Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, The Gypsy Woman Told Me , by John Primer & Bob Corritore and it's a great dose of contemporary Chicago style blues. Opening with Keep A-Driving , Primer on vocal and guitar really does a nice job of setting the stage with Corritore supporting nicely and with solid piano work by Bob Welch, Kedar Roy on bass and June Core on drums. With a bit of boogie built in, Knockin' On Your Door , with Primer again leading on vocal gives Corritore a nice chance to spread a bit with great harp tones and Primer's guitar work is tight and well phrased. Lil Son Jackson's Gambling Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with quick paced acoustic guitar and fleet fingered lead by Primer and a fatter harp part by Corritore. Primer's own, Little Bitty Woman falls right from the Muddy Waters tree with a bouncy, Chicago blues pace, riding harp and Waters like slide work by Primer. Very cool. Slow blues, Walking ...

I just had the opportunity to review the debut release, Can You See Me? , from Maya Rae who demonstrates strong vocal skills and a fine hand for melody to match her lyrical skills. Opening with title track, Can You See Me? , Maya Rae who has a clear, pop style voice, with traces of Joni, Fiona and other successful folk style vocalists backed by guitar whiz Steve Dawson, Jamie Dick on drums, Jon Estes on bass, Kai Welch on keys and uke, and backing vocals by Allison Russell and JT Nero. Very nice opener. With just a dash of country styling, The Sun Will Come Out Again is another strong composition with a solid melody, and includes vibes by Charlie McCoy, Kristin Weber on violin, and Larissa Maestro on cello. I really like the delicate vocal treatment and musical contrast by Rae on Picture Frame and the vocal harmony work on Storm Leaf really makes for a nice pair of tracks. Bluesy, Freedom Fighter , is one of my favorites on the release with Welch on Wurlitzer, Dawson on slide a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Higher Vibrations , from Mark Telesca and it's a cool acoustic showcase. Opening with original track, 99 Years , Telesca demonstrates an articulate and interesting guitar style while accompanying his solid vocals on this bluesy folk track. Cool opener. Another original track, Turn On A Dime , leans more heavily on Telesca's story telling and his ability to create a cool ambiance with his vocals and guitar. Very nice. Fred McDowell's Louise   gets a nice dose of acoustic slide guitar, further enhancing Telesca's rework of this blues classic. I also like his cover of Robert Johnson's Come On In My Kitchen with clean acoustic guitar work, slide and his own contemporary vocal blues styling. With a cool finger picked style, Papa's On The House Top , has a certain brightness that really makes Telesca shine. Al Green's, I'm A Ram , is toned down substantially but maintains the writers forcefu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Funk, the Soul & The Holy Groove by Deltaphonic and I really like it. Opening with what sounds like a book from George Clintons book of funk, Liars really hits a terrific groove. With Andrew T. Weeks on vocal and guitar, Paul Provosty on lead guitar, and Trenton O'Neal and Ciaran Brennan on drums, this thing is super. Jerry Henderson on bass and  Andriu Yanovski on keys add critical funk to an already funk track. Excellent opener. With a thumping bass by Henderson and a cool guitar riff by Provosty, bouncing off of the snappy rhythm of O'Neal Bad People has that perfect New Orleans feel. Weeks' vocals are wild and Provosty's guitar playing is intelligent and hot. If It Don't Bleed has a lumbering rhythm, maintaining it's overall funky feel but with solid vocal harmonizing with Josh Kagler. A real nice change up is soulful ballad, The Denouement , with it's strong melody and super v...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What My Eyes Have Seen..., from John Blues Boyd , and it's tasty. Opening with shuffle track, In My Blood, John Blues Boyd has the mic with silky smooth vocals, backed by Kid Andersen on guitar, Jim Pugh on piano, Quantae Johnson on bass, June Core on drums, and Eric Spaulding and Jack Sanford on sax. Solid opener.  Title track, What My Eyes Have Seen... is a really cool track with soulful vocals by Boyd over a dark bass line/guitar lead by Johnson and Anderson. There is quite a bit going on here with super percussion from June Core and Kid Andersen, Jack Sanford on sax, John Halblieb on Trumpet, Ric Feliziano and Pugh on organ. Excellent! Straight up blues number, A Beautiful Woman (For Dona Mae) is strong vocally with nice guitar soloing by Andersen and featuring Nancy Wright on sax. 49 Years is a real nice slower blues number with strong piano lines by Pugh, wailing sax by Spaulding and super blues phrasing b...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fabulous Day , from Pasty Thompson and it's a solid radio release. Opening with title track, Fabulous Day , Patsy Thompson establishes the playing field and belts out a cool radio track. Backed by Chris Rolin and the illustrious, Red Volkert on guitars, Bruce Morrison on bass, Chris Meister on drums, Andy Smyth on piano, Mike Sarryshyn on fiddle and Bruce Boulton on steel guitar. Country flavored, Picking You Up , has a great feel, Volkert's deep fretted riffs set the track off nicely and the winding steel riffs of Boulton are a great accent. Latin flavored, Passion is one of my favorite tracks on the release with nice fiddle runs by Sarryshyn and nicely executed Spanish style guitar lead by Rolin. Another track with a solid country flavor is Joy Ride with a strong melody, nicely harmonized backing vocals, a nice guitar solo by Rolin and cool steel accents by Boulton. Wrapping the release is a bluesy country tr...

