Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lucky Star , from Brooks Williams and it's got a bright, bluesy folk feel. Opening with Bright Side of the Blues, a poppy track with Williams on vocal and acoustic guitar, backed by Phil Richardson on piano, Kevin McGuire on bass, Stuart Brown on drums and Rab Noakes on smooth backing vocals, Williams shows his strong capabilities as a singer songwriter. Something You Got is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's easy feel and melodic guitar soloing by Williams. With it's Caribbean styling, Mama's Song has a great rhythm. With it's country blues form, Gambling Man has nicely blended vocals and cool finger picking. Ballad, Whatever It Takes has a strong melody with only the necessary backing from McGuire on bass, Brown on drums, and Rachael Lightbody on backing vocals. Very nice. A second inclusion of Rock Me , this time with only Williams on guitar and vocal and Hans Theessink on mandol...

I just received the newest release, True & Blue , from Hans Theessink  & Terry Evans and it handles the roots of blues with modern sophistication. Opening with Demons , an easy paced country blues, Theessink leads the way on vocal with light harmonies by Evans. Traditional, Mother Earth , has a more soulful delta feel with excellent acoustic guitar work. Both Theessink and Evans work the lead vocals as well as harmonies. Very smooth guitar solos on this track make it one of my favorites. Fast paced Glory of Love is a great finger picked number with smoothly blended vocals. Gotta Keep Movin' features nice acoustic slide work and Evans on lead vocals. Very nice! Vicksburg Is My Home , a slow 12 bar number, again features Evans on lead vocals. This is a very traditional style track and very effective. Ledbelly's Bourgeois Blues , done a long time ago again by Ry Cooder is another of my favorites. A great strut feel and aggressive slide work coupled by Theessink on harp...

I have just received the newest release, Wishing Wel l, from Hans Theessink . A totally acoustic effort from Theessink, he performs originals as well as covering tracks by Townes van Zandt, Brownie McGhee and Bob Dylan. Theessink has a very warm voice and an clean picking style which is well demonstrated on Wishing Well which also includes complimentary slide work. A favorite of mine, Wayfaring Stranger is handled very nicely with a nice balance between guitar, vocals and backing steel. A Piedmont style track, Take Your Picture , has a bit of a quicker tempo sounding quite a bit like John Hartford. Make shift instrumentals are a nice addition to an authentic country blues track. Traditional track Make Me Down A Pallet On Your Floor , still highlighting Theessink vocals has very tight instrumental components such as acoustic, slide guitar and mandolin coming forward like jems. A particularly nice version of Alberta Let You Hair Hang Down , again with a country blues twist is nicely ba...

After more than 40 years “on the road” and with 25 albums, an instruction video, a songbook and a DVD to his name, Hans Theessink has become a roots and blues institution. With his sonorous baritone voice and unmistakable guitar work Hans is in great demand. He tours Europe, Britain, North-America, Australia and New Zealand. He is one of the few Europeans to perform at the biggest Blues, Jazz and Folk Festivals in America, the homeland of the blues. The US blues press called him “An international blues treasure” and “One of the world’s pre-eminent pickers”. The legendary Bo Diddley called him “One helluva guitar player”. He’s a modern day troubadour and entertainer who keeps on spellbinding audiences all over the world with his rich and emotional sounds. In 2009 Hans was nominated for the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN for “Best Acoustic Album Of The Year” for the album VISIONS (Hans Theessink & Terry Evans). Hans’ double album Birthday Bash was recorded live in Vienna at his 6...

I just received the newest release, Delta Time , by Hans Theessink & Terry Evans and it's terrific! This very earthy and warm recording begins with Delta Time , a bouncy blues track written by Theessink with deep thick vocals, acoustic and slide guitar. Blues Stay Away From Me has a real roots (country) feel and beautiful vocal harmonies with Ry Cooder bringing in some distinctive riffs. A great duet on It Hurts Me Too brings freshness to a well traveled track. The instrumentation has been applied like paint on a canvas just a light dab here and there as required. How Come People Act Like That , another cover track, is handled in a fresh light and again the duo with their rich vocals and Ry Cooder adding his flair on guitar makes for a very cool track. The Birds and The Bees , a classic pop track, has been included memorializing Evans contribution to the original track some 50 years ago. Build Myself A Home , a Thessink original, has a distinct gospel feel and is beautifu...

We've already had an American in Paris, but a Dutchman in Vienna? And one who has dedicated himself, body and soul, to American blues and roots music? Okay, Hans Theessink (pronounced Tay-sink) did not pick the easiest way to do this, but he has done so with a certain degree of single-mindedness. Like others of his generation, in the early 1960‘s a love of the Blues took hold of the man whom Bo Diddley described as "one helluva guitar player", and it has not let go since. Above all, the country blues with its earthy and heartfelt sound impressed Hans Theessink and played a major role in his development as a musician. His roots are unmistakeably in the blues, but has also been influenced by countless other aspects of roots music. This musical variety has become a trademark of Hans Theessink, who as a songwriter has succeeded in building bridges to the present in addressing issues which reflect the reality of the here and now. Hans is probably Europe's bluesexport Nr.1 ...

We've already had an American in Paris, but a Dutchman in Vienna? And one who has dedicated himself, body and soul, to American blues and roots music? Okay, Hans Theessink (pronounced Tay-sink) did not pick the easiest way to do this, but he has done so with a certain degree of single-mindedness. Like others of his generation, in the early 1960‘s a love of the Blues took hold of the man whom Bo Diddley described as "one helluva guitar player", and it has not let go since. Above all, the country blues with its earthy and heartfelt sound impressed Hans Theessink and played a major role in his development as a musician. His roots are unmistakeably in the blues, but has also been influenced by countless other aspects of roots music. This musical variety has become a trademark of Hans Theessink, who as a songwriter has succeeded in building bridges to the present in addressing issues which reflect the reality of the here and now. Hans is probably Europe's blues export Nr.1...