Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Yuca con Mojo - Cuban Blues from Robert Davis and it's quite soulful. Opening with Muddy Waters' I've Got My Mojo Working , Robert Davis on lead vocal and harp takes a traditional Chicago style blues and with island rhythm and bongo gives it a much more tropical feel. Supported by Fraser Melvin on guitars, Yasel Giralt on bass, and Pedro Perez Quintero on percussion this is a cool opener. On Walter Vinson and Lonnie Chatmon's, Sitting On Top Of The World , lush acoustic picking gives the track a real iridescence under Davis' solid vocals. Real traditional Cuban flavor soaks in on traditional folk blues, House of the Rising Sun . This is a really nice arrangement and with beautiful finger picked accompaniment and simple percussion rhythm, this is very nice. Ernie K. Doe's R&B classic, Mother In Law gets a reggae rhythm and a breakout rockin turnaround. Davis' vocal and harp work on the t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love Letter , from Regina Bonelli and it's a cool mix of pop, blues, R&B and blues. Opening with blues rocker Don't Put Your Hands On Me , Bonelli shows pure attitude and backed by Nick Rolfe on keys, Mike Griot on bass and some hot guitar riffs by Tomas Doncker. R&B track, Nothing I Can't Handle has a strong melody and a good beat, with strong vocals by Bonelli, solid sax work by Mark Henry and cool guitar work by Hill. My favorite track on the release is bluesy ballad and title track, Love Letter with musical tension and really strong guitar phrasing by Hill to support Bonelli's soulful lead. Very nice. The Stones' Paint It Black gets a pop rockier feel but with a more contemporary edge and eerie guitar work by Artur Uronen. Very cool. Wrapping the release is The Ladder , a strong, pure pop rocker. With it's straight ahead beat, wailing guitar and firm tom tom work, this is a solid cl...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love Makes A Woman , from the Knickerbocker All-Stars and it's rich. Opening with R&B track, So Soon , Darcel Wilson is upfront with powerful vocals, backed by the power horn section of Rich Lataille and Doug James on sax, Carl Querfurth on trombone, Doc Chanonhouse and Carl Gerhard on trumpet and the tight rhythm section of Mark Teixeira on drums, Brad Hallen on bass, Kevin Barry on guitar and David Limina on keys. Excellent opener. Thornetta Davis really swings boogie track, Good Rockin' Daddy with excellent backing vocals and stellar piano work by Limina a sweet sax solo and tight guitar lead by Barry. Definitely one of my favorites on the release. Wilson takes Joe Seneca's Talk To Me, Talk To Me by the short hairs and really spins it. With a perfect touch of trumpet by Chanonhouse, the warm sax work of James and Lataille and fluid jazzy guitar work of Barry, this is a definite star. Go Girl! is a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue. , from Dave Bandy and it's solid. Opening with super nasty, My Bad Reputation , Dale Bandy creates a great feel (think Cocker's Black Eyed Blues)  on drums, guitar, keys and lead vocal, and Gary Thompson on bass. Excellent opener. R&B soaked, If I Could Only Take It Back, is solid with soulful vocals and guitar by Bandy. Updated and funky, Big Legged Woman is a great hi stepper with a poppy bass line and hot sax work by Joe Bolero. Bandy's guitar lyric and bass lines on The Thrill Is Gone work nicely together accentuating the soulful vocals lines. Jazzy Comin' Down is heavy bass driven with slick guitar riffs giving it a nice kick. Bandy wraps the release with traditional blues, Trouble In Mind , showing his fluid blues riffs as accompaniment to his vocals. Solid closer to this interesting release.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn mo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Long Live Them Blues Vol. 1 , from Houston based duo, Dry Johnson and I really like it. Opening with lumbering blues rumbler, Daddy's Got A Cadillac , features favorites Annika Chambers and Mike Zito on vocals with Zito and Terry Dry on guitars and Matthew Robert Johnson on drums. Cool opener. On title track, Long Live Them Blues , Trudy Lynn's distinct lead vocals are coupled with Steve Krase on harp and Mighty Orq on guitar for a grinding groove. John Del Toro Richardson has the lead on guitar and vocal on Hit That Highway , a real nice blues shuffle. Two stepper, Drunk Girl With A Tambourine has kevin Snit Fitzpatrick on lead vocal and the Mighty Orq on guitar. This is really a strong track with kick. Juke Joint is a slick shuffle with a Bob Wills feel. Featuring Dry on lead vocal and Mighty Orq and James Wilhite on guitar this track is a great swinger. A track with a lot of texture is I Walk Alone featuri...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Paradise Blues , from John Akapo and it has a strong blues underpinning and excellent vocals. Opening with Robert Johnson's Ramblin' On My Mind , Taumei "Big John" Akapo shows why he has made a big name in his home of Hawaii with solid guitar playing and some of the smoothest vocals since Richie Havens. On original blues shuffle, Little Lani , Akapo uses traditional blues bones but crafts a more contemporary feel with vocal styling, super blues riffs and harp backing. Muddy Waters' I Can't Be Satisfied is one of three covers on the release with Waters like slide riffs and a simple gait. laying back in the slot a bit more, Caramac Blues shows a different blues guitar style, fluid soloing and smooth natural vocals. Akapo's voice is so smooth that it adapts itself nicely to anything he sings. Hindsight (Missionary Blues) is played on a high strung, light soundboard instrument, likely a uku...