Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fight On! True Blues Vol 2 , by Corey Harris , Alvin Youngblood Hart , and Guy Davis and it's pure roots blues. Opening with We Are Almost Down To The Shore (Fight On) is written by Jimmy Strother and originally on banjo but adapted by Cory Harris to guitar, presented in a Piedmont finger style accompanying Harris on vocals. Solid opener. See Me When You Can is performed in Delta style by Guy Davis on vocal and acoustic guitar. His finger work is strong and confident and his vocals rich and sincere. Very nice. Harris wrote clever rag, What's That I Smell , with cool, laid back finger work on acoustic guitar and great vocal delivery by Harris. Alvin Youngblood Hart takes over on original composition, If The Blues Was Money . The track has just the right texture with authentic delta style guitar work and Hart's own vocals. Very cool. On Rev Gary Davis ', I Belong To The Band , Harris' very strong voc...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (March 26, 2021 ... today ), Volume 2 from New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers and it's really strong. Opening with Blues For Yesterday, Charlie Musselwhite on lead vocal and harmonica sets a Chicago feel with Alvin Youngblood Hart on guitar, Jimbo Mathus on guitar, Jim Dickenson on piano, Luther Dickinson on guitar, Cody Dickinson on drums and Chris Chew on bass. On Doug Sham's She's About A Mover , Alvin Youngblood Hart has the lead vocal spot and Musselwhite lays in some really nice harmonica. Jimbo Mathus has lead vocal on Searchlight , probably the most Chicago I've heard form Mathus since his work with Buddy Guy. A solid bass line from Chew and well placed guitar and harmonica work makes this track fly. Charles Mingus' Oh Lord, Don't let Them Drop That Atom Bomb is a really nice showcase for Jim Dickinson on piano and vocal. This is a truly soulful track and one of the highlights of the rele...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Volume 1 , from New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers and it's great stuff. Opening with Blues, Why You Worry Me features Charlie Musselwhite on lead vocal  and harmonica. A strong Chicago style shuffle, also includes Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus on guitars, Jim Dickinson on piano, Luther Dickinson on guitars, mandolin, Cody Dickinson on drums, Chris Chew on bass and Paul Taylor on tub bass. Super opener. Charlie Patton's Pony Blues is a super follow up with it's Hill Country styling and Hart on lead vocal. It's no secret that Mathus is one of my favorite contemporary musicians with his quirky style and super grooves (not to mention his solid country sound). Night Time features Mathus on lead vocal and one of his infectious, funky grooves, driven by Chews' bass line and strong harmonica work from Musselwhite. Very cool. One of those cool party rags, Come On Down To My House , features the late...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Red Hot: A Memphis Celebration Of Sun Records by the Americana Music Society and it's really cool. This recording, co-produced by singer-guitarist Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and Tamara Saviano, the Nashville based writer-Producer and author of Without Getting Killed or Caught, with all proceeds to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Opening with swinging R&B track, John Paul Keith sings Red Cadillac and a Black Mustache featuring Jim Spate on soulful sax. Valerie June digs deep on Carl Perkin's Sure To Fall (In Love With You) joined by Jimbo Mathus and Amy laVere on backing vocals showing real American home grown country. Very nice. On Charlie Rich's Lonely Weekends , Shawn Camp takes the lead backed by spate on sax and Lauren Mascitti and John Paul Keith on backing vocals. Bryan Hayes is front and center on Charlie Rich's Ways of a Woman In Love backed by Em...

    ANNOUNCING THE 15TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL:     TWO BIG DAYS OF BLUES ROYALTY IN BEAUTIFUL WINTER PARK, CO Enjoy Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anders Osborne, C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, And More, All In A Beautiful Mountain Setting! ~ Presented With Pride By The Grand County Blues Society, In Memory of Blues From The Top Founder, John Catt ~ Saturday, June 24 (11am to 6pm); Sunday, June 25 (10:30am to 6pm)   ...

