The Skinny - Ian Siegal and The Youngest Sons - New recording release

This recording is great! I have listened to it a number of times over the past few days trying to describe it and all I can say is great! Blind Racoon has a real winner here. This guy can sing and play and write... don't know if he can dance...who cares! He has a great voice for the blues and pulls from all of his influences to create what I consider to be a terrific recording. It has touches of all styles of blues but he doesn't do the hit and miss thing. His recording sounds consistent from end to end. What I mean is it isn't like he plays a swing blues and then a solo dobro song. The recording flows great and it is a genuine pleasure to listen to (over and over). Oh ...did I mention that he can play guitar?
I really wasn't exposed to Ian's work prior to this but I will be anticipating his next release and possible tour date in my town.

Get a copy now!!

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Overclocked - Jim Allchin - New Release review

Just received the new release by Jim Allchin called "Overclocked". While I am listening to this cd I go to Jim's site to check out who he is.... this guy is unbelievable. I mean you need to go to his home page!

Here are a couple of excerpts:
"Jim grew up in a one-room house on a dirt farm in the Deep South. After living the life of a starving musician, he left to earn Masters/Doctorate degrees from Stanford University and Georgia Institute of Technology. He went on to become a world recognized leader in Computer Science and software. Today he codes for fun and he plays guitar for love."

"I grew up in the deep south. I learned to play by listening to old blues players and latin players or even new ones at the time (e.g., Allman Brothers, Santana). I travelled the south playing in bands and writing music — mostly blues rock. I met some amazing musicians. I played 16+ hours a day. And I learned a hard lesson in the music business: being good matters, but there are lots of great musicians — luck matters too."

"My biggest accomplishment at Microsoft was creating and growing the Server business which today is Microsoft’s fastest growing business and their third largest business. I left Microsoft in 2007."

Now back to the business at hand. This is a great recording. I can't wait to turn my pals on to it. I'm not a big vocals guy so when I hear someone who's vocals are really out front I always hope to hear some grit. If I were to knock anything on this recording, it would be that the vocals are too smooth. But there is plenty of guitar to go around. Jim has developed great chops and plays it well. The band is tight and ranges from grimy blues to chord infused jazz like tunes. Overall I really like this recording!

Enjoy!
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Real Good Friend - D'Mar and Gill - New Recording Release

I have just received and had the chance to listen to the new release by D'Mar & Gill. This release is packed full of bluesy tunes but all overlaid over more primitive laid back rhythm structures.The release is interesting and outside of the box. It has many of the keys that you would expect to hear in a blues recording, but it defies definition.

If this sounds good to you... get you a copy!
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Gospel Blue - Brick Fields - New Release Review

I just recieved the new release from Brick Fields. The Brick Fields Band is a six piece Gospel Blues Band from Eureka Springs, AR consisting of The duo Group "Brick Fields" who are married couple Rachel Fields and Larry Brick. Brick Fields are a musical songwriting team who perform every weekend at The New Delhi Café in downtown Eureka Springs, AR .They are joined in The Brick Fields Band by bass player Johnny Ray, Keyboardist Randy Fairbanks, sax player Casey Terry, drummer Caleb Bomar, along with Larry on the guitar and Rachel on vocals and flute. The music is a combination of original songs and carefully chosen cover tunes played in the key of blues and gospel for an uplifting heartfelt experience for all of those listening.



The music flows freely and is constructed in a way to easily find it's way onto the airwaves. If Gospel Blues is your thing or if you just like female vocalists, you may well like this cd.



Enjoy!
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St. James Infirmary - Steve Howell

Born in Marshall, Texas, Steve lived in Kilgore, Texas, until the age of seventeen, when his family moved to Shreveport, Louisiana. Upon Steve's graduation from Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, he lived in Dallas, Arlington, Austin, and spent some time in Pennsylvania during 1972-1973. Late 1973 brought the beginning of a hitch in the U.S. Navy which took him to Key West, Florida, and then to Havorfordwest, South Wales, for 3 1/2 years. During this time, he played folk clubs in South Wales, as well as in the South of England with his partner, fingerstyle and slide guitarist and mandolinist, Arnie Cottrell. They also played several folk music gatherings including the Pembroke Castle Folk Festival in the spring of 1976.

Upon his return to the United States in 1977 and his return to Shreveport, Louisiana, he attended Louisiana State University in Shreveport and graduated in 1980 with a degree in Communications. During this time he played on the Shreveport club scene through the late seventies and the eighties, with numerous gigs around East Texas, initially as a duo with guitarist David Dodson in 1977 and then with his partner, Shreveport restauranteur Jim Caskey, beginning in 1978. Steve and Jim have been regular performers at Shreveport's Red River Revel Arts Festival, having played the festival every year, except three, since its inception. Their duo, Howell & Caskey, has opened for Country Joe and the Fish, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, Bugs Henderson, Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones, and shared the stage with blues legend Brownie McGee. They have also played together in rock 'n' roll and blues bands over the years, most notably The Deadbeats and The Movers, with musicians from the Shreveport and the Ark-La-Tex area such as Dave Hoffpauir, Mark Roberts, Chris Michaels, Steve Ramey, and Randy Guynes. They also played traditional jazz and blues as a trio with Kathryn Hobgood singing and playing mandolin for about two years.
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In The Light - Susan Wylde - New release review

I just got done listening to the new Susan Wylde release "In The Light". The recording is very tight and although bluesy more constructed like a modern "jazz" cd. What I mean by that is it's isn't raw or wild but very refined and smooth. There are some
very hot guitar and instrumental riffs throughout an otherwise calming recording.
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Dreamin' - Grady Champion New release review

A fresh mixture of Blues, R&B, Gospel, Funk, Reggae and Rock this release is a pleasure to listen to, can get you movin and has some nice guitar and harmonica and guitar riffs to satisfy the instrumental desires in you.
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Enjoy!