Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the  most recent release, Shine , from The Liam Ward Band , and it's a cool, harmonica led blues band. Opening with cool shuffle, I Got Lucky , featuring Liam Ward on lead vocal and harmonica. Zach Bartlett on bass, Malcolm Thorne on guitar and a few cool riffs and with Joe Harris on drums, this is a super opener. On title track, Shine , Ward really digs in on harmonica with rich tone and Bartlett and Harris rip the Bo Diddley beat. Reinforced by Thorne on guitar and slide this is a killer track. Boogie track, Pack Your Sense Of Humor has a great driving feel, courtesy of Thorne, reinforced by Bartlett and Ward rides the wave on vocals. He kicks it in gear on harmonica and then brings it down to a slow boil where Thorne lays in some tasty riffs. On Latin flavored, Do What You Do the groove gets infectious with strong lead by Thorne and Ward teamed with Helen Hart and Bryony-Rose Ward on backing vocals. Wrapping the release is harmonica f...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live In Austin Vol. 1 , from Sue Foley and it's an energetic blues rocker. Opening with New Used Car , a straight up rocker, Sue Foley is locked and loaded on guitar and with her adept vocals she has it going. Backed by Jon Penner on bass, Corey Keller on drums and  Derek O'Brien on guitar this is a potent opener. On Willie Dixon's Howlin For My Darlin , Foley shows plenty of swagger. I really like her guitar work on this one, working with O'Brien with just the right blend of blues feel and sting. Jodi Williams' Hooked On Love with it's Latin rhythm is really nicely done. Foley grinds out the lead with double stops and flair and Keller's drum work sets a great pace. This is a tasty track with tasty riffs. Excellent! Little Son Joe's, Me And My Chauffeur Blues , really is a nice showcase for Foley on vocals. Low slung, Better, shows plenty of vocal swagger, it's boogie theme, reinforced b...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blood Brothers - Live In Canada from Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia and it's super strong. Opening with driving rocker, Hey Sweet Mama, Zito and Castiglia blend nicely on vocal setting up a terrific groove, backed by Doug Byrkit on bass, Matt Johnson on drums, Ephraim Lowell on drums and Lewis Stephens on piano. Excellent guitar solos by both make this a terrific opener. Blues rocker, Fool Never Learns, opens with flaming guitar riffs and solid vocals. This drum pair is every bit a great match as Zito and Castiglia with hot riffs flying. On low slung, No Good Woman, Zito has the lead on vocal and the gang has a really nice groove going. Trading riffs with Castiglia these guys really drive this one. Soulful vocals and potent guitar work make this one of my favorites on the release. Hill Country Jam is a cool, stretched shuffle giving everybody a broad space to show their stuff. Zito and Castiglia play in tandem setting t...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Memphis Calling , from Emma Wilson , and it's got that hot 60's Memphis sound. Opening with A Small World , with Emma Wilson on lead vocals and Kirk Smothers on sax, Marc Franklin on trumpet, Charles Hodges on organ, Leroy Hodges on bass and Steve Potts on drums. This is a solid opener. Soulful, I Still Love You , is really a nice showcase for Wilson on vocal with it's pared back instrumentation. Kicked up, Drug, has a real nice funky beat with a solid bass line by Leroy, drums by Potts, electric piano by Archie Turner, and Franklin and Smothers really sassing it up on horns. Joe Restivo gets the floor on guitar, laying down the blues on Hoochie Coochie Mama . A low slung version of Morganfield's centerpiece, Wilson really carries it nicely and Charles on organ adds just the right heat. Wrapping the release is soul classic, Since I Fell For You , with Wilson dialing it down over light guitar by Restivo, Ler...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live At The Shamrock , by Dustin Arbuckle and the Damnations and it's tasty. Opening with easy blues rocker, You're Gonna Hear Me On The Radio , with Dustin Arbuckle up front on lead vocal and harmonica. Arbuckle has a really solid voice and rich harmonica tone and with the addition of Brandon Hudspeth on guitar, Caleb Drummond on bass and Kendall Newby on drums, this is a solid opener. Hard driving, Chicago style blues rocker, Across The Desert , gives Arbuckle a great opportunity to get his harmonica ramped up and Hudspeth on guitar fans the flames really well taking the track to a boil. Sioux City Strut is a terrific boogie with Hudspeth turning up the heat. Sliding into the slot on harmonica, Arbuckle really cranks up the jam. This is my favorite track on the release. Excellent! Shuffle, Woman Down In Arkansas features Arbuckle, Drummond and Newby on harmony vocals and a real nice harmonica led melody. Hudspe...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Message From The Flying Horse Big Band , by The Flying Horse Big Band and it's energetic. Opening with Free For All , the band is off to a hard run featuring Josh Mercado, Adam Zapf, Robert Schmidt, Phebe Rich and Elijah Simmons on trumpet and hard driving James Fortune on drums. Edmond Quint Johnson lays on a nice tenor solo, joined by Paul Van Wormer on lead alto and Micah Silverstein on alto, Steven Grant on tenor and Noah Mosca on bari. Dan Parish, Ralph Rodriguez, Gabe Funk and Ben Fuller on trombone are on brass, Noah Charles lays in a nice guitar solo and Michael Santos on bass and Jack Hoag on piano rounds out the field. Peace is a real nice ballad featuring Mercado on solo trumpet and Parish on trombone. With it's warm melody and rich harmonies, it's certainly my choice track on the release. Johnson belts out a real nice tenor solo and Jamesly Jean-Mary holds down the drum spot. Very nice. Latin fla...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Spheres , from Scott Emmerman , and it's quite interesting. Opening with title track, Spheres , Scott Emmerman on guitar develops a comprehensive melody line on guitar with intense drum and percussion accompaniment by Marty Zevin. Emmerman weaves a cool, jazzy chord foundation with a Spanish flavored fusion lead, breaking loose with electric branches. Very cool. On Steppin In It , Emmerson builds his melody line over his own keyboard and programmed drumming sequence. Judgement Day has a cool, keyboard intro developing with a wandering lyric melody. Programmed rhythms by Emmerman really build a stout foundation for his complex guitar interplay and added drums and percussion by Zevin really give the track teeth. Wrapping the release is Yearning For Your Love , a smooth jazz number with a radio melody. Developing from a light keyboard and programmed drum melody, Emmerman crafts a lightly funky jazz track. Cool closer....