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sanctuary , from Bryan Lee and it's smokin' good. Opening with New Orleans funky, Fight For The Light , with a super strutting rhythm. Lee on guitar and vocal sets the pace backed by Deirdre Fellner on backing vocal, Marc Spagone on guitar, Jack Berry with particularly hot bass, Matt Liban on drums, lush keystrokes by Jimmy Voegeli, and Greg Koch on dobro. Very nice. Rolling shuffle, The Gift has great stride and a warm BB King kind of feel. Voegeli sets a great path on electric piano and Lee's guitar soloing is tops. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Mr Big , has a perfect blend of soulful vocals and guitar floating in a blues cloud. Very cool. another outstanding track is Don't Take My Blindness for a Weakness with extended melodic guitar soloing and soulful vocals. Excellent! Wrapping the release is swinging shuffle, Lord And Savior with direct, committed vocals and concise guitar riffs. Le...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release, Johnny & Jaalene and it's quite good. Opening with Phil Spector's Baby I Love You , Johnny Ramos, son of blues guitar player Kid Ramos and super 16 year old singer, Jaalene DeLeon, breathe fresh air into this 60's classic with solid vocals instrumentation and a great mix. Eddie Cochran's rockabilly tune Teenage Cutie has plenty of spark and tight guitar riffs giving it real oomph. 50's French tune, Let It Be Me , popularized in the US by the Everly Brothers is a real standout here with excellent vocal blending and clear, crisp guitar accompaniment. Lalo Guerrero's Los Chuco Suave is a natural here with excellent Latin styling and accordion by Jesus Cuevas. Excellent! Another huge 60's classic, Rosie (Hamlin) and the Original's Angel Baby is done with little alteration and is a perfect showcase for the purity of DeLeon's voice. featuring a nice sax solo by Ron Dziubl...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent  release, Beautiful Slop , from JJ Appleton and Jason Ricci and it's quite good. Opening with delta style acoustic blues, Don't Take Advantage Of Me , with JJ Appleton on vocal and slide guitar, Jason Ricci on harmonica and vocal and Derek Nievergelt on acoustic bass the band gets the raw efforts of the early blues pioneers down pat. Great opener. With certain tension, Hurt Myself, is a great contemporary blues piece with hoots and hollers by Ricci and tight guitar riffs by Appleton, leading to a real nice harp solo. Certainly my favorite track on the release. Geaux Nuts Kids is a cool, Zydeco style instrumental jam featuring harp and guitar with only vocal punctuation. Very cool. Another of my favorite tracks is Don't Badger The Witness with some of the hottest slide guitar riffs on the release. I like Ricci's rowdy vocal styling and trademark harp work. Wrapping the release is bluesy ballad, Stay, with onl...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Diane Durrett & Soul Suga Live from Diane Durrett and it's a funky, soul drenched live outing. Opening with Bright Side , Durrett on vocal and guitar with sassy Billy Preston like organ work by Yoel B'nai Yehuda, with solid trombone work from Wes Funderburke, Gregg Shapiro on bass, Markham on guitar and Melissa Junebug on drums as well as rich backing vocals by Adam McKnight and Debra Reese. It Is What It Is is a cool soul track with a nice melody and gritty, Macy Gray like texture. For me Funderburke's trombone really shines on this track. Excellent! Wish It Would Rain is a really nice soulful ballad and the best showcase for Durrett's voice on the release. Backed by McKnight and Reese, this track is very strong. Smooth soul track, Be Somebody's Angel has super radio potential and with it's warm vocals and organ work. Very nice. Super New Orleans dripping, Sassy Larue has a strong drum ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hues of Blues , from David Lumsden & Friends and it's got a mix of tracks to show off  Lumsden's guitar chops. On Earl Hooker's, You Got To Lose , Lumsden leads on vocal and guitar, backed by Tim Bahn on organ, Wayne carter on piano, Gary Davis on bass and Arthur Carey Sr. on drums. Cool shuffle, You're Ruining My Bad Reputation , written by Denise La Salle features Wayne Carter on lead vocal, giving Lumsden free rein to play slide. Nice job. Pulling out the eccentric Jeff Beck instrumental, Brush With the Blues , Lumsden not only demonstrates his solid guitar chops but his excellent listening influences. Memphis Minnie's What's The Matter With The Mill features Reggie Britton on lead vocal and drums with a great driving pace and Steve Mehlberg on harp. