Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stand Up! , from Whitney Shay and its got a cool R&B vibe. Opening with funky title track, Stand Up! ... Whitney on lead vocal and strong drumming by Brannon Temple. This track has got it going. With solo guitar work by favorite Laura Chavez and a full horn compliment of Kaz Kazanoff on tenor sax, John Mills on bari and Al Gomez on trumpet and with Chris Maresh on bass and Red Young on keys, this is a strong opener. Equal Ground is a slower, lumbering blues style track with a lot of swagger. Slide work by Derek O'Brien and the rich vocals of Shay gives this track just the right sound. Radio ballad, I Thought We Were Through has a strong melody and soulful vocals by Shay and a cool sax solo by Kaz makes this an ideal radio track. A duet vocal with Guy Forsyth on funky, Far Apart (Still Close) a solid fluid guitar solo by Chavez and a strong bass line by Maresh makes this track one of my favorites on the relea...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The King of Crazy Town , from Bill Blue and it's a full bodies slice of the blues. Opening with blues rocker, Do What I Say Don't Do What I Do , Billy Blue of guitar and lead vocal really kicks the jam. Geoffrey Lowe lays down a solid walking bass line, and Joey Marchiano keeps the bottom tight on drums. Super opener. On power packed, horn soaked, I Want It All , Blue not only says it, he screams it. Excellent drumming by Randy Morrow gives it a cool New Orleans flavor and an excellent horn section consisting of Rob Cutts on sax, Jason Chapman on trumpet, Adam Seely on bari and Karl Lyden on trombone seals the deal. Backing way down to a delta style blues on Hunker Down , Blue sings over a droning resonator guitar and harmonica by Bob Moughler. Very cool. Another favorite on the release is You Ain't Fun Anymore with a really cool, funky back beat, reinforced by snappy drumming by Morrow, cool key work by Er...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Heavens To Betsy , from Jeremiah Johnson , and it's a full mix of rock, country, pop, and blues with plenty of guitar. Opening with southern rock flavored, White Lightning , Jeremiah Johnson explores a firm American tradition but, bypassing the dual guitar lead and inserting tight, expressive riffs with plenty of sting. Backed by Tony Anthonis on bass, and Benet Schaeffer on drums, a solid opener. Power blues rocker, Soul Crush has definite Led Zep swagger with guitar, bass and Frank Bauer on sax all reinforcing the lead. Johnson steps up with his pinched harmonic lead and hits it square on the nuts. His vocals are right on and this track rocks. Another solid rocker is American Steel with a driving beat and just a little back beat. Always with that country vein and stinging guitar riffs, this is another strong entry. Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign has the tempo kicked up a little and with the addition of Bauer ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Waitin' For Payday , by Sid Whelan and it's a mix of different tastes and flavors. Opening with Nina Simone , a cool, laid back jazzy ballad, with exceptional presence on acoustic guitar and mic, Whelan creates a stark similarity to Simone's own fragile vocal presentation. Very cool. On Midnight In The Country , Whelan does an interesting blues/country mix with a slower pace and interesting electric guitar bends and riffs. Backed by  Trevor Bridgewater on bass and Robert Weiss on drums this track has some nice teeth. Legba  Ain't No Devil is a really cool track with a primary bass and percussion  by Valerie Naranjo, Jimmy Greenfield, Dave D'Ambrosio and Richard Huntley under Whelan's falsetto vocals and soaring electric guitar. A definite African influence this track is one of my favorites on the release. Another cool track, The Promise , is a jazz oriented track with structured vocals and inter...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Travelled , by Marie Martens & The Messarounds and it's old school blues rock. Opening with Change My Ways, Marie opens with a great slide riff and this band really has the grit of the early Yardbirds (if you don't know them check out the beginnings of Jeff Beck, Clapton and Page). With Ronnie Cacioppo on percussion, Jimmy B Natural on bass and Tom Selear on drums. I like Martens' slide style and with solid bass and driving drums...what's not to love. Very cool! On Keep On Loving Me , Martens steps out on guitar and her riffs are loose and fluid, consistent with the time and is a breath of fresh in todays climate. Just listen to the throaty rumble that she's getting on Mama Won't Allow Me . It's her basic style and those old Teisco (?) pickups that gives it that Hound Dog Taylor feel. Excellent! Listen to this fat slide work on Movin' On! Using just the basic slap drumming techniqu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Chicken Grease, from Biscuit Miller and the Mix and it's a cool mix of blues, funk and soul. Opening with Here Kitty Kitty , a cool R&B track with a potent bass line by Miller who also has the lead on vocal, backed by Doctor Love on drums, Bobby B Wilson on guitar and Alex "Southside" Smith on guitar and John Ginty riding high on B3 and electric piano. Super opener. Lap steel master, Marcus Randolph sits in on 609 , adding his special sauce. A driving rocker with an firm bass line, this track keeps the heat on with great vocals, and tight work from Ginty, Wilson and Smith. Title track, Chicken Grease , is so funky you can smell it. Miller really works the bass and his vocal phrasing is perfect. With a cool interplay between Wilson, Smith and Randolph, this track is hot! R&B track, Watching You is smooth as silk with warm vocals by Miller and just the right bottom and nice backing vocals by Love, ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Out Of The Box, from Ben Rice and RB Stone and it's a lot of fun. Opening with rock n roller, Hot Rod Mama this band is cranking right out of the chute. With solid vocals, revving guitars and slick slide from Rice and Stone and with Dave Melyan on drums, Joseph Barton on bass and Jimi Bott on trombone, this track smokes! Driving blues rocker, Hey Politician , has a great steady beat, CCR style vocals and super slide. It's the grinding guitar tone and the driving rhythm that gives The Swamp East Boogie it's electrifying feel. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's relentless push. Very cool! With it's taste of country, Crushin' On The Bartender has a strong radio appeal and the tasty slide work gives it just the right edge. Rich, warm hollow body tones fill the background of Train of Time, an easy set slow blues number featuring only lead vocal and slide. Wrappin...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Come On In , from Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado and I really like it. Opening with title track, Come On In , Thorbjorn blends many musical styles and comes up with a tasty blend with a great interweave of guitar (Risager and Joachim Svensmark), keys (Emil Balsgaard), sax (Casper Wagner and Hans Nybo), trumpet and trombone (Peter W Kehl), bass (Soren Bojgaard) and drums (Martin Seidelin). Very cool. Breezy, Nobody But The Moon , has an easy, radio touch and a solid melody. I really like Risager's voice, with a strong, deep timbre reminiscent of Richie Havens. Sin City , with it's stomp rhythm has a real nice slide guitar accent over the basic guitar rhythm and excellent vocals by Risager. Always with well crafted instrumentation, Risager's music is terrific. Breaking into a wide open shuffle, Over The Hill is a great blues track. Risager really steps up vocally with horns blazing behind him and ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Eldorado , from Guy Belanger and it's pretty cool. Opening with instrumental, Carving The Wind , featuring Guy Belanger interweaving his harmonica work with Robert MacDonald on guitar over the bass work of Marc-Andre Drouin and Michael Dufour on drums. A pure Latin beat sets the tone for instrumental title track, Eldorado , with it's crisp rhythm and swaying feel. Belanger crafts a really nice melody and MacDonald shapes flowing guitar tones that almost sound like the wind. Very nice. A track with an overall blues feel and real tension, When Will I Know features Belanger on lead vocal and harmonica and Bob Stagg on b3, piano and Wurlitzer. This is a really sensitive track with a great radio sense. One of my favorite tracks on the release is light funky jazz rocker, Wicked with it's super bass line from Drouin, and Belanger on harmonica melody and including a real nice guitar solo by MacDonald. Another trac...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Every Day of Your Life , by Jimmy Johnson and it got real feel. Opening with swamp funky, title track, Every Day of Your Life, old school Chicago bluesman, Jimmy Johnson on lead vocal and lead guitar shows his unique style. I high pitched, almost howl is how I'd describe it lending to a real bluesy feel. Joined by Rico McFarland on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on piano and B3, JR Fuller on bass, Pooky Stix on drums and Tymphanie Monique on backing vocal, this is a super opener. Rattlesnake is a really nice high stepping blues track with an excellent mix of jazz and blues guitar riffs. With Brother John Rattke on piano, B3 and guitar, Curt Bley on bass, Ernie Adams on drums, and Julia A Miller and Elbio Barilari on backing vocals, this is a real cool track. Fenton Robinson's classic, Somebody Loan Me A Dime is always a great showcase both vocally and on lead guitar and Johnson's particular fluid guitar burst s...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Song's For You by Big Mike & the R&B Kings and I really like it. Opening with New Orleans Funk infused, Last Night with Big Mike Perez on lead vocal and a pounding bass line and a tight drum kit from Jorge Leal and Oberon Jackson Jr. , this band is hopping. Rex Canieso and Paul Provotsy are laying down some great guitar lines and a hot sax solo by Bob Sass and Tajh Derosier is super. Great opener. On slow blues, Played A Fool , Big Mike really gets the chance to show just how good a lead vocalist he is and his vocals are smooth and soulful. Ultra smoky sax work over the firm bass line by Big Mike will sit you back in your seat...get ready! To top it off, feel the blues solo that Canieso lays down here. Very nice! Getting into a super James Brown like groove, Big Mike really works his bass line and the light ride cymbal work of Leal is perfect. Another aggressive sax solo blows the lid off of this trac...