Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Slideways , from Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and it's terrific! Opening with Bad All By Myself , Lil' Ed on lead guitar and vocal, gets things rocking right off the bat. With Michael Garrett playing a strong rhythm line reinforced by James "Pookie" Young and Kelly Littleton on drums, this is a great opener. The Flirt In The Car Wash Skirt is a great blues rocker with raucous slide work by Lil' Ed and Ben Levin on piano really gets this track boogieing. Vital rhythm guitar work by Garrett and a rock solid bottom makes this one of my favorites on the release. Elmore James flavored, 13th Street And Trouble , is a strong track with a pounding bottom and super piano work by Levin. Lil' Ed has this track by the short hairs and is really shaking it. Cooking! Laid back Chicago blues , More Time , has solid pacing and features Lil' Ed upfront on lead vocal. Garrett showcases his lead gui...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ernestine Blues , from Bob Corritore & Friends and it's a big solid scoop of pure blues. Opening with Tony Coleman on vocal and guitar on How'd You Learn To Shake It Like That , Coleman has a great feel for Chicago style blues and Corritore is one of the best on harp on old Chicago style. Joined by Jimi Primetime Smith on guitar, Bob Stroger on bass, and Anthony Geraci on piano, this is a solid opener. Pat Thomas is featured on vocal and guitar on Big Fat Mama with Corritore adding choice harp riffs. This is a particularly strong track with authentic delta styling and Hooker like meter with no exact number of beats in a measure. Pure! Tia Carroll has the mic on Sam Cooke's Ernestine . With solid R&B styling and warm backing vocals by Eboni McDonald, Diamond Porter and Yolanda Tharrington, Doug James on sax, Geraci on piano, Bob Margolin on guitar, Stroger on bass, and Wes Starr on drums, this...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, New Southern Vintage , from Candice Ivory , and it's powerful blues. Opening with foot stompin' boogie, Ain't So Blind with JL Hooker richness. With Candice Ivory on vocal, Jan Hartmann on harmonica and the Bluebloods ( Robert Allen Parker on guitar, Khari Wynn on bass and Donnon R. Johnson) on drums, this is a great opener. I'm In Trouble is a cooking Chicago style blues with Ivory on vocal, and adds Ben Levin on piano and Adam Hill on slide guitar. Very cool. Excellent driving blues, Strong Black Mattie , really has a great Willie Dixon feel with some of my favorite vocals by Ivory on the release, adding Chris Stephenson on B3, and including some tight guitar riffs by Parker and Hill. Slow blues, Look Away , really has a great feel with Ivory really digging in vocally. With heavy reverb by Hill, emotive soloing by Parker, warm B3 by Stephenson and crisp drum work by Johnson, this is another top tr...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, OH Yeah! , from Willie Buck & Bob Corritore and it's rich Chicago infused blues. Opening with title track, Oh Yeah , Bob Corritore and Willie Buck have a hot one here. Buck on lead vocal really has the stuff on vocal and Corritore really knows how to conjure the Chicago mojo on harmonica. Featuring Jimi Primetime Smith on guitar, Billy Flynn on guitar, Ben Levin on piano, Bob Stroger on bass and Wes Starr on drums, this is a super opener. On William Crawford's That Ain't Enough , Buck's vocals are particularly gritty and Bob Margolin really digs in with Muddy Waters style slide. Playing with Waters for 7 years, Margolin plays this like it's second nature. Corritore's style on harmonica is perfect on this traffic. Corritore has the mic on Went Home This Morning and he wails. Mojo Mark Cihlar and Jon Atkinson join on guitar lays out some terrific riffs and Troy Sandow on bass and Brian Fahey on d...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Doin' The Shout!, from Bob Corritore & Friends and it's cooking! Opening with shuffle, Say Baby Say, Thornetta Davis is upfront on lead vocal and I really like her style. With my pal Johnny Burgin on guitar, Dave Keyes on piano, Bob Corritore on harmonica, Bob Stroger on bass and Wes Starr on drums, this is a great opener. Woman Wanted features Oscar Wilson on lead vocal and Muddy Waters like slide work by guitar wiz Bob Margolin. I really do love his loose slide and with Stroger on bass, Anthony Geraci on piano, and Starr on drums, this is a super track. Francine Reed has an unmistakable voice and her addition on I Guess I'm A Fool is a terrific idea. With Duke Robillard adding lush guitar, Corritore up with key harmonica lead, Ben Levin on piano, Ben Hedquist on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, this is a solid soul track. Wilson is back on lead vocal on Just A Dream and it really lays in the groove. His vocal...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ramblin' From Coast To Coast , from Johnny Burgin and it's an excellent new addition to his already great output. There's a reason that Johnny is one of my favorite players out there...and this is it! Opening with title track, rocker, Ramblin' From Coast To Coast , Johnny Burgin, who's a good enough a singer to front about any band in the country, on lead vocal and guitar getting things rolling, backed by Danny Banks on drums, Christian Dozzler on piano, Jon Hay on bass and with Jad Tariq on guitar. Solid opener. Up next is Gettin' My Blues On , with heavy a Curtis Mayfield vibe. This song is so good it's downright spooky. Johnny's vocals are soulful and his guitar work strong. Banks on drums, Hay with a great bass line, Barry Seelen on organ and Lisa Leuschner Andersen, Marina Crouse, Jill Dineen on backing vocals, I can't wait to hear this one live. There's a lot of Chicago in Sile...