Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Comin' On from Joe Louis Walker and it's a fireplug. Opening with rocker, Feed The Poor , a funky blues rocker, Walker on lead vocal and Jorma on lead guitar, John Bradford on bass, Dorian Randolph on drums, Juma Sultan on percussion and Bruce Katz. This track is heavy. Super backing vocals by Bradford, and Randolph almost give it a Daryl Hall edge. Cool opener. R&B track, Someday, Someway is certainly one of my favorites on the release with Carla Cooke at the mic. Her vocals are terrific and with Walker on backing vocal and guitar and joined by Lee Oskar and his classic harp tone, Eric Finland on keys, Bradford on bass and Randolph on drums. Excellent! Easy shuffle, Old Time Used To Be has Walker on 12 string and vocal, with Joh Sebastian on harp and  Keb Mo on slide. Katz has a real nice piano solo on this one and adds an overall bright feel to the track. Swampy Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man has a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Proper Years , from Bill Kirchen and it's strong. I'm certain that most readers know Bill but if not, he was the guitar fingers of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. That being known, you can expect that deep throaty telecaster guitar sound and rich country roots. Opening with Hammer of the Honky-Tonk  Gods , a swangin' country rocker with Kirchen on lead guitar and vocal, backed by Nick Lowe on bass, Geraint Watkins on bass, Austin de Lone on keys, Robert Trehorne on drums, Danny Levin on fiddle and Cindy Cashdoller and David Berzansky on steel guitar. Great opener. Working Man is a cool, country flavored track with solid 2 stepping beat. With great lead vocal and a really great bass background vocal among the others, this track is a standout. Remake of 60's pop hit, Devil In A Blue Dress , has a real bluesy feel with solid backing vocals by Sarah Carroll. Trish Anderson and Suzannah Espie. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dark Spaces , from the Bridget Kelly Band and it's a strong blues rocker. Opening with Free Me , a sturdy blues rocker with Kelly on lead vocal and Tim on Fik on guitar, the band gets off to a good start with a good melody, and constant solid lead guitar work. Low slung title track, Dark Spaces gives Kelly a nice forum to showcase her vocals and Fik, who lays down constant and fluid lead lines to show his stuff. Very nice. I really like Fik's electric slide tones on Find My Way Back Home, with it's rural, flowing natural sound. Another track that i really liked was Things About To Change with sweet vocals by Kelly and well honed guitar lead by Fik. Ballad, Moments is sure to be to crowd favorite with strong vocal lead by Kelly and plenty of space for Fik to play ultra soulful lead guitar. Very nice. Another track with soaring lead is No Use In Tryin' and Fik really does a nice job playing fluid, expre...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Heartache and Toil , from Jon Strahl Band and it 's a cool, gritty blues rocker. Opening with Hey Yeah, All Right a snappy but grimy blues number with great vocals and overdriven guitar tones from Strahl, solid bass work from Mitch Millhoff, simple drum rhythms from Nick Mallers, keys by Bill Mallers, and the addition of Joshua Silbert on sax, Bruce Knepper on trumpet, Charlie Krone on trombone, this band is is on its way. How Long sounds like a page right from the Mississippi hill country blues notebook. With it's simple, driving rhythm and guitar/vocal melodic lead, this track is terrific. With more of a jam approach on title track, Heartache and Toil , the band shows blues and jazz influences. An extended, all clean and rich guitar lead, Strahl leaves no question that he has chops. R&B ballad, The Weight I Feel shows Strahl's influence from yet another base and his voice lends itself nicely to this soulf...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Daydreams In Blue , from Anthony Geraci and it's a solid release with a who's who of players. Opening with shuffle, Love Changes Everything , the line up is Dennis Brennan on lead vocal with Anthony Geraci on piano, Monster Mike Welch on lead guitar, Michael Mudcat Ward on bass, Jeff Armstrong on drums, and with Scott Arruda on trumpet and Mark Early on sax. I really like Welch's approach on guitar with excellent phrasing and tone. Very cool. Walter Trout sits in on No One Hears My Prayers and lays in some of the smoking best guitar riffs I've heard in a while over full horns and tight piano riffs. Brennan and Geraci play a smart piano duet on Mister, a smooth shuffle with Brenan on lead vocal and harmonica and Geraci on piano. With cool piano rolls and extended lead lines, this track has a nice groove. Swing track, Tutti Frutti Booty has a great beat and rowdy vocals by Geraci. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Remedy , from Too Slim and the Taildraggers , andI really like it! Opening with last Last Chance , a terrific blues rocker, Too Slim and the Taildraggers is up and running with the swagger of prime Stones or ZZ Top. With Tim Too Slim Langford on lead guitar and vocal, Jeff Shakeu Fowlkes on drums and vocal and Zach Kasik on bass, these guys are rockin! Devil's Hostage has a seductive droning bass line and Gibbons like vocals coaxing on the beautiful tone of Langford's guitar amp. John Lee Hooker style boogie, Keep The Party Rollin' has a super driving bottom, pushed along by the snap drumming of Fowlkes and the crafty harmonica work of Sheldon Ziro. Elmore James' Sunnyland Train is well dressed with exceptional slide work by Langford. Platinum Junkie is a strong funky blues number with classic Jason Ricci harmonica riffs. Wrapping the release is radio style track, Half A World Away , with it pleasin...