Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release ( April 3, 2026 ), Slidemaster , from Rick Vito and it's great! Opening with Vegas Jump , things are immediately rolling on a Lonnie Chatmon thing with Rick Reed driving on drums, Charlie Harrison on bass and clean and wide slide by Rick Vito. Strong opener. I love the droning bass line on The Danger Zone by Vito who overlays soulful picking/slide reinforced by Charlie Johnson on drums. Very nicely done. Peter Green 's, Albatross is a nice addition to the set with warm chords, picked melody and authentic, "Green like" slide work. A real surprise on the release is a beautiful cover of Sam Cooke 's, A Change Is Gonna Come . The phrasing is delicate and the tones pure. Excellent! Another Peter Green composition, The Supernatural , has an eastern feel with a Latin beat by Lynn Williams on drums. Vito's slide work seems to just hang in the ether as he tastefully articulates the melody. Very nice. Wrap...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bright Colors On A Dark Canvas , by Naseem Alatrash and it's rich and earthy. Opening with Prelude , Naseem Alatrash, a Grammy nominated cellist plays a deer, rich cello solo with what sounds like a cavernous space. His strokes are crisp and intentional. Very nice. On Ramad , Alatrash is joined by Chase Morrin on piano and George Lernis on on percussion creating an energetic composition with a somewhat eastern/classical feel. Morrin's piano work is vibrant and Alatrash's cello work is tense and rhythmic. Exciting. Echoing In The Hollow is patient with Morrin on piano creating glistening statements, answered by Alatrash on cello. Lernis interjects a tight rhythm on percussion and is joined by Bengisu Gokce, Lilit Hartunian, Greta Myatieva, Heeyeon Chung, Aija Reke,Eric Mrugala, Liubomyr Senyshyn, Helen Sherrah-Davies, Miyu Imai on violins and David Wallace, Anna Stromer and Raymond Dineen on viola. Rich. Wra...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Very Moment , from Chenxi Pan , and it's quite good. Opening with Hymn for the Spring , vocalist and composer, Chenxi Pan opens with a light and beautiful voice accompanied by Shaonan So on piano and Anders Julsgaard on drums who create a misty atmosphere for her brilliant vocals. Nathan Nakadegawa-Lee on sax and clarinet, creates a more obtuse, yet lush melody joined by Julsgaard and Su handing off to George Grydkovets who elaborates nicely on guitar.  Crisp opener. With a light poppy melody and N-Lee on clarinet, Little Bells is a easy flowing song with brilliant guitar work by Grydkovets on guitar, Nicolas Bond on bass and Julsgaard on drums, adorned with cleverly interwoven clarinet and vocals. Very nice. Endless Summer is another standout track with improvisational vocals by Pan with Julie Kim on cello, Peyton Cook on violin, joined by Bond, Julsgaard and Su. Possibly my favorite track on the rel...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, One For The Ride , from Matthew Curry and it's a solid rocker with a lot of flavor. Opening with high energy, Rum Stumblin' , Matthew Curry is back with great vocals and stinging guitars. With Francis Valentine on drums, Tim Brickner on bass, Mark Masefield on keys, Marc Russo on sax, Mike Olmos on trumpet and Mika Rinta on trombone this track has the intensity of Steve Gaines ' tracks penned with Skynyrd and all of the commercial polish of Glenn Frey . Top opener. Laid back, Dancing In The Kitchen , is a real nice track with what I consider the kind of writing sure to get Curry real attention as a song writer, I love his articulate guitar work on the track and his vocal are perfect, with the added backing of Rob Archer on B3. I can definitely see other artists covering this track. Very nice. Another favorite track on the release is rock funky, Ballad Of Jesse Ed Davis . It's good to see acknowledgement of...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Answers , from L. Shankar and it's a cool fusion of jazz, rock, pop and prog. Opening with title track, Answers , L. Shankar on vocal and double violin leads the way with Tony Levin on bass, Scott Seiver on drums and Dave Palmer on keys. On Innocent , Juliette Rose joins on vocals creating a nice pop rocker balance with Shankar vocally with Palmer creating a sea of keys. Keeping it light, Shankar mixes melody with guitar texture and solid drumming from Seiver for a definite radio standout. My favorite track on the release is To Live featuring Levin on bass, Stephen Perkins on drums, and Zac Baird on keys. Wrapping the release is pop rocker, Thinking with blended vocals by Shankar and tight drum rhythms by Perkins, Levin on bass and Palmer on keys. This release is quite pop oriented with strong instrumental backing.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Jaded , by Shouse and it's a substantial display of metal guitar prowess. Opening with a Synthesizer and electric guitar display by Mike Shouse on Romeo and Juliet theme it wets your appetite for what is to come. On A Bitter Cold , Shouse uses a solid hammer on technique running melodic rudiments on electric guitar. Very cool. On rocker, Smiley Faced Emoji , James Pulli on bass and Charlie Zeleny on drums lay a firm foundation and Shouse shows lightning fast shredding, wide vibrato and wild bends giving the track real commercial appeal. Title track, Jaded , has a real led footed drum kick and a moving bass line providing a firm bottom for Shouse to sculpt a scorching melody, with excellent phrasing, and solid suspended notes, hammering home his thematic concept. Wrapping the release is Upon Looking Back with a traditional rock rhythm and featuring Tony MacAlpine . A concrete bottom courtesy of Pulli and Zeleny rea...