Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Seven Deadly Gins , by Reckless and Blue and it's  solid blues rocker. Opening with Come Back , Shaunda Fry on lead vocals sets the charge with George Williams on slide guitar, Tom Dillard on bass and Steve Gaskin on drums. Pounding opener. Slow blues track, Triftin' Blues is a nice showcase for Williams who has the mic and shines on lead guitar.  With Allen Anderson on keys providing a firm rhythm and a solid bass line by Dillard, this track has strong footing and Fry's lead vocals on the second phrase is powerful. Burnin' Daylight is another track featuring Williams on lead vocal and guitar. Fry's vocal work adds nice depth and Anderson's key solo is solid. If The Blues Was Whiskey is my favorite track on the release with nicely blended backing vocals by Annie Phillips and Ernie Martinez and just the right amount of edge. I also like Williams' saturated tone on guitar adding richness...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live In Alaska by Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic and it's a super party. Opening with This is All I Want , Corey Ledet  starts the party with rowdy vocals and accordion with Jean-Paul Jolivette on drums. Soulful, I Just Wanna Be Your Loving Man , keeps the sprit with the addition of solid backing vocals by Cecil Green , James Adams, and Julian Primeaux who also adds some tasty guitar riffs. Creole Cruising is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a great Isley Brothers feel. Ledet creates the melody with accordion and tight drum rhythm by Jolivette on drums. Soaring guitar lead by Lucien Hayes really elevates the track and tasty piano work by Cecil Green adds the perfect depth. M'Ape Gonn A Dauphine is a solid blues great vocals and accordion by Ledet and featuring a super guitar solo by Primeaux and soulful keyboards by Green. Wrapping the release is a Zydeco rocker with a driving beat. Hayes...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Dream Dancing , Celebrating Zoot Sims at 100 , and it's a solid tribute. Opening with Porter's Dream Dancing, Scott Silbert on tenor sax sets a warm and supple melody over a crisp Bossa beat by Chuck Redd on drums, with Amy Shook creating a super lead bass solo and Robert Redd adding super depth on piano. Van Heusen 's Deep In A Dream is paced by Robert on piano and Silbert has strong rich tone on tenor sax, driven by Shook, who also lays down some mighty chops on bass. Fred Coots' You Go To My Head is actually a favorite melody of mine and Silbert really nails it on tenor. Robert's bright piano phrasing sets the melody off nicely making this one of my favorites on the release. Johnny Mandel 's Low Life has a great swing with Silbert really getting in the groove, punctuated by Robert on piano. Wrapping the release is killer track, JJ Johnson 's Wee Dot . Silbert gets on the tenor and ride...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, All In , by Gil Livni and it's terrific! Opening with Wonder Woman , Gil Livni is hot out of the gate with scorching hot guitar riffs with Amit Friedman on sax sharing the floor. Yonatan Riklis on organ and Yonatan Rosen on drums round out the band for one of the hottest openers I've heard in a long time. Excellent! Bluesy shuffle, All In is led by Friedman on sax and Rosen on drums. Holds it tight. Friedman really gets this track rolling with incredible phrasing warmed by Rikles on organ. I love Livni's jazz blues fusion soloing  with great contrast by Riklis who lines up his own organ attack. Really stellar. A Latin fusion twist on Lennon/ McCarthy composition , I Want You , is so cool. With it's spot on rhythm by Rosen, interesting rework, excellent guitar lead by Livni, and earthy exploration by Friedman and deep organ tension by Rikles... wow! Granted has that R&B funk sound powered by the fl...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bad At Being Good , by Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps and it's solid. Opening with upbeat, Love's A Full Time Job , Teresa James on lead vocal and piano sets the pace with Terry Wilson on bass, Billy Watts on guitar, Tony Braunagel on drums, Darrell Leonard on trumpet and Paulie Cerra on sax, this is a hot opener. With a real sway, I Got This Thing has a nice groove. Wilson sets a super bass line and James really digs in with sassy vocals and Watts guitar work add some real sting. Trouble In Paradise is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a lightly funky beat and excellent vocals by James. Dean Parks sits in on lead guitar and his and Kevin McKendree on Wurlitzer gives the track a real mellow feel. Very nice.  