Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live! At The Fallout Shelter , by  Diane Blue All-Star Band and it's a funky blues party. Opening with I Got A Good Thing and a cool R&B feel, Diane Blue on vocal gets things rolling with Lorne Entress on drums, Dave Limina on Hammond and Chris Vitarello on guitar. Reggae infused blues track, I Cry has a real nice feel with Limina setting up a cool bass line  (on keys) under Diane's solid vocal phrasing. Vitarello lays in a real nice guitar solo with fluid runs and gripping punctuation. Guitar virtuoso, Ronnie Earl takes center stage on slow blues, Leave Me Alone and of course he has some of the sweetest blues phrasing on the planet. Frequently paired with Diane, I think that he brings out the best in her. This is a deeply soulful track with warm Hammond work by Limina and of course an excellent solo by Earl and Vitarello. My favorite track on the release. Blues rocker, Take A Look is a strong radio contend...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mercy Me , from Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters and it's strong. Opening with Muddy Waters' classic shuffle, Blow Wind Blow in Earl style and it's great. With Diane Blue handling the lead vocals nicely, Dave Limina on B3, Paul Kochanski on bass and Forrest Padgett on drums and Peter Ward sharing the guitar work with Earl, this is a solid opener. Slow blues, Blues For Duke Robillard , is prime Earl. I know that this may sound repetitive, but although Earl is an excellent player across the spectrum, his flow and chops on slow blues instrumentals are really tops in todays market. His feel, phrasing and tone is excellent and this track is an excellent example. With a slight uptick, Anthony Geraci's A Prayer For Tomorrow , is another great jam showing Earl not only with strong lead phrasing but gripping trem bends and lush chords under the beautiful key work of Geraci. Very nice. Another great shuffle, Dave...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rise Up , from Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters and it's smokin! Opening with a simple, acoustic guitar cover of traditional I Shall Not Be Moved , gives you no clues that Earl is about to open a can of Whoop on us. Shuffle, Higher Love , with a solid intro by Earl and Dave Kimina on B3 gives the stage over to super blues vocalist, Diane Blue and she fits like a glove. Settling down into a super groove laid out by Kimina on B3, Forrest Padgett on drums, Paul Kochanski on bass and Peter Ward on guitar, Earl really steps up with some of his beautiful blues phrasing. Fenton Robinson's R&B track, You Don't Know What Love Is is a super platform for Blue and Earl. Blue's vocals are perfectly suited for this style of music and her feel and sense of timing are super. Blues For Lucky Peterson is the first of a number of slow blues tracks where Earl really stretches it out. Busting out at over 10 minutes, you ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Beyond The Blue Door , from Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters , and it's really strong. Opening with Brand New Me , a Jerry Butler track, the bands starts off in a solid slot with vocal dynamo, Diane Blue up front backed by Dave Limina on piano and B3, Ronnie Earl on guitar, Forrest Padgett on drums and Paul Kochanski on bass with Mario Perrett on tenor sax, and Scott Shetler on bari sax . Slipping into a cool shuffle, Baby How Long ,  Kim Wilson is up front on lead vocal and harmonica. A real Chicago style blues gives Wilson and Earl a nice opportunity to exchange solos with Anthony Geraci on piano and Peter Ward on guitar. Very nice. Henry Glover's tune made popular by Ray Charles, Drown In My Own Tears gives Earl the stage to do exactly what everyone expects of Earl, to play those long soulful runs that have been such a trademark of his sound. Exchanging phrasing with Greg Piccolo on sax, this track is reall...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 9, 2016), Maxwell Street , from Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters and it's a scorcher! Opening with Mother Angel , a tight jazz influenced number featuring Ronnie Earl and Nicholas Tabarias on guitar, Lorne Entress on drums, Dave Limina on keys and Jim Mouradian on bass. Slow blues, Elegy For A Bluesman is one of many beautifully executed tracks on this release. With subtle bottom and really nice piano and B3 by Limina, Earl takes it front and center with lush melodic guitar lead. Excellent! In Memory of T-Bone is a strong, T-Bone Walker "modeled" blues track with Earl interpreting T-Bone Walker's style and phrasing. With just a wisp of bass and drums and a carrier tune of keys, Earl just flat out plays the melody in fine style. Excellent! Diane Blue joins the mix for original track, Kismet , showing why she is the go to girl on many blues release. Her vocals are clean and powerful and a good...

