Blind Pig Records artist: Altered Five Blues Band - Holler If You Hear Me - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 3, 2021), Holler If You Hear Me, from Altered Five Blues Band, and it's a strong contemporary blues release. Opening with blues rocker and title track, Holler If You Hear Me, Jeff Taylor is authoratative at the mic, backed by Jeff Schroedl on guitar, Mark Solverson on bass, Raymond Tevich on keys and Alan Arber on drums plus some cool harmonica work by Jason Ricci. Great opener. Ricci and Schroedl really hit the road running on If You Go Away (She Might Come Back), and with a modern take on Chicago style blues, Taylor sets a grat pace. With a great blend of instrumentation and a tight drum rhythm by Arber, this track rocks. Slow blues, Holding on With One Hand, is one of my favorites on the release with excellent guitar lead, and powerful vocal from Taylor. The addition of Ricci on this release I think is a master stroke because everything that he plays on gains substantially from his feel. Another solid Chicago style track is Where's My Money in the vein of Muddy Waters. This is a nicelt paced track with strong lead vocal and a healthy dose of Ricci on lead harmonica. All Suit, No Soul is another of my favorites with clever lyrics, a Latin beat, warm keys by Tevich and with a lot of open floor for Schroedl on lead guitar. Very nice. R&B based, Leave Before I Let You Down, is a real nice showcase for Taylor's vocals and Schroedl shows his tasty chops. Solid. Wrapping the release is high energy blues, Big Shout Out, with Taylor, Ricci and Schroedl trading call and response. I really like Ricci's gritty sound contrasted against Schroedl's clean sting. This is a super closer for a very tasty release. 

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Blind Pig Recoreds artists: Altered Five Blues Band - Ten Thousand Watts - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ten Thousand Watts, from Altered Five Blues Band and it's a scorcher. Opening with hard driving boogie, Right On, Right On, Jeff Taylor's gritty vocals lead the way over the thumping bass line of Mark Solveson and solid drum work of Alan Arber. Steve Cohen screams on harp and Jeff Schroedl on guitar really makes you want to put this on your main system and crank it up...Excellent! With an Albert King like swagger, Schroedl leads off on title track, Ten Thousand Watts and with an already powerful bottom cranks off an a head slapping lead solo keeping Taylor company right up front. Wow! Balance between Raymond Tevich on keys and Schroedl's rhythm guitar give Taylor a strong platform to continue the onslaught on Great Minds Drink Alike... a rowdy shuffle. Keep it coming boys! Dollars & Demons is a super dark blues number with super vocal phrasing and excellent guitar tone. Schroedl really pulls out the stops on this on with nice bends and fanning. Very nice! High stepper, Let Me Do The Wrong Thing has great pace and gripping guitar work over a nicely funked up bottom. I'll blame the Latin rhythm by Solveson and Arber for the non stop bouncing on Half of Nothing but Tevich's keyboards are great and Schroedl's non stop guitar riffs really work great with Taylor's super vocals. Wrapping the release is Let Me Be Gone, a hard driving blues rocker with a take no prisoners approach. Solveson and Arber are full steam ahead and Cohen is over the top on harp. This is a real nice closer for an excellent release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Blind Pig Records artist: Altered Five Blues Band - Charmed & Dangerous - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Charmed & Dangerous, from Altered Five Blues Band and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Charmed & Dangerous, a funky blues track, powerhouse lead singer, Jeff Taylor is off to  great start. Lead guitarist, Jeff Schroedl is on top with a modern day Albert King style flair joined by Mark Solveson on bass, Tom Hambridge on drums and Raymond Tevich on keys these guys pack a powerful punch.   and Hambridge as always sets great pace. An excellent opener. On shuffle track, Mint Condition, Trevich sets a great sound on organ and Schroedl's Texas style blues riffs are spot on. With a nod from Howlin' Wolf, On My List To Quit absolutely struts. Taylor is on top of his game with solid vocals and Schroedl's riffs are crisp. Out of the gate like "Mad Dogs", Gonna Lose My Lady is a strong blues rocker. One of my favorite tracks on the release Cookin' In Your Kitchen, gives Schroedl a super opportunity to show his chops and he does a nice job. Taylor's vocals are strong and soulful with a super bass line from Solveson. Another of my favorites, is bluesy ballad Eighth Wonder, with it's warm melody, super lead vocals and balance. This track is my absolute choice for radio airplay. Three Alarm Desire has a great boogie beat powered by bass player Solveson. and Hambridge on drums. Scorching double stops by Schroedl gives the track real heat. Wrapping the release is low slung shuffle track, Look What You Made Me Do, with great balance by Tevich on keys and slick jazzy guitar work by Schroedl. Showing the best vocals on the release Taylor makes this a fine closer for a super release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Smokin' Joe Kubek (1956 - 2015)

SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK  (1956 - 2015)   Acclaimed blues guitarist Smokin' Joe Kubek passed away suddenly on October 11, 2015, in North Carolina. His long-time musical partner Bnois King said, "He loved the blues. He was always very serious about the music and the presentation of the music.  He had a modern style but he really studied those old cats.  And, he would literally give you the shirt off his back.  He was a great friend." Visitation Hours This Sunday, October 18, visitation hours for fans who want to pay their last respects will be from 3-5 pm at Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home, 606 West Airport Freeway in Irving, Texas (972-579-1313).  The following graveside service will be private, restricted to family and very close friends only. Thanks to Music Cares, The Blues Foundation's HART Fund and The Actors Fund For Everyone, the cost of the funeral expenses and the expense of bringing Joe home will be taken care of in full. Donations Needed Making ends meet is problematic for any full time blues musician, but Joe had been having a difficult time financially recently due to his beloved wife Phyllis’s battle with breast cancer.  He had been staying off the road so he could be home to take care of her. She could always count on Joe to be there for her, but now that he's gone, Phyllis will now be on her own and left without income and plenty of bills to pay.  We're asking the Blues Music Community to donate toward her living expenses and also for prayers and moral support. As tough as this for all of Joe's fans, please consider how this tragic loss is impacting Phyllis. She thanks you for your well wishes.   If anyone wants to make donations to ease the financial stress she will be facing there are three ways fans can contribute: A special Go Fund Me account: https://www.gofundme.com/2q6ek4f4 Through a PayPal account: Click the "Send" tab at the top and use this email: pkubek@tx.rr.com Or a check made out to Phyllis Kubek can be mailed: c/o Piedmont Talent Agency P.O. Box 680006 Charlotte, NC 28216 To see an example of Joe's guitar mastery and his special chemistry with Bnois, here's a video of them performing "Healthy Mama" from their live DVD and CD entitled My Heart's In Texas, which was recorded at J and J's Blues Bar in Fort Worth in 2005.  To watch, please click HERE. For more information visit www.blindpigrecords.com.

NOTED GUITARIST "SMOKIN'" JOE KUBEK PASSES AT AGE 58

NOTED GUITARIST "SMOKIN'" JOE KUBEK PASSES AT AGE 58

Acclaimed guitarist Smokin' Joe Kubek passed away yesterday while on tour in North Carolina.   He was 58.  There's no question why he was given the nickname "Smokin’."  He was one of the hottest electric guitar players on the blues scene, with the technique and the chops to burn up any stage.

Kubek was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania in 1956 but grew up in Irving, Texas. He was leading his own bands and gigging in clubs all around Dallas when he was a teenager.  By the time he was 19, he was backing many famous blues players in the area, including playing rhythm guitar behind legend Freddie King for a while, until King's death in December 1976.

Kubek next worked with R&B singer Al "TNT" Braggs and made a host of new friends, including Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan (with whom Kubek became close), B.B. King and many other blues icons.

Kubek didn't hit his stride, however, until he teamed up with jazz guitarist and singer Bnois King (no relation to Freddie) of Monroe, Louisiana, in 1989.  They developed into a dynamic musical tour de force, one of the most talented guitar tandems in any genre, who thrilled music fans all around the world with their red-hot Texas rockin' blues for twenty-six years.  Beginning in 1991 they released a number of highly-acclaimed recordings, their most recent being Fat Man's Shine Parlor, released earlier this year on Blind Pig Records.