Bluesy, Treat Her Like You Want Her To Treat You is an excellent showcase for James and soulful horn work by Leonard and Cerra adds real nice depth. The addition of McKendree on B...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Slow Burn , by Kim Wilson and it may be his best. Opening with Little Milton 's, I'm Trying , Kim Wilson is up front on lead vocal with Nathan James really shining on guitar. Barrelhouse Chuck has the piano rolling and Richard Innes on drums rounds out the band. Strong opener. BB King 's classic, Sweet Little Angel is up next with smoking lead guitar work by Billy Flynn . Wilson soulful vocals are perfect for these tracks and Chuck adds vibrant piano lead backed by Innes, Larry Taylor on bass and Johnny Viau on horns. Wilson breaks loose on harmonica on Boogie in E with tight backing by James, Marty Dodson on drums, and Troy Sandow on bass. Excellent! Robert Nighthawk's, The Time Has Come, features Flynn on slide and Wilson on lead vocal. Signature piano work by Chuck and Taylor and Innes working the bottom makes this another standout track. Magic Sam 's Easy Baby is a cool showcase for Wilson on v...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Be About It! from Ryan Hartt and it's quite good! Opening with blues rocker, Breakin' Even , Ryan Hartt is great on lead vocals and his harmonica tone if full and his riffs crisp. I particularly love Jad Tariq's guitar tone and he lead soloing is really strong. Backed by Nick Toscano on drums and Jeffrey Berg on bass, I love this opener. Harmonica jam, All Night Long , has a great driving rhythm with Hartt punching the single note melody on harmonica and a dimensionality added by Tariq on guitar. With a chorus of All Night Long and drums and bass, this is one of the best mostly one note tracks I've ever heard. Really! Mel London's I Wonder Why is a terrific showcase for Nick Adams on lead guitar and Hartt's vocals are smooth as silk leading into warm harmonica soloing. Hartt's phrasing is soulful and fresh.  Very nice. Chicago styling really carries That's Right You're Wrong , a great ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cortadito , by The Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective , and it's lively. Opening with Orchard Downs and extremely rhythmic track, Victor Garcia on trumpet, Brian Stark on tenor sax and Ben Carrasquillo o trombone lays down the melody with excellent rhythm by Michael Rodriguez on bongos and bell, Victor Gonzalez on timbales, Andrey Goncalvez on bass, Jose Guzman on guitar and Jose Natal on barril . Hot opener. A Sunday Kind Of Day features a cha cha rhythm and soft trumpet/sax/trombone mix over Javier Quintana on congas. Really nice trumpet improv by Garcia gives the track a nice edge and Guzman's guitar chops add nicely to the feel. Bembe style , Witches Dance really moves with excellent percussion by  Quintana, Gonzalez, Rodriguez,  and Natal. Brassy lead by Garcia and a rolling bass line by Goncalvez really sets this track off. Wrapping the release is Brian Stark's El Volcan   with shifting time sig...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Not Holding Back! , from Kyle Rowland and it's super. Opening with funky blues, Convict No. 1 , Kyle Roland on lead vocal and harmonica shows real feel, with blues master Johnny Burgin and his trademark style giving the track real spunk. Jim Pugh on clavinet, Ronnie James Weber on bass, June Core on drums round out the band for a solid opener. Rick Estrin 's  I'll Take You Back , is up next and I really like Rowland's vocal style. Burgin is front and center again on guitar and Kid Andersen on guitar adds nicely as well. Pugh on piano, Weber on bass and Core drums set the stage but it's Rowland's harmonica that really tells the story on this one. Excellent! Burgin opens blues rocker, You Got The Nerve Of A Brass Monkey , and Pugh on piano and Mr Anson Funderburgh adds real guitar flair on this track with Weber and Core rounding out the troops. Original track, Gamblin' Blues , is one of my fav...

    Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation Launches B.B. King Centennial Sweepstakes Featuring One-of-a-Kind Gibson Custom “Lucille” Guitar   This Is The Last Week to Donate to Win Guitar Package & Support Music Education as B.B. King Centennial Tribute Continues     The Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation has announced a special fundraising sweepstakes honoring the life and legacy of B.B. King, timed to coincide with the release of B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 , the landmark centennial tribute curated by Joe Bonamassa in partnership with the B.B. King Estate. ORDER your copy of  B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 today. Donate to win this memorable prize package HERE . ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Reach For Tomorrow , by Anna Kolchina and it's hauntingly elegant. Opening with Schwartz and Dietz song, Dancing In The Dark , Soviet born, Anna Kolchina quietly controls your breath with her easy music gait. Accompanied by Ilya Lushtak, a beautiful opener. Peter Bernstein lends his cultured electric guitar work to Kolchina's vocals on Anthony Newley's Who Can I Turn To? . Sure footed and smooth, a very nice track. Jazz classic, All or Nothing At All , sung in understated poise, again backed by Bernstein on electric guitar is a solid addition. Romero Lubamo really adds flavor with his excellent Spanish guitar styling on Gilbert Becaud's french classic What Now My Love? . Holding to the standard, nicely done. Harry Barris' Wrap Your Trouble In Dreams is smoothly handled by Kolchina and really nice electric guitar soloing by Paul Bollenback really shines. Another elegant track is Johnny Mercer'...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, And Now , from Grant Lyle , and it's bluesy, stylish and catchy. Opening with Won't Let You Go , Grant Lyle on vocal and guitar crafts a solid radio style with smooth vocals, active lead work and strong support from Scott Brammer on bass and Michael Sloski on drums. Another radio ready track, Lose It , has a slight country twist with super vocals and a mix of cool double stopped and bent lead work reinforced by Brammer on drums. Asylum features Roly Platt on harmonica and soulful vocals, give this track an interesting twist and Lyle's clean, straightforward guitar lead adds a gritty texture. Lyle's solid vocals are the key to title track, And Now with stylized guitar lead adorning the track nicely. Wrapping the release is Steve Winwood 's classic rocker, Gimme Some Lovin' with Sloski really cranking up the drums, the addition of Rob Gusevs on keys, Jenna Harding and Pat Dickinson on backing v...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Just A Little More Time , by Greg Nagy and it's straight up R&B flavored blues. Opening with title track, Just A Little More Time , Greg Nagy on lead vocal and guitar sets the pace with a solid radio track. With a strong melody, and nicely crafted backing this track is very nice. Featuring Josh Ford on rhythm guitar, John Barron on bass, Todd Glass on drums, Jim Alfredson on keys, Keith Kaminski on sax and Charlie Miller on trumpet, this is a solid opener. Breaking Me (but making me a better man) really has that blues telling feel but with R&B underpinnings, the track sounds very fresh. A clean guitar solo by Nagy over warm organ by Alfredson cements the deal. Bobby Murray 's soulful track, Love Letter , really works nicely in the set with it's warm vocals by Nagy and clever guitar work by Bobby Murray and with James Hughes on sax, Jimmy Smith on trumpet and Matt Martinez on trombone. Tony Joe White...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breakwater , from Paul Filipowicz and it's consistently strong. Opening with Tuff Girl , a driving blues number, Paul Filipowicz on vocal and lead guitar always comes at you guns blazing. His vocals are raw and real and his guitar playing is authentic and explosive. Backed by Steven Dougherty on drums and E.G. McDaniel on bass, this is a potent opener. Title track,  Breakwater , has a lot of traits that I love about Mississippi Hill Country music with heavy drum beats by Dougherty, Jimmy Voegeli on organ and wailing, Buddy Guy like guitar wailing. Excellent! Another great track, Lefty Philips, is built around an old Sonny Boy Williamson riff with Martin Lang on harp. Filipowicz grinds out a great jam and with his trademark vibrato and backing from McDaniel and Dougherty. Ashes In The Wind has that great Hill Country drum rhythm emphasized by  Dougherty and grinding guitar lead with vocal by Filipowicz. ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, About Time , from John Clay and it's a cool slice of classic jazz. Opening with Fred Hersch 's A Lark , Shunzo Ohno on trumpet and Matt Garrison on sax set the intro feeding to a playful melody by Enrique Haneine on piano. Sean Conly on bass really delivers on acoustic bass accompanied by Haneine and John Clay on drums. Very cool opener. Ruby Pucillo shows strong vocal work on Bob Hilliard's Alice In Wonderland . Set in 3/4 with Haneine, Conly and Clay anchoring, this really is a great showcase for Pucillo. Haneine takes a super stretch on piano and Conly's bass work is superb. Billy Drummond 's Dubai is my favorite track on the release with dramatic lead work by Ohno and Garrison. Clay has just the right hand on drums giving Garrison a solid platform for his coolest sax solo on the release, Ohno's muted trumpet solo pressed by Haneine and Clay is really strong and Haneine hits gold on his pi...