Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Buchanan Lane , from  Yates McKendree  on the indie Qualified Records label, and it moves. Opening with jazzy  Out Crowd , Yates on piano sets a great stage, backed by his father Kevin McKendree and Big Joe Maher on drums and percussion. Excellent opener. On BB King's  Ruby Lee , Yates moves over to guitar and lead vocal showing excellent versatility. With classic rhumba/blues styling, this track really swings. Backed by Kevin on piano, Steve Mackey on bass, Jim Hoke on sax, Andrew Carney on trumpet and Roland Barber on trombone, this track is tight. Original track,  No Justice  really digs in with Yates playing lead guitar, bass, drums and organ (and singing) joined by Kevin on piano. If you wonder if this kid has chops... listen to this track. Excellent! Earl King's funky R&B blues number,  Always A Good Time  gives Yates a chance to show even more style on vocal and...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Attitude and Gratitude , by Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra and it's very enjoyable. Opening with For McCoy , a tribute to pianist McCoy Tyner who died in 2020. With really clean piano work by Rowan Barcham and lush guitar lead by Pritesh Walia, this track is great. Featurning Aaron Dutton, Alex Ramirez, Ian Buss, Eli Block and Nicholas Suchecki on sax, Miles Keingstein, Matt Kelly, Eli Block and Zoe Murphy on trumpets, Joey Dies, Jasmine Sloane and Sam Margolis on trombone and Michael Juba Prentky on bass trombone and tuba and Anna Abondolo on bass, all tied together by Henry Godfrey on drums, this is a strong opener. I particularly like Forgetting What Will Never Be , with Joey Dies on trombone leading the way. I also like hearing Anna Abondolo stepping up with a fluid bass solo, floating on woodwinds. Ian Buss with his tenor sax solo adds to real grit to the mix and Godfrey brings a Latin percussion bottom giving the t...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Standing Eight , by Jeremy Green and it's a cool jazz rock instrumental release with plenty of juice. Opening with No Jacket Required , Jeremy Green and Mike Stern on guitars lay in some great dialog over excellent drum work of Keith Carlock and featuring the excellent bass lines of Jimmy Haslip. Very cool. Will Lee lays down a funky bass line and fine soloing on Ain't No Chevy and Carlock is incredibly tight with Green and Robben Ford really working it on guitar and including the fine trumpet work of Mark Levron. Green and Michel Cusson really put on a great show on Close with a Jab and the solid bass work of Moto Fukushima sets a super framework for the highly articulate drumming of Carlock. Excellent. Wrapping the release is Car Rock with Oz Noy paired with Green on guitar and an aggressive bass line by Ian Da Souza. With bluesy yet adventurously jazzy guitar riffs, and the phenomonal drum work of Carlock, th...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Let It Be Revisited: An Ovation From Nashville , by The Rock House All Stars and it's a cool cover of the Stones tenth US album. Opening with Gimme Shelter , Jimmy Hall (Ex Wet Willie, Jeff Beck, etc) is upfront on vocal joined by Bekka Bramlett and they do a terrific job. Kevin McKendree on guitar really does a nice job covering the guitar lead and Yates McKendree is tight on drums with John Heithaus on bass with added harmonica by Hall. Lee Roy Parnell adds some real country to Honky Tonk Women called Country Honk here. Not at all trying to replicate Jagger and with Rob McNelley on guitar and Luke Bulla on harmonica, this is a great track. Rick Huckaby is up front on Midnight Rambler joined by Stephen Hanner on harmonica and solid guitar work by Kevin and McNelley. Nalani Rothrock on lead vocal and James Pennebaker on steel adds a real nice contrast to the release on You Got The Silver and it's authentic R&B...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Doin' What I'm Supposed To Do by Demetria Taylor and it's a rowdy, R&B infused, blues release. Opening with Eddie Taylor's, Chicago style blues, 83 Highway , Demetria picks up where she left off with fiery vocals, joined by Billy Flynn on lead guitar, Mike Wheeler on guitar, Larry Williams on bass, Brian James on keys and Melvin Carlisle on drums. Excellent opener. Williams isn't messin' around with his funky bass line on Bad Girl Day . This aggressive bass line really sets the pace for this track adorned with cooll guitar work by Wheeler and Carlos Showers and full organ by James and tight to the bottom drumming by Carlisle. Another Eddie Taylor track, funky high stepper, Welfare Blues , really gets moving with a lot of push by Williams, saturated organ by James and strong vocals by Demetria. With it's Al Green styling, Wheeler penned, I'm Gonna Tell It lays nicely in the groove. With ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Thanks For Tomorrow , by Harrison Kennedy , and it's refreshing. Opening with All I Need Is You , Kennedy shares the mic with Ruthie Foster, backed by Colin Linden on acoustic guitar, John Dymond on bass, Jesse O'Brien on organ and Gary Craig on drums.. With a strong melody and blues overtones, it's a solid opener. With a casual, Taj Mahal feel, Easiest Thing really is nice with Chris Caddell on guitar and slide. Warm organ backing by O'Brien adds depth on this, one of my favorite tracks on the release. Women is my radio selection on the release with a strong melody, excellent vocals by Kennedy and again cool slide work by Caddell. With a remake of Van Morrison's Crazy Love , Harrison's soulful vocals, coupled with Caddell's "Lindley Like" slide work really does the trick. Wrapping the release is Just Wanna Play with a light, springy feel and featuring Kennedy adding harmonica to hi...