Bnois said, "He loved the blues. He was always very serious about the music and the presentation of the music.  He had a modern style but he really studied those old cats.  And, he would literally give you the shirt off his back.  He was a great friend."

Label President Edward Chmelewski said, "Joe was truly one of the good guys, a humble, kind person and an immensely gifted musician. It's a great loss for all of us.  We feel privileged to have known him and documented his music."

Label co-founder Jerry Del Giudice added, "He was one of the best guitarists I ever worked with.  His playing was flawless and soulful.  I not only considered him an excellent guitarist, but also a friend. He will be sorely missed."

Blind Pig publicist Debra Regur, who's worked with Kubek since 2003, said, "It is with such great sorrow that I write these words for my dear friend. Joe was an amazing guitar player, producer, and more importantly - a great friend. Joe was an inspiration to all that met him. He always had a positive outlook on life. He played every note with passion - there will never be another like Joe."

To watch Debra's iPhone video of Joe playing guitar at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco several months ago, please click HERE.

New Zac Harmon video!

"LONG LIVE THE BLUES" - NEW VIDEO FROM ZAC HARMON Blind Pig Records has released a video of the Zac Harmon Band performing "Long Live The Blues," a track from their new Blind Pig album entitled Right Man Right Now that could become the anthem of the genre.  Zac is one of the blues’ strongest live performers, thrilling fans everywhere from Memphis to Mumbai.  Jazz Now said, “His show affirmed all the hoopla that surrounds those dubbed as the hottest new act… soulful vocals, breathtaking showmanship… His flashy guitar style belies the solid sound that he radiated on every tune, admirably backed by a fantastic band.” Harmon's distinctive style combines the best of old-school soul-blues artists with modern lyrics and themes that bring the blues into a new century. To watch the video, please click HERE.

Cool new video! "The Devil's Bite"

Cool New Video! - "The Devil's Bite" Blind Pig Records has released a new video from Victor Wainwright entitled "The Devil's Bite."  The song is a "cautionary tale" with macabre and mysterious implications about the dangers that lie in wait for the unwary. "Wainwright relates a frightening warning to beware of forces that can do you harm, utilizing a vocal style straight from the Tom Waits school of singing," said Chicago Blues Guide. Wainwright, two time winner of the prestigious Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year award, says about the video: "Consumed by lust and betrayed by trust, the protagonist soon learns the hard way that he's responsible for his own fate." The song is a track from Boom Town, the latest studio release from Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots.  In the video Victor is accompanied on acoustic guitar by JP Soars, fellow co-founder of the roots music superstar group Southern Hospitality.  To watch this great video, please click HERE. To order from Amazon, please click HERE.  To order downloads of this and other fine Blind Pig recordings, please visit the Pig Pen on iTunes HERE Upcoming dates for Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots: Oct. 11 Daytona Beach, FL Daytona Blues Festival Oct. 22 Tuckerton, NJ Lizzie Rose Music Room Oct. 23 Islip, NY Treme Supper Club Oct. 24 Beverly, MA The Larcom Theatre Oct. 27 Burlington, VT Nectar's Oct. 28 Syracuse, NY Funk and Waffles Oct. 29 Cleveland, OH Music Box Supper Club

Andy T-Nick Nixon CD debuts on Billboard chart!

ANDY T-NICK NIXON BAND RELEASE DEBUTS ON BILLBOARD CHART! Numbers Man, the latest studio album from the Andy T-Nick Nixon Band, debuted this week at #9 on the Billboard blues sales chart. Andy and Nick have become one of the most acclaimed duos in the blues.  Andy T’s jazz-tinged guitar style is influenced by T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Magic Sam, and Albert Collins among others, yet it remains his own. The velvet-voiced Nixon, part of Nashville’s thriving blues and R&B scene in the 60’s and 70’s, sings in a style that recalls Jimmy Witherspoon and Billy Eckstine. Even though he’s now in his 70’s, Nixon’s voice still has all the power and energy of a man half his age and it’s crystal clear that this man was born to sing the blues. As Blues Underground Network said, “Simply put, Andy T and James ‘Nick’ Nixon have quickly risen to the top of many people's lists of Great Collaborations.” The previous two releases by the Andy T-Nick Nixon Band, produced by noted Texas guitarist Anson Funderburgh,  were critically acclaimed, with both garnering coveted Blues Music Award nominations Elmore magazine said of Numbers Man, "Anson Funderburgh again produces and this time adds the Texas Horns as well as Kim Wilson on one track. Andy T plays a clean guitar, mostly in the style of T-Bone Walker while 74-year-old Nixon is as good a blues singer as any. This band just gets better with each recording." Said Andy, "We are thrilled to debut on the Billboard Blues Chart with such an amazing group of artists. Many thanks to Blind Pig Records for their support."

