Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blast Off! , from Duke Robillard and it's really swinging! Opening with Floyd Dixon 's, When I Get Lucky , Chris Cote is up front on vocal with Duke Robillard on lead guitar, Bruce Bears on piano, Marty Ballou on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums and Doug James and Mark Earley on wailing sax. Strong opener.  Robillard original, Feel My Cares has a deeper, BB King feel with stinging guitar work by Duke and again featuring Cote on lead vocal. Bears on organ adds a real nice warmth and James and Earley on sax really fatten the track up nicely. AM Brunner 's Play Boy Hop is a terrific sax led instrumental with James really making it wail and Duke's guitar phrasing is dynamic and urgent. Very cool. Guitar Slim 's Stand By Me really swings with Cote on lead vocal and Earley and James on horns. James takes command on bari sax really kicking up the dirt and Duke rips a classic solo of his own making this one o...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Doin' The Shout!, from Bob Corritore & Friends and it's cooking! Opening with shuffle, Say Baby Say, Thornetta Davis is upfront on lead vocal and I really like her style. With my pal Johnny Burgin on guitar, Dave Keyes on piano, Bob Corritore on harmonica, Bob Stroger on bass and Wes Starr on drums, this is a great opener. Woman Wanted features Oscar Wilson on lead vocal and Muddy Waters like slide work by guitar wiz Bob Margolin. I really do love his loose slide and with Stroger on bass, Anthony Geraci on piano, and Starr on drums, this is a super track. Francine Reed has an unmistakable voice and her addition on I Guess I'm A Fool is a terrific idea. With Duke Robillard adding lush guitar, Corritore up with key harmonica lead, Ben Levin on piano, Ben Hedquist on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, this is a solid soul track. Wilson is back on lead vocal on Just A Dream and it really lays in the groove. His vocal...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Roll With Me , from Duke Robillard and it's particularly hot! Opening with Eddie Boyd's Bluecoat Man , Robillard is on vocal and these guys are really rocking. With Doug James really humming on sax and Mark Teixeira on drums and Marty Ballou on bass giving Robillard a great platform to blow the doors off on guitar. Excellent opener. Gatemouth Brown's Boogie Uproar is hot and heavy with Robillard having a excellent solo exchange with James and Rich Lataille punched up by the likes of Pam Murray and Carl Querfurth on trombone, Al Basile on cornet, Matt McCabe on piano, Ballou on bass, and Teixeira on drums. Powerful. Willie Dixon's, Built For Comfort has a real cool feel with Robillard playing the easy shuffle under his vocals and nicely interwoven horn work by James and Murray and the tight drumming of Teixeira and groove bass by Ballou gives this track an electrifying feel. Hot, slow, blues, Give Me Back...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, True Blues Brother- The Legacy of Matt "Guitar Murphy" by Matt Guitar Murphy and it's a great assemblage of music that Matt was working on at the time of his death in 2018 featuring music by artists he either played with or influenced along with some special guests. Opening with Matt's Boogie , Murphy leads the way on this instrumental with  a super guitar rhythm /solo lead and joined by Bruce Bears on organ, Ricky "King" Russell on guitar, Bob Worthington on bass and Fran Christina on drums. Solid opener. Deadric Malone's I Feel Alright Again is a super shuffle featuring Brian Templeton on vocal, Nick Adams on guitar, Collin Tilton on tenor sax, Johnny Juxo on keys, Dean Cassell on bass and Christina on drums. Christine Ohlman really belts out the lead on Something's Got a Hold On Me , and Etta James favorite, with Cliff Goodwin and Russell on guitar, Worthington on bass and Christina ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Six Strings of Steel by Duke Robillard an it's terrific. Opening with Barney Kessel's Git With It!,  Duke Robillard hits the ground running. This is a great tune and Robillard knows how to sell it. Joined by Marty Ballou on bass, Mark Teiseira on drums and with an outstanding solo by Doug James on sax, this is an excellent opener. On, Shame, Shame, Shame , Robillard really gets things rockin. Chris Cote does a great job on vocal and another outstanding solo by James and of course strong guitar work by Duke. Chuck Willis' Love Struck is deep in soul and Cote does an excellent job. Warm organ work by Bruce Bears paves the way for exceptional guitar phrasing by Robillard making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Leo Parker's Billy In The Lion's Den is an excellent showcase for James and he really does shine. Robillard springboards from the deep throaty work of James with his own light fingere...