Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Heavenly Cream - An Acoustic Tribute To Cream and it's a solid cover of much of Cream's catalog by top name artists. Opening with I Feel Free , Deborah Bonham, John's sister has the lead vocals, backed by Bernie Marsden on guitar, Malcolm Bruce (Jack's son) on piano, Neil Murray on bass and Frank Tontoh on drums. Solid opener. Theme For An Imaginary Western , written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown is fronted by Brown on vocal and backed by Clem Clemson  (Humble Pie) and Malcolm Bruce on guitars, John Donaldson on piano, Mo Foster on piano, and Cheryl Alleyne on drums. This is a great track and always one of my favorites with Jacks vocals and played by Leslie West of Mountain. Ginger Baker penned, Sweet Wine , is a standout with Baker on drums Nathan James on vocal, Marsden on guitar, Mo Nazam on guitar, Bruce on bass, Pee Wee Ellis on sax, Henry Lowther on trumpet, and Abass Dodoo on percussion. Take It Back ...

I just received the newest release, 8 O'clock In The Afternoon from Jim Singleton and it's pretty cool. Opening with Peter Green's Rattlesnake Shake , Singleton lays down a dynamite interpretation of this classic rocker with a cool rhythm pattern. Screaming guitar work and solid vocals are the ticket here and they hit head on! Excellent! Next up is a lumbering, Nothing To Do With Love , with just a super groove. Grinding guitar tones carry Singletons vocals, complimented nicely by Charlie Musselwhite on harp and Michael "The Professor" Hensley on Hammond. This is a real nice track with the catchy feel of Bad Company but with more teeth.... I like it! Winding it down a few notches, Singleton sings a quiet ballad, Don't Take , with basically only acoustic guitar and Hammond, growing to include Mark Vacavone on accordion, John Martin on drums and Joe Osborn on bass. Rory Gallagher's rocker, What's Going On , hits like a hurricane. Nicely crafted togeth...

I just received the newest release, Shine from Bernie Marsden and it is solid. Opening with Linin' Track , a classic work song, Marsden opens as a solo vocalist but is quickly joined by an explosion of blues rockin' including Mark Feltham on harp and particularly strong drums. Nice! Next up is Wedding Day and Marsden and some drone note finger picking on electric guitar. Very cool ! With a catchy melody and contemporary feel Marsden rips out a nice guitar solo icing the track. Walk Away has a real pop feel and bright keyboard work. Marsden lays down some of his solid guitar riffs making this arena rock track complete. Kinda Wish She Would is a ragged rocker with a lot of bite. With it's great drive, piano support and biting guitar riffs, it's likely my favorite track on the release. Ladyfriend has a distinctly British rhythm (think When The Levee Breaks) and a crying harp. What's not to like. Next up is Trouble featuring David Coverdale on lead vocal. This is...

BERNIE MARSDEN AND MASCOT LABEL GROUP'S PROVOGUE RECORDS ANNOUNCE SEPTEMBER 30 RELEASE DATE FOR SHINE GuitarWorld.com Premieres Lyric Video For "Linin' Track" Today Screen Here: http://www.guitarworld.com/bernie-marsden-premieres-linin-track-lyric-video-exclusive New York, NY --- Bernie Marsden and Mascot Label Group's Provogue Records have announced a September 30 release date for SHINE .  Marsden has been a prolific artist since the early 1970s, contributing performances to approximately one hundred albums.  He has enjoyed a successful long-running solo career, alongside being a key member of ensembles that include Whitesnake, UFO, Wild Turkey, Babe Ruth, Paice Ashton & Lord, Cozy Powell’s Hammer, Alaska, M3 and others.  An album trailer can be screened here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbLX4jnO2rs .  Additionally, GuitarWorld.com has premiered the lyric video for "Linin' Track" today which can be screened here: ...

In the UK where the reverence for American blues artists runs deep and has brought forth legendary guitar heroes Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton, the endless grey skies of Edinburgh, Scotland are most definitely not immune to this musical iconography. Eilidh McKellar, a 19-year-old Scottish born singer and guitarist offers an interesting blend of indie rock, blues, and pop music with a nod towards the New World. Not only can Eilidh play with heartfelt emotion on the guitar, her voice comes from deep in the Mississippi River delta- where alligators lie in wait and Southern Comfort allays the sins of the soul. Eilidh started playing the guitar when she was 9 years old. With no other musicians in the family everything Eilidh has achieved has been the result of her own hard work and endearing devotion to her local guitar shop. In time she became a much beloved local fixture there testing out every available guitar on its walls. Meanwhile at home Eilidh listened to her dad’s Rolling Stones ...