Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the new release, Peace in Pieces , from the Betty Fox Band and it's hot. Opening with rocker, Green Light , The Betty Fox Band shows soulful radio style. With full organ enrichment by Clayton Ivey and super backing vocals by Cindy Walker, Marie Levy and Fox, a solid opener. Marie is a really strong soul track with a beautiful melody and full horns by Brad Guin on sax, Ken Watters on trumpet over the vocal choir giving the track a rich gospel feel. A real nice guitar solo by Josh Nelms sets off the track but this one is a great showcase for the vocal strength of Fox. Excellent! Let Go Or Be Dragged is another really powerful track with a great rhythm line by Barry Williams on bass and Chris Peet on drums. One of the other promos that I saw compared Fox to Hart or James but I hear the style purity of Winehouse. This girl has real sass in her tone that I rarely hear. Another tight guitar solo by Nelms adds real spice. R&B style track, Sw...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues From The Inside Out , from Dave Specter , and it's got great style. Opening with title track, Blues From The Inside Out , Dave Spector leads on guitar and vocal with Brother John Kattke on keys, Harlan Lee Terson on bass, and Marty Binder on drums. Adding in the horns on Ponchatoula Way , Specter put up a blues rocker with a splash of New Orleans. Mars Williams on sax, Jon Janowiak on trombone and Ron Haynes on trumpet give the track fullness and Spector's innovative blues riffs and the solid piano work of Kattke are really nice.  Hot Tuna leader, Jorma Kaukonen joins on Sanctifunkious , a real sweaty blues funk right out of the streets of NO. A cool instrumental with essential drums by Binder and percussion by Ruben Alverez, and nice key work by Kattke, a great groove. Latin influenced, Minor Shout has a super beat and with tight percussion, clean lead guitar and fluid organ runs, it could easily be from ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It , by Breezy Rodio and it's solid fun. Opening with title track, If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It , Breezy Rodio on lead vocal and guitar first shows a Latin rhythm which moves to a cool shuffle. Backed by Ariyo Ariyoshi on piano, Dan tabion on organ, Light Palone on bass and Lorenzo Francocci on drums and nicely complimented by Constantine Alexander on trumpet, Ian Letts on tenor sax, Ian "The Chief" McGarrie on bari sax and Simone Nobile on harmonica. On A Woman Don't Care , Rodio digs in nicely with excellent blues vocals, punctuated by McGarrie and Alexander. His guitar phrasing, supported nicely by the piano of Ariyo gives the track a real cool feel. A real nice slower blues, Los Christianos , showcases Rodio's soulful vocal styling and solid blues guitar chops. Very nice. With it's 60's rock feel, instrumental, The Breeze has Rodio on solo g...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rock 'N' Roll - A Tribute to Chuck Berry , by Mike Zito and this disc is loaded. Opening with St. Louis Blues and Charlie Berry II, Mike Zito handles guitar and lead vocals, backed by Matthew Johnson on drums, Terry Dry bass and Lewis Stephens on keys. Joanna Conner joins on Rock and Roll Music and there is just no match for that dynamo on slide guitar. Powerhouse player, Walter Trout steps in on Johnny B Goode , a long time favorite of blues and rock players alike. Trout's fluid, high intensity attack is well suited for this classic. Very nice. On Wee Wee Hours , master showman, Joe Bonamassa is featured and he lays out a full tour of the fretboard hitting about every fret on every string, making it seem totally effortless and with great feel. Clocking in at almost 5 and a half minutes, Bonamassa gives you the grand tour. Smoking. Robben Ford takes more of a country flavored approach to You Never Can Tell...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, It Ain't Safe , by Will Jacobs & Marcos Coll and it's genuinely funky blues. Opening with It Ain't Safe , Will Jacobs gets things spinning with excellent vocal and guitar styling. Laying low but making every note count is Marcos Coll on harmonica. Jacobs sings with a mid register solidity with nice falsettos and sprints guitar riffs that nicely punctuate his vocals. Excellent opener. On Chicago style shuffle, Going To Berlin , Coll steps up in traditional Chicago fashion and lays his chops flat out. Jacobs shows he can cross over to straight blues with strong lead lines all supporting his super lead vocals. Very cool. C.J.' Bounce is a really fine boogaloo based blues instrumental with Jacobs and Coll sharing the melody respectively. With alternating lead lines, Jacobs and Marcos use this conventional R&B format to create my favorite track on the release. Another terrific track is Blues Cazorla ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live from Johnny Burgin and it's really good. Opening with brisk shuffle, You Got to Make A Change , Johnny is upfront on vocal and guitar, backed by Aki Kumar on harp, Kid Andersen on guitar, Chris Matheos on bass and Steve Dougherty on drums. Excellent, slow blues, Can't Make It Blues , Johnny really shines with his soulful vocal and blistering guitar riffs. Most people don't think of Chicago bluesmen as hot, slingers with real pyrotechnics but Burgin is here to show you that Buddy Guy is no longer the only game in town. Excellent! There are only a few contemporary players that can really pull off the funky blues like Albert King could and Burgin is one of them. She Gave Me The Slip is a great example with solid blues riffs over a great funky beat. Time for a great Chicago blues instrumental and Kumar is up and ready on harp. Burgin, Andersen and Kumar really kick it on this one with smoke flying. Rae Gor...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Sentence, from Brad Heller and it's honest, straight forward, radio style folk rock. Opening with Eternal Season , with it's jangly amplified acoustic guitar strum and single stroke snare simplicity, singer /songwriter Brad Heller newest release could be filling the void left by the departure of Tom Petty. His lyrics are strong and his vocals solid. Title track, The Sentence , is subtle in acoustic instrumentation with only the hint of guitar and drums by Ronn Pifer accompanying Heller's vocal, storytelling melody and with harmony by Ted Crenshaw. The Greatest Crime is a strong alt country track, again with very simple drum rhythm, featuring some of Heller's best vocals, paired with Adrian Varnam and clean electric guitar work by Crenshaw and Zeke Roland. Folk track, Chasing Wolves is another favorite with a strong vocal line and warm vocal harmonies by Varnam, smooth lead guitar soloing and rich...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Empirical Truth , from Mark Newman and it's a solid rocker. Opening with a cool, slide saturated boogie, Scapegoat , Mark Newman leads off on vocal with Craig Privett on bass, Shawn Murray on drums and Kevin McKendree on keys. Solid opener.  Mississippi Mile is a super rocker that could garner strong radio appeal with it,s straightforward melody and classic slide sound. A fast walking bass line by Privett and with it's slightly countrified beat, confirmed by Newman's finger picking guitar work and strong vocal harmony with Jacob Koch. Very nice. One of my favorites on the release is Sharin' The Blues with it's low slung attack and acoustic slide. Slightly jazzy, slightly funky, Everything You Know , is a real nice instrumental with paired lead guitars on melody. McKendree's keyboard anchors the tune so that Newman can slide tunefully and Murray's drumming is tight and strong. Very nice. Low...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Outskirts of Love , by Sue Decker and it's a solid rural country flavored blues release. Opening with Lay Me Down In the Indigo , Sue Decker, shows a solitary sound, singing toe to toe with her resonator guitar. This is an interesting track and a cool opener. Wynn Gogol adds full keyboard support and Damian Graham on bass giving The Stain a strong radio feel. A nice melody and Decker's unique vocals give this track solid traction. A real nice acoustic blues is Too Close to the Bone , one of my favorites on the release. Fingerpicked and simple, may be Decker's best vocal track on the release. Easy flowing pop tune, Let Me Begin with You , has a contemporary rock rhythm and strong melody, with horn programming by Gogol. Backing vocals by Gavin Hodgins and Gogol give this track a healthy radio feel. Another of my favorites on the release is folk flavored Silver Anniversary , with a great melody, strong lead vo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Folie a deux, from Hudspeth & Taylor and its a contemporary take on contemporary acoustic blues. Opening with Big Fat Hairy Lie , an acoustic boogie featuring Brandon Hudspeth on acoustic guitar and slide and Jaisson Taylor on vocal and percussion. Solid opener. I Know It's Gonna Rain Again is a nice, quiet, almost supernatural sounding slower blues. Hudspeth's guitar work is patient and supportive under Taylor's vocals. A cool Piedmont Style Candy Man has a happy go lucky feel with articulate picking and casual whistling under the smooth vocals of Taylor. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Low Down Dirty Dealer Man with a cool percussion rhythm and contrasting high fret slide work by Hudspeth. Acoustic guitar run, and title track, Folie a Deux is a really nice display of finger picking style. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Daddy Baby , the most complex and funky of the tracks on this r...