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Raised Me Right , features super vocals by Mary Jo Curry and fat fat slide work by Lumsden. Very ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues & Angels , from Sandy Carroll and it's got something special. Opening with Soak Me In The Spirit, a gospel soaked shuffle, Carroll has lead vocal backed by Rick Steff on keys, Steve Potts on drums, David Smith on bass and Will MacFarlane on guitar. Soulful ballad, Wrapped In An Angel , has a really nice melody, with Mark Narmore on keys, Smith on bass, Potts on drums and MacFarlane on guitars. Sassy shuffle, Mama Don't Like It is one of my favorite tracks with a cool shuffle feel clean bluesy riff by MacFarlane and some of Carroll's best vocals on the release. Funky, Headin' Home is another of my favorite tracks with snappy drum work by Mario Dawson, bass by George Moye and featuring Bernard Allison on guitar. Very cool. Wrapping the release is ballad, Mississippi Me featuring only her vocal and Narmore on piano. A fitting closer for a nice release.    If you support live Blues act...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Prime Blues , from Jim Allchin and it's quite good. Allchin, who is releasing his 4th studio release is really honing in on the perfect sound for him. Opening with R&B flavored blues number, Give It Up , featuring Allchin on lead vocal and guitar, peppered with punchy horn work by the Memphis Horns (Charles Rose, Jim Hoke, Steve Hermann and Doug Moffet). Allchin has really honed his tone and his chops have always been super. His backing band is tops with Bob Britt, Rob McNelley  and Kenny Greenberg on rhythm guitar, Tom Hambridge on drums, Glenn Worf on bass, Mycle Wastman on backing vocals and Kevin McKendree on keys. Strutting, Devil Don't Sleep really has a great feel with excellent lead work by Allchin and heavy B3 by McKendree. Jimmy's Boogie is a high energy boogie with a solid bass line by Worf and terrific piano work by McKendree over the tight drums of Hambridge giving Allchin free rein to pla...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Every Soul's A Star , from Dave Keller and it's a solid R&B entry. Opening with Don't Let Them Take Your Joy , a poppy R&B track, Dave Keller leads a super band on vocal and guitar with excellent backing from Bob Trenchard on bass, Johnny McGhee on guitar, Dan Ferguson on keys, Richy Puga on drums, Mike Middleton on trumpet and Nick Flood on sax. Solid opener. On title track, Every Soul's A Star , a warm horn intro leads the way for Keller's soulful vocals and nice backing vocals by Janelle Thompson and Shakara Weston. Digging down into the funk, Ronnie Shannon's Baby, I Love You has a great sound. I really love Aretha's version of this, but I really like this one as well with a slower, more powerful bottom and bluesy guitar riffs. Very cool. Another solid R&B track, Freedom Is Ours is another solid vocal track which benefits nicely from the horn work of Middleton and Flood. Up-...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Voodoo in the Shadows , from Fiona Boyes . Opening with dark, smoky Call Their Name , Boyes, with her swampy guitar rhythms and solid vocals leads the way backed by Tim Neal on keys, Mark Grunden on drums and Johnny Sansone on harp. On What You Put On Me , the band sets a Mississippi hill country pace with Sansone wailing away on harp and Boyes laying out some prime cigar box slide work. Very nice. On Latin flavored, Dark and Dangerous Love shows a different side of Boyes with dark, a seductive melody, steamy vocals and smooth guitar lead. Neal adds some real nice sax backing in addition to a hot organ solo and Grunden's conga playing really spices it up. New Orleans has a nice bluesy feel with great piano work by Neal. R&B roots fuel With A Little Respect . Neal steps up with another nice sax solo and melodic harp work by Sansone adds just the right tough to Boyes vocal efforts. Wrapping the release is another...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Welcome To My Blues , from Sean Chambers and it's meaty. Opening with flamboyant blues rocker, and title track, Welcome To My Blues , guitar player/songwriter/guitarist, Chambers lets it fly with solid vocals and ripping blues rock riffs, joined by John Ginty on keys, Moe Watson on drums and Todd Cook on bass. Great opener. My absolute favorite track on the release, Black Eyed Susie , has a super swagger thanks to Chambers' strong vocals and Watson's heavy drum work. Jimmy Bennett's slide guitar work on this track is super, the track actually reminding me a lot of a terrific track written by Jackie Lynton for Savoy Brown in the early 70's. Luther Allison's Cherry Red Wine is an absolute screamer with some of Chambers' most fiery riffs on the release. If you don't like this, you probably don't like contemporary blues...at all! Excellent! Backbeat shuffle, Cry On Me , has a great feel ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, New York City Chill , from The Wildcat O'Halloran Band and it's cool. Opening with jazz/blues rocker, Van Wyck Expressway the band lays down a real nice instrumental groove. Featuring O'Halloran with strong guitar and sax exchanges with Emily Duff over a solid rhythm section of Mark Chouinard and Kathy Peterson, this is a super opener. With a bit of sizzle, Can't Get It Like That is a romping shuffle with fluid guitar riffs and a driving rhythm.  To really get you up and moving, Cookin' Mama has a funky beat and harp by Wally Greeney leading to some fat fat slide work by Wildcat. Very nice. Louis Jordan's classic jump track, Saturday Night Fish Fry is up next and the band is having a blast with nice horn work by Duff. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Dumb with it's funky rhythm, fiery guitar work and peppery harp. On Muddy Waters' Don't Go No Further , Wildcat is alone ...