Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nothing But Time , from Monster Mike Welch and it's flat out scorching! Opening with Walking To You Baby , Mike wastes absolutely no time kicking this release into overdrive. With solid vocals and high strung, blues guitar phrasing, Mike sails. Backed by Jerry Jemmott on bass, Bob Welch on piano, Kid Andersen on keys, Fabrice Bessouat on drums, Eric Spaulding on tenor sax, Jack Sanford on bari sax, and John Halblieb on trumpet, this track will part your hair. George Harrison's terrific track, I Me Mine gets a real nice cover by Mike and though he doesn't vary far from the original theme, it's a real nice track and Mike's interpretation, adding horns and blues guitar riffs takes it to the next level. Excellent shuffle, I Ain't Saying shows Mike's strong vocals and Texas style blues riffs setting up a great groove. With Andersen on bass, Spaulding on sax Bob on piano and Bessouat on drums, Mik...

I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, The Gypsy Woman Told Me , by John Primer & Bob Corritore and it's a great dose of contemporary Chicago style blues. Opening with Keep A-Driving , Primer on vocal and guitar really does a nice job of setting the stage with Corritore supporting nicely and with solid piano work by Bob Welch, Kedar Roy on bass and June Core on drums. With a bit of boogie built in, Knockin' On Your Door , with Primer again leading on vocal gives Corritore a nice chance to spread a bit with great harp tones and Primer's guitar work is tight and well phrased. Lil Son Jackson's Gambling Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with quick paced acoustic guitar and fleet fingered lead by Primer and a fatter harp part by Corritore. Primer's own, Little Bitty Woman falls right from the Muddy Waters tree with a bouncy, Chicago blues pace, riding harp and Waters like slide work by Primer. Very cool. Slow blues, Walking ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (releasing today), Don't Let The Devil Ride! , from Bob Corritore & Friends and it's super. Opening with Willie Buck's shuffle track, Went Home This Morning , Bob Corritore on harp joins up with Willie Buck on lead vocal, Mojo Mark on guitar, Troy Sandow on bass and Brian Fahey on drums for a solid opener. On Little Walter's Tell Me Mama , Oscar Wilson is on lead vocal and Corritore lays out a real nice harp solo with Priimetime Smith on guitar, Henry Grey on piano and Johnny Rapp on guitar. Alabama Mike has the lead on Laundromat Blues and with really expressive lower octave work from Corritore, particularly nice soloing from Atkinson on guitar and strong piano work from Welch making this one of my favorites on the release. Corritore original, Fork In The Road , features Oscar Wilson on vocal, with Henry Grey on piano and Johnny Rapp on guitar with Corritore in in mostly a strong supportive role cho...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Seven Day Blues , from Johnny Tucker and I really like it. Opening with Talkin' About You Baby , Johnny Tucker has the rugged voice of a pure blues man. Backed by Big Jon Atkinson on guitar, Troy Sandow on bass, Scott Smart on guitar, and Malachi Johnson on drums, this is a solid opener. With the addition of Sandow on harp, Tired of Doing Nothing has super presence, really, imaging that I haven't experienced in my office location on many occasions thanks I believe to the expert engineering of Atkinson (in Mono). If you listen to this, you won't need to have someone tell you it's special. It's way apparent! On Why Do You Let Me Down So Hard , Tucker's vocals are super and Atkin's guitar work is downright outstanding. Excellent! Title track, Seven Day Blues , is funnkkyy! Again, Sandow's harp work over Atkinson's bass, working in concert with Tuckers vocals really make the groove. With...