Landslide Records artist: Geoff Achison - Sovereign Town - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sovereign Town, from Geoff Achison and it's quite good. Opening with folk rocker, Skeleton Kiss, Achison, on guitar and vocal crafts a definitely radio worthy track with solid backing by Andrew Fry on bass, Dave Clark on drums, Liam Kealy on Hammond and John McNamara on backing vocals. Title track, Sovereign Town has a real nice feel with rich warm backing vocals and a blend of finger picked and slide guitar by Achison supporting his distinctive vocals. Very nice. With a light jazzy touch, Misha Bella has a cool George Benson touch but maintaining Achison style country runs. Kealy's Hammond solo balances the track nicely making it one of my favorites on the release. Another particularly interesting track is World of Blue with fluid delivery, a strong melody, warm backing vocals, nice slide and just the right amount of Hammond. Excellent! Instrumental track, Hand of Faith, has a very soothing melody and with firm yet delicate articulate, Achison delivers this exceptional track. Wrapping the release is instrumental, Coolbardie Sunrise with tight fingerpicking in a traditional country blues style. Excellent closer for a cool release. 

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Celso Salim Band - Mama's Hometown - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mama's Hometown, by Celso Salim Band and it's cool, soulful blues. Opening with Mad Dog, a super track with a cool New Orleans style rhythm and nice "Allmanesque" slide work by Salim to support Rafael Cury on lead vocal. Great opener. Chicago styling plays up on Locked Out In Misery featuring Darryl Carriere on harp and backed by Mike Hoghtower on bass and Lynn Coulter on drums has nice articulate guitar riffs throughout by Salim. Up tempo boogie rocker, Let It Burn, has a really nice feel, with Dave Fraiser on keys and solid slide playing by Salim and cool vocals by Salim, Cury, Fraiser, Hightower and Coulter. Blues ballad, No Need To Be Alone has a strong melody and vocal making it a strong radio contender and fine guitar work giving it real strength with the blues crowd. Very nice. Title track, Mama's Hometown, has a slinky feel and nicely blended vocal melodies, floating on an easy bottom with the soft feel of dobro slide. Very nice. Salim closes the release with traditional blues, In My Time of Dying, featuring his dobro and vocal. This is a really nice release with a lot of texture.

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Deb Rhymer - Don't Wait Up - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Don't Wait Up, from Deb Rhymer, and it's quite good. Opening with shuffle track, Heartache and Trouble, Rhymer and her band of power features Kelly Fawcett on guitar, Andy Graffiti on drums, Clayton O' Howe on bass and a supple solo by Gene Hardy on sax. Elmore James' Cry For Me Baby, has great feel and vocal phrasing with Gary Preston on harp and styling guitar work by Fawcett. Very cool. Bluesy original pop track, Don't Wait Up commands the title track position and rightly so with it's catchy melody and radio appeal. Rhymer's vocals are smooth and Fawcett's guitar soloing clean and brilliant. Another cool shuffle track is There's The Door with excellent trombone work by Randy Oxford really shining bright on an already solid entry. Wrapping the release is slow blues ballad, Giving Me the Blues with Wynn Gogol on keys. Rhymer picks the right track for her closer, showcasing her best vocal effort on the release. Fawcett digs in nicely with a tight guitar solo wrapping up the excellent closer. 

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Canadian Blues Giant Harpdog Brown Shares Video for "Reefer Lovin' Woman"to Celebrate Legal Pot in Canada