I just had the opportunity to review the new release, Last of the Mississippi Juke Joints, a film by Robert Mugge and it's really interesting. This film chronicled the days of Jimmy King's legendary Subway Lounge in Jackson Mississippi and the early days of Morgan Freeman's and Bill Luckett's Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale Mississippi, a heartfelt attempt at recapturing the spirit of fading juke joint traditions. This film documents interviews with Morgan Freeman and Bill Luckett and Dick Waterman, famed music photographer. The first live set is with Alvin Youngblood Hart with Sam Carr and Anthony Sherrod. Hart's performance is super as always with a great voice and pure slide techniques. Showing the real flavor of a juke joint, Luckett and Freeman point out beer signs, pool tables, antiques signs, flea market tables, mis matched table cloths and catfish sandwiches, all the things that make a juke joint feel authentic. This is no city blues club. This is t...

DEEP BLUES FESTIVAL 2015 KICKS OFF ITS SECOND YEAR IN CLARKSDALE, MS THIS OCTOBER! FOUR-DAY FEST TO FEATURE GREAT DEEP BLUES ACTS INCLUDING LEFT LANE CRUISER, SCOTT H. BIRAM, DALE BEAVERS, HENRY'S FUNERAL SHOE, ELEGANZA! AND MANY OTHERS!   ADDITIONAL BANDS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON! Tickets are on sale to the general public for the Juke Joint Chapel venue at the Shack Up Inn.   $150 for the four day pass ( $40 individual days ). Other venues will have their own cover charge or tip jars. FOR MORE INFO ON THE DEEP BLUES FESTIVAL 2015: http://deepbluesfest.com https://www.facebook.com/deepbluesfest

I just received the newest release, The Picnic Sessions , from Ian Siegel and it's laid back and loose. What do you get when you bring together 5 of the top folk story, blues, country instrumentalists together in one room? You get the Picnic Sessions! Opening with Stone Cold Soul , a simple country blues track, Ian Siegal, Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jimbo Mathus and Cody Dickinson lay down a really gritty track with guitar, mandolin and vocal harmony. Very cool! How Come You're Still Here? has a folksy, uptempo, Dylanesque feel with guitar and banjo. Townes Van Zandt's Heavenly Houseboat Blues is a really sweet little blues track with authentic country style vocal blending. With guitar, slide and mandolin, this track lays in the pocket. Excellent! Beulah Land has the sound of early American folk music with tight symmetry. Changing tempo mid tune, the track takes on a more western flavor with western steel style riffs and telling a great story. Keen and P...

I just received the newest release, Glory Bound/Rattle The Hocks from The Grahams and it's lively. Opening the studio recordings with title track, Glory Bound , the Grahams are riding the rail in western style with a driving drum rhythm and flashy country guitar. Gambling Girl is a country style track with Alyssa Graham in the lead with hit radio vocals. Harp work over a punchy piano part makes for a cool track. Western style ballad Blow Wind Blow features a steady rhythm guitar part and nicely blended vocals. Lay Me Down has a spiritual quietness and sweet vocals by Alyssa. Other musicians on this set include Ryan Engleman, Gabe Pearson, John Fullbright, Byron Berline and Dan Walker. High energy bluegrass track Kansas City is spry with jig with fiddle, chicken picken electric guitar, and rail riding steel guitar chased by solid bass and driving snare. Very cool! Ballad, Mama , has a clear rural feel and spiritual overtones. Nicely blended vocals and tight instrumentals are...

Justin Time Records Signs New Orleans-Based Blues/Rock Guitarist Brent Johnson Debut CD, Set the World on Fire , Set for April 8 & Features Specials Guests Alvin Youngblood Hart & Sonny Landreth MONTREAL, CANADA – Canadian label Justin Time Records announces the signing of New Orleans-based blues/rock guitarist Brent Johnson and will release his debut album, Set the World on Fire , on April 8. Johnson is backed on the new CD by his road-tested band of Bill Blok (bass, backing vocals), John Perkins (drums) and Wayne Lohr (keyboards), along with special guest guitarists Alvin Youngblood Hart, who adds his scintillating touch on three tracks, and legendary slide master Sonny Landreth on one song. Set the World on Fire was produced by Brent Johnson and recorded/mixed by Ben Lorio at The Music Shed in New Orleans. “My sound is rooted in the blues, though I don't pretend to be a purist, and I don't want to be," Johnson explains. “I ...