Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent Landslide Records Tribute to Sean Costello and it's really cool. Opening with Same Old Game , Albert Castiglia puts up a rumbling 2 step and lays down some real nice guitar work for an excellent opener. Steve Marriner brings How In The Devil with it's perfect shuffle beat great vocals and harp work. Title track, Don't Pass Me By has an almost spiritual feel with Victor Wainwright leading the way. This is an excellent blues ballad with great tension and stinging guitar work. Bob Margolin's guitar work on Low Life Blues is really outstanding with super Muddy Waters like slide and riffs. I always love the Mississippi All Stars and their rural approach and their treatment of Father is no different. With fat slide work and excellent vocals over a basic essential drum beat and keys make the track my favorite on the release. Debbie Davies brings shuffle track, Don't Be Reckless With My Heart and does a great jo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Enjoy The Ride , from Deb Ryder and is has a great feel. Opening with high stepper, A Storm's Coming , Deb Ryder is back sounding as powerful as ever. Johnny Lee Schell and Coco Montoya on lead guitar plays nicely off of the steady beat of Ric Ryder on bass, Mike Finnigan on keys and Tony Braunagel on drums. Exceptional ballad, For The Last Time, is a terrific showcase for Ryder's voice and also features Finnigan on vocal as well with the sweet guitar lead of Montoya. What You Want From Me blends New Orleans feel with pure gospel vocals from Maxanne lewis, Ricky Nelson, Leslie Smith and Kudisan Kai Regalot. Very nice. Got To Let It Go has a real nice BB King style groove featuring Cain and Ryder on a cool vocal duet and slick guitar lead. Sweet Sweet Love has a tight Latin beat with nice piano work by Finnigan and featuring fat guitar riffs by Debbie Davies. Wrapping the release is Red Line featuring the st...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dream Train , from Alastair Greene and it's a smokin' rocker. Opening with title track, Dream Train , Greene on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Jim Rankin on bass and Austin Beede on drums really hit the road hard including fiery slide work by Greene. Big Bad Wolf is a great boogie rocker with grinding guitar rhythm and slashing solos. Excellent! Billy Gibbons penned, Nome Zayne   has a heavy bottom and cool pinched guitar harmonics. One of my favorite tracks on the release is blues ballad, Another Lie , featuring features Walter Trout on guitar and Mike Finnigan on organ and some of the best Greene guitar riffs on tape in a while. Excellent! Acoustic instrumental, Song For Rufus , shows Greene's guitar virtuosity with serious intent. An exceptional piece of recording and playing. Dare Devil is a cool 12 bar number with a nice solo from Dennis Gruenling on harp, Mike Finnigan on organ and of course Greene o...

  ANNOUNCING THE 12TH ANNUAL VENTURA COUNTY BLUES FESTIVAL, A SPRING SOCAL TRADITION, KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE SINCE 2005; YEAR #2 AT BEAUTIFUL STUDIO CHANNEL ISLANDS IN CAMARILLO, CA                                   Saturday, April 29, 2017 - Gates Open 10am, Music Starts 11:00 am      (Camarillo, CA)  - Announcing the 12th Annual Ventura County Blues Festival , a Spring SoCal Tradition, Keeping the Blues Alive for a dozen consecutive years, taking place Saturday, April 29, 2017, at Studio Channel Islands , 2222 E. Ventura Blvd., in Camarillo. Gates open 10:00 am, music begins at 11:00 am. Tickets $30. (Pre-Sale), $40. (Day of Show). Kids 12 and under, free with paid Adult General Admission. V.I.P. Tickets $125. (online only). Festival proceeds...