Canadian Blues Giant Harpdog Brown Shares Video for “Reefer Lovin’ Woman” Released on October 17, the day pot was legalized in Canada View/Share video for "Reefer Lovin' Woman" here tinyurl.com/y985qk3k On October 17, Canadian blues singer/harmonica master Harpdog Brown celebrated the landmark occasion of Canada legalizing marijuana with the release of a new video for the track, “Reefer Lovin’ Woman”, from his forthcoming album (Spring 2019). The song is not an invitation or advocating that people ingest pot – it is simply a song about a guy who falls in love with a woman who partakes. It can be considered a social commentary as well, with the final line “that's all right with me.” For many, cannabis offers similar relief beyond the health benefits claimed by advocates of cannabis culture. “I wanted to write a fun song about one man’s acceptance of the fact that the one he fell in love with is an advocate of cannabis culture,” says Brown. When asked about his thoughts on legalization, he compared it to the prohibition of alcohol back in the day. “I believe it's long overdue. Deeming marijuana usage a criminal activity is insane in my opinion. I believe the information that supports the health benefits of cannabis over pharmaceuticals. I also believe that creating legal distribution channels would benefit Canada and communities through the taxes gained.  Eliminating the need of a black market is I think a good thing. Much like alcohol in the prohibition days, the people have spoken. Marijuana is already accepted in our culture. It’s time to take it out of the dark.” Vancouver-based Harpdog Brown has long been called a Blues Evangelist, and that’s a very fitting moniker. "I speak the blues like it's the truth, and it is,” he says. "I do feel like I'm a servant of the people. A missionary if you will. Music can heal people if they pay attention to the messages in these songs.”  Brown delivers those messages using the vintage sound whether it is with his lowdown classic blues band the Travelin’ Blues Show or with his new Uptown Blues Band.  Harpdog Brown is a gifted vocalist and an imaginative harmonica player who has earned a solid reputation as a real-deal purveyor of classic electric blues reminiscent of the old Chess Records and Sun Records of the late ‘40s and early ‘50s.  He has won three consecutive Maple Blues Awards for Harmonica Player of the Year (2014/2015/2016), the Fraser Valley Music Award, has three consecutive Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations, a Juno Nomination (Canada’s Grammy) and is the only Canadian to win the coveted Muddy Award. In 2016, he was nominated for 3 Maple Blues Awards (Harmonica Player, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year) for his latest release, Travelin’ With The Blues.  These days he’s been touring more and more as Harpdog Brown & the Uptown Blues Band - a vintage New Orleans Blues sound featuring slide trombone, keyboards, bass and drums and often a sax and clarinet. Still a vintage vibe, just a different vintage. Harpdog Brown Online www.HarpdogBrown.com Facebook https://facebook.com/HarpdogBrownLIVE

Blues Rocker Anthony Gomes to Release Peace, Love & Loud Guitars on October 19th

Blues Rocker Anthony Gomes to Release 13^th Disc

Peace, Love & Loud Guitars out October 19th

International Tour Underway

Anthony Gomes has been carving out his own space as an unapologetically rock-influenced bluesman and songwriter since first coming to national attention in the 1998. Gomes’ new record, Peace, Love & Loud Guitars, is the culmination of a life spent honoring blues traditions while never losing sight of his own identity. He writes memorable new songs that exist somewhere between Willie Dixon and Billy Gibbons. He stands his ground as a creative artist, not a derivative history lesson, and is eager to push the blues back into the mainstream.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Gomes relocated to Chicago in the late 90’s. During a brief stint as a sideman for Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Gomes put together his own group and won the first annual Buddy Guy’s Legends “Best Unsigned Blues Band” competition in 1998. Later that year, Gomes released his debut CD, “Blues in Technicolor,” which introduced him as a guitar-slinger loaded with impressive firepower. On 2002's “Unity”, he accomplished the album's title with a heavy mix of styles leading Bandit Blues Radio to name it one of the “Top 30 Essential Blues Albums” of all time. Gomes was elevated to the top of the blues field just one year later when BluesWax Magazine named him “Artist of the Year,” a nomination he would claim for several years in a row due to his endless commitment and touring. “Music Is the Medicine” (2006) peaked at number four on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart, only to be outdone by LIVE (2008) debuting at number one. The accolades continued, with “Up 2 Zero” (2012), “...Before The Begining” (2013) and Electric Field Holler (2015) all claiming real estate on Billboard’s Top 10 Album chart and critics ‘best of’ lists.