I just had the opportunity to review to most recent release, Friends a & Family , from Jim Diamond Review and it's a swinging party. Opening with I'm Cryin' , Jim Diamond Boyington leads the way on lead vocal and some stellar guitar riffs. I love the bari work of Ryan Stiles and John Reese Pleasant's organ really works nicely, backed by Beth Deminski-Boyington on drums, Chris Herndon on rhythm guitar, Mark Wagner on bass and Joe DiGiuseppe on tenor. Great opener. Tight Mini Skirt is a cool jump track featuring Hank Mowery showing real nice harmonica solo throughout. Sometime In June is a cool instrumental which almost seems to want to break into a Latin rocker but maintains a southern R&B flavor with Stiles again ripping a solid bari solo and cool organ work from Pleasant. Jim's guitar solo is nicely phrased and extended. Very nice. Funky, I'm Walkin' , has a great bass line by Wagner, with Nick Mowery screaming a strong guitar solo and DiGius...

Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen, a Music Maker Relief Foundation partner artist sings weekly outside of a nursing home that's had an outbreak of COVID, where her brother lives. Pat's is a powerful story of artist giving back the way they can, even while the artist herself, with cancelled shows, little money, little digital literacy, and underlying health problems, is at a disadvantage. This is true of so most of the MMRF partner artists, primarily older black musicians. Pat had to leave New Orleans after Katrina flooded her house and was set to make a major comeback there with a slot at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, which is obviously not happening now. She lives outside of Charlotte, NC these days. Following are pieces from PBS NewsHour, CNN, and Rolling Stone.com on Pat, as well as her compatriots Sam Frazier, Jr. of Birmingham, AL, Ironing Board Sam (also formerly from NOLA) of Montgomery, AL, and New Orleans' Alabama Slim, and how Music Maker works clo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Can't Turn Me Around , from Dedicated Men of Zion and it's terrific! Opening with boogie track, Father, Guide Me, Teach Me , with George Supplick on drums, Will Sexton on guitar and Mark Stuart on bass leading the way, the Dedicated men of Zion lay out a contemporary blues/spiritual smorgasbord. Featuring Anthony Daniels, Antwan Daniels, Marcus Buggs and Dexter Weaver on vocals this is tight. Slower blues number, A Leak In This Old Building , has the Dedicated Men's soulful vocals soaked in a sea of organ by Calvin Barnes, with only a steady drums beat and bass... excellent! Showing a bit of R&B style on I Feel Alright , these guys show their versatility and warm harmonies, backed by the horn work by Jim Spake on horns and Art Edmaiston on horns. Very nice. T itle track, Can't Turn Me Around , is a great soul track with wrenching vocal lead and excellent backing vocal with not much more than the guit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lessons Learned , from Jim Gustin & Truth Jones and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with I'd Been Drinking , a romping party track with a boogie rhythm, Gustin and Jones share the mic and horns blazing behind them. Gustin does a nice job on guitar with Steve Alterman on piano, Scott Duncan on bass, Chuck Strong on drums and Lawrence Tamez on sax with Jim Scimonelli on sax and Lee Thornburg on trumpet. Cool opener. Duncan sets the pace on bass on The Truth and Gustin's gravelly voice is perfect for this one. Again, Gustin steps up with a nice guitar solo over the power organ work of Alterman. One of my favorites on the release is I Hate To See You Go with another great bass drone, anchor snare drum and clever double entendre vocals. Ripping guitar and sax solos dress this track out nicely giving it a turbo boost. Very cool. A crisp rocker, Rockslide , showcases Gustin's vocal with just the right...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Memphis Loud , by Victor Wainwright & The Train and it's spicy. Opening with Mississippi , a cool party song with a kaleidoscope of musical tones including Wainwright on vocal and keys, Billy Dean on drums, Terrance Grayson on bass, Pat Harrington on guitar, Mark Earley on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet, Dave Gross on percussion, Mikey Junior on vocal, Reba Russell on vocal, Stephen Dees on vocals, Patricia Ann Dees on vocals, Gracie Curran on vocals and Peanut Reed on vocals. Title track, Memphis Loud is a real locomotive with instrumental horsepower. With Wainwright really hitting the electric piano and Earley and Woolverton pushing the horns, this track has a massive opening. Smoothing into a Louisiana flavored, country tinged, track, Sing , Wainwright and Dave Gross really work the vocals. Quieting down to a real nice ballad, Disappear , Wainwright shows his strong vocal feel with a nicely crafted undercarr...