Ruf Records artist: Vanja Sky - Bad Penny - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 17, 2018), Bad Penny from Vanja Sky and it's a pop rocker with zip. Opening with title track, Bad Penny, Vanja Sky wastes no time in demonstrating her no prisoners attitude with a swaggering track that could easily be from the Lynyrd Skynyrd songbook. Leading the band on guitar and vocal Sky is backed by Mike Zito on guitar, Terry Day on bass, Matthew Johnson on drums and Lewis Stephens on keys. Low Down And Dirty is my favorite track on the release with what to me sounds like Mike Zito on vocal and slide guitar. This track has a gritty two step feel with cool guitar lead and vocals by Sky making this track hot hot hot! All Night has a poppy/rock feel with firm rhythm guitar and polished vocals by Sky. Ballad, Inside Pain has a smooth Mark Knopfler guitar feel and a solid radio melody. Another of my favorites is Give Me Back My Soul with a great SRV /Texas lope with Dave Smith on bass and Yonrico Scott on drums. Very cool. Pop rocker, Do You Wanna has great attitude with a rock and roll rhythm, stinging guitar riffs and a Joan Jett feel. Another track with a rowdy feel is Don't Forget To Rock n Roll, with melodic guitar lead and Patty Smith like vocal attitude. Wrapping the release is a southern based, Crossroads of Life with understated slide guitar and an anthem feel. This is a solid closer for a cool release.

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Hipsterdumpster Records artist: Matty T Wall - Sidewinder - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sidewinder, from Matty T Wall and is features some hot guitar playing. Opening with Slideride, an electric slide guitar instrumental, Wall wastes no time in kicking the release into high gear backed by Ric Whittle on drums and Stephen Walker on bass. Great start. On Sam Cooke's classic, Change Is Gonna Come, Wall takes the lead on vocal and does quite a nice job. Complimented by Jonas Petersen on strings, Gordon Cant on organ, Walker on bass and Whittle on drums, the setup is perfect for a sensuous guitar solo by Wall making this a choice track. Rocker, Shake It is another stand out track with a driving beat, cool vocals and ravenous guitar lead. Hot! Don Nix's Going Down gets a remake with a bit of a juke on Beck's earlier "rockification" on this classic. Wall pushes it more with a newer blues rock approach and with tight drumming from Whittle and backing vocals by Deli Rowe feels fresh.  My choice of the more pop/vocal tracks is Ain't That The Truth with a great melody and a nice R&B feel. Sophia's Strut is one of my favorite tracks with a true Jeff Beck like approach... no intention to make a radio track but just a cool guitar showcase. Very cool! Shuffle track, Walk Out the Door has a cool groove with Steve Searle on horns giving it real swing. Wrapping the release is Mississippi Kkkrossroades, a rap track which is somewhat disjointed from the rest of the release but with it's tight beat and driven guitar lines is a cool closer for what is a cool release.

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Spencer MacKenzie - Cold November - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cold November, from Spencer MacKenzie and it's solid. Opening with light funk rocker, Fine Place To Start, Mackenzie shows real promise on lead vocal and guitar. Joined by Miles Evans on piano, Al Duffy on bass, Sean O'Grady on drums, Brant Parker on lead guitar, Dave Dunlop on trumpet, Peter Hysen on trombone, Jay Davidson on sax this is a polished opener. On Move On Down The Track, MacKenzie blends in a bit of country drive and Parker on slide enriches the sound even further. The title track, Cold November is a bluesy ballad with soulful vocals, a nice melody and strong guitar riffs. Very nice. One of my release favorites is Voices Echoing with a funky jazz feel and boppy keyboard by Evans reminiscent of Brian Auger. Haunt Me is a cool shuffle track with real radio appeal. Backing vocals by Rochelle Harrison and Camille Harrison add yet another dimension to this smooth jazzy approach with light and breezy solos by Mackenzie and Evans. Another of my favorites on the release is Robert Cray's, You Move Me with a great bass rumble by Duffy. Traces of Albert King are in MacKenzie's guitar riffs and Evans' piano work weaves in just right. Wrapping the release is Gary Clark Jr.'s Next Door Neighbor Blues with understated slide work throughout and resonator (sound) solo riding high on top of what is really a stripped down rocker. very nice closer to a solid release.

