Bman's Blues Report

Timing is everything, and at 63, Trevor B. Power is exactly where he is supposed to be. With Two Crows —the band's fourth release in a remarkably short span—Power is proving that music is woven into his soul. "I wish I would have gotten started recording sooner," he laughs. "But life unfolds exactly when it’s meant to." That unfolding has led to a major creative hot streak. Hot on the heels of Are We Ever Free , Trevor immediately teamed back up with producer Dave Fields. "I told Dave, ‘Let me just keep writing and we’ll keep recording,’" Power says. "He’s phenomenal at what he does with my songs." But Two Crows was also forged in real-world heartache. The past year brought heavy losses for Power, including his older brother John and Derek and the Dominos legend Bobby Whitlock—both pivotal influences on his life. Through the grief, Power maintains a powerful perspective. Two Crows stands as a resilient, soul-stirring reflection of an artist...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Porch Sessions Volume 2 , from Tony Holiday and it's a great Chicago style blues party. Opening with She's Tuff , Victor Wainwright and his rhythm section really get things rolling with Wainwright on vocal and piano and Holiday on harmonica. With plenty of attitude in presentation and this dynamic duo, this is a strong opener. Willie Buck has the mic on Honey Bee with Rusty Zinn on slide and Kim Wilson on harmonica. Zinn really conjurs Muddy's tone on guitar and Wilson's sound is fat and rich. Excellent! In more of a Delta styling on Recipe for Love Master , Bobby Rush on vocal and Vasti Jackson on guitar really make a great team serving up a heavy helping of blues. Very nice. Going to Court is a real hot number with James Harman on harmonica and Kid Ramos and Landon Stone laying down pure fire on guitar. Lurrie Bell teams up with harpmaster Mark Hummel on a shortened take on Everyday I Have The Blues bu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 25, 2018), Someday Baby , by Billy Hector and it's really good. Opening with funky blues fused Wizard of Babylon , Billy Hector on vocal and guitar really has it going. With van Romaine on drums, Wilbo Wright on bass, David Nunez on keys and Steve Jankowski on horns this is a great spunk funky opener. Title track, Someday Baby continues the funky blues groove and Hector's grinding guitar riffs give his music it's unique personality. Wondering already if you'll like this... you like Albert King...you like Johnny Guitar... you like Frank Marino.... you'll love this. OK, now we're kicking out all the stops with a new Orleans style over the top funky blues, Butt Naked and Funk . If there was ever a party track that gets you up off your old ass...this is it! Using a talk box, and terrific horn punctuation by Jankowski, Tom LaBella on sax and John Martin on bari, and backed by Rich Monica on dr...

  16TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL FEATURES STAR-STUDDED LINEUP, 2 DAYS OF BLUES BLISS IN WINTER PARK, COLORADO   Saturday, June 23 & Sunday, June 24 - Music Starts 11am Both Days 2018 Blues Music Awards Winners Southern Avenue (and) Rick Estrin & the Nightcats, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, North Mississippi All-Stars, Nick Moss Band w/ Dennis Gruenling, Vintage Trouble, Plus More     (WINTER PARK, CO) - If it’s Summertime in Colorado, that can only mean one thing for blues lovers...

THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING TO APPEAR ON NPR'S MOUNTAIN STAGE New CD, The High Cost Of Low Living , Debuted At #3 On The Billboard Blues Chart Nick Moss's muscular, electric energy combines jaw-dropping guitar, gruff, soulful vocals and impassioned songwriting. Gruenling is a contemporary harmonica master...impressive, genuine and fresh-sounding. --Living Blues The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling , whose newly-released Alligator Records debut CD The High Cost Of Low Living entered the Billboard Blues Chart at #3, recently recorded a live performance for NPR's celebrated music show, Mountain Stage . Over 240 NPR member stations around the country will begin airing the program this Friday, March 30. Air times and stations can be found here . The High Cost Of Low Living is already earning rave reviews, as are the band's must-see live shows. The album is a tour de force of the classic Chicago blues ensem...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Flame , from Peter Karp and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Rolling On A Log , Karp on lead vocal and guitar is joined by Kim Wilson on harp, Daniel Pagdon on bass and Paul Unsworth on drums. Kicking it up a gear, Train O' Mine is a hard driving blues rocker with Dave Keyes on piano and Dennis Gruenling sailing on harp. Warming things up a bit with slide resonator Karp gets a little greasy on Valentine's Day . Very nice. Quiet ballad, The Turning Point develops nicely into a radio style track with an interesting melody and featuring a nice guitar solo by Mick Taylor. My favorite track on the release is The Arson's Match with a distinct Elmore James feel. Featuring Karp's best vocals on the release, hot harp from Wilson and Karp and fat fat slide, nice track. A laid back, rural feel is the ticket on From Where I Stand and another of my favorites on the release. A bright melody, clean v...

