Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Overdrive Live! from The Blues Overdrive and it's really solid. Recorded at one of Denmark's biggest and most prestigious festivals, Smukfest, TBD opens with Death On The Highway with it's laid back JJ Cale or Eric Clapton style country blues rocker feel. Martin Olsen fronts the band on lead vocal and guitar with Brother Birck on bass, Louisian Boltner on drums and Andreas Andersen on lead guitar. On shuffle track, Three Time Lover , the band gets a cool groove going with extended soloing by Andersen. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Ball & Chain (not Big Mama's) but with a strong San Francisco sound, lush ringing chords and interesting guitar work by Andersen under Olsen's vocals. Very nice. With a touch of hill country sound and a heavy bass rhythm, Bob Dylan's High Water (For Charley Patton) is a really strong track that really draws me in. Excellent! With a straight up rhyt...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Change My Game , from Thorbjorn Risager & the Black Tornado and it's very interesting. Opening with I Used To Love You , Risager sets a new stage with a calm, poised melody and rich vocals backed by Peter Skjerning on guitar, Emil Balsgaard on keys, Soren Bojgaard on bass, Martin Seidelin on drums, Hans Nybo on tenor sax, Kasper Wagner on sax and Peter Kehl on trumpet. On Funky rocker, Dreamland , the band really hits the groove and the horn section pumping up the work of Bojgaard, Seidelin and Balsgaard I really like this track. Title track, Change My Game has a solid radio format with a spunky beat, clever guitar riffs, a cool funky rhythm and cool horn punctuation. With a blues vamp platform, Risager rides high in a cool, polished blues hollar. Hold My Lover Tight is a solid rocker with a driving beat, super vocals and punchy horns. Another of my favorites. Maybe It's Alright has a universal appeal wit...