Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ain't Done With The Blues , by Buddy Guy coinciding with his 89th birthday and it's jammed with over an hour of blues and rock. Opening with Hooker Thing , Buddy lays down a classic John Lee Hooker acoustic guitar riff and sings Buddy style. This really captures the playful guitar finesse of Guy. Blues rocker, Been There Done That is a great opener with a kick ass beat and shows Buddy singing like he's a kid and with aggressive guitar riffs, joined by Chuck Leavell on B3. Rob McNelley on rhythm guitar, Kevin McKendree on piano and Tom Hambridge really hangs tight on the drums. I just saw Kingfish last week and he really knows how to put things right. He's featured on funky, Where U At with his funky blues guitar styling under Buddy's silky smooth vocals. The addition of horns on this track add nicely to the richness and Hambridge's drumming works great with McKendree on piano. Excellent! Buddy ta...

The Last Music Company has released Dr. John's tribute to Louis Armstrong, Ske-Dat-De-Dat , on vinyl on June 5, 2020. I had the opportunity to review this newest release and it's a lot of fun. Opening with What A Wonderful World , Dr John joins up with Nicholas Payton on trumpet and the Blind Boys of Alabama for a Mac stylized version of this Armstrong classic. Payton floats on the melodic rhythm and Mac's vocals are tops. Bonnie Raitt joins on I've Got The World On A String and an easy swing. Both Mac and Raitt seem very comfortable with excellent lead vocals, bluesy guitar riffs, clarinet and full horn backing. Very nice. In traditional Mac/New Orleans Jazz style, Gut Bucket Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release, again featuring Payton on trumpet and with strong horn backing and some really tasty drumming. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child features Anthony Hamilton on lead vocal with smooth soulful backing and solid horn work. The McCrary Si...

TOM WAITS STREAMS SOUL OF A MAN FROM NEW COMPILATION GOD DON'T NEVER CHANGE: THE SONGS OF BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON AT HIS FACEBOOK PAGE   Legendary artist Tom Waits is streaming his new recording of Soul Of A Man from the forthcoming album God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson at his Facebook page . Waits also recorded John The Revelator for the album. The album -- to be issued on CD on February 26 and soon after on vinyl -- features newly recorded versions of the iconic slide guitarist/vocalist's most seminal material. In addition to Waits, Lucinda Williams, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Cowboy Junkies, Blind Boys Of Alabama (with Jason Isbell on guitar), Sinéad O'Connor, Luther Dickinson featuring The Rising Star Fife & Drum Band, Maria McKee, and Rickie Lee Jones all deliver deeply moving interpretations of Johnson's otherworldly "gospel blues" music. Produced by Jeffrey Gaskill (pr...

I just received the newest release (October 16, 2015), The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You , from The Reverend Shawn Amos and it's funky blues time! Opening with gospel style track, Days of Depression , Amos, on lead vocal is joined by the Blind Boys of Alabama on an old school blues track with only primitive guitar and the sounds of their voices. Very nice! Brand New Man has a much more aggressive rock feel and Chris "Doctor" Roberts grunts out some pretty impressive guitar riffs. Driven by Brady Blade on drums, Lewis Smith on trumpet and Mindi Abair on sax, this track rocks! Slowing down with a little shuffle, Boogie , features Amos on harp and vocals joined by Missy Andersen. Brothers Keeper has a solid R&B feel and Amos lays in a nice blues line on harp. Roberts leads off You're Gonna Miss Me (When I Get Home), a funky track with a solid bottom provided by Chris Thomas. Roberts plays a nicely distorted guitar solo and Amos follows with a cool harp riff whi...