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Issaquena Getaway , from Charlie Barath and it's a lot of fun. Opening with cool strut,  I Gets Around , Charlie Barath on vocal and harmonica leads the way with the confident riffs of Andrew Sherer on guitar and Johnny Burgin on with solid lead guitar, Mark Yacovine on piano, Mike Law on bass and Danny Banks on drums. Cool opener. Slinky, Waitin' For The Queen , featuring a cool story by Barath a signature guitar solo by Burgin and soulful harmonica solo by Barath. Cool interlude. Shuffle, I Might Fall In Love , has a real nice lazy lope with an harmonica and guitar trades. A cool radio track with an easy melody, just perfect for kicking back. I really like Brass Monkey with Banks riding the up beat on drums, Yacavone on organ, and a jangly loose guitar solo by Burgin. On low slung, That Wasn't Me , Barath digs in on vocals and Burgin's guitar work is understated but it scratches the itch and a sou...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Mississippi Roots , by James "JB" Barnes and it's a solid set of blues, rock and soul. Opening with blues rocker, Get Up & Go Blues , Steven Braxton on lead vocals sets the pace with thumping bass by JB Barnes, Anthony Krizan on screaming guitar and drums, Jarred Barnes on keys. A driving ricker this is a solid opener.  Brown Eyed Blues Man features Krizan on lead vocal and Steely Dan like guitars. A shuffle style laid back track has strong radio appeal with Barnes on bass and backing vocals, Carmine Diorio on drums, Will Wilde on harp, and Chip Degaard on on keys. Hot footed blues number, The JB Shuffle features Wilde, leading the way on harp and Krizan on guitars. With JB winding in out on bass with Barnes on keys, a smoking solo by Krizan and Dave Moore on drums, this is a ripping track. A bluesy take on Hall and Oates ', Sara Smile , featuring excellent vocals by Braxton and excellent vocal...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Covered In Blues , by James Buddy Rogers and it's straight forward solid blues. Opening with Bad Boy , James Buddy Rogers lays down a solid 8 bar track with confident vocals and and full strat tone through his own BTone hand crafted pickups . His style has cool swagger and occasional delayed attack adding texture, joined by Kevin Belzner on drums and Bill Price on bass. Solid opener. On I Lied, a potent lope, reinforced by Belzner on drums on the upbeat and stinging guitar riffs by Rogers make this one of my favorites on the release. A cover of Nix's Goin' Down , is a cool change up with it's bluesy edge but a solid rocker. Using a driving " Jeff Beck " approach Price anchors the bottom and Rogers' works between the SVR and the Beck attack with his own blues stew to kick out a real nice track. Another cover is Taj Mahal's She Caught The Katy with a nice laid back feel but featuring a ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Science of Sound , by Deep Energy Orchestra and it's really strong. Opening with Morning Over Madrid , Gary Husband on keys creates a thought provoking intro invoking mystery, developing into a solid theme with powerful rhythmic basis. Reinforced by Jason Everett on seven string fretless bass and further expanded by Ann Lindquist on flute and firmly anchored by Don Gunn , this is a super opener. Captain Quirk has a terrific progressive feel led by Don on drums and Everett on bass. Adam Holzman on keys, fleshes out the field with melodic electric violin by Joe Deninzon and Mark Lettieri on guitar really rips it paired with Holzman. Another track I really like is The Secrets of Subtraction with it's funky rhythm and power bass lines / drum bottom by Everett and Don. Husband on keys paired with Jimmy Thomas on guitar really sails creating synergy that makes them seem as one. Very nice. Trey Gunn on Warr ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (March 20, 2026), Manifestations of a Diasporic Groove & Spirit , by Anthony Branker & Other Ways of Knowing , and it's complex and intriguing. Opening with The Children of Lyles Station , Anthony Branker is once again creating highly intelligent music with exceptional musicians. Simona Premazzi opens with an interesting piano line, reinforced by Steve Wilson on sax. Premazzi further develops the theme with Rudy Royston on drums and John Hebert lays out an excellent bass solo anchored by the piano vamp and Royston really punching high. Strong opener. Freedom Water March has a real lyrical theme that develops between Wilson and Premazzi. Wilson, on soprano sax, creates a jagged melody, reinforced and elaborated by Premazzi on piano with only light but authoritative support by Hebert and Royston. Aimee Allen sings the intro on Stolen Sisters , and a floating flute melody by Wilson sets the intro. Breaking in...