Bman's Blues Report

Carolyn Gaines Pays Homage To B.B. King, Buddy Guy & Other Blues Greats   With The Thrill Is Gone Out on August 2 Hand-picked covers convey her vocal prowess Featured players: Grady Gaines, Sr and Grady Gaines, Jr and Ric Jaz “Lady with Soul” – Johnny Rawls “Gaines’ powerful, expressive voice has hints of the languid swing of Billie Holiday” – Blues Blast Last year, fans and critics fell in love with Carolyn Gaines’ debut album, Beware Of My Dog , this year, she continues to sing her backside off, like Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Etta James,   Bessie Smith, and Diana Ross on her new album, The Thrill Is Gone via Polka Dot Records out on August 2, 2019. The collection is colorful and filled with snarls, sneers, growls, and guts all sung with a smile on the singer’s face. Gaines produced the album herself, and she recorded at Leon Haywood’s (“It's Got To Be Mellow,” Guitar Slim, “Bad Mama Jama”) Sunnyside Studio in Los Angeles, CA. The...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Beware Of My Dog , by Carolyn Gaines with it's contemporary blues roots. Opening with title track, Beware of My Dog , vocalist Gaines works Big Mama's Hound Dog rhythm and theme to craft her own effort and featuring a cool sax solo by he cousin, Big Jay McNeely. I got to say, sometimes it's an album cover and sometimes it's the name of a song that gets me. Stone Out Your Raggly Mind is about as cool a track title I've heard. A simple shuffle, carried by Gaines on melody, backed by guitarist Fred Clark, Glen Doll on harp, Rudy Copeland on organ, Del Atkins on bass and Chad Wright on drums, and of course McNelly on sax. Very cool. Adapted from Muddy Waters' Hoochie Coochie Man, Hoochie Coochie Woman and Gaines really digs in. Along with her vibrant vocals, a smart guitar solo by Clark and reinforcement by Doll bakes this track. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Junior Kimbrough's Don...