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, B's Time , by Al Basile and it's a cool retrospective of Basile's 25 years with Sweetspot Records using up to date technology on the remastering. Opening with You Showed Me Something , from 2009 release, Soul Blue, Basile on cornet and lead vocals is joined by  Mark Teixeira on drums, Bruce Katz on keys, Marty Ballou on bass, Doug James on sax, and Carl Querfurth on trombone, that walking bass line really sets up for great solos by Basile, Katz and James. Great opener. Two stepper, Drive Me Darling from the 2001 release Shaking The Soul Tree had a cool psychedelic rock vibe with solid vocals by Basile. Jeff McAllister on drums, Tom West on keys, John Packer on bass and some wild guitar work By Duke Robillard really makes this track a standout. Light jazz track, B.D. from the 2003 release Red Breath is chilled and relaxed giving Basille a lot of room to breathe on cornet and sets up with real nice lead work b...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, They Called It Rhythm & Blues , by The Duke Robillard Band ,  and it's another stellar performance by the Duke and his crew. Opening with swing blues, Here I'm Is , Chris Cote on lead vocal really does a nice job with excellent fluid guitar lead by Robillard, and solid backing by Bruce Bears on keys, Marty Ballou on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums and Doug James on sax. Fools Are Getting Scarcer , James really does a great job stepping out on bari and tenor sax solos over a hot R&B feel. Excellent! Kim Wilson takes the lead on Tell Me Why with his trademark vocals and solid harmonica work. Robillard's guitar lead is impeccable and the band is solid. John Hammond is up front on Homeless Blues with his delta based vocal and playing style. I really like Hammond and am glad to see him on this release. With distinctive drum work by Teixeira and piano by Bears, this track is one of my favorites. Freddy King...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Bash , by Duke Robillard & Friends and it may be his best recent release. Opening with Do You Mean It , Chris Cote is up front on lead vocal with Robillard on guitar, Bruce Bears on piano and Hammond, Mark Teixeira on drums and Jesse Williams on bass. With it's up tempo shuffle feel and super lead work by Robillard, super opener. Piano boogie, What Can I Do showcases strong piano by Bears and super sax by Greg Piccolo, Rich Lataille and Doug James and again. With Cote on lead vocal again and some really hot guitar riffs by Robillard, this track spins. With it's bluesy lope, Rock Alley is a great track to show Robillard at his best. His guitar phrasing is terrific and his feel is soulful. A bluesy sax solo by Lataille really adds great spice on this track. Very nice. Michelle Willson steps up on lead vocal on swing track, You Played On My Piano giving it a great feel and a rich, fat, sax solo by James r...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Too Much Mustard , from Wentus Blues Band with Duke Robillard , and I really like it. Opening with revival style track, Stayed At The Party , these guys are raising the roof. With Robban Hagnas on Bass, Niko Riippa on guitar, Duke Robillard on guitar, Pekka Grohn on piano and Hammond, Daniel Hjerppe on drums and Juho Kinaret on vocal and percussion this track is pumped. Robert Johnson's Judgement Day is up next with a cool modern twist. It maintains the rudimentary feel and Kinaret's vocals are strong, but the interwoven guitars by Robillard and Riippa and Grohn's piano, with harp over the band is terrific. One of my favorite tracks on the release is She's a Killer Hot Blonde , a great boogie with cocky blues guitar style. Excellent! Slower paced, Right In Your Arms , is a super blues ballad and a nice showcase for Kinaret on vocal and with excellent blues guitar solo phrasing by Riippa. High