Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Back To The Blues , by Beyond 1969 and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with I'm Never Gonna Leave You , a cool rocker with a funky backbeat, Tom Forst on lead vocal and guitar sets the pace with active bass work by Tony Delisio , Jeff Bousfield on keys and Bryan Caudle on drums. Bluesy ballad, Consolation Man is a real cool track in the vein of the Thrill Is Gone with soulful vocals and tasty, overdriven guitar lead by Forst, backing vocals and bass by Delisio, saturated organ work by Bousfield and a tight rhythm by Caudle. Very nice. Caudle opens Darkest Before The Dawn with a funky drum rhythm, supported by a complimentary bass line by Delisio. This may be my favorite track on the release when Forst gets into the groove with his vocal and melodic guitar soloing, surrounded by Bousfield's saturated organ and keyboard soloing. Very cool. Blues soaked, It's My Own Damn Fault, really gives Forst a c...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, and it's a cool raw edged blues. Opening with Over In The Corner , Schafer on lead vocal and guitar has the feel of Tom Waits. With Jimi Bott on drums, Timmer Blakely on bass, and Willie Scandlyn and JT Thomas on guitars, a cool opener. With broad, shimmery guitar chords Virgin Mary has just the right flavor of country western. Schafer's vocals, worked with the guitar soloing of Scandlyn and Thomas and a warm fiddle solo by Tom Esch makes this my choice track of the release. On Astara a rumbling bass intro by Blakely and tight rhythm by Johnny Moore on drums leads nicely into Schafer's vocal lead and some real nice guitar soloing and clean fiddle work by Esch. Wrapping the release is swampy, Rich Boy , with Schafer shouting the lead and Scandlyn and Thomas pairing with some real nice guitar riffs. Blakley and Moore hold a tight ship and really nice guitar soloing by JT and Willie makes this an excellent closer...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Back To The Blues , by Scotty Dennis and it's a fat slice of blues, rock, pop and R&B all rolled into one. Opening with hot blues number, I'm Gone , shows solid vocal styling by Scotty Dennis with a swaggering rock beat and hot guitar riffs by Brandon Hudspeth with solid backing by Go-Go Ray on drums, Jerry Keller on bass, Willie Newell on organ and D'Angelo talent on backing vocals. Title track, Back To The Blues , is a classic R&B style ballad with a strong melody and a prominent melodic guitar solo. For Her Love shows a cool fusion between Latin and R&B with some of the best vocals by Dennis and strong lead playing by Hudspeth. Very cool. Soulful blues ballad, It's Crying Time has super call and response between Dennis on lead vocal and Hudspeth on guitar retort. A break out piano solo by Newell leading into a real nice guitar solo by Hudspeth sets this track apart nicely. Dennis' and...