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Artur Menezes - Keep Pushing - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Keep Pushing, from Artur Menezes and it's quite good. Opening with radio track, Now's The Time, Artur Menezes delivers a smooth R&B track with warm horn saturation, highlighted by melodic BB King like guitar riffs. Nice opener. Title track, Keep Pushing, has a real nice feel with fluid guitar runs by Menezes, a solid bottom by Daniel Aged on bass, Gary Novak on drums, Carey Frank on keys and solid horn work by Jamelle Adisa on trumpet and Dan Bosley on sax. Come With Me is a lumbering blues rocker that really gives Menezes a great floor for his vocals and with a thick underbelly, his vibrant guitar riffs are smoking hot. Excellent track. Slow blues number, Any Day, Anytime has strong blues bones along the lines of a Freddie King number. Menezes keeps coming on stronger and stronger with his soulful vocals and crisp guitar work. his phrasing is intuitive and inspired. Excellent! Funky, Should Have Never Left has a strong balance of bass, drums and horns, underlaid by organ by Frank and Menezes' guitar playing is nothing short of super. Jump blues number, Love 'n' Roll gives Menezes a great opportunity to show his best "Gatemouth" Brown styling and again, he is tops. With trumpet punctuation by Adisa, this track rocks. Shuffle track, Give My Money Back has great pace and flow. Menezes gets in a really nice groove on this one and just rides. Very nice. Slowing way down for a soulful jazz ballad, Can't Get You Out Of My Mind, Menezes conjures up the sound of 50's jazz club with smooth vocals, muted trumpet of Adisa and his own lush guitar chords, breaking into George Benson like runs. Very nice. Wrapping the release is 'Til The Day I Die, shifting gears one more time to a contemporary rocker. Moving midsong to a heavy bottomed rocker, reinforced by Aged and Novak, Menezes shows that he understands how far blues roots extends and really kicks it with flashy heavy riffs. Excellent closer!

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Cordova Bay Records artist: David Vest - Self-titled - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest self-titled release from David Vest and it's a rock and roller. Opening with Some Old Lonesome Day, David Vest, who handles piano and lead vocals is backed by Billy Hicks on drums, Ryan Tandy on bass and Tom Bowler and Peter Dammann on guitar. Genevieve kicks into a R&B style with a cool bass and drum rhythm and New Orleans style piano rolls by Vest and tasty guitar work by Bowler and Dammann. Boogie track, Party In The Room Next Door, kicks it up a few more notches giving Vest the open road to really rock out on piano. Following suit is a strong rockabilly style guitar solo making this one of the best tracks on the release. Elvis Presley's Leak In This Old Building really captures that R&B rockin style with gospel style piano. Traditional track, Gotta Travel On gets a Latin jazz remix with lead piano by Vest improvising the melody with tight drum riffs by Hicks giving it a New Orleans flavor. Very cool. Renoviction Man digs right into the old style John Lee Hooker styling with loose vocal phrasing, excellent piano riffs and old style blues guitar riffs. Possibly my favorite track on the release. Wrapping the release is Lomax, a somber ballad highlighting Vest on piano and vocal. This is an interesting release with a broad variety of sounds.

