Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Transpacific Blues Vol. 1 , from Matty T Wall and it's quite entertaining. Opening with John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom, Matty T Wall picks up Hookers classic and moves it forward. With toasty guitar riffs, solid vocals, the firm brush work of Ric Whittle on drums and Stephen Walker on bass, and the addition of great slide work of Dave Hole, this is a real cool opener. Hi Heel Sneakers gets a cool, funky treatment, with terrific lead by Wall and Eric Gales. Very nice. On Albert Collins' Quicksand , Kid Ramos steps up with Walls on lead guitar and with a rolling pace, quick shuffle keeps you bopping in your seat. Excellent! T Bone Walker's Stormy Monday take a different turn altogether with a great slow pace but with a different (than the original) melody. This adds tension and with hard grabbed, stinging, guitar riffs Wall keeps you plastered to your seat and listening close. Very cool. Kirk Fletcher sits...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tattered & Torn , by Black Cat Bones and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Manslaughter , with it's driving bass line by Jeff Daniels, Black Cat Bones show their blues rock roots. With Charlie Pitts on vocal, Jerry Sommers on drums and Richard Rivera and Gary David on guitars these guys drum up the feeling of the early days of blues rock music and Humble Pie. Dead Broke Blues maintains a rock swagger and solid lead vocals, but what really stands out to me are the impressive guitar accent lines by Rivera and David. Rather than long flowing lines of solos, these guys insert strategically placed accents that set the track off nicely. Slow blues, The Race , has a real solid melody and lead vocal by Pitts and introduces some nice sax soloing by Clay Brown, Carla Brownlee (bari sax) and Amochip Dabney (in this order). Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release is rocker, Pay You Back With Interest ,...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Colors by Sugar Blue and the title reflects it's musical diversity. Opening with the familiar rhythms of Bo Diddley on And The Devil Too , Sugar Blue covers lead vocal but more importantly, plays some pretty frantically cool harmonica. Backed by Rico McFarland on guitar, Brady Williams, Llaria Lantieri on bass and Damiano Della Torre on keys a cool opener. We Will Be Alright is a smooth sensitive ballad with a strong melody. Backed by Della Torre on keys and the angelic vocals of Afrika Riz... very nice. A funky remix of The Beatles, Day Tripper , has a great beat, presents some of Sugar's best vocals on the release and gives Sugar a cool track to jam on harmonica over. Solid. Acoustic blues shuffle, Good Old Days , gets your foot stomping along with McFarland on guitar and Washboard Chaz on Washboard. Dragging out some excellent blues guitar riffs, McFarland really hits it as Sugar crafts a suggestive tale, Di...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I'll Drink To That , by Griff Hamlin and the Single Barrel Blues Band and I really like it. Opening with Texas/R&B flavored, Almost Level with the Ground , Griff Hamlin and the Single Barrel Blues Band sounds like a solid blend of SRV and Robert Cray. Great guitar tone and that super soulful feel by lead vocalist and guitar lead, Hamlin is blended with a wealth of organ by Ty Bailie and the horn backing of Jonathan Bradley on trumpet, Eric Letta on sax, Kevin Hicks on trombone and Laura Hamlin on bari sax making a great fabric, anchored by Mark Smith on bass and Chris Atchley on drums. Hamlin not only has the fat, rich tone but the man can scream on guitar with fluid, meaningful soloing. Excellent opener. Boogie shuffle, Down and Out has a strong, driving beat and complimenting Hamlin's solid lead vocal is super piano work of Bailie and his own liquid guitar riffs and punchy horns. Radio style blues ballad,...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release by Bywater Call and it's very nice. Opening with thick, Derek Trucks like slide tone from Dave Barnes, Arizona is a soulful, funky pop rocker. Meghan Parnell has a smooth, soulful lead voice and backed by Samantha Martin, Stacie Tabb, Sherie Marshall and Chantal Williams, this is almost angelic.  A nice sax solo by Jullian Nalli, tight trumpet by Stephen Dyte, a firm hand on bass by Mike Meusel, nicely worked keys by Alan Zemaitis and rhythmic drumming by Bruce McCarthy, this is a super opener. A super rock guitar riff by Barnes sets Talking Backwards on a straight ahead groove and again Parnell has a firm hand on the lead. Punchy horns, a hot sax solo by Nalli and just the right tough of organ and piano by Zemaitis make this a solid rocker. R&B ballad, Nightmare is really a great track with a super melody and lead vocals by Parnell. Backing vocals by Carleigh Aikins and Chantal Williams over a ligh...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Greenville, MS … What about you? , from Kern Pratt and it's a straight up blues rocker. Opening with Loving That Feeling , Kern Pratt is digging into that southern funky blues pot with a great New Orleans rhythm. leading the way on vocal and guitar, this track is moving with Chris Gill on slide, Bobby Walker on rhythm guitar and drums and Bob Dowell on bass and keys. Cool opener.  