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Yellow River , from Jim Stephens and it's a cool mix of rock and R&B. Opening with foot stomper, Torture Me , Jim Stephens on lap steel surrounds himself with a full barrage of horns including Big Sam Williams on trombone, Jeffrey T Watkins on tenor sax, Lori La Patko on alto sax, Ian Smith on trumpet, and with a solid bottom by Desmond Milk Williams on drums and Jerry Henderson on bass. R&B track, Keep On , features cool harmonized vocals by J Thomas B-B Wonder, Aerial Skye and D Roisin with Shaun Matrin on piano, Watkins with a cool sax solo and Ian Smith with a super trombone solo. With a more traditional approach to the blues, Stephens takes the lead on vocal, adding harmonica and guitar to Rice N Greens over cool piano work by Roisin. Stephens really digs in on his lap steel on Yellow River , a country fused blues rocker with Cajun like roots. Wrapping the release is title track, Working Together, a h...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Traveling Man , from Watermelon Slim and it's quite good. Recorded Live at The Blue Door in Oklahoma City in 2016, these recordings capture the authenticity and focus of Slim's work. The first set, recorded on September 24, opens with Blue Freightliner , Slim on resonator slide guitar and vocal captures the spirit of the original delta blues. Deliberate, foot stomper, Northern Blues is one of my favorites with a great little guitar dun and perfect balance. Very nice! Substituting harmonica for guitar on Jimmy Bell , Slim shows another facet but the sound is still pure and all delta. Very cool. Wrapping the first set is Holler #4 , a stripped down blues track with a skeletal framework set by slide resonator and pure hollering blues vocals. Solid closer. Set 2 (disc 2) was recorded at The Depot on February 28 and opens with a more commercial track, Let it Be In Memphis . Slim carries the melody of this more certa...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues In A Bucket , from The Forrest McDonald Band , and it's a solid release of blues, funk and soul. Opening with New Orleans soaked, Boogie Me Till I Drop , Andrew Black leads the way on vocal with Forrest McDonald on guitar, Lee Gammon on bass, John McKnight on drums, Matthew Wauchope on piano, Jimmy King on trumpet and Norman Franks on sax. Cool opener.  Slow Blues, Blues In A Basement is an excellent showcase for Blacks lead vocal, with super organ work by Wauchope, really hot guitar riffs by McDonald and with Jon Schwenke on bass and Tony Carey on keys, one of my favorite tracks on the release. Another track with real style is Windy City Blues which is a great stage for McDonald's guitar chops. With warm horn backing and Blacks soulful vocals, a solid entry. McDonald had the mic on Misery and Blues and blended in call and response with his own guitar lead, and a cool harmonica solo by Pix Ensign and soli...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hell Bent With Grace, from Angel Forrest , and it's a solid rocker. Opening with Menie the Monster , a sure footed rocker, Forrest shows excellent poise with a gritty edge on lead vocals, backed by Denis Columbus on acoustic guitar and bass, Ricky Paquette on guitar, Bernard Quesy on B3, Alec Mc Kelchenson on bass, and Sly Carombe on drums. Get It On has just the right amount of funk with a hot bottom, and great drum work by Carombe and some real nice guitar riffs by Paquette. The Blame Game has all of the components of a radio track with the strong melody line, solid backing vocals by Paquette and just a light tint of country with a memorable guitar solo by Paquette. Bluesy ballad, Marigold , is my favorite track on the release with strong vocals by Forrest, a really nice melody and rich Wurlitzer tones and guitar interweave by Quesy and Paquette. Wrapping the release is Bane Lorraine , a strong rocker with a st...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lighter Side of the Blues , from Val Starr & The Blues Rocket and it's a cool mix of 40's style pop and blues. Opening with Say Goodbye to The Blues , Val Starr leads on vocals and with solid vocal harmonies and super sax work from Danny Sandoval and Saxaphone Zot. Slow blues, All or Nuthin' Man is a nice showcase for Starr on vocal with rich, soulful phrasing and with cool harmonica work by Frankie Munz and the lead guitar work of Timothy Brisson. Snappy, 24 Hour Blues is a certain radio track with a strong bass line by John Ellis and a tight drum rhythm by Paul Farman under my favorite vocals on the release. Classic, Big Boss Man gets a minor rework giving Munz the opportunity to lay out some cool harp riffs and calling up a strong piano solo by Todd Morgan. Wrapping the release is The Blues Doesn't Pick or Choose with a tight bottom, solid duet vocals by Starr, strong harmionica soloing by Mun...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gotta Have It , from The Jimmys and it's a cool blues and boogie collection. Opening with Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet , Jimmy Voegeli leads the way on piano and lead vocal with a great feel with Melodye Perry in harmony and with Perry Weber on guitar, Peterson Ross on sax, John Wartenweiler on bass, Kevan Feyzi on trombone, Mike Boman on trumpet, Kyle Samuelson on trombone, Al Falaschi on bari sax, Kurt Shipe on trumpet and Tony Braunagel on drums. Solid opener. Title track, She Gotta Have It, has super swing with lead vocals by Voegeli and backing by Perry and Marcia Ball. With a firm walking bass line and Weber's no frills guitar lead, Voegeli's piano work shines through. Cool boogie woogie track, Hotel Stebbins , is thick with a big horn section. Real nice. Drinkin' has a real nice slow feel with Voegeli singing over terrific piano lead. The horn section is full and tight and Webber's guitar pu...