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Somebody Put Bad Luck On Me , from Bob Corritore & Friends and it's another super release from Corritore. Opening with This Little Voice , Corritore, conjures so great harp tone on the intro with Jimi Primetime Smith on guitar and John Primer on vocal and guitar, backed by Bob Stroger on bass and Wes Starr on drums. Solid opener. Bobby Rush has the mic on I'm Good As Gone , a slinky R&B style blues with Smith and Dexter Allen on guitar, Chester Thompson on organ, and Steve Ferrone on drums. Very nice. Thornetta Davis is in charge on Remember Me and I gotta say, she's exceptional. I caught Davis when I went to see guitar master, Johnny Burgin and she really did a great job. Davis is joined here by Smith, Burgin, Keyes, Corritore, Stroger and Wes Starr. Very nice. Lurrie Bell leads off, Act Like You Love Me on vocal and guitar. A slow Chicago style blues with solid harp work by Corritore, is joined by ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Back To Baton Rouge , from Lil' Jimmy Reed with Ben Levin and it's terrific. Opening with Jimmy Reed shuffle, Down In Virginia , Lil' Jimmy Reed is up front on guitar, harmonica and lead vocal and showing excellent aptitude at both gets this release going. Backed by super piano guy, Ben Levin on piano, Aron Levin on second guitar, Walter Cash Jr on bass and Ricky Nye on drums. On slow blues, They Call Me Lil' Jimmy , Reed gets the chance to show some really tasty guitar riffs, complimenting his strong blues vocals. This track may be my favorite on the release. Fats Domino style blues, Back To Baton Rouge has a war swagger and Reed's trademark guitar sound elevates the track. Another Jimmy Reed track, I'm The Man Down There , has that Jimmy Reed Strut. Lil' Jimmy really does it nice with satiny vocals and broad sound harmonica over a solid bottom. Wrapping the release is Mailbox Blues with it...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Take Your Time , from Ben Levin and it's a super entry to a strong line of super releases by Levin. Opening with title track, Take Your Time , Levin on piano and vocal fronts a band of great players including my man Johnny Burgin on guitar and Shorty Starr on drums. A cool shuffle track this is a strong opener and gives Burgin space to lay down some real nice riffs. Lil Ed Williams joins on Why Do Things Happen To Me with his distinctive guitar feel and vocal work. I really like the work that Levin has been doing and paired with Lil Ed on guitar, Aron Levin on guitar, Walter Cash on bass and Ricky Nye on drums, he's on fire. Burgin is up again as featured lead player on Latin influenced, Out Of Your Own Way . Burgin can really set the fuel and ignite it and I can tell his playing style immediately. I didn't know he was playing on this release on the first pass through and I heard this track and said... wow Joh...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Still Here , from Ben Levin and it's really super! Opening with Love and Friendship , a terrific piano boogie with Ben Levin on piano and vocal, his father, Aron Levin on guitar, Chris Douglas on bass and Oscar Bernal on drums. Ben's voice is really strong and his piano lead and Aron's guitar lead work really nicely together. Nice opener. On title track, Still Here , Ben's soulful vocals are accentuated and his New Orleans piano styling is spot on. Aron gets a real nice opportunity to stretch a little on guitar and his phrasing is beautiful. Jimmy Liggins' I Can't Stop It has a great groove with Ben laying down a great up tempo boogie line and some real nice guitar lead by Aron as well. Very cool. Instrumental shuffle, Crown Jewel , features Aron upfront on guitar and he sets a nice pace. Ben digs in on piano setting up some really nice riffs before Aron closes it out. Very nice. Another slow blue...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Carryout Or Delivery from Ben Levin and it's solid R&B and blues. Opening with You Know , a cool Chicago style  shuffle, Levin on piano and lead vocal nails it. Backed by Aron Levin on guitar, Chris Douglass on bass, and Oscar Bernal on drums, this is a hot opener. I really like Too Good For Me with it's electric piano sound and Levin's New Orleans styling. Very nice. With the phrasing of a key Elmore James track, Have You Lost Your Mind? has solid vocal delivery and with a strongly reinforced rhythm, super organ soloing. Instrumental, NOLA Night really captures the New Orleans sound with super piano and tight rhythms by Bernal. My Back Scratcher is a cool R&B track with a real Booker T feel reinforced by Levin on organ and tight rhythm from Douglass and Bernal. Papercut is another New Orleans R&B blues track with traditional, one note piano rhythm, single snare drumming and cool electric guit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Before Me , by Ben Levin and it's really cool. Opening with Big Bill Broonzy's I Feel So Good , Ben Levin shows how it should be done as a leader on piano and lead vocals. With perfect dynamics and a great team featuring strong lead guitar work by Bon Margolin, and Bob Corritore on harmonica, this track is tight. Backing this star front line is Aron Levin on guitar, Chris Douglas on bass and Oscar Bonal on drums. Super opener. On Freddie King's instrumental, This Morning , Margolin and Corritore lay down really nice solos complimenting Levin's own solo and the tight drum work by Bernal. Excellent! On Confessin' The Blues , Levin shows some of his best vocals on the release. His style is crisp and his style is smooth. Corritore just lays back in the seat on his solo and his tone is excellent. Margolin's guitar solo is smooth and has great feel. Title track, Before Me has really nice New Orleans s...