Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kamama , from Carly Harvey and it's pure blues. Opening with a blues wail, Native Scat , Carly Harvey on vocal really creates an environment, joined by Walking Eagle on guitar, Coleman Williams on drums and Mark Williams on bass. Powerful opener. Soulful, Misery is an excellent track from the old school format. With Harvey on vocal, backed by Dana Nearing and joined by Mike Tony Echols on bass, Deren Blessman on drums, Jonathan Sloane on guitar (with a wicked solo), Wes Lanich on keys, Danny Davis, Mario D' Ambrosio and Kevin Cerovich on horns, this is an excellent track. Rich blues, Take Your Love , really showcases Harvey's vocal style with full horn backing by Davis, D'Ambrosio and Ben Ford on horns and rich keys by Daniel Clarke on keys. Slone shines on guitar again with a deeply soulful solo and with Sean Hurley on bass and Deren Blessman on drum makes this one of my absolute favorites on the release....

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, It's Time To Shine , from Dave Keller and it's a real nice blues rocker. Opening with Waiting For The Sunshine , Dave Keller  on vocal and guitar set up a great funky rock sound. With Jay Gleason on drums and Alex Budney on bass this opener had a really great feel, nicely augmented by Ira Friedman on keys. Excellent opener. On R&B flavored, 789-0133 , Keller really shows his ability to sing with real soul. Mark Earley on sax and Tom Palance on trumpet add real depth on this track and with warm organ work by Friedman and great backing vocals by Annika Chambers - DesLauriers, Keller takes a real nice stroll on guitar making this one of my favorite tracks (think Billy Price/Roy Buchanan pairing). Up tempo, Paint A New Life Together , has a strong melody and with a full organ envelope, Keller is upfront on vocals really showing his stuff. A power burst of guitar showmanship really mates to this track nicely. Anoth...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Get What You Give: Duets, from Dave Keller and it's a solid set of blues, R&B and soul. Opening with One More Tear , featuring Annika Chambers on vocal, Keller on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Ira Friedman on organ, Alex Budney on bass, Jay Gleason on drums, Mark Earley on sax, Mario Perrett on tenor sax and Tom Palance on trumpet. A potent R&B track and a super opener. Title track, You Get What You Give , pairs Keller with Annie Mack shows a lot of soul in this, radio track with it's strong, memorable melody. One of my favorite tracks on the release, The Evil That Men Do , features Keller trading lead with Trudy Lynn, Annika Chambers, Annie Mack and Johnny Rawls on what is definitely my favorite track on the release. It's composition is sophisticated and melodic and reminiscent of the best of early Elton John ballads. With Friedman on piano and Tom Palance on trumpet, this is a great track. L...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Every Soul's A Star , from Dave Keller and it's a solid R&B entry. Opening with Don't Let Them Take Your Joy , a poppy R&B track, Dave Keller leads a super band on vocal and guitar with excellent backing from Bob Trenchard on bass, Johnny McGhee on guitar, Dan Ferguson on keys, Richy Puga on drums, Mike Middleton on trumpet and Nick Flood on sax. Solid opener. On title track, Every Soul's A Star , a warm horn intro leads the way for Keller's soulful vocals and nice backing vocals by Janelle Thompson and Shakara Weston. Digging down into the funk, Ronnie Shannon's Baby, I Love You has a great sound. I really love Aretha's version of this, but I really like this one as well with a slower, more powerful bottom and bluesy guitar riffs. Very cool. Another solid R&B track, Freedom Is Ours is another solid vocal track which benefits nicely from the horn work of Middleton and Flood. Up-...

Every Soul’s a Star on New Dave Keller CD, Due from Catfood Records on October 19 Label Debut CD Produced by Grammy-Winner Jim Gaines EL PASO, TX – Catfood Records announces the October 19 release of Every Soul’s a Star, the label debut from acclaimed soul/blues singer and guitarist Dave Keller. Produced by Grammy-winner Jim Gaines (Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Luther Allison) and recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, Every Soul’s a Star showcases 10 original songs, plus a scintillating cover of the Aretha Franklin classic, “Baby, I Love You.” Keller’s soulful vocals are beautifully supported by The Rays, which includes not only legendary Motown guitarist Johnny McGee, but also Bob Trenchard – bass; Dan Ferguson - Hammond B3, Wurlitzer, keyboards; Richy Puga – drums; Mike Middleton – trumpet; Nick Flood - tenor and baritone sax, plus the heavenly voices of Janelle Thompson and Shakara Weston - background vocals; and Christopher Serrano – percussion....

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Right Back Atcha , from Dave Keller and it's a funky blues party. Opening with R&B track, It's Time You Made Up Your Mind , and it has a great groove. With Jessica Friedman on bari and alto sax, Joe Moore on tenor and Terry Youk on C melody sax the horn section is rich. 2 AM Talks continues with a driving soul feel and Keller sets out a biting guitar solo over Ira Friedman's Hammond, Gary Lotspeich on bass and Brett Hoffman on drums. Hi steppin' title track, Right Back Atcha , has a great bass line from Lotspeich and a crisp guitar solo from Keller under his rich vocals. Prime soul track, Deeper Than The Eye Can See opens with a real nice piano line from Friedman and the soulful vocals sounding like a blend of Lionel Richie and Van Morrison. Very nice. Forever Summer has a different blend of sounds with vocal duets with Morgan Klarich giving it more of a pop country phrasing. Slow Train slides out ...