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, On The Up Side , from Dewayne Pate, and it really is a strong release with a jazz spine and blues, funk and rock undertones. Opening with a tight fusion drum rhythm by Dennis Chambers on 4 the 5 of It and featuring Norbert Stachel on soprano sax, this track is moving. With Dwayne Pate punctual bass riffs and well adorned by Ray Obiedo on guitar, Peter Horvath on piano, David Kirk Mathews on synths and Frank Martin on synths. Excellent opener.  Funky blues, Iceman , showcases Tony Lindsay on lead vocal and the excellent guitar work of Chris Cain. Satchel again shines , this time on tenor sax with the power section of Johnnie Bamont on tenor and bari saxes, and Joel Behrman and with Brian Collier on drums, Obiedo on rhythm guitar, Matthews on B3 and of course the romping bass line of Pate. This track will have you moving. Another cool funky track, Imperial Strut , this time with an obtuse bass line and time signatur...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Preach To My Soul , by Spencer Mackenzie , and it's a strong blues rocker. Opening with Baptized By Cold Water , Spencer Mackenzie on guitar and lead vocal hits the road running with a solid composition, strong vocals and cool riffs. Backed by Miles Evans on keys, Steve Pelletier on bass, Adam Cannon on drums, this is a real nice opener. Title track, Preach To My Soul , is a soulful radio oriented track with warm Hammond backing and a catchy melody by Mackenzie. Up tempo driving rocker, Test Drive, definitely has a lot of radio flash with cool vocals, prominent rhythm guitar and Evans contributing heavily on Hammond. R&B drenched, Your Turn To Cry , is one of my favorites on the release with a great melody and perfect horn support by Julian Nalli on sax and Stephan Dyte on trumpet. Ballad, Two Doves is a definite radio track showcasing Mackenzie's vocal skills and featuring Ross Hayes Citrullo on guitar. Wrap...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, May Be The Last Time , from John Nemeth and it's really cool. Opening with traditional The Last Time and John Nemeth putting a strong gospel/R&B spin on it. With excellent lead vocal by Nemeth, Elvin Bishop on guitar, Kid Andersen on bass, Bob Welsh on guitar, Willy Jordan on drums and excellent vocal backing by Alabama Mike, Jordan, Andersen and Welsh, this is a terrific opener. With Elvin Bishop on this release it's great to see a resurrection of one of his great tracks, Rockbottom , from the Jo Baker era and featuring Nemeth on harmonica and lead vocal. Bishop steps up with his signature playing style and this release is two and 0. Very nice. Bishop gets the mic on his classic, Stealing Watermelons and with his fat guitar sound coupled with Andersen on guitar and Welsh on baritone guitar, this track is FUNKY. Wilson Pickett's, I Found A Love , works so nicely in this set with both Nemeth and Bishop fav...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, They Call Me Uncle Mick! , from Mick Kolassa and he's assembles a great group of musicians for his most recent set. Opening with Bo Carter's clever, My Pencil Won't Write No More , Kolassa on lead vocal and guitar, is joined by Eric Hughes on harmonica, Jeff Jensen on guitar, Tom Leonard on drums, Carl Caspersen on bass, and Rick Steff on piano for s super rag style opener. Original track, Used To Be , has a real nice bluesy feel with a solid strut. Steff's piano work, and with the addition of Doug McLeod on guitar has a cool acoustic groove. Slow shuffle, Why , another original by Kolassa, has a real nice feel, with some of Kolassa's best vocals and nice guitar work by Jensen and complimentary harmonica work by Hughes. Wrapping the release is country rocker, The Cheese Song , a simple story song nicely adorned by Curtis Gill on slide guitar.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blu...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good Trouble , from Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers and I really like it. Opening with New Orleans flavored, You've Got To Believe , and a great bass and drum rhythm by Chris Peet. Annika Chambers on lead vocal really gets this track going. With Paul DesLauriers on mandolin, southern slide guitar styling by JP Soars, and Kim Richardson on backing vocals, this is a strong opener. On one of my favorite George Harrison compositions,  Isn't It A Pity , Chambers and DesLauriers add a cool funky rhythm and style. DesLauriers lays down some fluid guitar lead and with tight drum accents makes this one of my favorites on the release. Joe South's soulful Walk A Mile In My Shoes is transformed by Chambers and DesLauriers to a great R&B/Gospel track with excellent form and execution. Chambers is certainly capable of carrying this vocally, and with Richardson, Soars and Gary Davenport, who also lays down a great...