Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kamama , from Carly Harvey and it's pure blues. Opening with a blues wail, Native Scat , Carly Harvey on vocal really creates an environment, joined by Walking Eagle on guitar, Coleman Williams on drums and Mark Williams on bass. Powerful opener. Soulful, Misery is an excellent track from the old school format. With Harvey on vocal, backed by Dana Nearing and joined by Mike Tony Echols on bass, Deren Blessman on drums, Jonathan Sloane on guitar (with a wicked solo), Wes Lanich on keys, Danny Davis, Mario D' Ambrosio and Kevin Cerovich on horns, this is an excellent track. Rich blues, Take Your Love , really showcases Harvey's vocal style with full horn backing by Davis, D'Ambrosio and Ben Ford on horns and rich keys by Daniel Clarke on keys. Slone shines on guitar again with a deeply soulful solo and with Sean Hurley on bass and Deren Blessman on drum makes this one of my absolute favorites on the release....

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good Trouble , from Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers and I really like it. Opening with New Orleans flavored, You've Got To Believe , and a great bass and drum rhythm by Chris Peet. Annika Chambers on lead vocal really gets this track going. With Paul DesLauriers on mandolin, southern slide guitar styling by JP Soars, and Kim Richardson on backing vocals, this is a strong opener. On one of my favorite George Harrison compositions,  Isn't It A Pity , Chambers and DesLauriers add a cool funky rhythm and style. DesLauriers lays down some fluid guitar lead and with tight drum accents makes this one of my favorites on the release. Joe South's soulful Walk A Mile In My Shoes is transformed by Chambers and DesLauriers to a great R&B/Gospel track with excellent form and execution. Chambers is certainly capable of carrying this vocally, and with Richardson, Soars and Gary Davenport, who also lays down a great...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Get What You Give: Duets, from Dave Keller and it's a solid set of blues, R&B and soul. Opening with One More Tear , featuring Annika Chambers on vocal, Keller on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Ira Friedman on organ, Alex Budney on bass, Jay Gleason on drums, Mark Earley on sax, Mario Perrett on tenor sax and Tom Palance on trumpet. A potent R&B track and a super opener. Title track, You Get What You Give , pairs Keller with Annie Mack shows a lot of soul in this, radio track with it's strong, memorable melody. One of my favorite tracks on the release, The Evil That Men Do , features Keller trading lead with Trudy Lynn, Annika Chambers, Annie Mack and Johnny Rawls on what is definitely my favorite track on the release. It's composition is sophisticated and melodic and reminiscent of the best of early Elton John ballads. With Friedman on piano and Tom Palance on trumpet, this is a great track. L...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kiss My Sass , from Annika Chambers , and it's a great mix of blues, soul and R&B tracks. Opening with rolling shuffle, Let The Sass Out, Chambers leads a powerful force with Corey Stoot and The Mighty Org on guitars, Greg Brown Jr. on drums, Larry Fulcher on bass and Anthony Terry on sax with Nicola Polar on backing vocals. Great opener. That's What You Made Me is a real nice R&B track with a heavy kick drum by Brannon McLeod and a great bass line by Fulcher. Chambers really gets in the groove on this one and glistening key work by Randy Wall and Polar's backing vocals ice the cake. Very nice. What's Your Thing is a really nice soulful track featuring Chambers with Ruthie Foster. With just the right amount of soul and steel guitar by the Mighty Org this is a really nice song.  Brand New Day is one of my favorites on the release with wailing slide in the background and a solid droning bass line...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Long Live Them Blues Vol. 1 , from Houston based duo, Dry Johnson and I really like it. Opening with lumbering blues rumbler, Daddy's Got A Cadillac , features favorites Annika Chambers and Mike Zito on vocals with Zito and Terry Dry on guitars and Matthew Robert Johnson on drums. Cool opener. On title track, Long Live Them Blues , Trudy Lynn's distinct lead vocals are coupled with Steve Krase on harp and Mighty Orq on guitar for a grinding groove. John Del Toro Richardson has the lead on guitar and vocal on Hit That Highway , a real nice blues shuffle. Two stepper, Drunk Girl With A Tambourine has kevin Snit Fitzpatrick on lead vocal and the Mighty Orq on guitar. This is really a strong track with kick. Juke Joint is a slick shuffle with a Bob Wills feel. Featuring Dry on lead vocal and Mighty Orq and James Wilhite on guitar this track is a great swinger. A track with a lot of texture is I Walk Alone featuri...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Double Standards , from Mick Kolassa and it's packed full of stars and blues standards. Opening with Willie Dixon's 600 Pounds of Heavenly Joy , Kolassa is joined by Sugaray Rayford on vocal with solid Latin rhythm by James Cunningham on drums. With Kolassa on guitar and vocal, Bill Ruffino on bass, Chis Stephenson on organ, and Colin John on guitar, very solid opener. H eather Crosse joins on lead vocal for another Dixon hit, I Just Want To Make Love To You . With her sultry vocals and Eric Hughes on harp, this is a real cool track. With it's jazzy club feel, Annika Chambers really shows on Fever . Her vocals are rich and deep caressed in a warm bed of Jensen's guitar tone. Alice Hasan's violin contributions to Tas Cru and Kolassa's rework of Jimmie Cox's Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out is really nice. Another particularly warm spot is Erica Brown 's vocal lead on Dix...

