Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release by Davis Hall & The Green Lanterns and I really like it! Opening with Temperanceville with it's cool New Orleans march rhythm anchored by N. Jay Burr on tuba and Jim Casson on drums, Mike Branton on slide guitar and Wayne Deadder on guitars exchange leads on this making this a terrific opener. Funky, Marshville Station , again has an incredible groove set by Casson and Russ Boswell on bass and with the addition of Brent Barkman on organ and Bernie LeBarge adding solid lead guitar lines over the top, this is a great track. Deadder Branton and Burr are back on The Right Road to Boyle has terrific, easy flowing slide over a solid New Orleans beat. White Pigeon gives Deadder a solid opening to lay down some real nice jazz style riffs and Branton's slide work, doubled with Burrs tuba sets a funk rocky Southern feel. Wrapping the release is The Dream of Chantler with eerie slide work by Branton balanced...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Northern Bayou , from Al Lerman and it has a great feel. Opening with Down To The River , a cool swampy track with solid vocals, harmonica and guitar work by Lerman, backed by Alec Fraser on bass, Chuck Keeping on drums and real nice piano by Lance Anderson. My favorite track on the release is country flavored, Dirty Little Secret , with just the right pace. Lerman's vocals are perfect, his harp work inspired, and another great display on piano by Anderson gives it a great boost as well. Shuffle track, Delta Stomp is another great toe tapper with Lerman on lead harmonica, tight rhythm by Fraser, Keeping and Anderson as well as real nice guitar work by Morgan Davis. Very cool. Classic traditional folk/blues track, Deep Ellum Blues is a great choice for this band with it's tight instrumental mix. Wrapping the release is cool Latin flavored pop tune, Hand-Me-Down Hate . This is the definite radio track for the re...

I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, Slow Burn , from Al Lerman and it's quite entertaining. Opening with a modern shuffle, Don't Push Your Mess On Me , Al Lerman takes the lead on vocal, guitar and harp backed by Omar Tunnoch on bass, Bucky Berger on drums and Jana Reid on vocals. A cool track with a memorable melody, nice opener. On It Takes Me All Night Long , Lerman backs it off a bit with an easy pace. His harp work is smooth and soulful complimenting his vocals nicely. With a light Latin flair, Bad Luck Blues , has a pop sound with Lance Anderson on piano. Lerman steps up with a harp solo with crisp tones giving the track a shot of blues. Gonna Have To Wait is a definite radio track with a catchy hook and solid bones. Rocker, Now That Your Man's Gone , has a real nice southern kind of R&B feel with a guitar hook. This is one of my favorites on the release with just the right groove. With a New Orleans kind of feel and a stumble rhythm, Tota...

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST BLUES/ROOTS ARTIST AL LERMAN RELEASES 'SLOW BURN' June 24, 2016 Al Lerman has worn many hats in his forty-plus years as a career musician. He leads the 2X  Juno Award  winning band Fathead, plays saxophone & harmonica in the Maple Blues Revue, and more. In addition to being a bandleader and sought-after sideman, Lerman is a master songwriter and tours regularly as a solo acoustic artist. On Slow Burn his third solo release, Lerman shines on harmonica and vocals while showcasing his song writing abilities and solid guitar work. Playing both amplified and acoustic harmonica​ on this outing, the warm, rich, woody tone of a seasoned pro is clearly evident. ​ Recorded and mastered at Grammy Award-winning engineer Peter J. Moore’s E-Room studio in Toronto, the sessions were produced by Alec Fraser, one of the most respected roots producers/musicians...

I just received a copy of the new release, Live At The Acoustic Grill , by Al Lerman . Lerman, a super harp player, singer and guitarist has assembled an all acoustic set including such classics as Close To You, It Hurts Me Too and Good Morning Little School Girl which is one of the cooler of the guitar tracks. Charmalene is a cool track with a particularly nice harp solo. Move On Up is another of my favorites. Lerman hits a nice stride on this track with crisp guitar and harp work. My absolute favorite track on the release is an original style arrangement of Cocaine. Kept simple and straightforward, this track really really sits tight and Lerman's harp work is particularly vocal in nature. Don't Leave Me Baby is a real nice heartfelt contemporary blues track. Slippery Slope , a fast paced boogie has driving acoustic guitar rhythm complimenting Lerman's vocals and his harp work on this track adds to the dynamics. On Slim Harpo's Miss You Like The Devil , Lerman ...

I just received and have had the opportunity to review the new release by Al Lerman. Lerman is considered one of Canada's top harp players having earned several Maple Leaf Award nominations for both his sax and harmonica playing. He is founder and leader of 2 time Juno Award winning Fathead touring regularly. Crowe River Blues is Lerman's first solo venture with 10 of 13 tracks being originals. Lerner sings and plays guitar on this release and carry's his weight well. The recording opens with Suitcase Blues, an early Texas style blues but with a more acoustic type feel. Strong harp tones ooze from this cd. Chugging the Blues is a harp driven song and one you won't want to miss. Gypsy Feet, more of a country infused blues ballad is well written and has a nice vocal duet. Nobody But Myself To Blame gets the place jumpin' with a Texas swing style track. Instrumentation is particularly interesting on this track featuring harp, sax and piano. Blues So Bad I could Write ...