Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Right On Time , from John Christopher Morgan and it's a solid blend of rock, blues, county and pop. Opening with rocker, Vidalia , John Christopher Morgan leads the way with solid vocals and drums, and Albert Lee sits in with he country flavored guitar lead and full backing vocals by Jamie Wood , Viva Vinson and Marcella Detroit. With a strong " Bo Diddley " beat by Morgan, Trouble Is My Business is a cool track adding flavor to the set. San Buenaventura has a cool, surf/spaghetti western feel. Zach Zunis is featured on guitar dripping with reverb, with the tasty drumming of Morgan. Very cool. Shuffle, Black Bag Blues , features RJ  Mischo on harp and some real nice guitar lead by Franck Goldwasser with Morgan holding it tight on drums. Excellent guitar phrasing is the ticket on The Jeweler's Daughter with soulful vocals and featuring Martin Nutty Brown Gagnon on piano. Very nice. Goldwasser leads ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live And Havin' Fun , from Deb Ryder and it's a boat load of high steppin fun. Opening with Fun Never Hurt No One , with it's pumping rhythm, Deb Ryder is upfront leading the way on gritty vocals and Lon Price and Joe Sublett on sax. Tony Braunagel lays down a steady drum rhythm with Ric Ryder on bass and Johnny Lee Schell on guitar. Paul Litteral on trumpet and Jim Pugh on trombone really open the track up with brass. Solid Opener. Temporary Insanity has plenty of sway with Schell leading the way on guitar and Pugh, Price and Litteral on horns. Ric's bass work adds a real nice bottom giving Deb a solid footing for her powerful vocals. Albert Lee lays down some real nice guitar riffs on Ma Misere for a strong addition to the set. Braunagel sets up a hot, New Orleans rhythm and Albert Lee picks some real nice riffs under the soulful vocals on Deb. Funky, I'm Coming Home , leads off with Price wailing o...

 I just had the opportunity to review a recent release, A Tribute to Eric Clapton from Cleopatra Records and it covers much of his popular music over his vast career. Opening with JJ Cale's, Cocaine, blues guitar man and vocalist Kirk Fletcher and organ master Brian Auger team up for what may be Clapton's biggest hit. With Clapton like phrasing  Fletcher sets the pace for the balance of the release.  From the Cream era, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton composition, The Sunshine of Your Love is actually pretty interesting with Eric Gales on vocal and on guitar. Gales vocals are solid and his guitar soloing explosive, balancing out the Baker like powerful drumming by Adam Hamilton. Bob Marley's I Shot The Sherriff , was certainly a cool choice by Clapton for his 461 release and covered here by Pat Travers on vocal and guitar and joined by Artimus Pyle on drums has just a bit more rock that Claptons version with a great cowbell line and excellent riffs by Travers. Certain...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Animals Reimagined: A Tribute To Pink Floyd and it's quite interesting. Opening with Pigs On The Wing, Part 1, Cutting Crew vocalist, Nick Crew is paired with Jethro Tull's Martin Barre for an ethereal acoustic intro that nicely wets the appetite. The first of three major compositions on the release, (17 minute) Dogs, features Rainbow's Graham Bonnet on lead vocal, UFO's Vinnie Moore on guitar, Utopia bassist Kasim Sulton, Dream Theater key player Jordan Rudess and King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto. This is a really cool idea of bringing together contemporary progressive players to reinterpret these masterpieces. We've got a different lineup for the 2nd of the major compositions, (11 and a half minute) Pigs (Three Different Ones) including Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie, Return To Forever and major solo artist Al DiMeola on guitar, Blue Oyster Cult bassist Joe Bouchard, Moody Blues  key player Par...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues , from William Shatner, yes that William Shatner. What's it like...you'll have to see for yourself.  Opening with blues classic, Sweet Home Chicago , Shatner teams up with Brad Paisley who throws down some cool blues and country riffs along with Jurgen Engler on guitar, bass and banjo, Chris Lentz on keys and Adam Hamilton on drums, bass, guitar and harmonica. Shatners vocals are freeform and emotional. Otis Rush's I Can't Quit You Baby , features Kirk Fletcher who runs some real nice glues riffs of his own and manages Shatner's freeform vocals nicely. Cream's Sunshine of Your Love is up next, mostly in spoken word and I gotta say that Hamilton's work on drums is exceptional and Landreth wails on slide. Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore takes BB King's, The Thrill Is Gone to the next level and Shatner's vocals are as relaxed as I've ever heard on this track. Pat Travers ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Comin' On from Joe Louis Walker and it's a fireplug. Opening with rocker, Feed The Poor , a funky blues rocker, Walker on lead vocal and Jorma on lead guitar, John Bradford on bass, Dorian Randolph on drums, Juma Sultan on percussion and Bruce Katz. This track is heavy. Super backing vocals by Bradford, and Randolph almost give it a Daryl Hall edge. Cool opener. R&B track, Someday, Someway is certainly one of my favorites on the release with Carla Cooke at the mic. Her vocals are terrific and with Walker on backing vocal and guitar and joined by Lee Oskar and his classic harp tone, Eric Finland on keys, Bradford on bass and Randolph on drums. Excellent! Easy shuffle, Old Time Used To Be has Walker on 12 string and vocal, with Joh Sebastian on harp and  Keb Mo on slide. Katz has a real nice piano solo on this one and adds an overall bright feel to the track. Swampy Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man has a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Comin' On, by Joe Louis Walker, and it's a great blend of Blues, Soul, R&B and Rock musical styles. Opening with Feed The Poor , a funky blues rocker, Walker joins with legendary Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar who brings a ragged edge to this otherwise soulful track. With John Bradford on bass, Dorian Randolph on bass, Juma Sultan on percussion and Bruce Katz on organ this is a strong opener. Carla Cooke contributes lead vocal on Someday, Someway, a real nice soulful blues ballad. Her vocals, backed by Walker, on guitar and vocal, and with Lee Oskar on harmonica, Eric Finland on piano, Randolph on drums and John Bradford, this is definitely one of my favorites on the release. Keb' Mo on slide guitar and John Sebastian on harp join Walker on 12 string laying down a real nice shuffle, Old Time Used To Be . Backed by Katz on piano, Scott Petito on bass, Randolph on drums and Sultan on percussion thi...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tele Masters , from Arlen Roth and it's super. Featuring a who's who of telecaster players, this release has it all. Opening with Remington Ride with Steve Wariner and Cindy Cashdollar, this track has a lot of country spice and great picking. Wariner and Roth each take turns showing their chops and Cashdollar's lap steel work is impeccable as always. backed by Tom Hambridge on drums, Tommy MacDonald on bass and Billy Panda on acoustic guitar, this is a super opener. A funky, lumbering arrangement to Big Bill Broonzy's Key To The Highway gives it a fresh new life. Jack Pearson has a great voice on lead and sharing lead guitar  with Roth, this track has really digs in. One of my favorites. A track featuring a great finger picking shoot out is Bunky with Brad Paisley. If you are wondering if this release is a guitar players album...oh yeah! Will Ray and Roth strut tall with Link Wray's Rumble . Keep...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Grit Grease & Tears from Deb Ryder and it's quite good. Opening with Ain't Gonna Be Easy , a smooth driving jazz track, Ryder steps up big time on lead vocals backed by Tony Braunagel on drums, Ric Ryder on bass and the great Mike Finnegan on Hammond. Johnny Lee Schell is wicked on guitar with some really hot riffs and the horn section, Joe Sublett on sax and Darrell Leonard on trumpet really top it off. Get A Little Steam Up is a cool high stepper with Ryder sharing lead vocals with Sugarray Rayford. This track has a great groove and Kirk Fletcher and Johnny Lee Schell sharing guitar lead. Very nice. Boogie rocker, Blink Of An Eye , features some real nice slide work by Schell and heavy drum riffs by Braunagel. Title track, Grit Grease & Tears is a lumbering soul rocker with especially warm harp work by Bob Corritore and a simple, solid drum work from Braunagel. R&B track, Sweet Mary Anne , is a ...