I just received the most recent release, Ghosts of the Riverside Hotel , from Mick Kolassa . A cornucopia of blues like last years release by Kolassa, "Michissippi Mick" , the net proceeds will go to The Blues Foundation and Generation Blues. Opening with Hank Williams' Ramblin' Man , Kolassa on lead vocal and guitar, Jeff Jensen on Lead guitar, Bill Ruffino on bass, Robinson Bridgeforth on drums and Chris Stephenson on organ, this is an interesting track with march like rudiments and tasty guitar work. Slow swinging blues track, Grapes & Greens , featured nice electric guitar and slide work from Jensen and Eric Hughes on harp coupled with solid lead vocals by Kolassa. Lou Singer's depression era, One Meatball , gets a light reggae rhythm treatment under the vocal harmonizing by Reba Russell and bright piano passages by Victor Wainwright. I Always Meant To Love You is a swinging 12 bar with some real jazzy riffs from Jensen, complimented nicely by Kirk Smo...

Aside from her newest release, Making My Mark, Annika Chambers has been busy! She recently completed her degree at the University of Houston, Downtown in  December of  2013 in Corporate Communication. She has also been Nominated for Best Blues In Houston by Free Press Houston.  Her musical career has continued to flourish as she opened for Shemekia Copeland, Carolyn Wonderland and performed Mess Around at the blues music awards Memphis in May 2014 with Jeff Jensen and gang,  Pearland Crawfish Fest, Springboard South Houston, Big Music Festival,  Tall City Blues Fest (midland),  Navasota Blues Fest and  played with Brandon Santini during the IBCs 2014! Here my review of Annika's most recent release: 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 ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorit...

I just received the newest release, Making My Mark , by Annika Chambers & The Houston All-Stars and it's got a lot of strengths. Opening with Move , Chambers does just that. A funky soul track. finds Chambers with a smooth but edgy voice leading the way with Nicoya Polar, Sheree Howard and Dominique Fulcher. I particularly like the understated but super guitar work from Corey Stoot on this track. A catchy number this could easily get a lot of airplay in multiple venues. Barnyard Blues is a uptown shuffle with cool bass lines from Larry Fulcher and great horn work from Anthony Terry on sax. David carter and Brad Absher handle the guitar work on this track. Jealous Kind is a straight up ballad with a honkin sweet sax solo by Terry. Lick 'er is a strong funk catchy track with super key work by Barry Seelen and saucy vocals by Chambers and Polar overall. Very hot! Tony Braunagel lays down some nice drum work and Terry again hot on sax. Trust Me has Houston swagger with ...

Montrose Records Signs Blues/Soul Singer Annika Chambers & Will Release Her Debut Album, Making My Mark, on January 14, 2014 . HOUSTON, TX – Montrose Records announces the signing of Houston-based blues/soul singer Annika Chambers and will release her debut album, Making My Mark , on January 14, 2014. Making My Mark will be available through CDBaby at iTunes and Amazon, as well as at the label’s website. On the new CD, Annika (pronounced “Ann-NEE-Ka”), is backed by an aggregation dubbed “The Houston All-Stars,” well-named because it boasts the talents of many Grammy winners and nominees. Heading that list is bassist Larry Fulcher, who co-produced Making My Mark along with Montrose Records owner/engineer Richard Cagle. Fulcher is a two-time Grammy winner for his work with Taj Mahal on the albums “Shoutin’ in Key” and “Senor Blues,” and has appeared on 10 of Taj’s albums. He’s also a regular member of the acclaimed Phantom Blues Band and has...