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Ballad of Albert Johnson , from The Smoke Wagon Blues Band and we got some tasty stuff here. Opening with title track, Ballad of Albert Johnson, a romping boogie with a great bass line courtesy Jason Colavecchia on bass and strong lead vocals and harmonica by Corey Lueck. With Mike Stubbs on guitar, Brandon Bruce on keys, Gordon Aeichele on sax, Steve Sherman on guitar, and Tibor Lukacs on drums, this is a strong opener. Bluesy ballad, Ain't Gonna Be Your Fool is a great showcase for Lueck's vocals and a super radio track. New Orleans flavored, Lay Say Lay has a great beat with great piano work by Bruce and snappy drum work by Lukacs and percussion by Sherman, topped off with really nice sax work by Aeichele and backing vocals by Stubbs, Bruce, Sherman, Colavecchia and Lukacs. Poor Man Blues has a great shuffle feel and gives Lueck a wide open stage to play his harmonica and he does a terrific job, follow...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, MacDaddy Mojeaux, from Gregg Martinez (pronounced Mart nez with a silent i) and it's a cool soul and R&B set. Opening with Ray Charles' I Believe to My Soul , vocalist Gregg Martinez puts his own  R&B spin on  this classic track with a voice that shows loud and clear why he has lead such bands as King Fish, The Heat and The Boogie Kings. Backed by Tim Courville on drums, Charles Ventre on Hammond, Tony Daigle on percussion, Claude Salles on trombone, Allan Linker on trumpet and Ronnie Eades on sax, this is a great opener. Followed by Don Nix's Same Old Blues , Martinez digs deep down for a great soulful blues ballad, accented nicely by stinging guitar work. Very nice. Skylark's Wildflower is up next with a traditional soul mix but there's no taking from Martinez's pure vocals and style. Very nice with solid background vocals by Carla Benson and Evette Benton. One of my favorites on the r...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Souvenir Acoustic , by Seth Power and it's a clean acoustic pop set. Opening with His Heart, with it's light piano and crisp percussion, Power's vocals are soft and nicely laid on acoustic guitar accompaniment. Imagine That is nicely crafted with an emphasis on rhythms and swaying movement. Power has a voice that is well suited to small clubs as targeted by his current touring schedule. My favorite track on the release is Zero Sum (Love Game) with it's bluesy ballad format and sweet melody. The radio star on the release is Get Up with it's forward rhythm, strong vocal blending and horn reinforcement.  Another bluesy ballad, Notice is another favorite with a strong melody and a delicate vocal touch. Closure is a nicely composed ballad with sensitive vocals and nice guitar accompaniment. Leading into wrapping track, His Heart with lively percussion and sultry acoustic guitar work, this is an appr...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Postcard from Beale Street , by Eric Hughes   Band and it contains a variety of music styles and turns. Opening with shuffle, Ain't Whipped Yet , Hughes is upfront on lead vocal and sweaty slide with Walter Hughes on backing guitar and vocal, Leo Goff on bass, and Brian Aylor on drums. Great guitar tones by Eric give this track a great spice. Oh, Booze! has a terrific, early Beale feel with solid vocals by Eric, with trumpet by Marc Franklin, Kirk Smothers on sax and Mick Kolassa on tussolin, spoons and backing exclamations. Ballad, Homesick Angel is the definite radio track on the release with a strong melody, solid backing vocals and tight accompaniment. Straight up acoustic blues ballad, Blackberry Patch has Eric on lead vocal and slide resonator over Walter on guitar. Simple and solid. Blues rocker, Waiting For That Day has a super boogie (woogie) feel with a great bass line by Goff, organ by Steff and harmoni...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Can't Nobody Stop Me Now , from Gerald McClendon and it's a solid dose of old school soul and R&B. Opening with title track, Can't Nobody Stop Me Now, Gerald McClendon sets a real nice soul groove featuring Herb Walker, Joe Burba and Mark Wydra on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Art Love on bass and Twist Turner on drums. With punchy horns by John Brumbach and Skinny Williams on sax, this is a super opener. Soulful, Where Do We Go From Here , is one of my favorite tracks on the release with strong vocals and wailing sax by Williams. Runnin' Wild has swagger with cool trumpet work and some of McClendon's best vocal work on the release. Another of my favorites is It's Over Now , a bluesy ballad with a great melody and nicely defined guitar work. Slow blues number, You Can't Take My Love , has a really sassy sax solo by Williams further accenting it's overall soulful melody and nice...