powered boo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, B's Hot House , from Al Basile and it's a great mix of blues, R&B and soul. Opening with So Called Story Teller , a lumbering "Thrill Is Gone" like track with Basile on lead vocal and cornet, and featuring Duke Robillard with some mighty tasty guitar riffs. Backed by Mark Teixeira on drums, Brad Hallen on bass, Bruce Bears on keys, Doug James on sax and Doc Cannonhouse, this is a super opener. Shuffle track, Razor Wire has a great stride with Bears' "Booker T like" organ vibe and Robillard's riffs lead nicely into a cool cornet solo by Basile. Very nice. R&B track, Give Me That Look is one of my favorites with it's easy groove and sax/trumpet accent. Basile's vocals on this track are my favorite on the release as well with solid piano work giving it that polish. Another of my favorites on the release is What Dogs Wanna Do , with Robillard dialing his guitar into warm r...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Man of Many Blues , from Paul Gabriel and it's got style. Opening with Latin flavored, I Feel Good , Paul Gabriel is front and center on lead guitar and vocal with Frank Davis on bass, Lonnie Gasperini on Hammond, Mark Earley on tenor and bari sax, Doug James on bari sax and Mark Teixeira on drums. On shuffle, Maybe We Can Talk A While , Duke Robillard lays in some real nice guitar lead giving the track just a little more smooth polish. Blues For Georgia is a real cool track with a jazzy edge. Gabriel's guitar lead is really nice, paired with Gasperini's Hammond organ work and the mighty Bruce Bears on piano. Very nice. My favorite track on the release is Just A Bitterness with it's soulful structure and slow bluesy pace. Gabriel's vocal strengths and really showcased on this one and addition of Robillard on guitar gives stinging guitar results. With rich sax work by Earley, this track just hits the...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ear Worms , from Duke Robillard Band it's quite good. Opening with rock n' roller, Don't Bother Trying To Steal Her Love , Dave Howard is up front on vocal with Bruce Bears on piano, Mark Teuxeira on drums and Marty Ballou on bass. Robillard shows his stuff with do real nice low octave tones and country twanging riffs. Chris Cote has lead vocal on Living With The Animals , a smooth bluesy ballad with stinging guitar riffs by Robillard. Beautiful phrasing and tone give this track an extra boost. Traditional pop tune, Careless Love gets some spice with an up bound swing beat and done totally instrumental with solid lead by Robillard and cool Hammond work by Bears. Very nice. Klem Kilmen is on lead vocal on Chuck Berry's Dear Dad , a fiery rocker with slick bluesy bends and tight riffs by Robillard and a cool piano solo by Bears. Allen Toussaint's funky, Yes We Can has some real nice edgy telecaster rif...

Stony Plain Records Sets May 17 Release Date for Ear Worms , the New Album from Award-Winning Guitarist Duke Robillard WATERDOWN, ON – Stony Plain Records announces a May 17 release date for Ear Worms , the new album from two-time Grammy nominee and multi-Blues Music Award winning guitarist Duke Robillard, which will be available in both CD and vinyl formats. Here’s a link to pre-order the album, which also includes a special advance listen to “Don’t Bother to Steal Her Love:” http://smarturl.it/earworms .  “ Ear Worms was conceived as an album of songs that I heard and was attracted to growing up,” says Duke Robillard about the new disc’s genesis. “They are not of one particular genre or style, but rather songs I heard in my pre-teens to my later teens, with the exception of a few songs which I threw into the mix to round out the overall album vibe; sounds that stuck in my head, in many cases before I knew what the blues was. I guess you could call...