Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Music Gets Us Through , by Brad Vickers and His Vestapolitans and it's a mix of blues and rocks styles. Opening with Dumb Like A Fox, brad Vockers on lead guitar and vocal is joined by Margey Peters on bass and vocal, Bill Rankin on drums, Jim Davis on tenor sax and V D King on bari sax. Jimmy Reed's Take It Slow slips into a Chicago style groove with Mikey Junior on harmonica and adding Dean Shot on guitar. With a shift to rag time style, Margey Peters is featured on lead vocal on Big Wind with Dave Gross and Vickers on guitar and with Charlie Burnham on violin. Nice job. Leroy Kirkland's slues shuffle, I'll Be Sittin', I'll Be Rockin' is pretty hot with Vickers up front on guitar and vocal and solo sax by Jim Davis. snappy drum work by Bill Rankin and with VD King on accordion. Wrapping the release is Alex Atkin's shuffle, When I Am Drinking , with Peteres and Vickers on duet vocals...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Twice As Nice , from Brad Vickers and his Vestapolitans and it's it's freewheeling blues. Opening with Big Maceo's Worried Life Blues , Vickers on guitar and lead vocal leads the Vestapolitans in a traditional shuffle. With Bill Rankin on bass, Jim Davis on tenor sax, Dave Keyes on piano, VD King on bari sax and Dean Shot on guitar, a solid opener. On Jimmy Reed's Close Together, Margey Peters joins on backing vocal and bass. Her touch gives the track an additional dimension and a raspy sax solo Davis adds a nice spice. Coast to Coast is a cool rocker with hot solos by Vickers, Keyes, and Davis. Very cool. Vickers turns over the mic to Peters for Twice As Nice , deferring his work to bottleneck guitar and with wailing nice clarinet by Davis. Memphis Jug Band's Stealin' Stealin' is my favorite track on the release with Mikey Junior on vocal and harmonica with Peters (who also plays bass) an...

I just received the newest release (October 27, 2015), That's What They Say , from Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans and it's a lot of fun! Opening with Tampa Red's Seminole Blues with it's rockin boogie style. Vickers on lead vocal and bottleneck slide, Margey Peters on bass and Bill Rankin on drums this is a cool opener. Ledbelly's Don't You Love Your Daddy No More? has a super Bourbon Street feel. Vickers again on lead vocal and slide and Dave Gross on bass and mandolin, this track features real nice clarinet work by Jim Davis and bari sax work from Matt Cowan. If You Leave Me Now is a crisp rag track with Vickers on lead vocal and guitar with Charles Burnham on fiddle and Margey Peters on 2nd fiddle. Very cool! Shuffle track, Everything About You Is Blue features Vickers on lead vocal and Burnham with fiddle lead and soloing, backed by Peters on vocal and bass and Rankin on drums. Country rocker, Another Lonesome Road , blends Vickers lead with ...

I just received the newest release, Great Day In The Morning , by Brad Vickers & his Vestapolitans and it's a lot of fun. Opening with Little Gem , a swing rocker, Vickers gets the ball rolling in style. Train Goin' Westward Bound is a smart little track with a bluegrass base. Featuring Vickers on vocal and bottleneck slide the track has a quirky but interesting sound supported strongly by Matt Cowan on bari sax and Jim Davis on tenor sax. Saving String Rag has a real light hearted sound featuring Charles Burnham on fiddle as well as Margey Peters on backing vocals. Sit Down and Talk , one of my favorites on the release, is a great little country blues track featuring nice acoustic guitar and vocal work. Great Day In The Morning has a strong country sound with bluegrass additions. This is another cool track with nice banjolete from V D King, fiddle work by Burnham and of course strong vocals and slide work from Vickers. Saturday Blues has a real rural country blues sou...