Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, One Hour Mama - The Blues Of Victoria Spivey - from Maria Muldaur and it's her best in years. Opening with My Handy Man , is easy going with Maria workin the vocals like it's her own. Backed by James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band (James Dapogny on piano, Kim Cusack on clarinet and alto sax, Russ Whitman on clarinet and tenor/baritone sax, Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet, Chris Smith on trombone and tuba, Rod McDonald on guitar and banjo, Kurt Krahnke on bass annd Pete Siers on drums). Solid opener. What Makes You Act Like That features Muldaur in duet with Elvin Bishop and their vocal styles work really well together. Danny Caron on guitar lays in some real nice guitar soloing and Johnny Bones on sax, Steve Height on bass, Neil Fortano on piano, David Matthews on piano, Beaumont Beaullieu on drums really make this track. Organ Grinder Blues really has an authentic feel with Tuby Skinny backing (Craig Flory on cl...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Struck Down , by The Fabulous Thunderbirds and it's one of their best. Opening with Struck Down By The Blues , Kim Wilson has the mic singing lead vocals on this BB King style track. Johnny Moeller and Steve Strongman handle the gripping guitar lead with Bob Welsh on piano, Rudy Albin Petschauer on drums and Steven Kirsty on drums. Excellent opener. Classic ZZ Top style, one line bass, drives Payback Time features Wilson and Billy Gibbons on lead vocals with great harmonica overtones by Wilson and featuring Gibbons on guitar. Very cool. Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo and Taj Mahal share the mic on Nothing But Rambling , an easy shuffle with strong harmonica work by Wilson and Keb Mo on slide. Wilson back up front on romping shuffle, Whatcha Do To Me . Elvin Bishop lends his guitar work on his track giving it a nice kick and Wilson's harmonica work turns up the heat with his own spice. I really like Moeller's guitar work...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Friends Along The Way , from Mitch Woods and it features a who's who in the blues business. Opening with Ma Rainey's C.C. Rider , Van Morrison on vocal and Taj Mahal on vocal and guitar, join Mitch Woods on piano for a early blues style rendition of this classic. Very nice. Oliver Perry's Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket is a great boogie with Elvin Bishop on lead guitar and vocal, joined by Woods on piano and Larry Vann on drums. Woods really lays in his notorious piano boogie style and Bishop's guitar signature is prime. John Hammond steps up on Don Roby's Mother In Law Blues , adding not only super National steel riffs but solid lead vocals. Rolling piano riffs by Woods makes this one of my favorites on the release. Springing to life is Nasty Boogie with Joe Louis Walker on lead vocal and guitar and excellent piano by Woods. Very nice. Jimmy Liggins' Saturday Night Boogie Woogie Man is a ripping ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, May Be The Last Time , from John Nemeth and it's really cool. Opening with traditional The Last Time and John Nemeth putting a strong gospel/R&B spin on it. With excellent lead vocal by Nemeth, Elvin Bishop on guitar, Kid Andersen on bass, Bob Welsh on guitar, Willy Jordan on drums and excellent vocal backing by Alabama Mike, Jordan, Andersen and Welsh, this is a terrific opener. With Elvin Bishop on this release it's great to see a resurrection of one of his great tracks, Rockbottom , from the Jo Baker era and featuring Nemeth on harmonica and lead vocal. Bishop steps up with his signature playing style and this release is two and 0. Very nice. Bishop gets the mic on his classic, Stealing Watermelons and with his fat guitar sound coupled with Andersen on guitar and Welsh on baritone guitar, this track is FUNKY. Wilson Pickett's, I Found A Love , works so nicely in this set with both Nemeth and Bishop fav...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues For A King , from BB King's daughter, Shirley King and it's jam packed with blues and legends. Opening with Joe Louis Walker's All Of My Lovin' , King is up front on lead vocal backed by Walker on guitar and Jurgen Engler on guitar, bass and drums. Holding firm on a R&B setup, King sets a straight 60's styling radio track. With super guitar work by Elvin Bishop under King's bluesy vocals, I Did You Wrong has a cool shuffle beat and a tight bottom. An unexpected rock gem, Steve Winwood's Can't Find My Way Home features Martin Barre with some excellent guitar and is one of my favorites and also possibly King's best vocal effort on the release. Gallow Pole maintains it's folk roots but with a rock edge and underlying guitar work by Harvey Mandel with really is a strong compliment. A rework of a Jr Wells track features vocal and harp by Wells, adding guitar by Walker, ba...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, ...Took A While , from The Mike Duke Project and it's a soulful southern style release packed with musical elite. Opening with Little Miss Ponytail , a certain radio track, Mike Duke on lead vocal and piano leads the way with Bill Stewart on drums, Phil Yeager on bass, Ronnie Brown on guitar and Rick Kurtz on guitar. Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do features Duke with Jimmy Hall and the vocals are not only warm and solid but this is really a strong track. Let Me Be Your Fool Tonight is a real cool track with the addition of Lloyd Meadows, Angela Strehi  and Lisa Lueschner Andersen on backing vocal and featuring super accordion work by Bruce Gordon. I'm Not Sad Tonight sounds like it could be pulled right out of Van Morrison's songbook with distinct vocal phrasing and poise and the addition on Jim Pugh on B3. Very nice. Gospel flavored Torn & Scarred is Duke, accompanying his vocal lead on piano wit...