Slow blues track, Baby's Got Another Lover is a real nice track with Pratt singing lead and responding with smart guitar riffs of his own. With the addition of Shannon Goree on drums, this is one of my favorites on the release. In the vain of Jimmie Oden, Something's Gone Wrong has a really nice bottom courtesy of Dowdell and Pratt again gets a nice chance to stretch on guitar and Kris Jenson lays out a real nice sax solo. Bluesy ballad, Rita not only has nice instrumentation but a perfect radio melody. Sharing lead vocal spot w...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bury'd Alive from Chantel McGregor and it's a heavy power house blues rocker. Opening with lumbering, Take The Power , Chantel McGregor opens the show with a wall of sound starting with her power chords and solid vocals and backed by Colin Sutton on bass and Thom Gardner on drums. Opening the guitar barrage, McGregor wield her guitar like Thor's axe. Very heavy. Another track with a malicious attack is Caught Out with it's metalesque guitar riffs contrasted by McGregor's rock ready vocals. Sutton really works the bass with power surges and Gardner's drumming technique is tight and powerful. Very Strong. Eternal Dream is an elaborate production, using dynamic tension between the sweetness of McGregor's voice and light acoustic guitar to a heavy, fully loaded, searing, electric guitar with just the right distortion and blues rock riffs over a thumping bass line and drums. Very nice. I partic...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live From Centennial Park, Atlanta 1996 by Jack Mack & the Heart Attack and it's a great party. Opening with More Soul, a cool funky, organ infused track with punchy horns, Jack Mack is live! Hi stepping Breakin' Down The Wall , has solid lead vocals by TC Moses and Tim Scott who also plays bass, Andrew Kastner on guitar, Bill Bergman on tenor sax, John Paruolo on B3, Lester Lovitt on trumpet and Alvino Bennett on drums. Strong melody and vocal harmonies over a great bass line and a super rhythm guitar make this a great party track. Staples Singers' hit, I'll Take You There has a great groove and sets up nicely for the Heart Attack with it's fluid funky bass line, tight horn riffs and soulful vocals. Very cool. Another treat is one of my favorites, a cover of James Brown's Sex Machine . Let's face it, nobody's James Brown, but these guys do lay down a super groove for over 5 minutes, ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Small Blues and Grooves from 11 Guys Quartet and it's very enjoyable. Opening with Freddie King styled, Road Trippin' , Paul Lenart on guitar leads the way, sharing the front line with VizzTone President, Richard Rosenblatt on harmonica and backed by Chuck Purro on drums and Bill "Coach" Mather on bass. Solid opener.  Next up is high energy blues track, Jackrabbit, with hot riffs by Rosenblatt on harmonica. Lenart really pelts the guitar with his aggressive riffs, the group really giving it a good workout. Sleepless is a really nice slower blues with Rosenblatt blowing the harmony on harmonica. key accents by Lenart and firm bass work by Mather gives this track a solid footing on Purro's beat. I really like Speakeasy Serenade with stumble beat drumming by Purro and lower fret guitar melody by Lenart under the soulful harmonica wailing of Rosenblatt. Hey Daddyo is a real cool Bo Diddley infused ...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Slide Rules , from Jay Gordon's Blues Venom and it is really hot. Opening with Dripping Blues , a smoky, 12 bar number, Gordon is right there on the end of the limb with his flame thrower on full. This guy plays guitar like we all love to drive, foot on the gas...wide open. His vocals are really in the style of Steve Marriott (a great thing) and his slide touch is firm and full. Backed by Sharon Butcher on bass and Tom Parham on drums this is a solid opener. Another super slide number, Pain , is a solid showcase for Gordon and his slide guitar. Think Rod Price (Foghat) or Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown) for tone and sound. This guy definitely has it. Kicking it into gear, Lost In Time is a great rocker with more super slide work by Gordon. I don't want to make this seem like a one man band because the rhythm section is really solid but Gordon really does light it up. Very cool. Flipping over to an electric boogie, Lucky ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Testify , from Ron Addison and it's a super debut effort. Opening with title track, Testify , a rumbling blues rocker, vocalist Ron Addison shows real attitude, backed by Billy Crawford on lead guitar, Martin Addison on bass, Mike Stephenson on drums and with Charlotte Austin, Renee Mort and Lori Addison on backing vocals. Sax player, Mary Munsey plays a sultry intro on No Damn Good , a slow blues ballad. Ron shows that he's ready for the big times on lead vocal and DC Wolfe lays down some sweaty lead guitar work, making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Keep Loving Me is a solid rocker with a real Chuck Berry swagger. Wolfe's guitar riffs and the piano work of Don Eanes give Addison the power he needs. Nice job. Another bluesy ballad, Long Ago Another Time features Addison in a vocal duet with Samantha Grayson. This track has the most memorable melody on the release and again, some real nice ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wrong Kind Of Love , by Rae Gordon Band and it's solid. Opening with hi stepper, Comin' Back For More , Rae Gordon is in high gear immediately with her sassy vocals and high powered horn section of Allen Kalik on trumpet, Scott Franklin on sax and the power rhythm section of Pat McDougall on keys, Kivett Bednar on guitar, Ed Pierce on drums and Joseph Conrad on bass. Bednar peels away with a ripping trill and laid out guitar solo before a funky conclusion. Great opener. Soulful ballad, How You Gonna is a certain radio track and super showcase for Gordon's vocals. Nicely harmonized vocals with Bednar and McDougall, with warm organ work by McDougall and trumpet highlights by Kalik make for a tidy package. My favorite track on the release is Sea Of Blue , a slower blues track with an inviting organ leader. Bednar and McDougall maintaining a calm sea under the tempest of Gordon's vocals creates nice tension...