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Standin' Pat , from The Lucky Losers w/ Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz and it's an interesting mix of rock, blues, funk and soul (and more). Opening with Pack Up The Bags , a rag fused pop track with a bluesy edge, Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz harmonize on vocals and Berkowitz lays in some nice harmonica, backed by Chris Burns on keys, Endre Tarczy on bass and Jon Otis on drums. Also featured are Kid Andersen on lead guitar, Mike Rinta on trombone, Michael Peloquin on tenor sax, and Brian Catania on trumpet. Swamp funky, Somewhere In The Middle has a terrific bottom courtesy of Tarczy and Otis and featuring Berkowitz on vocal and guitar is one of my favorite tracks on the release. A solid R&B track, Down In Memphis Town has the strong bones of a 60's radio hit. Lemons has the lead on another of my favorite tracks on the release with cool slide and organ work by Andersen. Soulful ballad, They Wrecked...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Monster's Ball, from Arthur Brown and it's a cool, twisted blues rocker. Opening with Lucifer Sam , a driving rocker, Brown is joined by Ian Paice on drums, Steve Hillage on guitars, Fernando Perdomo on Hammond, Mellotron and bass and James Booth on guitar. On Jack Bruce's I Feel Free , Brown uses his own style on Bruce like vocal and Cream's arrangement. Joining Brown are  James Williamson on guitar, Rat Scabies on drums and Jurgen Engler on bass. Arthur Brown's 60's hit, Fire is up next and with only minimal changes in arrangement, Brown rolls this one out in full power. Backed by James Williamson on guitar, Carmine Appice on drums, Brian Auger on organ and Engler on bass, this track still rocks. Wrapping the release is ELP's Karn Evil #9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2 and with Brown's own twists in the arrangement, it's cool to hear this old track played with enthusiasm from Jordan Rudess ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, One Foot In The Groove , by The Boneshakers , and it's a cool blues rocker with a soulful edge. Opening with funky rocker, Mr. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore , Jenny Langer (of Moonshine Society) has total control with her sassy, funky vocals, joined by band leader Randy Jacobs on guitar, Jon Gilutin on keys, Nathan Brown on bass, Sergio Gonzales on drums, Joe Sublett on sax, and Mark Pender on trumpet. Solid opener. I Am The Blues is a real cool blues rocker with a lumbering feel. Langer's vocals are really strong and I love Jacob's guitar approach with wah wah and excellent blues phrasing throughout. Title track, One Foot In The Groove , has a heavy foot by Gonzales giving the track real authority. I think that this track really hits Langer's sweet spot vocally and a sizzling solo by Jacobs and warm organ by Gilutin really hits the spot. Punchy horns by Sublett and Pender on More, More, More and str...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hard Times , from John Primer and it's a fat slice of Chicago blues. Opening with contemporary blues rocker, You Got What I Want , John Primer on lead vocal and guitar  set up another solid blues performance with  the Real Deal Blues Band. Steve Bell on harmonica lays down some real nice harmonica riffs, backed by Lenny Media on drums and David Forte on bass. Title track, Hard Times , has a cool driving blues feel with Primer on slide and vocal and featuring  Johnny Iguana on piano. With an aggressive bass line by Forte on I Won't Sweat It , Primer sings the blues at half tempo over a double time tempo. A cool solo by Bell on harmonica and a nice guitar solo of his own gives this track traction. One of my favorite tracks on the release is soulful, Tough Times featuring Primer's daughter on her vocal debut. Primer lays in some real nicely phrased guitar lead on this one diving it another dimension. All Al...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Double Exposure , from Vinnie Moore and it's a solid rocker with blues roots. Opening with Vertical Horizon , guitar man, Vinnie Moore wastes no time getting things hopping with a lightly funky rocker and a very aggressive bass line by Pete Griffin. Richie Monica on drums really mixes it up and with lead vocals by Ed Terry, Moore just keeps his foot on the throttle. Super opener. Paid My Dues is another strong track with a heavy bottom by Monica and Griffin and scorching riffs by Moore. Keith Slack on vocal is a great match for this band making this one of my favorites on the release. Instrumental, Astro Man is a power hitter with choice use of wah wah pedal and hot fiery riffs by Moore over the relentless drive of Griffin and Monica. Another pure guitar instrumental, Breaking Through , features Moore on what may be a chorus pedal playing doubled or triples on the melody but breaking free  for strong single line...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Snapshots From The Second Floor , by The B. Christopher Band and is a hot one. Opening with jumping blues instrumental, All Twisted Up , B. Christopher and Studebaker John on harmonica really get your heart pumping from the very start. With Anton Fig on drums and Nick Douglas on bass, this track is terrific. The sauntering bass line by Douglas on Sugar Baby sets a terrific path for Christopher's melodic guitar lead. Very nice. take It Home has a driving boogie rhythm courtesy Douglas and Fig giving a clear runway for Studebaker and Christopher to take off. With it's Latin overtone, Who You Gonna Turn To Now really moves. Featuring Ellard James "Moose" Boles on lead vocal and some really nice slide work by Christopher this track is a solid add to the set. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Late Night Crying , has traditional blues roots with a firm bass line by Eric Collier and strong lead vocals ...