Gomes has taken his blues to 17 countries and performed with luminaries like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Robert Plant, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Joe Bonamassa, .38 Special, Jonny Lang, Robert Cray, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. His high-level guitar, vocal, and songwriting skills have made him one of the top drawing artists in the blues/rock world. His 2015 release Electric Field Holler, debuted at Number Three on the Billboard Blues Chart and he has had five records make the Top Ten there, including 2008’s Live, which debuted at Number One and his song “Love Sweet Love” has racked up over 3.5 million plays on Spotify.

Fresh from his victory at the European Blues Awards for “Best Musician/Live Performance” comes Anthony’s latest Peace, Love & Loud Guitars. He bares heart and soul on “Come Down,” a modern work song with the startling plea “Come down from heaven B.B. King, cause this kingdom has no king.” “White Trash Princess” describes a princess from “Texarkana” who “keeps a loaded gun, right next to her bible,” for a memorable aural portrait of a femme fatale. Gomes always crafts memorable content, with the grinding slow drag “Blues in the First Degree” a prime example. Over industrial strength crunch guitars he modulates his voice from accusingly corrosive to purringly sweet while a soaring guitar solo with cascading finger tapping nails the indictment. Gomes waxes tender on “You Are Amazing”, a classic R&B ballad that should become a standard. The anthemic blues-rock of the hopeful title track could be a new motto for the post-Woodstock generation, replacing the “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” hedonism of yore. Acknowledging the past, Gomes pays tribute to Robert Johnson while creating his own crossroads legend on “Stealin’ from the Devil.” Anthony Gomes has nothing left to prove while leaving all his passion on the table. Nonetheless, he continues striving to not only find the legendary “lost chord,” but the ultimate combinations of words, notes and performance.

Peace, Love & Loud Guitars out October 19^th

Terry Blersh - Play It All Day - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Play It All Day, from Terry Blersh and it's a nice mix of cool tracks. Opening with Treat Me Right with it's Latin rhythm, Blersh on lead vocal flashes some real tasty guitar riffs over Shamakah Ali on drums, Collin Barnett on bass Michael Fonfara on Hammond and lance Anderson on piano. Nice opener. Charging right into R&B track, It's All Right, this track is all about rhythm with Garth Vogan on bass, Al Cross on drums, Anderson on keys, Art Avalos on percussion and smoky sax work by Gene Hardy. The vocal blending of Blersch and John Finley is really super. With a fusion of jazz and R&B and slick guitar lead, title track, Play It All Day, is a top radio choice with really nice backing vocals by Quisha Wint. The Girl Outside My Window has a cool island/reggae/tex mex feel with John Mays on vocal and Denis Keldie on accordion. Boogie track, King Creole has a super stride with solid vocals, tight bass lines by Dennis Pinhorn and stylized guitar work by Blersh with nicely articulated piano work by Anderson and nice horn compliment by Simon Wallis. Tex Mex track, Early Morning Rain has a particularly soothing feel with soft vocals and harmonies and mandolin by Jimmy Bowskill, Keldie on accordion and rimshots by Cross. very nice. One of the nicest tracks on the release is ballad, Only One with an extremely rich melody and certainly the best vocal track on the release with only minimal backing. Excellent! Wrapping the release is I'll See You In My Dreams with a cool "Chet Atkins" feel. Accompanied by Bowskill on mandolin, this is a super closer for a really entertaining release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Velvet Space Love - Tomislav Goluban, Featuring Toni Staresinic - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Velvet Space Love, by Tomislav Goluban, featuring Toni Staresinic and it's quite unusual for items I review. Opening with Zero Gravity, a somewhat spacey, atmospheric, composition featuring Goluban playing soulful harmonic melody over Staresinic's synth work. Space Drive is a continuation of a sonic fusion with what sounds like computer rhythm, Theremin, atmospheric keys and harp and guitar soloing. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is The Busiest Woman I've Ever Loved with a crisp jazz like rhythm. Goluban solos nicely over the key work of Staresinic backed by snappy drum work of Igor Vugrek, and bass of Damjan Grbac and punched up by Zvonimir Bajevic on trumpet, Robert Pulgar on sax and Mario Sinck on trombone. Very nice. Zero Gravity, Space Drive and Tsmk all get remixes with an emphasis on electronica, my favorite being Tsmk. Wrapping the release is Man With A Harmonica, an interesting track with orchestral style backing by Staresinic and wailing harp by Goluban. This is actually quite interesting. Looking  for something different...this may be it!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Gypsy Soul Records artist: Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar - Run To Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Run To Me, by Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar and it's got a cool R&B vibe. Opening with You're The Love, an edgy R&B ballad with a solid radio hook, strong vocals by Martin, Sherie Marshall and Mwansa Mwansa and really cool guitar work by Curtis Chaffey and Michael McCallum and tight backing by Steve Marriner on keys, Darcy Yates on bass and Dani Nash on drums. Cool opener. Another track with solid vocal and a strong hook is Will We Ever Learn with glass clean guitar rhythm and cool organ by Marriner. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Wanna Be Your Lover with just the right amount of lag in Martin's vocal delivery. Melodies are all strong on this release and this track is no exception, cushioned by guitar reverb and smooth vocal backing. Horn soaked, Over You, has really nice construction with soul and gospel feel with rich backing vocals and Shamus Currie on Trombone, Andrew Moljgun on sax and Thomas Moffett on trumpet. Very nice! Only So Much is a particularly soulful ballad with nice tension added by Marriner on organ and a stylistic guitar solo making this another of my favorites on the release.  Wrapping the release is All Night Long, an uptempo R&B track with nice vocal blending. This is a really nice release by Martin that should win her more accolades and a lot more fans.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Ottawa’s JW-Jones Releases First Live Album on September 28, 2018