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Ain't Done , from The Proven Ones , and it's a solid blues flavored rocker. Opening with Get Love , a contemporary blues rocker with hints of Jim Dewer, The Fab Thunderbirds and SRV, lead vocalist Brian Templeton has a powerful voice, and with the stinging guitar riffs of Kid Ramos and Mack McCarthy on trumpet, and with Jimi Bott on drums, Willie J Campbell on bass, and Anthony Geraci on keys, a super opener. Gone To Stay pushes further into the grunginess of rock and with a Nirvana like attack, ventures further into the rock arena. Bott's driving drum work really give this track a firm footing. With a firm backbeat, title track, You Ain't Done is one of my favorites on the release with solid vocal blending from Mike Zito and LaRhonda Steele, a great trumpet compliment from Mack, cool slide work from Ramos and a rich organ solo from Geraci. Ruthie Foster lends her fabulous lead vocal to Whom My Soul ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Old School , from Tom Gilberts and it really is "Old School" style blues rock. Opening with "Lady" Luck , a slow 12 bar blues featuring everybody's favorite format...3 piece combo. Tom Gilbert on lead guitar and vocal, Brian Foxworth on drums and Dave Captein on bass gives this release a solid opener. Instrumental, Zoot Suit Shuffle has a brisk tempo giving Gilbert plenty of space to showcase his fluid guitar riffs. Title track, Old School , is another fast paced shuffle, this time featuring Gilbert on slide guitar and vocal. Hi playing is melodic and just a little edgy making it perfect for this track. My Paper Bag is another cool instrumental with a cleaner tone and more of a Texas style guitar riff sequence and lope. Very cool. Instrumental, Brown's Camp has a cool, funky beat and warm, round tone placing it in a more southeastern blues camp with the likes of Warren Haynes. Very nice. Ni...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Another Token , from OSLU (Our Little Secret Underground) , a modern blues/rock recording project based in the UK and it's cool. Opening with Andy Lewis original, Julian , a smart piano. Lewis does a nice job in the writing and execution. Solid opener. One of my favorite JJ Cale tracks, Crazy Mama get only the slightest of modifications with wah wah guitar soloing as well. Very nice. A straight up 12 bar slow blues, Blues For Embassy gives Lewis an opportunity to stretch a bit on the fretboard with Clapton inspired riffs over organ and his own more polished vocal style. JB Lenoir's I Want To Know , is a great guitar shuffle with Charles Grassot, somewhat in the style of Skip James. I like this track. Maybe my favorite on the release. Su Kirby-Clarke is featured on lead vocal on Jane's Return and the strength of the track is her vocal richness. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a Lenoir reprise, I Want To...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Playing With Fire , from Liz Mandeville , and it's a solid blues entry. Opening with smooth shuffle, Bailing the Titanic , Mandeville on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Dario Lombardo on lead guitar, Andy Sutton on drums, and Steve Hart. Comfort Food Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's Chatmon like sound and excellent slide work from Minoru Maruyama and Darryl Wright on bass. On Chicago style track, I Just Cry , Philippe Fernandez rips some great guitar riffs pushing Mandeville into a great vocal zone. With Gilles Gabisson on harp,  and Andre Howard on bass this track is smokin.  He Loves My Biscuits is a great swing track with my favorite vocals on the release. A smooth delivery, accented by the vocal and violin contributions of Ilana Katz Katz and additional vocals by Carl Uchiyama and real nice guitar runs by Mandeville, makes this another of the top tracks on the release. Peter St...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Prove It On Me , by Rory Block and it's pretty tasty. Opening with Helen Humes' He May Be Your Man , Rory Block uses her laid back bluesy style with some of her best vocals in years, matched by her always concise guitar riffs. Excellent opener. Stuff Smith's If You're a Viper is a great tune, paying tribute to Rosetta Howard. Block's vocals are altered into a cool, more vintage feel and with light percussion and great slide, all played by Block. Very nice. Ma Rainey's Prove It On Me is the title track and shines brightly with full, thick vocals and sweet slide work. Blocks really hits her stride on this release, with a clean contemporary recording of excellent old classics. Memphis Minnie's In My Girlish Days is among my favorites on the release with rich vocal styling and Block's well known slide techniques, backed by her own angelic harmonies. Merline Johnson's Milk Man Blues (Yas...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Me'lange , from Louise Cappi and it's a mix of Latin jazz,  rock, and ballads. Opening with Brazilian influenced Bossa Nova style jazz pop, Talk To Me , Jenna McSwain on piano, Cali Millington on bass, AJ Hall on drums, and Russell Ramirez on trombone. Cool opener. Cappi gives Randy Newman's Guilty and bluesy ballad feel and lays out some of the best vocals on the release, backed by Dean Zucchero on bass, Piere Menefield on drums, and Alex Krahe on guitar. Stirring in a little bit of soul with Chain of Fools/Unchain My Heart Cappi has a warm, club feel with David Hyde on bass, Krahe on guitar and vocal and John Doheny on sax. Gershwin's classic, Summertime gets a cool jazzy makeover and Cappi shows her jazz pedigree (daughter of later NY jazz guitarist, Al Cappi) with plenty of style. Wrapping the release is Leon Russell's Song For You . Cappi takes it straight with Paul Longstreth on piano accomp...