Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release, Hoodoo That We Doo from the Beat Daddys and I like it! Opening with These Chains , a swampy blues track featuring Larry Grisham on vocal and harp, David Parks on drums, John Gillespie on bass and Tommy Stillwell on gritty slide guitar and backing vocal. Great opener! Sorry , has a dark blues rock feel super vocal backing and nicely blended guitar and harp work over a tight drum beat. You Made Me Cry sets up nicely around a cool driving bass line by Gillespie. Patrick Preston boost the middle with some cool organ work and Stillwell lays down some stinging guitar riffs in this well balanced track. The Moment has a smooth R&B feel, nicely featuring Grisham's super vocals. Stillwell lays down a really clean guitar solo on this track but doesn't venture far from the melody. Shuffle track, Pie or Cake has a cool blues feel with Grisham on vocal and harp. Hoodoo Woman has a really nice Latin feel (Way Down In The Hole/Black Magic Woman) ...

Larry Grisham is a survivor, plain and simple. Both personally and professionally, he has overcome obstacles most people will never face. Time and again he not only met these challenges, but rose to them and came out the other side stronger for the experience. But isn't that what the Blues is all about? Larry was born in southern Indiana in 1953 and moved about much as a child, attending sixteen different schools before graduating from high school. He did, however, spend several formative years in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky living with his grandmother (whose first cousin happened to be legendary Country/Blues guitarist Merle Travis). This is where young Larry started to soak up the music. Not only was he exposed to the area's indigenous Bluegrass, Blues, Gospel and Soul Music, but like most kids his age he was taken with the new sound of Elvis, The Everly Brothers and later The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Stax and Motown. Soon Larry learned to play drums, and enough guita...