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Hunter Records artist: J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters - Blue Eyed Soul Volume I - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Eyed Soul Volume I, by J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters and it's very cool. Opening with R&B track, Anything I Can Do, J.T. shows just how smooth he can be on lead vocal backed by Ian Frederick Johannessen and Arnfinn Torrisen on rhythm guitar, Morten Nordskaug on bass, John Grimsby on drums, Paul Wagnburg on B3 Jens Petter Antonsen on trumpet and trombone and a nice guitar intro by Dave Fields. Stay With Me All The Time is a classic with a super melody and really nice balance. On Allen Toussaint's Nothing Takes The Place Of You, J.T. really shines with his soulful lead vocal with Borge-Are S. Halvorsen on sax, Deanna Bogart on backing vocals and nice solo guitar work by Mike Zito. Excellent! Funky blues number, You Got Me Down has a great bass line compliments Nordskaug and the clean cowbell work of Grimsby is not at all lost. Guitar solos by Johannessen and Torrisen give the track that stinging edge but this track is all J.T. and his vocal. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a Mike Zito ballad, Sweet On Me, with a country blues feel. Vocal blending between J.T. and Nordskaug are tight, the accordion work of J.T. is soothing and unexpected and the sweet sax work of Jimmy Carpenter closes this solid release.



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Spectra Musique artist: Jordan Officer - Three Rivers - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Three Rivers, from Jordan Officer and I'm really looking forward to getting it home on the real system Office has a unique style of blending easy playful tunes with intense bursts of guitar and the opener, Your Body's My Home. An easy paced guitar rhythm and a mellow melody is the stage for crisp and intense burst of guitar energy, backed by Zev Katz on bass and Charley Drayton on drums. Very cool. Big swinger, One Handed Push-Ups is a great jump track featuring officer on lead vocal as well as guitar and violin. This is a snappy track with real fireworks. Super! Easy rocker, Dream of You and Me has nice paired vocals and with solid bass lines, and brushed drums, Officer riffs off some real nice melodic lead solo lines. Slow and quiet is how he approaches Just To Be With You with solid vocals, cool fiddle soloing and crisp guitar riffs...all by officer over bass and drums. Very effective. With a Bo Diddley beat and Roy Buchanan like trem bends, Officer scampers vocally across the New Orleans like drumming of Drayton adding Hawaiian like slide riffs. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Buck Jumping Into New Orleans with a real strong New Orleans rhythmic feel. The thumping bass of Katz, the tom tom backbone of Drayton sets an excellent platform for Officer lay down excellent guitar and violin riffs on a solid closer.

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Buffalo Bounce artist: Roughmax and the Steamrollers - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Roughmax and the Steamrollers from Max Pieri and it's different. Opening with Candy Ass Blues (what a great name for a song) is a pop rocker with overdriven vocals and bass by Max, Luciano Lucky Pesce on piano, and Corrado D' Amato on drums. I Am Too Loose (I Want To Stand) is an interesting rocker with over the top drums and aggressive organ work by Pesce giving Max a strong top for his bass and vocals. Sebastiano Lillo adds an additional dimension on jazz rocker, Junk with his cool slide work. One of my favorite tracks on the release is somber ballad, Guilty with a subtle bass line, piano and lead vocal. This track is simple, yet strong. Very nice. High stepping instrumental, The Second Bite is lead by Pesce's electric keys and features strong bass lines by Max and drums by Amato. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Little Stone In My Pocket, a pop rocker with a driving beat. This release has characteristics of progressive, blues, classic, funk you name it. In any case, it's interesting.

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Suzie Vinnick - Shake The love Around - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Shake The Love Around, from Suzie Vinnick and it's light rocker with fine vocals and a poppy feel. Opening with Happy As Hell, Vinnick lays down a cool funky guitar line and with Gary Craig on drums, Johnny Johnson on sax and Dean McTaggart they really set up a tight foundation to support her strong vocal lines. Another track with a nice back beat, Lean Into The Light has a real infectious feel with nicely harmonized vocals courtesy David Leask and slick guitar work by Vinnick. A particularly cool track is Danger Zone with Vinnick accompanying herself on bass. Excellent job. My favorite track on the release is Creaking Pines with a haunting melody and some of Vinnick's best vocals and nicely stylized blues guitar riffs. Excellent. Wrapping the release is Drift Away, a strong ballad with a smart melody. With only light electric and acoustic guitar, drums and Hammond by Mark lalama, this is a sweet closer for a solid release. 

