Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Long Live The King , from Elliott And The Audio Kings and it's terrific. Lead singer and guitarist, Mike Elliott, joined by Jonny Sauder on drums and Scott Fitzpatrick on bass for an old school raw blues rocker with a lot of guts. Opening with jump rocker Zim Zam Zoom , the guys start on full throttle and never let up. Elliott lay down the hot riffs and Sauder and Fitzpatrick keep it pumping. Super. Rolling in to All Revved Up , a low slung shuffle, these guys are really in the groove. With it's stripped down sound (raw guitar, vocal and rim shots) Shoulder The Weight is a cool Latin fused rocker with grip. Very nice. Pringles and Perrier is a real nasty instrumental with excellent lead guitar melody and just the basics for backing with an infectious Texas style lope. Excellent! With a real Chicago style, Day Drinking has just the right drag with a great guitar vamp and harp by Elliott, solid vocals and tight...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release from Elliott and the Audio Kings and its a smoker! Opening with What they say about you ..., Mike Elliott leads the way on guitar, vocal and harp. Backed by Jonny Sauder on drums and Scott Fitzpatrick on bass and these guy have the place really hopping. Elliott has terrific boogie woogie rock guitar styling and is not bashful to throw down some riffs. Excellent! On One Of A Kind I really groove on Elliott's guitar tone with is warm and fat. With double stop rhythm/lead, this track is super. The recording quality of the track is really clean, allowing the tone of Fitzpatrick's stand up bass to come through. With a rockabilly strut, What Tomorrow Brings , slinks along like an alley cat. Come On Home has a really cool drum beat with a central American rhythm. With creamy guitar rhythm tone and backing vocals by Sauder and Fitzpatrick and fanned guitar riffs, this track gets down. Easier Said Than Done is low slu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bringing Down Satan , from The Vaudevillian and it's quite interesting and enjoyable. Opening with blues infused, Broom Shooter , Jitterbug James on vocal and guitar, Piedmont Johnson on vocal and bull fiddle and Norah Spades on vocal, kazoo and washboard this band lays it down. Rag time, James Street Turnaround is a quick paced great animated track with a great beat. Sweet Honey Thighs is bound to be a crowd favorite with it's suggestive nature and cool beat. Johnson's bass lines and random punctuation makes this track sing. Country style blues, Sail Away , with it's authentic period vocals is driven by James' guitar rhythm and Johnson's bass solo is really cool. Dry Bone Shuffle is a fast paced blues number, think Blind Blake, with hot bass riffs. One of my favorite tracks on the release this track cooks. Cool blues track, Goin' To German features some real interesting whistling technique...

I just received the newest release, One For The Money , from Ginger St. James and it's a hoot! Opening with Pour Me , Ginger makes no bones about it. Shes a serious country singer, old style, and it's great to know there are artists out there making "non pop" country. With a super voice and a whole lotta twang, St. James is backed by SnowHeel Slim on guitar, Greg Brisco on piano and organ, Chris Altmann on pedal steel and banjo, Justine Fischer and Rob Foreman on bass and Andre Teller on drums. Super start. Like a runaway train, Slim and Brisco start off Train Whistle and St. James is high on the rail. Slim throws down some super Chicken Pickin and Altmann follows with a real nice pedal steel solo. This is a lot of fun. On ballad, Honeymoon Stage , St. James continues to show that she has no flaws in her vocal delivery and Altmann caresses the track with warm steel licks. Justine Fischer adds warm backing vocals leading up to a shimmery, reverb laden guitar solo ...

Hamilton's award-winning rockabilly / roots sweetheart's new album on Busted Flat Records April 29, 2016 STREAM "HAIR OF THE BLACKDOG" ON SOUNDCLOUD HERE With her sultry and powerful voice, sassy and commanding stage presence and a repertoire that blends country, rock and blues, Ginger St. James packs a lot of entertainment into her petite frame.  Following the tradition of country songbirds like Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee and Patsy Cline, St. James writes music from real experience; growing up on the family farm, being broke, having fun, and love gone wrong.   A born entertainer who captivates audiences with her tongue-in-cheek songs that are as entertaining lyrically as they are visually and musically, St....

I just received the newest release, 1953 , from Cheryl Lescom & The Tucson Choir Boys . Opening with Dime Store Lover , a slinky pop track, highlights Lescom's vocal styling and sets the mood for the release. Soul Shakin' Romance makes you feel like you're on the set of an Elvis movie with backing vocals by acoustic guitarist, Sameday Ray, bass player Les Graham, and Michael J Torbay. Surrender is a keyboard driven blues rocker featuring Steve O'Connor on keys and a tight vocal group. Dave The Cat leads Just Pressed Send with a rockin acoustic guitar riff. Too Much Time crosses over into modern country style with Dave and Robert Reid setting a nice line of acoustic guitar. This is a contemporary style radio track and should be well received. Hot boogie number, Party Girl, is driven by Graham on bass and O'Connor on piano and Lescom is belting out the blues with cool vocal backing by the Choir Boys. It's Not You, It's Me is another country flavored ...

I just received the newest release (September 17, 2013), The Devil's in the Details , from Daddy Long Legs and it's a non stop rockin' blues bash! Opening with the title track, The Devil's In The Details , Mike Elliott leads the way on a raucous ride with his driving guitar and vocal. Chris Junior Malleck plays smokin harp with great tone. Your Love Is Killing Me is an uptempo "Train" style track with Jeff Wagner keeping things solid on drums and Steve Toms riding the bass as Malleck solo's on harp. On slower soul style blues track, Lonely , Elliott goes deep to the well with super vocals and hot guitar riffs. One of my favorites on the release. Borrowed Time is a retro rock track with blazing tom toms and harp supporting Elliott on vocal. Elliott rips a very stylistic guitar solo bringing to mind Keith Richards doing a take on Chuck Berry. Cool track. On Texas loper, 40 Hour Week , it's not only the great drive and lope, or the super harp track,...