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, It's A Mighty Hard Road , from Popa Chubby and I hear a real maturing off styles with Chubby that I haven't heard before. Opening with, The Flavor Is In The Fat , a meaty shuffle with certain radio and crowd appeal. Backed by Dave Keyes on piano and organ, Steve Holley on drums, Brett Bass on bass and w ith a memorable melody and a singable chorus, Chubby is off to a great start. Two stepper title track, It's a Mighty Hard Road , is a blend of rock and blues and could also be a strong radio track. With it's simple melodic format and solid melody and a gritty guitar solo, this song hits home. R&B track, The Best Is Yet To Come is one of my favorites on the release with warm vocals and harmonies. Reinforcing the melody with a clean guitar solo gives this track even more radio traction. I'm The Beast From The East is a great blues rocker with plenty of swagger and featuring Don Castagno on drums. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, No Paint , from Jeff Chaz and it's raw and exciting. Opening with Turn Back The Hands of Time , a smooth, R&B style track with some of Chaz's best vocals on the release. Backed by Augie Joachim on bass and Rick Jones on drums, this track is a radio ready track with definite airplay potential. Slow blues, The Stars Are Out, is one of my favorites on the release with Chaz pulling out the stops on his guitar riffs. Fluid runs, volume swells give this track a nice boost. Another slow blues track, Lowdown, Dirty Blues is another strong track with solid blues phrasing. Chaz's gritty voice was made for tracks like this and his willingness to really work the fretboard adds adventure to his presentation. Very cool. Blues rocker, Life Is Like Coffee has a great driving bottom and Chaz makes the best of his opening to rip some nice solos. Another nice slower blues with a cool walking bass line is She's The Swe...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Taking the World, by Storm from Warren "Storm" Schexnider and I like it. Opening with John Fogerty's Long As I Can See The Light and featuring Fogerty on vocal with Storm, the original arrangement is pretty much intact with Eric Adcock on piano, Roddie Romero on guitar, Chris French on bass, Gary Usie on drums and featuring a nice sax solo by Derek Huston. On Earl King's Lonely Nights , you get the real feel of syrupy swampy blues with solid vocals by Storm and a real nice guitar solo by Romero and piano solo by Adcock. Very nice.  Bobby Charles' Tennessee Blues has the real flavor of traditional country and western music. With Richard Comeaux on pedal steel, the addition of Beau Thomas on fiddle and the conventional piano treatment by Adcock makes this one of my favorites. Another traditional country track, Merle Haggard's My House Of Memories has great poise and Storm digs in on vocal wit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Dream of Water , from Katy Hobgood Ray featuring Dave Ray and it's a interesting set of blues and country blended tracks. Opening with Lollie Bottoms , a simple, pop country style track singer songwriter, Katy Hobgood Ray conjures up the feeling of the early days of country rock and the likes of Bobbie Gentry and her story telling songs. Supported by Chuck Dodson on piano, Dave Hoffpauir on drums, Jason Weinheimer on bass and Greg Spradlin on guitars a solid opener. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Washed Away with it's strong, gospel style melody and warm vocal backing by Dave Ray, and Vikki McGee and the addition of nicely complimenting guitar work by Spradlin and the key organ and piano work of Dodson. With a Latin beat, House Divided features Dave Ray on lead vocal, blended nicely with Katy and clean piano lines by Dodson. Very nice. My favorite vocals by Katy on the release are in the lead of ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Rebekah Meldrum and it's tasty. Opening with Set Your Soul Free , Rebekah Meldrum has one of those voices that just grabs you. With plenty of grit and soul, she leads the way backed by Paul Holdman on slide, David Murray on bass, Kevin Kouts on drums and tad Robinson on harmonica. Solid opener. Far Away is a super radio track with a great melody, strong vocals from Meldrum and nicely complimentary harmonica work from Patrick Long. On smooth shuffle, Gypsy , Holdman takes a real nice solo creating a nice tension with Meldrum on vocal. Very nice. Wrapping the release is I'm Here , a bluesy ballad with gospel overtone. Meldrum has a real strong voice and the warm chords of Meldrum really accentuate her gritty smoothness. PJ Yinger on trumpet and Richard Dole on trombone give this track a nice sendoff. An additional bonus on this track is the addition of Robinson on second vocal. I think he's te...