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Inspired By The Blues , by Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and it swings. Opening with solid blues opener, I Know I'd Be Playing The Blues , Wayne on piano, organ and lead vocal leads the way backed by Russell Jackson on bass, Joey DiMarco on drums, and Yuji Ihara on guitars. Billy Branch adds some real nice licks on harmonica to spice up this fine opener. Opening it up on Start Rockin'  Dave Babcock on sax and Bob Tildesley on trumpet pump up the action and Wayne's piano playing really rolls, balanced nicely against Yuji's guitar. Laying way back on I Like That Woman, Wayne sets a great pace on piano and his vocals are excellent. Jump track, Jimmy and Johnny has great feel with a trumpet solo by Tildesley and really nice piano work by Wayne. Very cool. Lake Country Boogie , led by the warm sax work of Babcock gives Wayne a wide open road to ply his trade. Wayne isn't shy and shows he really is t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Me & the Originator , from Al Basile and it's a cool mix of poetry, story telling and super music. Opening with the initial story line, Basile sets the stage for the release in story telling fashion. Continuing the story but through song, Basile on vocal and cornet, leads the way, backed by Brad Hallen on bass, Mark Teixeira on tom tom, Bruce Bears on keys and Duke Robillard on guitar. My J-O-B is a cool shuffle track with some of the best vocals on the release. Robillard's riffs are tight with a swing feel and Basile's own cornet work paired with the trumpet work of Jeff Chanonhouse is always cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release is She Made Me Believe It , a slower blues number with soulful vocals, brass and organ backing and super guitar soloing by Robillard. Excellent! Here Come Your Trouble is another cool shuffle tune with a solid bop cornet solo from Basile and excellent piano work from...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Duke and his Dames of Rhythm, by Duke Robillard and it's a mighty swing fest. Opening with From Monday On , Sunny Crownover has the floor, backed by Bruce Bears on piano, Brad Hallen on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums, Jon Erik Kellso on trumpet, Billy Novick on clarinet and alto sax, Carl Querfurth on trombone and of course Robillard on guitar. A bright prance, this track has super clarinet, strong guitar riffs, a powerful bass line and a particularly nice trombone solo by Querfurth. Maria Muldaur had the floor on Got The South In My Soul and again, powerful clarinet soloing by Novick and bright guitar riffs by the Duke really set it off. Kelley Hunt steps up to the mic on Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone , a solid blues ballad with solid vocals, jumping into swing time with Mark Earley's brilliant tenor sax solo. Kellso's trumpet work, Bears' piano work, another clarinet solo by Novick a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Quiet Money , from Al Basile and it has great body!  Basile, hot cornet player and legendary first trumpet with Roomful of Blues is back with Duke Robillard on guitar, Mark Teixeira on drums, Brad Hallen on bass, Bruce Bears on piano, Doc Chanonhouse on trumpet, Rich Lataille on tenor sax and Doug James on tenor and bari saxes. Opening with Blues Got Blues , Basile and Robillard lead the way with balanced lead lines making for a solid opener. On Simple Ain't Easy , Robillard lays out some really tasty lead work under Basile's vocals giving it great feel. Basile steps up with muted cornet and plays off the tempo for super accent. On title track, Quiet Money, James has the bari out and the heft really sets the track. With an easy swing, Basile's vocals ride the groove on this laid back number. Put Some Salt On It, a prime 12 bar number, Basile lays in a real nice cornet lead, complimenting his vocals and Rob...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kingdom of Swing , by Adrianna Marie and her roomful of all-stars , and it's tasty. Opening with Kingdom of Swing you are transported to the 40's with a great bottom by Kedar Roy on bass and Brian Fahey. The ROOM is FULL with the Roomful Horns and a terrific trumpet solo by Doug Woolverton and excellent solo by Carl Querfurth and of course super sax work by Doug James, Rich Lataille and Mark Earley. Wow! Marie belts away on Better Beware and the warmth of James, Lataille and Earley is super. With super sax solos on this one and the cool piano work of Al Copley and a really nicely styled guitar solo by Jones, this is another winner. Catch the ripping sax solo by James on Sidecar Mama teamed with Earley and Lataille and raw guitar work of Jones for a grand slam. Jones plays some particularly warm solo lead on Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo teamed with some of Marie's best vocals on the release making...