Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Revelation , by Dennis Johnson and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Don Nix's Going Down , Johnson on slide and vocal, adds a little bounce to the track for a straight up rocker. With Anton Fig on drums, Jonathan Stoyanoff on bass, Bob Fridzema on piano, this is a cool opener. On title track, Revelation , Johnson plays a fluid soulful melody on slide, backed by Stoyanoff and Fig with the warm B3 work by Fridzema as a solid cushion. Very nice. On Robert Johnson's 32-20 Blues , Dennis Johnson gets a bit of rockabilly beat on rhythm, tightened up by Fig and with a combination of his vocal and slide emphasis, this track is a driving rocker. Big Joe Williams' Baby, Please Don't Go is up next with just a bit of backbeat allowing Johnson to really work the track over with his slide. This is definitely one of my favorite covers of this track in recent years. On another Robert Johnson track, Ramblin'...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Revelation , from Dennis Johnson and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Don Nix's Going Down , Dennis Johnson on lead vocal and guitar digs on on a traditional arrangement backed by Anton Fig on drums and with a steady bass line by Jonathan Stoyanoff and cool piano soloing by Bob Fridzema gets the party going. Talk To You is a great, driving rocker with a straight drum and bass line, super slide work by Johnson and aggressive keys. Robert Johnson's 32-20 Blues is up next and with a great rhythm really gets rockin. Dennis' adds super slide riffs to this already updated track for a totally contemporary feel. Very cool. Ramblin is a cool boogie with a power bass line and call and response between Johnson on vocal and slide. With Elmore James based riffs, this track hits a real nice groove. Wrapping the release is Don't Owe You A Thing with a terrific driving drum line. Johnson on vocal and slide gu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rhythmland , from Dennis Johnson and it is a slide player's dream. Opening with Walkin Blues , Johnson shows that super smooth sliding technique that he's know for on this updated and fast tempo'd remake. Featuring Tim Metz on drums, Jonathan Stoyanoff on bass and Craig Long on keys, this is a smooth opener. Timbale has a cool, Latin beat and a nice pop melody. Fillmore Street is a clever blues rocker with a snappy shuffle beat. Johnson's vocals and super slide work, coupled with Long's piano work makes for a really cool track. My favorite track on the release is High Heel Shoes with it's driving beat and smoking slide work. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Revolution , a stripped down rocker with some of my favorite vocals and basic rock rhythms. A super closer for a solid release.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news ...

Slide Guitar Master Dennis Johnson Set to Release New Rhythmland CD September 15 on Root Tone Records SACRAMENTO, CA – San Francisco Bay Area-based slide guitar master Dennis Johnson announces a September 15 release date for Rhythmland , his latest CD on the Root Tone Records label. Johnson plans to release his first single off the new disc, “Timbale” to iTunes on August 1, and will celebrate the new album with a special CD release party show on September 15 at the Guild Theater in Sacramento. Listen to “Timbale”  : Here  Rhythmland was produced by Dennis Johnson and Craig Long and recorded at Paradise Studios in Sacramento. On the CD, Dennis Johnson (guitar, vocals) is backed by his band, dubbed The Mississippi Ramblers: Tim Metz – drums; Jonathan Stoyanoff – bass; and Craig Long - keyboards, background vocals. Johnson also wrote nine of the album’s ten songs and spins a unique take on the classic, “Walkin’ Blues.” Rhythmland explores Americana, ro...

I just received the newest release, Slide Avenue , from Dennis Johnson and it's a blend of a numerous blues styles with a common hub of cool guitar work. Opening with Swingin At the Savoy , guitarist/vocalist Johnson blends a cool swing track featuring Sam Levine on sax, Tim Metz on drums and David O'Keefe on bass with his slick slide work. Robert Johnson's Terraplane Blues has a much quicker paced cover with a root in blues but an almost country approach with quick picking and flair (Think early Bella Fleck). Another Robert Johnson track, Phonograph Blues is a real nice straight up acoustic delta style blues track played on 12 string dobro. Nice! Rollin On The River has a rudimentary New Orleans feel with snappy snare work from Metz and the addition of Joe Craven on violin. Back On My Feet is a cool shuffle track and see's the addition of Kirt Shearer on piano. Johnson busts out some Elmore James like slide riffs on this track but keeps it light and easy. On Ain...