Blind Boys of Alabama Guitarist Sam Butler Exults His Audience to Raise Your Hands! On First Solo CD, Due October 16 on Severn Records Americana Compilation of Bluesy Spirituals Penned by Secular Artists Shines the Spotlight on His Many Talents ANNAPOLIS, MD – Severn Records announces an October 16 release date for Raise Your Hands! , the first solo recording from Blind Boys of Alabama guitarist Sam Butler. Produced by Brian Brinkerhoff (Guitar Shorty, Jazz Soul 7), the even-dozen tracks on Raise Your Hands! s howcase the splendid talents of Butler, whose guitar work has been a staple of The Blind Boys of Alabama for over 40 years. Sam Butler’s solo debut puts his own spin on an Americana compilation of bluesy spirituals written by some of the most important and compelling artists and songwriters of the last fifty years of rock and roll (Bruce Springsteen, U2, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, etc.), with some righteous results. Butler’s resu...

I just received the newest release, Blues People , from Eric Bibb and I think it's his best in quite some time! Opening with Silver Spoon , a primarily acoustic track rooted deeply in the delta but with hot contrasting electric blues riffs from Popa Chubby in the distance and bass and drums by Glen Scott. Excellent! Driftin' Door To Door has a bit more of the walking blues sound with nice picked and slide work from Bibb and Michael Jerome Browne. Very nice. God's Mojo is a quiet jazz framed blues track with nicely figured key work and light drums by Glen Scott. Bibbs vocals are particularly focused on this track. Turner Station has a more modern acoustic blues sound with Bibb and Browne on guitar. As the track builds more fullness appears with Scott on Hammond, backing vocals and electric keys as well as Neville Malcolm on bass. On Pink Dream Cadillac , Bibb paints a vivid story as Staffan Astner adds some tasty slide work. Guy Davis' Chocolate Man features Davis...

Award-Winning Roots Music Artist Eric Bibb Sings About Blues People on New Stony Plain Records CD, Coming November 4 Special Guests Include Taj Mahal, Guy Davis, The Blind Boys of Alabama & Ruthie Foster EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records, one of the world’s foremost roots music labels, announces a November 4 release date for Blues People , the new CD from award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Eric Bibb. Produced by Glen Scott, who also plays several instruments throughout, Blues People includes special guest performances by Taj Mahal, Guy Davis, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Ruthie Foster (who Eric has been touring with), Popa Chubby and a number of other musicians from around the world. The 15 tracks on Blues People include a number of Eric Bibb originals, as well as collaborations with other songwriters, plus songs written by Guy Davis (“Chocolate Man”), Rev. Gary Davis (“I Heard the Angels Singin’”) and the traditional, “Needed Time,” a...

I just received the newest release, Ske-Dat-De-Dat ... Spirit of Satch from Dr John and I quite like it. Oh yeah. With a tribute to an older statesman, there are some old time ballads but with a fresh look which is overall very interesting. On opener, What A Wonderful World , The Blind Boys Of Alabama add a different dimension to what is done sixties pop style with a twist of New Orleans. Terrence Blanchard a really nice melodic trumpet solo over what is otherwise a funky orchestral arrangement. Mack The Knife gets a total revamp with a solid New Orleans strut. With very little except lyrics to the original track, this is an ingenious mix with brilliant work from Blanchard. There is a rap break which I don't care for but overall the track is excellent. Tight Like That has a real Latin feel with vocals by Telmary and sweet Spanish guitar and really smart trumpet work by Arturo Sandoval. I've Got The World On A String stays with very traditional arrangement say, Tony Benne...

ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAMER, AND SIX-TIME GRAMMY WINNER, DR JOHN GOES BACK TO THE SOURCE WITH SKE-DAT-DE-DAT...SPIRIT OF SATCH New Orleans musical giant pays tribute to fellow Crescent City legend Louis Armstrong with star-studded, divinely-inspired new tribute disc Proper Records / September 1st  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and six-time GRAMMY®-winner Dr. John is New Orleans' most prominent living musical icon. The embodiment of his hometown's freewheeling creative spirit and multiple musical traditions, he's built a visionary, idiosyncratic body of work that's deeply rooted in the Crescent City's myriad blues, R&B, jazz and rock 'n' roll traditions. So it's fitting that Dr. John's new album on Proper Records, Ske-Dat-De-Dat...Spirit of Satch, pays heartfelt tribute to another larger-than-life New Orleans legend: the seminal trumpeter and vocalist Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, whose musical innovations created the ...