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Ramasound Records artist: Wentus Blues Band - Throwback - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Throwback, from Wentus Blues Band and I really like it. Opening with Carey Bell's Wrapped Up In Love, lead vocalist, Juho Kinaret has a super voice for the blues with excellent riffs from Niko Riipa on guitar, Robban Hagnas on bass, Pekka Grohn on keys and Daniel Hjerppe on drums. Very nice. Eddie Kirkland's Rainbow is very soulful with definite flavors of Robert Cray. Kinaret's voice is spot on and Grohn's organ work adds a real nice texture. Another Kirkland track, Done Somebody Wrong, really rides nicely in the groove with excellent vocals from Kinaret and stinging guitar riffs from Riipa... possibly my favorite track on the release. Hungry John's Feel So Young is a great boogie in the vein of Slim Harpo. With driving bottom work by Hagnas and Hjerppe; overflowing organ by Grohn and Kinaret, coaxing the whole set along, this is another of the top tracks. Another Carey Bell track, Hard Working Woman, has a mysterious looming feel and some of Kinaret's best vocals on the release. Excellent! With a driving boogie sound, Eric Bibb's Don't Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down is a really cool track with elongated fluid guitar riffs. Sven Zetterberg's I Think You Need A Shrink has a terrific R&B blues feel again really showing the strength of Kinaret's vocals. Riipa gets the opportunity to stretch on this one and it isn't wasted. Excellent! Phil Guy's Fixin' To Die is a real barn burner of a slow blues and Rippa tears it up quite nicely. His lead guitar work is hot, interesting and nicely phrased. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Louisiana Red's, Red's Dream showing nice balance of the entire band. This is a truly solid blues release and one that I think most blues listeners will love. 

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Powerful Soul Ensemble Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Set to Release Sophomore Recording

Powerful Soul Ensemble Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Set to Release Sophomore Recording

Run To Me out April 27 followed by hometown CD launch party April 28 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto Watch/Share new live video for "All Night Long" here

For Immediate Release: March 29, 2018 (Toronto,ON) - Toronto-based Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar’s latest recording, entitled Run to Me, is scheduled for release on April 27, 2018. Produced by Darcy Yates (bassist for Bahamas), the new album explores the full range of the vicissitudes of love: desire, betrayal and, at times, emotional and sexual satisfaction. The lyrics are incisive, the melodies are constantly arresting and the harmonies and arrangements call up the best of the soul sounds of Stax Records and such contemporary artists as Leon Bridges, Sharon Jones, and Lee Fields. Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar’s debut release, 2015’s Send the Nightingale, was a stripped- down affair consisting of Martin, her two co-singers Sherie and Stacie, and guitarist Mikey McCallum. For Run to Me, Martin elected to record her emotionally wrought material with an expanded band, augmenting the core of Delta Sugar’s gospel-infused harmonies with a full rhythm section, piano, organ and an ever-so-soulful horn section. Send the Nightingale was a stunning achievement which garnered four Maple Blues nominations in 2016, was regularly featured on the CBC, topped the blues charts on Stingray radio and propelled the group onto the stages of all the major Canadian festivals and clubs coast to coast. Subsequent to the album’s release, Martin has been nominated three years in a row as Female Vocalist of the Year at the Maple Blues Awards. Continuing to build on the group’s steamrolling momentum, in the fall of 2017, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar were selected by a panel of blues experts to represent Toronto at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, a platform that has served to launch any number of careers in both Europe and the United States. While Martin is a powerhouse unto herself, the vocal alchemy of Delta Sugar is not the work of a single talent. In combination with what she likes to term her “co-vocalists,” Sherie Marshall and newest full-time member Mwansa Mwansa, the vocal blend Delta Sugar produces is pure, unadulterated gospel-tinged, neuron-tingling magic where the sum is even richer than the already soul-melting parts. After performing 130 high energy “soul revue” style shows in the US and Canada in 2017, and buzz-worthy showcases at both Americana (Sept. 2017) and at The International Blues Challenge in Memphis (Jan. 2018) – Samantha is now building her European fan base with two full-length European tours scheduled before February 2019. The live show is a torrid force of nature, taking audiences to emotional peaks while leaving them stunned with pin-you-against-the-wall power.   samanthamartinmusic.com | gypsysoulentertainment.com   Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar CD Release Party Saturday, April 28 The Horseshoe Tavern 370 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON Doors at 8:00 p.m. Show at 9:00 p.m. with Dani Nash and The Honeyrunners  Advance tickets $15 available at ticketfly.com / $20 at the door