Ottawa’s JW-Jones Releases First Live Album on September 28, 2018

Canadian and USA tour dates announced

New Video:  JW-Jones - LIVE (Official Promo Video) here The improv magic you hear on JW-Jones’ 10th album, Live, is the spark that has awakened new sonic frontiers for the veteran Maple Blues Award-winning Ottawa bluesman.  “I cranked up my overdrive in concert one night for fun, and it opened up this new world of ideas for me,” admits the JUNO-nominated Jones, whose searing axemanship has been praised by Blues Revue Magazine as “a fluid amalgam of T-Bone Walker’s big, bright chords; Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s slashing leads and Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown’s jazzy sting.”  “I felt a new sense of freedom.” That sense of freedom resonates through Live, an exciting collection of 11 previously-unreleased songs lovingly recorded over two nights at a sold-out Gatineau, QC theatre by producer Zach Allen, fresh off his Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy Award victory for the Taj Mahal/Keb’ Mo collaboration TajMo.  “This album is a big departure for me,” Jones explains. “Especially on songs like ‘I Don’t Believe A Word You Say’ and ‘Moanin’ at Midnight:’ both of those songs clock in at over six minutes and I’m playing that overdriven guitar in a way I’ve literally never played on record before.”  As he continues to evolve as one of Canada’s most versatile bluesmen, with one foot in the terra firma of the traditional blues espoused by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin and harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite (who both guested on Jones’ memorable Midnight Memphis Sun, recorded at the historic Sun Studio) and blues contemporaries Robert Cray, for whom the JW-Jones band has occasionally opened, he continues to challenge and raise his standards through his recordings and the 130 dates on average yearly that he clocks in on the road.  With the last JW-Jones studio project, the Colin Linden-produced High Temperature, capturing the coveted Memphis Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge honours for Best Self-Released CD, the frequent resident of Billboard’s Top 10 Blues charts and Canadian roots radio favourite continues to accelerate his career momentum to new heights, whether it’s as a personally-requested sit-in with the likes of blues legend Buddy Guy, opening for blues rock icons Johnny Winter and George Thorogood or entertaining thrilled audiences in 23 countries and four continents.  “Audiences get excited because it’s all so organic,” notes Jones, who stretches out on Live with his Goldtop Gibson Les Paul. “The blues is such a universal language, and the fact that we never play the same solo twice just adds to that vibrant energy, which I think we really capture on this album.”  Live also embraces Jones’ continuing appreciation of modern days blues music, best illustrated by the album’s opening number, a rendition of Robert Cray’s “A Memo (Nothin’ But Love.)” “The first time I heard that tune, written by Robert’s bass player, Richard Cousins, I fell in love with it,” says Jones. “It’s a really great contemporary blues song because it doesn’t sound traditional and it’s got a great chorus and harmonies. Robert saw a video of our version and gave us the thumbs-up.” It also represents progress, reflecting Jones’ growing modern tastes.  “When I first started out, I studied old blues records and wanted to be accepted by my heroes. I wanted them to notice that I was staying authentic to the sound. Over the years things have changed, and I want to play and write music that moves me, even if it doesn’t sound like a Chicago blues tune cut in 1956. I feel that I need to play the music that speaks to me personally.”    An additional highlight is the inclusion of the JW-Jones showstopper – the 17-song medley that rifles through snippets of classic guitar riffs backed by the energetic support of 2018 Maple Blues Award Bassist of the Year Laura Greenberg and the inimitable Will Laurin on drums.  “It’s been a staple of our live show for years,” says Jones. “People have been asking us to record it forever, so now we’ve finally captured it for everyone to enjoy!” And everyone will enjoy Live, an album for the ages that captures the JW-Jones lightning in a bottle. - Nick Krewen  (freelance contributor for Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, Grammy.com, and Billboard)  QUOTES “This young man is one of the people who will keep the blues alive” - Buddy Guy (7 time Grammy winner)  “His evolution as a musician and vocalist shine through... JW is the real deal." - Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones)  "This is an amazing blues band" - Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues)  TRACK LISTING  1.  A Memo (Nothin’ But Love)  (5:04) 2.  Need You So Bad  (4:05) 3.  I Don’t Believe A Word You Say  (5:59) 4.  Moanin’ At Midnight  (9:37) 5.  Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You  (3:42) 6.  Early Every Morning (4:20) 7.  You’re Gonna Need Me  (4:41) 8.  Catch That Teardrop  (4:46) 9.  That’s Alright  (5:25) 10. Way Down Inside  (3:08) 11. I Might Not Come Home At All / Medley  (5:25) JW-JONES – LIVE ALBUM - TOUR 28-Sep   Live On Elgin – Ottawa, ON  CD Release Party 29-Sep   Van Aukens Inn – Old Forge, NY 30-Sep   Wakeley’s – Utica, NY 10-Oct    Buddy Guy's Legends - Chicago, IL 11-Oct     Shank Hall - Milwaukee, WI 12-Oct     Ore Dock Brewing Company - Marquette, MI 13-Oct     Famous Dave's - Minneapolis, MN 14-Oct     Ramada By Wyndham - Bismarck, ND 16-Oct     Blues on Whyte - Edmonton, AB 17-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB 18-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB 19-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB 20-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB 21-Oct     Blues On Whyte - Edmonton, AB 22-Oct     Wild Bill's Saloon - Banff, AB 23-Oct     The Dream Café - Penticton, BC 25-Oct     The Flying Steamshovel & Gastropub - Rossland, BC 26-Oct     Finley's - Nelson, BC 27-Oct     Osborne Bay Pub - Crofton, BC 28-Oct     Guilt & Co - Vancouver, BC 1-Nov      Torch Club - Sacramento, CA 2-Nov      Poor House Bistro - San Jose, CA 3-Nov      Covo La Jolla - San Diego, CA 4-Nov      O'Hennings - Bakersfield, CA 8-Nov      Sand Dollar Lounge - Las Vegas, NV 9-Nov      Private Party - San Diego, CA 10-Nov     Tucson Blues Society - Venue TBA - Tucson, AZ 16-Nov     Katie's - Bacliff, TX 17-Nov     Big Easy - Houston, TX