ELVIN BISHOP'S BIG FUN TRIO SET FOR FEBRUARY 10 RELEASE Deceptively loose but always tight…the raspy chuckle in Bishop’s singing and the sharp sting of his guitar are forceful and fresh, enduring and fun.     --Fresh Air, NPR I love these guys; Bob and Willy are great musicians. With a trio there’s no place to hide – you’ve got to be pourin’ everything you got right out front, totally goin’ for it all the time. If you’ve got some real good musicians who are willing and able to do that, you’ve got something that will move people. And it’s fun!     --Elvin Bishop Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and blues master Elvin Bishop – along with his friends, guitarist/pianist Bob Welsh and percussionist/vocalist Willy Jordan – unleashes his latest musical mixture,  Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio (AL 4973) on Friday, February 10, 2017. Bishop told The San Jose Mercury News , “Every time I pick up the guitar, something ne...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Playdate! , from Nancy Wright and it's smokin! Opening with funky, Why You Wanna Do It , Wee Willie Walker takes the lead on vocal and Nancy Wright really sails on sax. Joe Kyle Jr. sets the pace on bass with some heavy lines and J. Hansen's drum work is tight. Excellent opener! On Willie Dixon's I Got What It Takes , Kyle again sets a strong bass line and Tommy Castro brings a real nice guitar solo. This track is in the groove and Wright delivers a great sound on sax backed by Tom Poole on trumpet and Faris Jarrah on trombone. Yes He Do is a great swinger with Victor Wainwright really taking control on piano. Wright takes it higher and the two hit it out of the park. Super. Eddie Shaw's Blues For The Westside is an absolute screamer with Wright really digging in. Chris Burns' piano work on this track really stands out and Joe Louis Walker stands tall with soulful guitar riffs fluidly added throughout as ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, One Of A Kind , from Grady Champion , and it has variety. Opening with Bump and Grind , Grady Champion on lead vocal and harp along with Ken Smith on bass, Eddie Cotton on guitar and Carroll McLaughlin on keys set an early groove, not unlike a more polished Jesus Just Left Chicago. Nice opener. With a R&B feel, Heels and Hips floats along with a really cool bass line by Smith and nice backing vocals by Champion, Jewell Bass, Eddie Cotton and Lisa Palmer. Shuffle track, House Party , gets deeper in the groove with the addition of Kimble Funchess on trumpet, Jessie PrimerIII on sax, Sydney Ford II on bari, Robert Lamkin on trombone and champion's harp backed by nice vocals by Bass and Palmer. On Life Support , Champion really gets the band swinging on harp and some of his best vocals on the release. Myron Bennett's bass work is tight and vital giving this track just the right weight. Classic, Chicago style blu...

THE BLUES FOUNDATION 2016 BLUES HALL OF FAME INDUCTION AND  37TH BLUES MUSIC AWARDS SET FOR MAY 4 AND 5   Best in blues recording, songwriting, and performance to be celebrated at the Memphis' Cook Convention Center.   All six living Hall of Fame inductees will be in attendance MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On Thursday , May 5, 2016 , the Blues Foundation will present its annual Blues Music Awards at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, Tennessee...