Howe on bass and a supple solo by Gene Hardy on sax. Elmore James' Cry For Me Baby , has great feel and vocal phrasing with Gary Preston on harp and styling guitar work by Fawcett. Very cool. Bluesy original pop track, Don't Wait Up commands the title track position and rightly so with it's catchy melody and radio appeal. Rhymer's vocals are smooth and Fawcett's guitar soloing clean and brilliant. Another cool shuffle track is There's The Door with excellent trombone work by Randy Oxford really shining bright on an already solid entry. Wrapping the release is slow blues ballad, Giving Me the Blues with Wynn Gogol on keys. Rhymer picks the right track for her closer, showcasing her be...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Harpbreaker , from Mark Hummel and it's one of the best Chicago style blues records that I've heard in a long time. Opening with terrific harp boogie, Harpoventilatin' , Mark Hummel wastse not a second showing why he's one of the top blues harp players in the world today. With strong pace, and great phrasing, Mark Hummel leads the way joined by Charles Wheal on guitar, Steve Wolf on bass, Marty Dodson on drums and Bob Welsh on keys. Jump track, Rotten Kid really is hot with Wheal laying out some terrific guitar riffs working nicely with Hummel's own featured playing. Excellent. With a super strut, Walkin' With Mr. Lee has just the right snap. Featuring Wes Starr on drums, RW Grigsby on bass, Charlie Baty and Anson Funderburgh on guitars, this track is terrific. Slow blues, Cristo Redentor has such a presence with it's soulful melody and smooth guitar phrasing by Kid Anderson. Excellent! Se...

Canadian Blues Giant Harpdog Brown Shares Video for “Reefer Lovin’ Woman” Released on October 17, the day pot was legalized in Canada View/Share video for "Reefer Lovin' Woman" here tinyurl.com/y985qk3k On October 17, Canadian blues singer/harmonica master Harpdog Brown celebrated the landmark occasion of Canada legalizing marijuana with the release of a new video for the track, “Reefer Lovin’ Woman”, from his forthcoming album (Spring 2019). The song is not an invitation or advocating that people ingest pot – it is simply a song about a guy who falls in love with a woman who partakes. It can be considered a social commentary as well, with the final line “ that's all right with me.” For many, cannabis offers similar relief beyond the health benefits claimed by advocates of cannabis culture. “I wanted to write a f...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Best of Live , by Karen Lawrence and Blue By Nature and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with shuffle track, It's All About You , lead vocalist Karen Lawrence shows raw power with strong support by Dan Potruch on drums, Charlie Diaz on bass, Rick Dufay on lead guitar and Fred Hostetler on second guitar. On soul track, Fun and Games , Lawrence really digs in with some of my favorite vocals on the release...oozing blues. With determined drumming and understated guitar work, Lawrence really has the floor to drive it home. Very nice. R&B track, I Had It All Wrong , has a super rhythm guitar roll which works nicely with Lawrence's vocal phrasing and Dufay's guitar solo is a great fit making this another top contender. Funky rocker, You Got Me Workin' has a strong pace and Dufay's slide work gives the track a Mick Taylor feel. Nice. Wrapping the release is shuffle blues rocker, I'll Get Along...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Jonathon Long and it's an fun rocky ride. Opening with Bury Me , with definite rock and country roots, Long leads the way with cocky vocals and solid guitar, joined by Julian Civello on drums, Chris Roberts on bass, Phil Breen on keys and additional guitar work by Samantha Fish. Soul track, That's When I Knew , has a super melody and pairs Long with Fish on vocals for a real nice blend and Fish's sting guitar riffs really punctuate the track nicely.  The addition of Michael Harvey on fiddle on  Americana style track, The Light works really nicely. Very clean and fresh. Shit kicker, Natural Girl has plenty of swagger and a solid hook. With solid vocals, top loaded piano, a ripping guitar solo and tight drums, this is a cool track. With a definite twist, Pour Another Drink is a great track. Smokey lines, sassy vocals, great piano texture and a solid bottom makes this my favorite on the releas...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Black Tea , from Kerry Kearney and it's solid. Opening with blues rocker, Shakin' Like Jelly , Kerry Kearney on vocal and guitar leads this tight group with Mario Staiano on drums, Gerry Sorrentino on bass, David Bennett Cohen on keys, and Charlie Wolfe on harmonica. A driving blues vamp, nice guitar soloing and Chicago style blues harping tell the tell here. Cool opener. Light shuffle track, Long Tall Mama has a kind of JJ Cale feel with light, train like drums, easy vocals and super acoustic slide. Goin' To The Mardi Gras is again in the Cale vein with running snare lines and great slide work by Kearney. A particularly cool trombone solo by Victor Poretz gives this track a nice kick making it one of my favorites on the release. Creole Woman is a blues shuffle with guts. Kearney sets his stance and riffs freely, Clapton style. making this another real standout on the release. Wake Me, Shake Me, Bake Me ...

