Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Trouble Is...25 , from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and it's great to hear. A release and reinterpretation of his second release, Trouble Is, Trouble Is ...25 sounds pretty fresh. Opening with Slow Ride , KWS really gets the program started with great vocals,  high energy blues riffs, and excellent sustain. With Chris Layton on drums, Kevin McCormick on bass and Reese Wynans on keys, this is a strong opener. Laid back, Everything Is Broken , anchored by Layton, has great drive and KWS shows all of the southern guitar spunk he has accumulated during his career. (Long) Gone has terrific Texas style swagger with hot guitar riffs and the addition of harmonica on this track really pumps it up. Classic, Somehow, Somewhere, Someday is just slow (fast) enough to really hit the groove. Wynans keyboard adds real tension and KWS's guitar work is stinging. Wrapping the release is Bob Dylan's fabulous Ballad of a Thin Man and KWS...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Ice Queen , from Sue Foley and I think it may be her best yet. Opening with Come To Me with Charlie Sexton joining on vocal and slide guitar, Foley adds a little funk to her already bluesy deal with Chris Maresh on bass, Chris Layton on drums and Kyle Thompson on maracas. Run has a country 2 step feel and Foley really drives this one with her ambitious guitar rhythm. Slow blues and title track, The Ice Queen , shows Foley at her purest with George rains on drums and Billy Horton on bass. Her riffs are right off a Hooker release and her vocals are simple and direct. Very nice. Shuffle track, The Lucky Ones features Jimmie Vaughan trading lead vocal and guitar riffs. With the addition of Mike Flanigin or organ, the track has an additional dimension and Foley's guitar riffs play nicely against Vaughan's. Billy Gibbons joins on Fool's Golds and his vocals really work great with Foley's. his solo work...

I just received the newest release, 25 Year Retrospective , from Tommy McCoy and it's exceptional! Opening with The King Is Gone , a really nice tribute to BB King structured along the lines of The Thrill Is Gone. McCoy really does a nice job of capturing the spirit of BB and the band, with McCoy on vocal and guitar, Theodore Alexiou on guitar, Demetris Georgopoulos on bass, John Dinoulas on drums and Kostas Tenezos on harp is spot on. R&B track, I Got A Reason , has a light pop feel and features Babis Tsitivigos on sax. The Change Is In has more of a rock feel but maintaining a bit of R&B. Mark McCoy on bass, Calvin Cratic on guitar, John Street on keys and Pat Geoffrey on keys set a nice stage for a fine biting guitar solo from McCoy on guitar, nicely complimenting his vocal led melody. Blues driver, No Love Without Any Green , has a great rhythm line fed my Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton. McCoy rips a hot guitar solo on this track with a crisp drumming and solid bass...

I just received the newest release by Johnny I. All Star Blues Revival . This release is star packed featuring the works of Jaimoe , Billy Cox , Bruce Katz and Reese Wynans . Opening with Life Is Better , a funky groove and Billy Cox on bass, Ingrassia leads the way on vocals. Wynans carries a lot of the load on B3 and Layton cements the bottom on drums. After a nice B3 solo from Wynans, Johnny I. steps up with a fat, high gain guitar solo making for a cool jam. Late Night has more of a jazzy ballad featuring Jaimoe on drums and Katz on B3. Katz steps up on this track and plays a mean solo opening the door for Johnny I. to step up again with a burst of fat guitar riff. An easy going track reminding me quite a bit of an early Isley Brothers track. Interesting listing and a decent start to a concept release. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page!...

Been waiting a while for the opportunity to review this utterly spectacular release. Yes, I know it's been out for some time, but it's terrific and under appreciated. Opening with Twisted Blues , Noy is joined by a who's crew of unbelievable musicians. Oz plays a tele on this first outrageous funky track and is joined by Jeff Beck pal Vinnie Colaluta on drums, Will Lee on Bass, Jerry Z on Organ and John Medeski on organ. This is such a great groove and features spectacular bass, drums and guitar work difficult to describe. On O h Really , Noy and gang is joined by Alan Toussaint for a little twist of New Orleans. Maintaining incredible musicianship, the band takes you on an incredible trip through the quarter like you've never seen. Noy is relentless on guitar and Colaluta punctuates the day like only he can. Touyssaint plays a really nice classic piano solo snugged up to these musical madmen. Unbelievable! You Are The State has a different line up and a different fe...