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...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Magic Kingdom , from The Gordon Meier Blues Experience and it's vintage Chicago blues at it's best. Opening with Howlin' Wolf's Howlin' For My Darlin', Gordon Meier is front and center on lead vocal and guitar with Lester Veith on drums and Mark Friedman on bass. Meier's vocals are deep and resonant and Dean Shot's guitar tone screams old style. John Primer's Stop Draggin' That Chain Around has great swing with backing vocals by Friedman, super slide by John Taino and harp by Dennis Gruenling. Excellent! Taino is back on slide again on original track, Just Keep Ridin' .  Really cool. Red Headed Woman is a real nice boogie with a solid a solid boogie guitar line and clean riffs. Jimmy Rogers' Gold Tail Bird is nice and slow featuring Gruenling on harp. Meier's best vocals on the release and chilling guitar work make this one of my favorites on the release. A track th...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Alabama Town , from Peter Karp and it's rich with texture. Opening with title track, Alabama Town , Peter Karp takes the lead on vocal and guitar, joined by Daniel Pagdon on bass, Mike Catapano on drums, and John Zarra on mandolin. A solid rocker and opener. With a driving swing, Till You Get Home , has great feel. Karp's vocals are crisp and Mike Latrell's piano work is smart. On That's How I Like It , a modern blueser the guitar tones are fat and rich joined by Dennis Gruenling on harp. Very cool. Shuffle track, Blues In Mind features real cool piano work and key backing vocals by Dae Bennett, Joanie Coleman, Kesha Love, Toni Summler and Elliot. On bluesy ballad, I'm Not Giving Up , Karp sings soulfully over arpeggiated guitar chords. Warm gospel like choral backing and stinging guitar soloing by Mick Taylor makes this one of my favorites on the release. The Prophet has a stripped down blues form...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Ready of Not , from Dennis Gruenling and it's a barn burner. Opening with hig energy blues rocker, Knockin' My Knees , Gruenling joins forces with Doug Demingon guitar, Andrew Gohman on bass and Michael Bran on drums for a blend of blues, rock n' roll and New Orleans jazz for a great opener. Bram's strait snare work along with Dave Keyes on liano really stand out on this track. On Missing Person , Slim Harpo's influence is strong with a super boogie reinforced by rim shots and Gruenling's harp work is hot. Another track with a New Orleans feel, Ready Or Not to me gets that classic R&B sound and Deming steps out with a real nice guitar solo. Simmer Down has a classic rock tom tom riff that sets the pace and Gruenling's harp work has a great vocal like quality. Very nice! Little Sugar is a pure rock n' roller with early roots. Deming takes center stage on this one with country flavored roc...

I just received the newest release (March 1, 2016), The Arson's Match (live In NYC with Mick Taylor) , from Peter Karp and it's hot! This was originally recorded live at a sold-out performance in NYC and broadcast on Sirius XM. All proceeds of sales of this CD go to Ovarian Cancer Research. Opening with the title track, Arson's Match, Karp takes the lead on vocal and and Elmore James style slide guitar, with Dennis Gruenling on harp and Mick Taylor with his blues style making this a smoking opener. With a lighter hand and an almost Van Morrison feel, Gee Chee Gee Chee Wawa , is a pop rocker with Jim Ehinger on keys, Daniel Pagdon on bass and Paul "Hernandez" Unsworth on drums. Y'All Be Lookin' is a cool track with a great driving bass line. Karp rips the slide on this one and the crowd is definitely revved. The Turning Point starts as an acoustic ballad building throughout with a solid melody and a funky southern rhythm. Rocker, The Nietsche Lounge ,...

I just received the newest release, Excuses Plenty , from Hank Mowery and it's a cool mix of rural country, R&B/soul and blues. Opening with Anna Lee , a country rocker featuring Mowery on harp ad vocal, Troy Amaro on guitar, Chris Corey on piano, Patrick Recob on bass and Theo Ndawillie II on drums. I Don't Want to Know is a nice R&B ballad with strong radio appeal. Jimmie Stagger and Claude Nine add some real nice guitar work to this track but in a melodic contained envelope. Title track, Excuses Plenty , has a country 2 step feel but a euphoric harp wail that really gives the track a special feel. Troy Amaro adds some nice guitar work on this track as well. Country rocker, Walk With Me has a strong pop influence. Mowery's vocals are really super and Mike Morgan adds some hot guitar riffs to Mowery's own lead harp line. Straight up Chicago blues number, One And Only , has a real nice vocal duet with Recob and Morgan is really fluid on guitar backed by Pet...

     

NEWS FROM THE VIZZTONE LABEL GROUP The first-round Grammy Awards Ballots are out! First-round ballots have gone out to members of the Recording Academy, to determine who the final GRAMMY Award nominees will be.  This year VizzTone is proud to have thirteen artists represented on the official entry list!  Our congratulations to: MICHAEL BRAM • DOUG DEMING & THE JEWEL TONES • DENNIS GRUENLING CANDYE KANE (FEAT. LAURA CHAVEZ) • LONG TALL DEB • JAMES MONTGOMERY BAND ANN RABSON w/ BOB MARGOLIN • DAVE RILEY & BOB CORRITORE RUFF KUTT BLUES BAND • GINA SICILIA • LITTLE G WEEVIL MITCH WOODS • AUSTIN YOUNG & NO DIFFERENCE                                          ...