Marshall Lawrence - Feeling Fine - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Feeling Fine, by Marshall Lawrence and it's a solid rocker. Opening with title track, Feeling Fine, Lawrence on lead vocal and guitar is joined by Zach Daniel Robertson on bass, Alan Beveridge on drums and Andrew Glover on keys, the band has nice vocal harmonies somewhat similar to Good Rats. Country/blues flavored rocker, Ida Mae, has a cool shuffle spine and aggressive guitar lead and tight drums reminding me a bit of Molly Hatchet. Blues number, Blues Still Got Me has a great 12 bar feel. Grinding guitar lead gives this track a definite edge making it one of my favorites on the release. Bluesy ballad, Help Me Find My Way Home, has strong radio appeal with a nice melody, modest but interesting guitar lead and well balanced backing. Latin flavored, Keep On Walking, features Lawrence on slide guitar and he sets a nice groove. With tight drum riffs and a solid bass line, this is a great lead into the release closer, Dirty Dishes. Blues rocker with a cool backbeat, not only gives up a good foot stomper but also has nice guitar lead and some of Lawrence's best vocals.

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Stony Plain artist: Sue Foley - The Ice Queen - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Ice Queen, from Sue Foley and I think it may be her best yet. Opening with Come To Me with Charlie Sexton joining on vocal and slide guitar, Foley adds a little funk to her already bluesy deal with Chris Maresh on bass, Chris Layton on drums and Kyle Thompson on maracas. Run has a country 2 step feel and Foley really drives this one with her ambitious guitar rhythm. Slow blues and title track, The Ice Queen, shows Foley at her purest with George rains on drums and Billy Horton on bass. Her riffs are right off a Hooker release and her vocals are simple and direct. Very nice. Shuffle track, The Lucky Ones features Jimmie Vaughan trading lead vocal and guitar riffs. With the addition of Mike Flanigin or organ, the track has an additional dimension and Foley's guitar riffs play nicely against Vaughan's. Billy Gibbons joins on Fool's Golds and his vocals really work great with Foley's. his solo work is always distinctive and effortless giving this track a nice sparkle. Blues ballad, If I Have Forsaken You is the strongest melodic track on the release giving it solid radio potential and Vaughan's distinctive playing style and tone shine. An updated cover of Bessie Smith's Send Me To the 'Lectric Chair is cool and fun. With Spanish and classical influences, The Dance highlight's Foley's acoustic guitar proficiency and also adds nicely to the overall texture of the release. Wrapping the release is Carter family's Cannonball Blues, again only Foley on acoustic guitar and vocal. This is a real nice closer for a totally enjoyable release.