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Beatin' The Odds , by Leigh Pilzer's Seven Pointer Star , and it's packed with gems. Opening with SKCC , Pilzer's homage to Billy Strahorn's UMMG, Mercedes Beckman on sax and Ally Hany Albrecht on trumpet create the melody line anchored by Amy K Bormet on piano, Sherrie Maricle on drums, and Amy Shook on bass. Albrecht lays down a real nice solo, followed by Beckman on alto and Pilzer on bari who really rips it by the way. A quick solo by Shook brings us back to the melody. Solid opener. Mysterious, The Platinum Taxi , has a dark theme with sax paired with trumpet. A cool bass line by Shook and dark undertones by Jen Krupa on trombone really create the scene. An excellent, fluid sax solo by Pilzer and active drum work by Maricle, chased by Bormet on piano adds to the tension. A soulful trombone solo by Joe Jackson on And Then It Stopped really caught my attention, bouncing on the rhythm of Allyn Johnson...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Backstage II , from Bart Bryant , and it's a solid blues rocker with plenty of energy. Opening with Robin Trower's, Day Of The Eagle, Bart Bryant leads the way on vocal and guitar. The original arrangement is pumped up with horn work by Bill Holloman and the bottom it held rock steady by Alex Giosa on drums and Robert Liptrot on drums. Nice opener. Willie Dixon's I Can't Quit You Baby really has a nice feel. Floyd Domino on piano sets the mood under Bryant's rich vocals and Otis Rush like guitar riffs. Bryant pulls out great references with double stops and Buchananesque bends Scott Spray on bass and Tyger MacNeal hold down the bottom. Slow blues, Past The Pain , features some real nice harmonica work really coaxing the blues out in Bryant's vocals. Breaking into 3 time, Giosa adds another dimension and Floyd Domino on piano and Holloman on horns adds to the richness. R&B flavored You Make Me M...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release Live From The Northern Plains , from Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival and I really like it. Opening with shuffle, Gypsy Soul , Jennifer Lyn on lead vocal and Richard Torrance on lead guitar really get this rocking. With Peter Green like riffs, solid piano work by Barb Jiskra, Nolyn Falcon on bass and Jim Anderson on drums, this is a strong opener. On a cover of Chris Smither's Love Me Like A Man , Lyn really digs in vocally with nice phrasing and rich bluesy feel. Jiskra lays down some real nice piano soloing and Torrance rips it loose really putting the track into a spin. Very nice. Slower blues, Going Round In Circles is one of my favorites on the release with solid vocals by Lyn and really crisp guitar rips by Torrance. Jiskra's piano work gives the track a super additional dimension. Wrapping the release is gospel influenced, You Can Take It All . Vocals by Lyn, Torrance and Anderson and paired guitar lead...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fortuna , from Bex Marshall and it's really good. Opening with blues rocker, Preaching To The Choir , Bex Marshall on lead guitar and lead vocal, sets the pace with Aurora Mannola laying down a driving bottom on bass and Richie Stevens on drums. Toby Baker on keys really works nicely against the wailing guitar lead of Marshall on this strong opener. Funky blues rocker, I Can't Look You In The Eye , features Marshall on lead vocal and slide with Scott Coopwood on lead guitar, Barry Bays on rhythm guitar, Robert Eugene Daniels on bass, and Brian Schilling on drums. A solid rocker with plenty of teeth. There's no denying the attraction of Marshall's vocal style on Table For One , and with a cool, bouncy funk by Baker on Keys and the solid bottom by Daniels and Stevens, this track could be a cool radio track. Wrapping the release is When It's Gone , a poppy track with a cool, bluesy feel. With a clean guita...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, BadNews Travels Fast , from Chris BadNews Barnes and it's solid set of rock and blues rock. Opening with radio style rocker, and title track, BadNews Travels Fast , BadNews Barns on lead vocal leads the way with a tight guitar lead by Kenny Greenberg, driving bass lines by Tommy MacDonald, and Tom Hambridge snapping tight on drums. Ace harmonica player, Jimmy Hall who led his own band, Wet Willie and worked quite a bit with the honorable Jeff Beck really makes a nice contribution here. Excellent opener. True Blues is a cool, upbeat blues track along the lines of Thrill Is Gone. Not sure most would pick up on it, but it really does have some searing guitar riffs by Walter Trout. Driving rocker, BluesBaller Baby calls on Mike Rojas on keys to do the heavy lifting with Barnes on this one and he really does a fine job. Kenny Greenberg rips hot guitar solo on this one and Max Abrams sails on sax making it a definite hot s...