I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, Saving Grace , from Scott Sharrard and I really like it. Opening with High Cost Of Loving You , a swamp funky rocker, Sharrard shows a really soulful voice and strong guitar riffs with tastes of SRV, Clapton and Duane. Howard Grimes on drums, Leroy Hodges on bass, Charles Hodges on B3, Eric Finland on Wurlitzer, Moses Patrou on percussion, Marc Franklin on trumpet, and Excellent sax work from Art Edmaiston on tenor and Kirk Smothers on bari, this track is smoking hot. Faith To Arise is a strong ballad with supple backing vocals by Susan Marshall, with Chad Gamble on drums and David Hood on bass. Very "Allman. Soulful title track, Saving Grace , really shows off Sharrard's vocal power and presents a solid radio track with a stinger of a guitar solo. Gregg Allman's last known original track, Everyting A Good Man Needs features Taj Mahal on lead vocal and solid slide work from Sharrard. Very nice. R&B style t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Back In Business , from Frank Bey and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Back In Business , Bey establishes firm footing with a confident shuffle. Backed by Tom Hambridge on drums, Rob McNelly on guitars, Marty Sammon on piano and Tommy MacDonald on bass this is a strong opener. Moving to a funky James brown feel, Gun Toting Preacher has a great bottom with Adam Nitti on bass and features great trumpet punctuation by Julio and sax by Max Abrams. Nitti's bass lines on Cookie Jar really sets the mood and Bey knows how to work it. The horns really kick it into high gear on this one and McNelly's guitar solo is tops. R&B track, Where You Been So Long has a real nice strut and Bey's vocals shine like on no other track on the release. With solid piano and super horns, this may be my favorite. Another track that had super radio appeal is Give It To Get It with it's high strut. Wendy Molten...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live from the 805 , from Alastair Greene and it's a real rocker (and a double live rocker to boot)! Opening with blues rocker, The Sweetest Honey , Alastair Greene uses classic rock riffs to propel his band into orbit. Backed by Jim Rankin on bass and Austin Beede on drums, these guys are really rocking with excellent guitar soloing by Greene. On boogie track, Big Bad Wolf , Greene's strat has a classic grind and his vocal paired with Rankin are very cool with a ZZ Top edge.  With plenty of swagger and excellent guitar blues bends, 3 Bullets has a great feel. This track is made for Greene's guitar style, really bringing out his tight yet raw attack. Very cool. With a Bo Diddley riff and super fat slide guitar Greene gets a great groove going on Say What You Want . His slide finesse is nicely coupled with his solid vocals and the bands tight bottom. Another track with a cool feel is Love So Strong . Setting ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Long Road Home , from Midnight Johnny Morana and it's got a nice flow. Opening with Texas style shuffle track, Your New Occupation , Midnight Johnny hits the road running with solid vocals and a loping guitar feel. Backed by Steve Zoyes on keys, John Grillo on drums and Sergio Caizzo on bass, this is a real cool opener. One of my all time favorite JJ Cale tracks, Crazy Mama ,  gets a cool cover with a slight upward adjustment in speed. Johnny's vocals are a bit more country in styling and with the addition of Zoyes piano work and nicely laid in guitar soloing, this track works nicely. Title track, Long Road Home is based on a rework of Rolling and Tumblin giving Johnny the opportunity to dust off his slide and throw some fire, backed by Arlene Coutee on vocal. With a Latin beat and real flair, Tired of Foolin' Around is a really cool track showing off some real nice piano riffs and some fat fat slide. Ver...

RUF RECORDS TO RELEASE SET ON NOVEMBER 17 TH The box set celebrating the 20 th anniversary of the passing of blues legend Luther Allison will take the blues world by storm upon its release on November 17 th . The pressing has been limited to 1500 CD sets, and contains the essential albums recorded by Luther during his Motown years. To compliment this massive array of music is an 88-page coffee table book written by Art Tipaldi featuring Luther’s inspiring story, comments from his friends and associates and many rare and private photos. In addition, the box is chock full of video footage. Included are performances from 1997 (Live in Paradise and Zoo Bar), 1991 ( A concert in Germany with Luther playing alongside his son Bernard), 1987 (a show from East Berlin.) The 1996 performance at the W.C. Handy Awards packs the power and excitement of Luther’s typical 3-hour shows into a riveting and relentless 15-minute blues set. This particular performance was the climax of hi...