Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kick Up Some Dust , from Arthur Adams and it's super. Opening with It Makes Me Mad , a strong R&B style blues, Arthur Adams has a silky smooth voice and great blues hands. Backed by Hense Powell on keys, Lou Castro on bass, David Leach on percussion and James Gadson on drums, this is a terrific opener. Soulful, Hold On To Me is another showcase for Adam's voice with super phrasing and perfect guitar accents. With Freddie Washington on bass, Powell on keys and Greg Brown on drums, this is another strong track. Title track, Kick Up Some Dust , is a slick, instrumental with Adams leading the way on solo guitar. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Thieves Of Love with deep soulful groove and warm guitar articulation by Adams. Powell on keys, Washington on bass and James Gadson on drums really make it happen on this one. Wrapping the release is funky,  A Bag Of Soul with it's JG Watson or WW Washingto...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Blues Pathway , from Kirk Fletcher and it's great. Opening with blues rocker, Ain't No Cure For The Downhearted , Kirk Fletcher opens his newest release with a smooth rolling track. Joined by Travis Carlton on bass, Lemar Carter on drums, Jeff Babko on keys, Joe Sublett on sax and Mark Pender on trumpet, Fletchers vocals are crisp and his guitar riffs fluid. Ballad, Love Is More Than A Word, gives Fletcher a nice chance to play and sing in the soul vein. Reinforced on organ by Babko, and with nice horn work, this is a real nice track also giving Fletcher to scream a bit on guitar. Very nice! In the vein of A Thrill Is Gone, funky, Struggle For Grace is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Fletcher's vocals are perfect and his guitar work fluid and gripping. Switching gear into a rolling blues with a organ vamp by Babko and really strong soloing by Fletcher, this is a great change up. Slow blues, Heart ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Comin' On from Joe Louis Walker and it's a fireplug. Opening with rocker, Feed The Poor , a funky blues rocker, Walker on lead vocal and Jorma on lead guitar, John Bradford on bass, Dorian Randolph on drums, Juma Sultan on percussion and Bruce Katz. This track is heavy. Super backing vocals by Bradford, and Randolph almost give it a Daryl Hall edge. Cool opener. R&B track, Someday, Someway is certainly one of my favorites on the release with Carla Cooke at the mic. Her vocals are terrific and with Walker on backing vocal and guitar and joined by Lee Oskar and his classic harp tone, Eric Finland on keys, Bradford on bass and Randolph on drums. Excellent! Easy shuffle, Old Time Used To Be has Walker on 12 string and vocal, with Joh Sebastian on harp and  Keb Mo on slide. Katz has a real nice piano solo on this one and adds an overall bright feel to the track. Swampy Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man has a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live , from Tom Killmer ind it's a straight forward blues rocker with a lot of horsepower. Opening with Danny Kirwin's I Like It This Way , Killner on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Jack Allen on guitar, Oliver Tallent on bass, Jake Ashton on drums and Wesley Brook on keys. This is a powerful opener and a solid sign of what is to come. Slim Harpo's King Bee gets a really heavy driving bottom and a low slung guitar rhythm. Very cool. Freddie King's Have You Ever Loved A Woman (also made popular by Derek and the Dominos) is up next and Killner really digs in with some gritty riffs. A lighter solo on keys by Brooks eases the tension but Killner comes back with heavy firepower blowing your hair back. Very cool. Killner breaks out a few Jimi Hendrix tracks in Crosstown Traffic and Foxy Lady exhibiting the dynamics that Jimi intended. Super tracks. Warren Haynes/Govt Mule's classic Soul Shine is u...