Angel Forrest - Electric Love - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Electric Love, from Angel Forrest and it's strong. Recorded live at Centre des Arts Juliette-Lassonde in Quebec this is a powerful numbered and signed limited edition. Opening with All The Way, a funky blues rocker, Angel Forrest projects live right through the player. Joined by Alec McElcheran on bass, Sly Coulombe on drums, Denis Coulombe on acoustic guitar,  and with slick guitar soloing from Ricky Paquette, this is a strong opener. On Janis Joplin's Piece Of My Heart, Forrest shows a genuine likeness to Joplin's own performance of this trademark track with able backing vocals by McElcheran, Paquette and Coulombe.  Traditional folk track, The House Of The Rising Sun, made popular by Eric Burdon in the 60's gets a nice makeover with stinging guitar work by Paquette. Excellent! Wrapping side one is smoky Move On with a cool driving beat, swaying feel and stylized guitar work by Paquette. Nice closer. Roll On Down has a country swagger but an almost gospel vocal intro. Forrests vocals are cool and Paquette opens it up with fiery rock riffs. Country rocker, Hold On Tight, Mr. I'm Alright may be my favorite track on the release with a powerful bottom, strong guitar riffs ang great vocals. Crucify is a super ballad with strong vocals from Forrest and terrific guitar soloing from Paquette. Excellent! Kris Kristofferson's Bobby McGee is up next maintaining much of Kristofferson's original feeling and Joplin's bluesy interpretation nicely showcasing Forrest's voice and Betts like guitar soloing by Paquette. Pulling out the stops for the closer, an extended jam on Ruth Brown's  Mama, You Treat Your Daughter Mean / Led Zep Whole Lotta Love. The band fuses the two dynamo tracks together into one 15 minute jam with power, feeling and rock. Solid closer to a very enjoyable release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Brazilian Blues Guitarist Celso Salim to Release New CD Sept 28th

BRAZILIAN BLUES ARTIST CELSO SALIM

TO RELEASE NEW CD ON SEPTEMBER 28^TH

Mama’s Hometown is a magical, musical place where everyone is welcome! Blues Music

The Celso Salim Band presents a new sound rooted in the blues past, crossing genre boundaries while creating something that is original and compelling. Their music takes on many styles mixing deep blues with hints of soul, country, jazz and rock.

Brazilian guitarist Celso Salim had his first contact with the guitar when he was six years old. At the age of 12 the talented young musician started to listen to his first Blues records, which changed his life forever. Since then Celso knew what he wanted to be, a Blues guitarist. For years he studied guitar hours each day, learning from old records by artists such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, BB King, and Johnny Winter. A little later he began listening to 60’s & 70’s artists like the Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. At age 17, Celso moved to the US for the first time, spending 3 years studying music and performing live shows. During this period he was exposed to other genres like Soul, Jazz, Folk and Country. This time would later have great influence on Celso’s music.



In Brazil, Celso has built a solid fan base, releasing 5 solo albums since 2001 and is considered to be one of the best guitarists in the country. He has also toured and recorded with prominent artists in the Brazilian Blues/Rock scene. Frequently featured among top Brazilian acts, Celso has performed at it's biggest festivals and venues. He has toured Europe and opened for legendary artist B. B. King as well as Deep Purple and John Hammond. He has also toured with bluesman Larry McCray and performed with blues legends Magic Slim and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (Muddy Waters drummer).



Celso re-located to Los Angeles in 2014 becoming one of the busiest and most respected guitarists in Southern California. The Celso Salim Band has won the Southern California Blues Society Battle of the Bands twice (2015 & 2017) and were semi-finalists at the International Blues Challenge 2018 in Memphis, TN.
They have also opened for renowned artists Canned Heat, Kim Wilson and Larry McCray, performing at large venues all over Southern California.



The Celso Salim Band has won five Independent Music Awards in these categories: Blues Song (2008), Blues Album (2015), Jazz with vocals Song (2015), Funk/Fusion/Jam Song (2017) and R&B/Soul song (2018). Their last album, To The End Of Time (2014), received great reviews from major publications in the U.S. and around the world such as Blues Matters! (UK), Blues Blast Magazine (USA), Blues Time (Italy) and Jefferson Blues Magazine (Sweeden).



