Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Going Back Home , from Benny Turner & Cash McCall and it's quite fun. Opening with rumbling R&B track, Got To Find A Way , Turner is upfront on lead vocal and bass joined by Carla Davis. This track has solid horn punch with Jason Mingledorff on sax, Barney Floyd on trumpet and includes Cash McCall and Butch Mudbone on guitars, Raishene Webb on keys and Terry Saffold on drums. McCall steps front and center on Willie Dixon's Spoonful sharing the guitar work with Turner, Joe Krown on keys, Webb on organ, and Johnny Sansone on harmonica. McCall original, Money is a really cool track with spoken dialogue by McCall and only base piano, drums and walking guitar rhythm. Very nice. Elmore James' Shake Your Money Maker has great pace with Turner on lead vocal, Mudbone on slide and a nice sax solo by Mingledorff. Another EJ track, It Hurts Me Too features Billy Branch on harmonica as well as Turner and McCal...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Brother's Blues , from Benny Turner and it's great! Benny pay homage to his big brother and best friend, Freddie King and does it with style. Opening with Big Legged Woman , Benny is on lead vocal and bass, showing excellent vocal style and tone. A punchy horn section featuring Barney Floyd on trumpet and Jason Mingledorff on sax really sets the track off and the solid foot pedal of Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander and the riding organ work of Keiko Komaki plays nicely with rhythm guitar fills by Derwin "Big D" Perkins and lead guitar runs by June Yamagagishi. Excellent! Have You Ever Loved A Woman is a definite highlight on this release with soulful vocals by Turner, backed by Earl Smith and suppressed but critical horn work and organ by Davell Crawford, and Jack Miele plays some real tasty guitar lead to ice the cake.  Swinging I'm Tore Down features Otis Clay, Turner and Marva Wright ...

Reply to this email to enter drawing for an autographed copy of Benny's book!   After more than 60 years performing gospel, R&B, soul and blues everywhere from the Chitlin Circuit to the Apollo Theatre to the far reaches of the globe, Benny Turner shares his captivating life story in his new biography,  Survivor: The Benny Turner Story . Available in hardcover and ...

I just received the newest release (February 14, 2016), from Benny Turner and it's smooth! Now on his 4th release, Turner, brother to Freddie King (yes, that Freddie King) really has it going. His last release, Trouble was really nice and this one is even better! Opening with I Can't Love , a cool swinging blues with a nice heavy bottom compliments of Alonzo Johnson, and sparkling keys courtesy of Samuel "The Bishop" Berfect gives the track traction and Turner's solid lead vocals and backing vocals by Diane Lotny and Yvonne Washington give it a James Brown twist. Very nice! On Pity On This Lovesick Fool , The Bishop on piano, Davell Crawford on Rhodes and organ and Marc Adams set an almost Billy Preston presence and Turner, joined by Marva Wright on lead vocals gets in the groove. Smooth ballad, Because Of You , features Turner right up front and with such a soulful melody, should hit the radio hard. Backing vocal by Tanya Jarvis, The Bishop on keys, Dr J...

I just received the newest release, Journey , from Benny Turner and it has a fine groove. Opening with Breakin' News, a shuffle track with a nice Taj Mahal kind of feel and gospel like backing vocals, it's a great track. Marc Stone on steel guitar, Keiko Komaki on piano and horn work by Jason Mingledorff (sax) and Barney Floyd (trumpet) set this track off. Funky blues Don't You Ride My Mule has a really cool feel with not only nice vocals from Turner but a solid key work from Josh Paxton, super horn work from Mingledorff and Mark Leuron on trumpet and Harp work from Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes. Very nice! R&B ballad How I Wish has a soft sway and cool rhythm from Marc Stone on guitar. Deanna Bernard and Ellen Smith add warm backing vocals and Mingledorff and Floyd cool horn backing. Another R&B style blues track, I Wanna Make It Right, has just a super groove. Bernard and Smith again adding just the right vocal backing and Komaki adding some really tight k...