I just received the newest release, Guitar Heroes , from James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett and David Wilcox and it's quite terrific. Not since Danny Gatton passed have I heard such a tastefully done release of tele rippin guitar riffs in one spot. These tracks were recorded live in a one time special performance at the Vancouver Island MusicFest on July 12, 2013 and is being released on both Cd and 180 gm vinyl. Opening with Big Boy Crudup's That's All Right featuring Albert Lee on vocal and each of the featured guitarists soloing. First Albert with his country style picking, then James with his trademark chicken pickin', then David more traditional country styling, Amos who has a distinctive riff styling of his own and then back to Albert all backed by Jon Greathouse on keys, Will MacGregor on bass and Jason Harrison Smith on drums. Great opener! Greathouse takes the mic on Suzie Q and Wilcox is up first with a real nice riff, followed by Burton with a real au...

I just received the newest release (April 21, 2015), Let It Rain , from Deb Ryder and it swings. Opening with That's Just How It Is , Ryder comes out hot and heavy with powerful backing from Kirk Fletcher, Ric Ryder on bass, Mike Finnigan on B3 and Tony Braunagel on drums. Fletcher really hits the groove and Finnigan lays it flat out. On Latin/shuffle track Can't Go Back Again , Braunagel sets a mean line and Johnny Lee Schell joins Fletcher on guitar with Lee Thornburg on Trumpet and Lon Price on sax. Very nice! On You Won't Be True Thornburg and Price give the track a much heavier swing and Schell and Fletcher lays down some really hot riffs. I really like Ryders vocal work on this release. Excellent! On the smokey, Guilty As Sin , Ryder guides her listeners down a dark slinky alley. Finnigan's B3 punctuation is particularly effective, Kim Wilson tips in some warm harp work on this track and Fletcher steps up with a few real nice R&B style blues guitars solo a...

James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett and David Wilcox Are Guitar Heroes on New Live CD, Coming May 5 from Stony Plain Records Dream Team of Telecaster Masters Create an Historic Roots/Rock Extravaganza on CD and Vinyl, Recorded Live at Vancouver Island MusicFest  EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records proudly announces a May 5 release date for Guitar Heroes, a very special live recording that teams acclaimed guitar masters James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett and David Wilcox for what promises to be one of the most heralded albums of the year. Stony Plain Records (which is distributed in the U.S. by ADA) will release Guitar Heroes in both CD and vinyl LP formats. The LP version will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl and also include a card enabling purchasers to download the full 11 tracks on the CD edition.    These four Telecaster Masters shake up the rock and roll universe on this historic release, recorded during a one-time special p...

Another of Erics workhorses was Albert Lee. Albert Lee, born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, is an English guitarist known for his finger-style and hybrid picking technique.Albert grew up in Blackheath, London. His father was a musician, and Albert studied piano, taking up the instrument at age seven.[1] During this time, he became a fan of Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. He took up guitar in 1958 when his parents bought him a second-hand Höfner President which he later traded in for a Czechoslovakian Grazioso, the forerunner of the Futurama. Albert left school at the age of 16 to play full-time.