Blind Pig Records artist: Andy T - Nick Nixon Band - Numbers Man - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Numbers Man, from Andy T - Nick Nixon Band and it's super. Opening with blues driver, Shut The Front Door, Nixon leads the way on solid vocals pushed along nicely by Kaz Kazanov (tenor sax), Al Gomez (trumpet) and John Mills (Bari sax), Larry Van Loon on B3, Jim Klingler on drums and Sam Persons on bass. Anson Funderburgh joins in with a tasty solo trading riffs with Andy for a hot opener. Devil's Wife has a flavor of new Orleans courtesy of piano work by Christian Dozzler and Klingler on drums. van Loons' B3 work complimented by The Horns lays it wide open for a nice solos by Kaz and Nixon. Tall strutting, Deep Blue Sea, is a great track to showcase this bands style with Nixon's vocals and The Horns holding down the bottom. A stylized solo from Andy and B3/piano from van Loon round out the track nicely. Dozzler's lead on accordion gives Tall Drink of Water a real Cajun flavor. Andy stirs the pot with few quick riffs but this track is all Nick. R&B track, Numbers Man, has a great groove. Nixon really catches the wave on this one, punched by The Horns. With super feel, Andy takes the track on full on and lays in some really soulful riffs. van Loon's B3 it hot and throaty and the horns balance the track out nicely. Excellent! Eugene Church R&B track, Pretty Girls Everywhere, is driven by Persons' solid bass line. This track borders on rock with a real swingin' feel and a killer sax solo by Kaz. Don Robey penned, Blue Monday has a really nice slow blues pace giving the band a great chance to stretch out a bit. Not only are Nixon's vocals super but Andy's guitar work on this track is excellent! Dozzler's sensitive piano work cleanly highlights the overall feel of the track, anchored by Klingler and Pearsons. Super! Hightailin' is a really nice instrumental with Andy taking the reins on van Loon's B3 setup. This track is a really nice showcase. Sundown Blues has a really nice lope and features "Mr Kim Wilson" of harp. Wilson, never the wallflower steps up and lays in a really nice harp solo working nicely with Nicks vocal lead. T-Bone Walker's, Tell me What's The Reason is a super track for this band setup. Andy really cooks the groove and with van Loon's feel on B3 and the Texas Horns punching it up, this track is a nice cooker! Funky rocker, Be Somebody Some Day, has a little bit of an Albert King style. Conversely, Andy's guitar solo's are all his own and Mills plays a few real nice bari solos adding real depth. Dozzler is back on accordion on What Went Wrong and with New Orleans flavored drumming by Klingler, the track has a real funky feel. Nixon's solid R&B style vocals and sweet guitar soloing by Andy and Dozzler add nicely to the mix. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Gatemouth Brown's Gate's Salty Blues has a real swagger. Nixon has the bull by the horns vocally and is swinging it at will. Andy has the response on guitar and then takes the lead throwing down a tasty guitar solo leaving you wanting more. Wrapping the release is the excellent, This World We Live In. With heavy feel like Jimmy Oden or Bobby Bland, this track really counts on Nick to deliver and he definitely has it covered. Backed by Denise Fraser on drums, Rick Reed on bass and Steve F'dor on piano Kevin McKendree takes a really nice B3 solo before turning over the lead to Andy for some of his most heartfelt riffs on the release. Nixon returns on this track making it and excellent closer.

   

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”