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Standing Out Loud , by Alastair Greene and it's a potent blues rocker. Opening with Texas style rocker, You Can't Fool Me, Alastair Greene has a relentless attack on guitar and strong vocals. He is joined by Todd Bolden on driving bass and Adam Abrashoff who doesn't miss a lick on drums. Excellent opener. Only Do has a great guitar hook that gives Greene a hard anchor to fall back to between his explosive solos. Steady on bass with Bolden and really tight riffs by Abrashoff on drums. Title track, Standing Out Loud , is my top choice for the radio track with a strong melody and bluesy guitar riff under Greene's vocal. Foot stomping, Temptation , really moves with gangly guitar rockin and forward vocals. Traditional rock based guitar riffs drive this track giving it a lot of octane. Slow blues, Rusty Dagger is my favorite, with plenty of space for Greene to really let the dog out. Very cool. Traditional Bu...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, In Focus , by Jason Arkins , and it's an aggressive fusion set. Opening with Mister Behaving , with it's stirring instrumental backing and whirling rhythms, Jason Arkins on sax sets a somewhat sedate melody as a baseline, with Beau Cornelius on piano, Leo Folsom on synths, and with Mike Ramos and Jack Dratch on bass and drums respectively chomping at the bit to run. Arkins leads the crew on a really strong adventure sonically in his second pass with tight rhythmic piano work by Cornelius and Folsom lays in a very cool synth solo of his own. Ramos never takes his foot off the throttle with a great bass line and Dratch's riffs are hot. Strong opener. Cut Scene opens with a preponderance of something to come with an easy melody and tight rhythm. Dratch kicks the track up a notch with rimshots and Cornelius on electric piano gives the track air. Arkins has a full out call and response with Folsom on synths and Ramo...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gabriella , from Miguel Espinoza Fusion , and it's really interesting. Opening with title track, Gabriella , a lively, Latin influenced piece, with Miguel Espinoza on guitar, Randy Hoepker on bass, Dianne Betkowski on cello, Dave Hagedorn on vibraphone and Christian Teele on percussion. Vibrant opener. Howard's Tune features Howard Levy on harmonica with clean, creative, inventive melody, on a foundation of guitar and cello. Very nice. Buleria Estila Antiqua has a real flamenco flair with Spanish style guitar playing by Espinoza and excellent cello by Betkowski and David Hariharan on carnatic violin. My absolute favorite on the release. With just the right bop, Hudson Avenue again features Levy on harmonica trading melodic lead with Betkowski. Christian Teele on percussion adds just the right amount of spice and Hoepker on bass and Espinoza on guitar really flesh out the track giving it a lot of body. Levy and Es...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Heart, Mind and Soul by Randy Bernsen , and it's quite interesting. Opening with With You Always , with it's Latin flavor, Randy Bernsen on guitar plays a solid melody, joined by Jimmy Haslip on bass, David Nizri on drums, Uzi Nizri on piano and Dan Davis on trumpet. A more jagged melody with strong bass accents by David and cool piano solo by Uzi make this a terrific opener. Prodigal Son starts quietly with keys, drums, and bass with light solo accents by Bernsen and interweaving trumpet by Derek Sims and sax by Bob Franceschini. Very nice. Slinky, Billy Gate Blues has Bernsen up front with wide open guitar melody over the driving rhythm line of David and Haslip. Uzi sets a cool melody line, picked up by Bernsen with a terrific shuffle reinforcement and punchy trumpet work by Davis. Strong. ABBA Father is a really nice acoustic guitar solo with a Spanish flavor, floating on a bed of piano and keys and with the...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Homesick Blues , from Cedar County Cobras , and it's a cool, laid back rural folk style album. Opening with Utah , Tom Spielbauer on vocal and guitar is joined by April Dirks on vocal and upright bass thumping a two stepping blues. With dobro resonator style guitar and slide, and the thump of the standup, this is a solid opener. Dirks really brings Long Time Gone to life with addition of her mandolin and her own blending on lead vocal with Spielbauer's vocals and guitar this is a perfect blend of bluegrass and country blues. My favorite track on the release is a cool take on Son House's Walkin Blues . Spielbauer digs in nicely on electric guitar with a slow intro, and building a modern blues rocker from the the addition of drums and vocal, with driving bass lines from Dirks. Another modern blues rocker, Voodoo Doll has strong drive and a hill country style. Very nice. Wrapping the release is title track, Home...