The band features Brazilian singer Rafael Cury on lead vocals. Mike Hightower: bass/harmony vocals, Lynn Coulter: drums/harmony vocals, Max Butler: keyboards and Celso Salim: guitars/dobro/lead vocals.

Mama’s Hometown will be released on Wide Tracks Records on Sept 28,2018

True North Records/ New Sun Records artist: Crystal Shawanda - VooDoo Woman - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, VooDoo Woman, from Crystal Shawanda and it's off the hook. Opening with Willie Dixon's Wang Dang Doodle and Shawanda wastes absolutely no time showing that she means business. With a powerful voice and the greasy slide work of DeWayne Strobel, backed by Stephen Hanner on harp, Dave Roe on bass and Louis Winfield on drums, this track is powerful! Title track, Koko Taylor's VooDoo Woman has a rock edge with crafty harp riffs and a tight bottom. Again, Strobel's slide work had a strong influence on the overall sound supporting Shawanda's powerful vocals. One of my favorites on the release is Big Mama's Hound Dog with a snappy rock edge. Shawanda handles the shift in tempo like an old pro with sure dynamics and Strobel's rock riffs are clean and distinct. A definite high point on the release is Shawanda's cover of Etta James' I'd Rather Go Blind. He voice really lends itself to this particular song and the warm female backing vocals, complimented by Peter Keys on B3 really makes this track sing. Dorothy Moore's ballad, Misty Blue stands strong among the other giants on this track with solid sax work by Dana Robbins. Very nice. Ballad I'll Always Love You shows a more pure, less guttural vocal side of Shawanda and in a more radio focused track featuring writer Tommy Stillwell on guitar. Wrapping the release is acoustic based Blue Train with Strobel on resonator under mostly sole vocal by Shawanda. With just the right touch of backing vocals and a nod to original field songs, this is a solid finisher for a very cool release.

Busted Flat Records artist: Elliott and the Audio Kings - Long Live The King - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Long Live The King, from Elliott And The Audio Kings and it's terrific. Lead singer and guitarist, Mike Elliott, joined by Jonny Sauder on drums and Scott Fitzpatrick on bass for an old school raw blues rocker with a lot of guts. Opening with jump rocker Zim Zam Zoom, the guys start on full throttle and never let up. Elliott lay down the hot riffs and Sauder and Fitzpatrick keep it pumping. Super. Rolling in to All Revved Up, a low slung shuffle, these guys are really in the groove. With it's stripped down sound (raw guitar, vocal and rim shots) Shoulder The Weight is a cool Latin fused rocker with grip. Very nice. Pringles and Perrier is a real nasty instrumental with excellent lead guitar melody and just the basics for backing with an infectious Texas style lope. Excellent! With a real Chicago style, Day Drinking has just the right drag with a great guitar vamp and harp by Elliott, solid vocals and tight bass and drums making this another top choice on the release. Rock n' roller, Rich Girl has real drive bringing to mind the likes of Little Richard and Alvin Lee. Elliott has his own guitar style and it suits this music to a t. Very cool. Heart Attack is another track with real fire. Sauder and Fitzpatrick sit nicely in the slot as Elliott rifles away with his rowdy riffs. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Tin Sandwich, a hot jump track featuring Elliott on harp, chased by Sauder and Fitzpatrick. Excellent closer.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Stony Plain Records artist: Rory Block - A Woman's Soul - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Woman's Soul, A tribute to Bessie Smith, from Rory Block and it's solid. Opening with sassy, Do Your Duty, Rory Block shows she's up to the challenge with strong vocals, percussion and cool slide work. Cool opener. Kitchen Man has stylistic vocals and sparse but tight guitar riffs keeping the track sounding authentic. Give Me A Pigfoot and A Bottle Of Beer is one of my favorite tracks on the release with Block really digging in vocally and fuller slide work giving the track a more complex sound overall. I'm Down In The Dumps has a great story telling quality with a moderate guitar accompaniment and nicely articulated slide work. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Empty Bed Blues, a typically suggestive song with steady pace and dynamics. Block really enjoys this performance and it shows as it fades off. Nicely done.