I just received the newest release, Blues In My Soul , from Diane Blue and it's really good! Blue has teamed up with blues guitar superman, Ronnie Earl and it's a beautiful match. Opening with That's What They Call The Blues , a wicked loper, Blue throws out some ultra thick vocals and Earl unleashes the dog on his strat. Joined by Lorne Entress on drums, Dave Limina on keys and Jesse Williams on bass, this track is a killer. On Nina Simone's Do I Move You , Blue gets into a more introspective space with nice piano work from Limina and a really nice guitar solo from Bobby Gus. Bobby Womack's Nothing You Can Do has a gospel swing featuring yet another side of Blue's voice and backed by John Moriconi on trumpet and vocals, Scott Shetler on sax and soul style vocal backing by Toni Lynn Washington. Excellent Lil Green blues track, In The Dark is on of the absolute standout tracks on this release. Blue stands solid delivering a modern vocal rendition of this cla...

I just received the newest release (July 17, 2015), Father's Day , from Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters and it's terrific! I have to admit that I've always had a soft spot for Earl but these last two releases have been over the top. Opening with Otis Rush's It Takes Time with Michael Ledbetter on lead vocals, Earl lays down a super guitar shuffle supported strongly by Lorne Entress on drums, Jim Mouradian on bass and Dave Limina on B3. Excellent! Higher Love , another shuffle track has a deep almost drag which gives it a cool gait. Ledbetter shares vocals with Diane Blue and Earl plays classic guitar riffs over the sax work of Mario Perrett and Scott Shetler. Very nice! Another Rush tune, Right Place Wrong Time has excellent pace and Earl is squeezing out ever drop of blues from his strat from the opening intro. You may as well drop what you're doing right now... cause when you hear it... it will stop you in your tracks! Ledbetter is such a great choice of voc...

I just received the newest release, I've Got Something To Tell You , from Ilana Katz Katz , and it's quite good. I'll preface this review with a note that this release is strongly bluegrass/ rural feel and has a unique open look at the blues. Opening with Marilyn's Blues Ronnie Earl and Katz trade riffs (guitar and violin) over a solid blues bass line by Jesse Williams. Very nice. On John Lee Hooker's She's Long She's Tall , a strong sense of Hooker and boogie underlies this updated version of a classic blues track. Katz is on lead vocal and violin and Earl provides percussive guitar rhythm. On traditional track Cruel Willie Blues , Katz really takes the lead on what I'd call a traditional fiddle tune, joined by Marylou Ferrante on guitar for a simple country instrumental. Robert Lockwood Jr.'s Take A Little Walk With Me features Diane Blue on lead vocal and she does a really sweet job. Ronnie Earl is back on lead guitar, this track falling square...

Boston's DIANE BLUE has the “whole package” – she is a strong vocalist, skillful harmonica player and a crowd pleasing entertainer. Voted Outstanding Female Singer in The Blues Audience 2011 Readers’ Poll, Ms. Blue is a soulful and sassy performer with a strong, confident attack and energetic delivery, serving up her own spin on soul, blues and R&B. Ms. Blue won the 2010 Massachusetts Blues Challenge, earning the honor of competing at the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. She was nominated for "Best Female Singer" in the 2010 Blues Audience Readers Poll, "Best Blues/R&B Act" and "Best Female Vocalist in 2007 by the Providence Phoenix and also nominated "Best Local Blues Act" by Motif Magazine in 2007. Ms. Diane Blue has played harmonica and/or sung with guitarist extraordinaire, Ronnie Earl, as well as international performers Luther Guitar Jr. Johnson (former sideman for Muddy Waters), Big Jack Johnson (of Clarksda...