I just received the newest release, Room For One More , from Jay Stollman with Debbie Davies and it's a romper. Opening with Walter Trout's Ride 'Til I'm Satisfied with Johnny Mennonna on bass and Tommy Nagy on drums drive a hard beat and with swagger to spare, Stollman on vocal and Debbie Davies on lead guitar blaze a great track. I'm Done is a straight up rocker with solid vocals from Stollman and includes some real nice slide work from Andy Abel and super keys from Matt Zeiner. Johnny Winter's Tired Of Tryin' has a heap of Johnnny's feel in it and remnants from Muddy Waters. I really like Stollman's vocals on this track and paired with Kevan Totoian on harp and Davies on lead guitar a regular Chicago style treat. Luther Johnson' Lonesome In My Bedroom is a terrific track showing the best of Stollman, Davies and Zeiner. A great slower blues track, Stollman has nice feel and Davies really gets a hold on the fretboard and rips some of her n...

I just received a copy of the newest release (4/21/15), Love Spin , from Debbie Davies and she rips as always! Opening with Life Of The Party , Davies has a little of the Albert King funky sting in her guitar with Paul Opalach on organ, Wilbo Wright on bass and Don Castagno on drums. Title track Love Spin , still holds a light funk but with a bit more country funk along the lines of Elvin Bishop. Opalach lays out a real nice lap steel solo and Davies hits right back with a fine articulate solo of her own. On ballad Let The Heartaches Begin , super sax man joins Davies on on lead vocal and throws out a healthy sax solo. Davies lays down one of the nicest guitar solos on the release... controlled but sweet. Don't Change It Up has a solid bottom by Scotty Spray on bass and is joined by Jay Stollman on vocals. Another number with a funky rhythm, this track has solid commercial potential. Davies plays some hot plucky lead on this number heating things up nicely. Shuffle track, It...

     

I just received the newest release (April 15, 2014), Gotta Bring It On Home To You , from Terry Hanck Band and it's a party. Opening with Elvin Bishops Right Now Is The Hour , featuring Hanck on lead vocal and hot sax. This is a great track with a lot of punch from Bob Welsh on piano and Johnny Cat Soubrand on guitar. Next up is Maxwell Davis' Whole Lotta Lovin ', and Hanck really reinforces that he isn't just a sax player with fine vocals. Soubrand again steps up with some hot guitar riffs but this track from the day it was written is all about the sax. Butch Cousins really creates a hot swing on drums and Tim Wagar keeps it steady on bass. Pins and Needles is a straight up R&B style rocker with Kid Andersen laying down some chicken pickin on guitar. Doug James adds to the sax heat on this track. Peace Of Mind is a smokey stylized blues number with welsh and Soubrand setting the pace, Soubrand really turning on the heat on this particular number with a crisp s...

Young Philadelphia songstress Gina Sicilia exploded onto the scene in 2007, as her debut CD, ALLOW ME TO CONFESS, was met with joyous acclaim by fans and critics alike. She was heralded as a distinctive new voice in the Blues, as well as an insightful songwriter and interpreter of neglected classics in the Rhythm & Blues canon. In 2008 she was nominated for “Best New Artist Debut” at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee, just as her sophomore release HEY SUGAR proved her also to be a legitimate contender in the worlds of Classic Country and Americana. With her new 2011 release, Can't Control Myself, Gina broadens her stylistic palette, infusing even more Soul and Americana into her bedrock influences of Blues and R&B. This CD features seven new Gina Sicilia compositions, as well as three choice covers borrowed from Bobby Bland, Stevie Wonder, and Ike & Tina Turner. Gina’s singing and songwriting continue to break new ground, showing remarkable depth, powe...

    Kim Wilson Part Of All-Star Blues Harmonica Blow Out! Rick Holmstrom & Debbie Davies Start 2013 On The Road Happy New Year! Contact: Mark Carpentieri                                           Phone: 631-754-8725                                                E-Mail: mc@mc-records.com                                       web: www.mc-records.com Northport N.Y. - Happy New Year to everyone! 2013 is starting off full of...

    2012 A Good Year For M.C. Records   Rick Holmstrom & Debbie Davies' Releases Gettin' The Love From Radio & Reviewers     Contact: Mark Carpentieri                                           Phone: 631-754-8725                                                E-Mail: mc@mc-records.com                                       web: www.mc-records.com     Northport N.Y - M.C...