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Songs From The Road , by Mitch Ryder and it's a solid rocker. Opening with Lilli May , Mitch Ryder fronts the band on vocal with Laura Chavez and Sean Athens on guitars, Tomek Germann on bass, Denis Palatin on drums and Lea Worms on keys. On bluesy, All The Fools It Sees , Ryder digs deep with nicely phrased soul vocals with glistening keyboards by Worms and Athens on acoustic guitar lays in some real tasty riffs. Latin flavored, Oh What A Night has really great movement focused by Palatin and Germann and a sweet piano solo by Worms really works nicely. Chavez dishes up a blistering guitar solo and Worms' backing vocals with Ryder make this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Chavez and Athens pair up nicely for dual guitar leads on War and the texture of this track really suits Ryder's vocal style. Athens steps up with a real nice guitar solo on this one and Worms ramps up the heat on organ. Country ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Soul Of A Nation , from Murali Coryell and it's a driving blues rocker. Murali Coryell, son of famed fusion guitar wizard, Larry Coryell is ready with his 10th studio album. Opening with blues rocker, Pardon Me , Coryell on guitar and vocal is joined by Bill Foster on bass, and Peter O'Brien on drums. A straight up track with a solid groove and interesting phrasing is a solid opener. Rocker, Severe Anxiety , is one of my favorites on the release with a strong melody and relentless guitar work. Very cool. Title track, Soul Of A Nation , has a R&B feel and strong radio opportunity with a great melody and an almost Darryl Hall vibe. Coryell really digs in on Ukraine War Cries with it's blues basis and gripping vocals, really giving Coryell the platform to make his guitar scream. Very nice. Wrapping the release is laid back soul track, Eyes Wide Open with a smooth melody and Mayfield like melody. With Ernie...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sky Blue , from Michael Vincent and it's a cool, edgy, rocker. Opening with C'mon C'mon , Michael Vincent isn't reinventing the wheel but he does have a solid grasp of the sound that permeated the early 2000's. Chord driven rhythm and lead vocals by Vincent with lead guitar by Scott Warren , Dave Mendoza on bass and Anthony Fulgar on drums makes for a cool opener. Pop track, Rain Downtown is a solid radio track with solid vocal blending from Vincent and Mendoza. Nightlights is solid ballad featuring Vincent up front on vocal and Fulgar pushing the track with a solid foot drum and Jeff Jacoby on keys. Wrapping the release is another solid rocker, The Longest Time with a straight up rock beat  and a super melody featuring Vincent and Mendoza on vocals.     If you support live Blues acts , up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues , Like ---...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (April 3, 2026), Buckshot Blues , from Steve Kovalcheck and it's a lively set. Opening with Happy Train , Steve Kovalcheck on guitar outlines the melody with chords and runs the fretboard with confident phrasing. Backed by Jon Hamar and Jeff Hamilton on drums (with exceptional foot work), this is a spring opener. I particularly like the remake of Haggart's , What's New , with it's low slung swing, anchored by Hamar's bass line and excellent guitar lead by Kovalcheck. Check out that funky back beat on Donald's Juke Joint . With snappy cymbal work by Hamilton, bluesy lead by Kovalcheck with an occasional stinger and rich bass lead by Hamar, a definite standout. Latin rhythm on Daydance gives Kovalcheck a great showcase for his guitar work and another exceptional bass lead by Hamar driven by Hamilton on cymbal and rimshots. Laid back. Fast Eddie is one of my favorites o the release with clean, tight...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Johnny Max and His So Called Friends and it's a great blend of NO blues , country, rock and a big pot of fun. Opening with You Can Do Better Than Him , Johnny Max on vocal leads the way with Jim Casson laying down a great NO style drum rhythm and Bill Evans on piano. Mitch Lewis and Dylan Wickens , and Wayne DeAdder add real nice guitar riffs and with Steve Goldberger on bass this is a fun opener. Another track with a bit of attitude and with an easy country beat, I've Said All The Sorrys I'm Gonna Say , should get some good airplay with super lyrics and vocals. Max on vocal is joined by DeAdder who also does some cool guitar work and Casson on drums keeps a steady keel. One of my favorite tracks on the release is I've Never Met A Bridge , with it's country blues feel. N. Jay Burr on tuba adds great bass lines and Max's vocal delivery is perfect over a basic guitar rhythm by Lewis. Another favo...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Road To Trantor , by Carl Schultz and it's described as the soundtrack to a science fiction movie that only exists in his head. Opening with Journey , Carl Schultz on sax lays out the theme with Adam Benjamin on keys creating an environment. With light cymbal text and a tight snare rhythm by Alwyn Robinson , Zack Teran on bass, Tim Wendel on guitar creates rhythmic dialog joined back by Schultz to conclude. Interesting opener. Uneven time signature on the intro of Caves of Steel gives Schultz a wide land for his sax work and super tight drum work by Robinson a strong passage to Benjamin on keys. A cool guitar improvisational passage by Wendel is some  of my favorite work on the release. Gladia is a strong composition with Schultz on flute paired with his own sax work in call and response on melody over a super guitar rhythm by Wendel. Extending further on sax with Benjamin on piano, and Schultz again on f...