OK...You may only get one or two a year... this is it! I just had the opportunity to review the new release, Left My Soul In Memphis , from Eddie 9V (9 Volt) and it's terrific! You like blues singers... you got it! You like searing blues riffs... you got it! You like real blues like oxidation on a farm find 40's Ford... you got it! Eddie 9V may be the best kept blues secret on the planet! Opening with Look Over Yonder Wall , Eddie 9V has it all (well mostly). He plays every instrument and sings (except keys by Rhett Huffman). Fat lead guitar tone upfront and clean rhythm guitar over the sound of brass, raspy bluesman voice, thumping bass, and drums. Yep. He delivers. I mean just listen. Phrasing like Freddie King, funky like Albert and a unique old school guitar tone … terrific!  On Bottle and the Blues , Eddie's opening riffs are as exciting as you favorite players and then he digs in on vocals with nice chords. Why doesn't everybody do this? The line level fr...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Spitball, Shatter and Patch , from Randy McAllister and it's a healthy dose of country blues. Opening with Relax Watch the Crash , McAllister on lead vocal teams up with Heather Newman on backing vocal and supported by Brandon Hudspeth on slide guitar and Bill Mckemy on tuba take a soft acoustic approach to the blues with a lightly country style. A quiet but effective opener. Slamming the door open on The Loudest Chicken with the addition of Cliff Moore on bass, and McAllister's own drums Hudspeth winds up the slide and McAllister really winds it up. A hard driving blues rocker. Soulful, Kingsland is one of my favorites on the release with expressive vocals and harmonica by McAllister over well balanced acoustic picked and slide guitar. Pure blues is the story on The Song That Writes Itself, with a solid melody, vocals and BB King like phrasing by Hudspeth. Wrapping the release is blues rocker, The Girl's ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Alive , from Sister Lucille and it's a solid rocker with strong R&B, funk and blues roots. Opening with Won't Give It , a super funky rocker with horns and a heavy bass line, Sister Lucille, fronted by Kimberly Dill shows great swagger. With Jamie Holdren on lead guitar, Kevin Lyons on drums and Eric Guinn on bass and with Peter Climie on sax, Jared Dover on trumpet and Andrew Earle on trombone, a tight opener. On See My Baby , Holdren steps up front showing his slide guitar chops and sharing lead vocal position with Dill. With a southern stomp kind of attitude and solid bottom, this track rocks. Latin flavored Devil's Eyes has a real nice rhythm and tasty lead by Holdren and Dill's vocals really work nicely with the lone trumpet of Dover. Eric Hughes steps in on harmonica on blues track, Respect Your Woman trading the spotlight with Dill on lead vocal. The addition of Reba Russell on backing vocal,...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wayback Machine , from Mark Hummel and it old school Chicago style blues. Opening with Flim Flam , a cool blues number with a great bass line courtesy of R.W Grigsby, with Mark Hummel on harmonica and lead vocal, backed by Rusty Zinn on guitar, Aaron Hammerman on piano and some great percussion by Dave Eagle. Super opener. A real nice Chicago flavored shuffle, Cut That out really provides a nice platform for Hummel on harmonica and Billy Flynn shows his chops on guitar, also joined by Kid Andersen. Hummel original, Road Dog is a super harmonica piece with eccentric percussion by Eagle giving it a real primitive feel.  One of my favorites on the release is Breathtaking Blues , a cool, harmonica lead instrumental with a nicely executed piano solo by Hammerman and Eagle's zany percussion. Very cool. Another favorite is Gillum's Crazy About You with a really cool pace, with barrelhouse, rat a tat percussion and H...

I just had the opportunity to review the debut release, Saturday Night , from Matchedash Parish and it's really strong. Matchedash Parish, made up of 12 musicians and with each a real contributor, you expect greatness … and you get it. Opening with When The Rain Comes , a subtle blend of rock, blues, funk, gospel and R&B (plus more) this sounds like the second coming of one of the best rock bands of all time..."The Band". Lead by Matt Weidinger on vocal and keys , this is such a great sound. The full compliment is Lance Anderson on lead vocal and keys, Quisha Wint on  lead vocal and leading the choir, Michelle White backing vocals, Jill Zadeh backing vocals, Shamakah Ali on drums, Ben Rolo on drums, Art Avalos on percussion, mark McIntyre on bass, Mackenzie Jordan on guitar, Gene Hardy on sax and William Sperandei on trumpet, this is a full ensemble. With a proud, Al Green like strut and full gusto, Where There Is Love , follows right on the heels and the second ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live A Montreal , from the Ben Racine Band and it's quite entertaining. Opening with Addiction , a swaggering blues rocker, Ben Racine, lead vocalist and guitar player has super presence, with deep throaty bari sax by Mathieu Moose Mousseau and backed by Kaven Jalbert on tenor sax, Charles Trudel on keys, Francois Dube on bass and Nicky Estor on drums. I really like Contageous, a soulful rocker with a stiff drum beat. Warm sax work and solid vocals set the pace and again Moose steps up with a nice sax solo, bookended with another by Racine and Jalbert. Very nice! JG Watson's Cuttin' In is one of my favorites with it's soulful melody smoky sax work by Jalbert and tight guitar riffs by Racine. Southbound Girl is a up beat shuffle with great vocals and guitar lead by Racine, tight riffs by Estor and a warm under blanket by Trudel and Jalbert. Excellent! Boogaloo rhythm gives No Smoke Without Fire a great f...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Through The Circle, from Jennifer Truesdale and it's pure adult contemporary with a bluesy twist. Opening with light shuffle track, I Need You Tonight , singer/songwriter, Jennifer Truesdale presents a polished package with just the right grit, backed by Joe Musella on guitar, Bill D'Agnostino on drums, Marty Ballou on bass, John Mulroy on piano, Tom West on B-3, Rarika Tokushige on sax, Hiro Tokushige on trumpet, Angel Subero on trombone, and a full house of Lydia Harrell, Kit Holliday and John Grant Tolbert III on backing vocals. Strong, jazzy, radio track, Daydreaming , hits all of the marks for a crowd pleaser with a solid melody, doubled vocals, nice harmonies and a jazzy beat. An interesting cover of John Fogerty's Have You Ever Seen The Rain is actually quite nice with vocal tension and a cool bluesy guitar solo by Musella. Another track with smooth balance is Sunrise with mellow vocals over strong ...