Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Pocket Full of Nothin' , from Big Dave McLean and it has a great feel. Opening with Songs of the Blues , a strutting blues rocker with Big Dave on guitar and vocal, Steve Dawson on  excellent slide guitar, Gary Craig on drums, Jeremy Holmes on bass, Chris Gestrin on piano, Malcolm on trumpet, Jerry Cook on bari sax and Dominic Conway on tenor sax. Solid opener. I really like McLean's expressive vocals on Backwards Fool with the National steel guitar behind for contrast and Aiken's muted trumpet as an accent. Very nice. Boogie track, Voodoo Music has a great groove and Dawson's tremolo over his slide work creates a cool shimmer. A strong, slower blues entry is Just To Be With You . McLean creates a real dark atmosphere with his powerful vocals and Dawson's slide work is tight and energized. Very nice. Wrapping the release is ballad, There Will Always Be A Change . With it's springy, country blue...

  QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS The Paul DesLauriers Band and Angel Forrest win multiple awards The fast-paced performance rich gala featured a moving memorial tribute to the late John Mays (Fathead), Brian Cober and past Blues With A Feeling Award Winner Bob Walsh (January 23, 2017) Toronto, ON – Canadian blues artists from coast-to-coast were honoured by their peers at the 20th Annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto last night as a crowd of blues lovers gathered to celebrate Canadian blues at Koerner Hall.   Quebec blues artists swept the awards with honours going to trio The Paul DesLauriers Band who won Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Drummer of the Year for Sam Harrisson , and Bassist of the Year for Greg Morency . Blues belter Angel Forrest took home three awards including Female Vocalist of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Better The Devil You Know , from Big Dave McLean and it's quite good! Opening with Life On The Road , Big Dave McLean has a casual, JJ Cale meets "Little Feat" easy blues feel joined by Steve Dawson on lead guitar, Gary Craig on drums, Jon Dymond on bass, and Kevin McKendree with cleverly stylistic piano. On Muddy Waters' You Can't Lose What You Never Had , McLean opens with fiery slide riffs and his vocals are raw. McKendree's piano really gives the track a Chicago sound with his piano work and acoustic guitar work by McLean and Dawson's eccentric slide work carries the track nicely. The traditional, You'll Need Somebody On Your Bond , gets a country two step remake with a warm intro by Ann and Regina McCrary. Dawson's dobro work and Fats Kaplin on fiddle add even further to the country / bluegrass edge. Uptempo, I Need You , is a cool country blues number and McClean pulls out the ...

I just received the newest release (March 3, 2015), Faded but Not Gone , by Big Dave McLean and it's gritty and solid. Opening with Tough Times , a 12 bar Chicago style blues track with Steve Dawson on National Steel guitar and Kevin McKendree on organ. On I Best Choose To Pick The Blues , McLean picks up the pace and Colin Linden contributes the smooth slide guitar. On Dead Cat On The Line with a bit of bluegrass influence and Piedmont style, McLean is joined on vocal by Dawson who also plays banjo. John Dymond adds bass, Gary Craig drums and Colin James some really tight mandolin work. On western style ballad, The Fallen , McClean takes the spotlight vocally backed by sweet electric and steel guitar work by Dawson. Very cool! Sittin' On A Fence has a light country 2 step feel. Double stop guitar riffs by Dawson are a really nice touch on this track. Don't Get Mad, Get Even is built over a 12 bar structure but has a much more contemporary feel and a catchy melody. Th...

Big Dave McLean Is Faded but Not Gone on Label Debut CD for Black Hen Music, Due March 3 Producer Steve Dawson Assembles All-Star Cast to Back the Legendary Canadian Bluesman, Along with Special Guests Colin Linden, Colin James and The McCrary Sisters NASHVILLE, TN – Black Hen Music announces the signing of legendary Canadian bluesman Big Dave McLean, and will release his label debut CD, Faded but Not Gone , on March 3. Produced by Black Hen label main-man Steve Dawson, who also adds his award-winning guitar talents throughout the album, Faded but Not Gone was recorded at The Henhouse in Nashville, Tennessee, and engineered by the acclaimed Bil VornDick. Besides Dawson, the all-star cast of players backing McLean for the sessions features Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton, Brian Setzer) on keyboards, John Dymond on bass and Gary Craig on drums. Special guests include Colin Linden, Colin James and The McCrary Sisters. The organic qualities of the music on ...

Big Dave McLean is finally getting his recognition, at an age when the rest of us are getting around to contemplating retirement. Only in the last decade or so has there been significant inroads into recording this definitive Canadian bluesman. A masterful guitarist and top notch harpist, McLean’s raw and gravelly vocals bespeak of a life lived to the fullest, and a career spent performing in and around those countless small towns that dot the Canadian prairies. When it comes to the blues, however, McLean’s heart firmly beats to the ghosts of the delta greats--especially the incomparable Muddy Waters, with whom he toured over two decades ago. Just how important the Mojo Man was to the development of Big Dave can be gleaned in an 11-minute tribute, aptly titled ‘Muddy Waters for President’. Actually written for the dean of Chicago bluesmen, Muddy died before getting around to recording it. McLean’s stage performances also identify him as one of the top bluesmen in Canada and what he kno...