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Go, Just Do It! , from Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne , and he covers the gamut from R&B to Rap. Opening with title track, Just Do It, a funky, R&B blues number with Dawn "Tyler" Watson singing along with Wayne on lead vocal, and with Russell Jackson on super bass, pumped by Jerry Cook on sax, Vince Mai on trumpet, Yuji Ihara on guitar, Joey DiMarco on drums and of course Wayne on keys. Solid Opener. Percy Mayfield's, You're In For A Big Surprise features Diane Schuur on lead vocal with Wayne and is my favorite track on the release with it's smooth, bluesy feel and strong vocals and super sax work by Cook. Very nice. Shuffle, Motor Mouth Woman is another favorite on the release with a moving beat, swinging vocals, nice piano work from Wayne and solid horns. JJ Cale's, Call Me The Breeze , maintains a bit of Cale's original rural feel but with just the right dose of soul, cool ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues For A King , from BB King's daughter, Shirley King and it's jam packed with blues and legends. Opening with Joe Louis Walker's All Of My Lovin' , King is up front on lead vocal backed by Walker on guitar and Jurgen Engler on guitar, bass and drums. Holding firm on a R&B setup, King sets a straight 60's styling radio track. With super guitar work by Elvin Bishop under King's bluesy vocals, I Did You Wrong has a cool shuffle beat and a tight bottom. An unexpected rock gem, Steve Winwood's Can't Find My Way Home features Martin Barre with some excellent guitar and is one of my favorites and also possibly King's best vocal effort on the release. Gallow Pole maintains it's folk roots but with a rock edge and underlying guitar work by Harvey Mandel with really is a strong compliment. A rework of a Jr Wells track features vocal and harp by Wells, adding guitar by Walker, ba...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Gravel & Grace and and it showcases the pair's pop sensibilities. Opening with R&B track, Scares Me , Ava Grace leads the way with solid vocals, and solid sax work by William Melendez , backed by Issac llewis on guitar, Ricky Galvan on guitar, Ava on keys, Joshua Broom on bass and Raymond Vazira on drums. Bottles is the definite radio track on the release with a strong melody, Fiona Apple like lead vocal by Grace and a screaming sax solo by Melendez. Rihanna's soulful ballad, Love On The Brain is a cool showcase for the versatility of Grace's vocal style and nice backing vocals by Earl Matthews. With a New orleans spin, Matthews leads off on Picture Perfect . With it more traditional blues format, cool piano work by Grace and nice guitar soloing, this is my favorite track on the release. Wrapping the release is Wash My Blues with it's pop blues styling. Nicely crafted sax intro,...

The Last Music Company has released Dr. John's tribute to Louis Armstrong, Ske-Dat-De-Dat , on vinyl on June 5, 2020. I had the opportunity to review this newest release and it's a lot of fun. Opening with What A Wonderful World , Dr John joins up with Nicholas Payton on trumpet and the Blind Boys of Alabama for a Mac stylized version of this Armstrong classic. Payton floats on the melodic rhythm and Mac's vocals are tops. Bonnie Raitt joins on I've Got The World On A String and an easy swing. Both Mac and Raitt seem very comfortable with excellent lead vocals, bluesy guitar riffs, clarinet and full horn backing. Very nice. In traditional Mac/New Orleans Jazz style, Gut Bucket Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release, again featuring Payton on trumpet and with strong horn backing and some really tasty drumming. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child features Anthony Hamilton on lead vocal with smooth soulful backing and solid horn work. The McCrary Si...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live From Rosa's , from Linsey Alexander , and it really captures Alexander in his element. Opening with cool shuffle track, Please Love Me , Alexander on lead vocal and guitar starts electrifying the audience right from the first note. Joined by Sergei Androshin on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Ron Simmons on bass and "Big" Ray Stewart on drums, they set a tight groove. On blues classic made popular by Freddie King and later Eric Clapton, Have You Ever Loved A Woman , Alexander really digs in on guitar and with essential organ work by Purifoy, lays down my favorite track on the release. Alexander's vocals are real and his soloing inspired. Another cool shuffle is Goin' Out Walkin' and Alexander works his guitar against his vocals nicely. Hi steppin' Snowing In Chicago has a cool driving beat with fluid guitar lines and energized organ soloing by Purifoy. Wrapping the release is funky...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, No Border Blues , from Johnny Burgin and I really like it. Opening with One Day You're Gonna Get Lucky , a straight Chicago blues shuffle featuring Iper Onishi on vocal and harp, Takagiman on drums, Hirinori "Zee" Yanaga on drums Yoshi Mizuno and of course Johnny Burgin on guitar. Excellent opener. Burgin takes the mic on Sunnyland with Yoshimi Hirata on bass, Lee Kanehira  on piano, Kaz Nogio on harp, Mizuno on guitar and Takagiman on drums. This is an excellent track with strong harp work and Burgins always super vocals. Piano Boogie, Pumpkin's Boogie is a great showcase for Lee Kanehira on vocal and piano and Burgin on guitar and with the addition of Ataka Suzuki on drums and Yanaga on bass. Burgin has the mic again on Rattlesnake joined by Mizuno on guitar, Onishi on harmonica, Takagiman on drums and Yanaga on bass. Burgin has the mic again on Old School Player , an easy shuffle with Onishi, Kan...