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Silvertone/Sony artist: Joanne Shaw Taylor - Wild - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wild, from Joanne Shaw Taylor and it's a cool guitar fused blues release. Opening with Dyin' To Know, Taylor leads with a driving rhythm and crisp but understated lead guitar behind her solid vocals and backed by Greg Morrow on drums, Rob McNelly on guitar, Michael Rhodes on bass and Steve Nathan on keys. Ready To Roll has real swagger and Taylor's voice really shines. Backing vocals by Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins and Jade MacRae give the track fullness leading up to so real nice guitar slashes by Taylor. Very cool. Get You Back is a solid country rocker in the style of the Outlaws with nicely blended backing vocals and tight guitar riffs. I really like the bent guitar chords on the opening of ballad, Wild Is The Wind. Rhodes' bass line gives the track a richer contrast to Taylor's already enticing chords and strong vocals. Very nice. Rocker, Wanna Be My Lover has the drive of the Allman's, One Way Out and the energy of the Pointer Sisters, Neutron Dance. With it's quiet nature but strong emotion, I Wish I Could Wish You Back is one of the best tracks on the release with a really warm melody, light guitar acoustic work and soft slide guitar behind the song. Excellent! With an easy swing, My Heart's Got A Mind Of It's Own, slides back and forth off the funk. Horn work by Paulie Cerra on sax and Lee Thomburg on trumpet and Barnes, Tippins and MacRae on backing vocal and Taylor's own soulful guitar make this another top track. Wrapping the release is a real nice cover of Big Brother's arrangement of classic, Summertime. I really need to give Taylor a nice bump for this track because she has a super fat lower region and she uses it nicely rather than just over singing Joplin's own vocal emotion as I have heard in other covers of this track. She does cling relatively closely to Big Brother guitarists Andrew and Gurley's melodic take but this is where the comparison begins and ends. Her vocal interpretation is unique and inspired and her guitar soloing nicely phrased. Excellent closer. 

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Straw Family - Family Matters - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Family Matters, from Straw Family and it's sweet and melodic. Opening with rocker, Alive, Straw Family, is really a vocal group of Denise Fabricius, Henriette Fabricius, and Sally Fabricius with Carsten Fabricius,  Frederik Nordvang and Jens Runge on guitar, Helge Solberg on bass  and Michael Axen on drums producing a warm, bouncy sound with tight harmonies. Definite radio material. 1965 has a bit more of a pop country sound, again with rich harmonies and a cool melody. Bang Bang has a driving bass line and still with solid radio qualities, but with a grittier edge. One of my favorite tracks on the release is quiet ballad, Spider Making new Web, featuring Sally on solo vocal and piano, accompanied lightly by drums and guitar. Another solid ballad, I Hope,  features Soren on piano and solo vocal.  A third ballad, Family and Friends, finds the family blending nicely on vocal with just a little more movement. Their vocal blending is actually quite perfect. Wrapping the release, Dreaming, is a light jazzy track with rich vocal blending and a snappy beat. This is a solid closer for a full vocal release.

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Emily Burgess - Are We In Love? - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Are We In Love?, from Emily Burgess and it's fun. Burgess, who has played with a number of top guitarists as well as tours as a part of The Weber Brothers has stepped out on her own. Opening with Til I Get To Call You My Own, a Jimmy Reed style blues number, Emily Burgess has the mic and lead guitar role, backed by Sam Weber on guitar, Ryan Weber on bass, Ryan Brown on keys and Marcus Browne on drums. One of my favorites on the release is pop rocker, All I Wanna Do Is Love You with it's driving beat, sweet vocals and stinging guitar soloing. Blues ballad, Ain't That A Woman, has a great melody and with clean vocals and a nice melodic guitar solo, should easily garner radio play. Rocker, Only One In Your Dreams has a strong power pop sound with overdriven guitars, blended female vocals and Browne on harp. Another of my favorites is Arrested with loose, naïve style vocals, a bouncy rhythm and clever guitar riffs. Wrapping the release is acoustic vocal duet, What Has Been Is All Within, with Hillary Dumoulin. This is a cool release. It isn't straight down blues alley but it has all of the right stuff.

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Steve Sainas - simple as this - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, simple as this, from Steve Sainas and it's calming. Opening with title track, Simple as This, Sainas accompanies his own vocals on acoustic guitar. Simple and clean. With a more deliberate rock feel, Sainas is joined by Kelly Stodola on drums and Chad Matthews on bass for solid track, Why Do We Fall. I really like this track with it's warm melody and reassuring bottom. Another of my favorites on the release is Your Light Will Shine On, with solid vocals, a nice melody and strong rhythm. My Darkest Days Are Gone presents my favorite vocals on the release supported by a warm melody and clean acoustic backing. Wrapping the release is springy, Everything's Gonna Be Alright, with it's comforting lyrics and cool melody. This is a sure departure from Sainas' blues band, Mud Dog but a solid solo effort.

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