Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Generations of Blues: West Side Legacy , from Larry Taylor and the Taylor Family and it's strong. Opening with She Treat Me Just The Same , Larry Taylor on lead vocal and drums leads the way. With a bluesy R&B feel, he sets a solid drum line, joined by Joe B. Brinson on guitar, Abraham Avery on bass, Barrelhouse Bonni on keys and hot sax work by Ronnie G. Solid opener. Demetria Taylor steps up to the mic on Bad Girl , a nice shuffle and she's the perfect leader for this track. Her vocals are sassy and tight, backed by Eddie Taylor Jr on guitar and Ronnie G. on sax and Duke Harris on keys.  Brenda Taylor is featured on lead vocal on I Found Out with Jerry-O Mansfield on guitar and Ronnie G on sax. This is a strong track with a great balance between Brenda and Ronnie. Demetria is back up front on funky, You Belong To Me . This is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a hot sax solo by Ronnie G. I Paid M...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bloodstains On The Wall from Big Bill Morganfield and it's outstanding! Opening with a solid Muddy like track, Lost Without Love , shows deep soul and excellent vocals with nice guitar riffs by Morganfield, Colin Linden, Chuck Cotton, Eddie Taylor Jr,  bass by Bill "Mookie" Brill, and drums by Grant Clifton. On Willie Dixon track, I Don't Know Why , Steve Guyger adds real nice harp work and Bob Margolin tips in on guitar. Barton Szopinski really dazzles the keyboards on When You Lose Someone You Love , and Big Bill's slide work is raw and rowdy. Excellent! Boogie track, Help Someone really rolls again with the piano strength of Szopinski and the Mofo Party Band on backing especially John Clifton on harp and Grant Clifton on bass. Nice! Another slow and rudimentary blues right out of the Mud catalog is title track, Blood Stains On The Wall . Augie Meyers sits in on piano with Taylor, Linden and...

Bob Corritore, one of the top Chicago blues harp players on the planet today and owner of the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, AZ brought a terrific concert to town last night and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance. Corritore, a native of Chicago moved to Arizona over 30 years ago and is such a part of the blues music fabric here that he is sometimes taken for granted by locals. Making routine appearances here around his own recording and touring schedule he often becomes a complimentary musician to guests in his own house. His instrumental release, Taboo is certainly one of the best contemporary blues harp releases that I have heard. Last night, hosting a great group of Chicago musicians, Corritore took the stage with Eddie Taylor Jr. (guitar and lead vocal),Illinois Slim (guitar) and Brian Fahey (drums). This was a terrific set of straight up Chicago blues showing just how good Taylor is both as a lead singer and blues guitarist and giving Corritore the opportunity to...