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Sons Of Rhythm - - Sons Of Rhythm - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release, Sons of Rhythm and it's quite good. Opening with My Time Is Going To Come, a pop rocker, the band gets revved up with Mick Maratta on lead vocal and bass, Fererico Luiu on guitar and backing vocal, Mike Carbone on drums and backing vocals and Anthony Brancati on piano. Nice opener. Brancati blow out the doors with a wailing sax solo on shuffle track, Talkin' Bout My Baby under a nicely balanced track. Among a full boat of radio tracks, Will I Ever See You Again? stands tall with a strong melody, nicely blended vocals and a memorable guitar lead by Luiu. Allen Toussaint's Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky is a terrific entry to this other wise self penned set, with a funky bottom and great vocals. Luiu gets a chance to stretch a bit on guitar and he doesn't waste a note. Very nice. Wrapping the release is hot boogie, Swing Thing, with a great beat, snappy drums, a hot sax solo and great rock n' roll guitar. Great closer. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Dan McKinnon - The Cleaner - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Cleaner, from Dan McKinnon and it's quite good. Opening with blues rocker, Storm, McKinnon on guitar sets a great pace with scorching riffs and lead vocal, backed by Peter Eratostene on bass and Michael Carbone on drums. Walk That Aisle is another solid rocker with a driving bass line and distorted guitar. Slinky, 17 Years has a melodic radio feel with Albert King flavored guitar riffs. Rowdy romper, King Baby, has a swaggering ZZ Top kind of feel but with McKinnon's own signature riffs and vocal styling. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks is Junior Kimbrough flavored All Mine with it's distinct bass line, driving drum line and Kimbrough like guitar riffs. McKinnin takes a nice excursion on guitar on this 6 plus minute track giving it real bite. Very nice. Shuffle track, More Than Enough has a polished Robben Ford feel and McKinnon's guitar riffs are clean and definitive. Very nice. Ballad, Til You Come Around not only has a solid melody and vocals but sure tension and vital guitar riffs. Wrapping the release is Wowowow which also has that dirty, gritty Mississippi Hill Country sound. I really like this track, an excellent closer for a solid release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Canadian Guitarist Extraordinaire Colin James Says He Has "Miles to Go" on New CD, Out September 21

Canadian Guitarist Extraordinaire Colin James Says He Has Miles to Go on New CD, Out September 21

Toronto, ON-- With his 19th album, Miles to Go, releasing September 21 (Stony Plain Records in USA;  True North Records for the rest of the world), acclaimed guitarist Colin James is getting back to the blues.

Miles to Go is Colin James’ ambitious sequel to his critically-acclaimed 2016 CD, Blue Highways, and it continues James’ story with a collection of carefully curated songs handpicked from some of the greatest blues artists.  

In the months leading up to the recording, as James was reflecting on songs for the album he decided to reacquaint himself with a beautiful red Gibson ES-335.  It was just like the guitar he played as a teenager, but regretfully had to sell for rent money.

While James reconnected with this guitar, Miles to Go seemed to just flow onto the studio floor.

This album blends songs old and new, some of them completely reimagined and some almost perfect homages. But all are unified by a theme of undying love for the blues and the highest respect for the creators that led the way.

Known as one of Canada’s best blues musicians, it wasn’t until Blue Highways that James found himself on a blues chart: the album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. It also landed him one of his biggest hits: “Riding in the Moonlight,” a Willie Dixon song that James once covered when busking in the streets and subways of Toronto and Montreal that landed on a Spotify playlist garnering millions of streams.

When James set out to make Blue Highways, an album of blues covers recorded with his touring band, he always intended it to be the first of two installments. Now we have Miles to Go, in which James records nine new covers of his favorite artists (Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Little Willie John, Robert Johnson, etc.) and adds two originals, “I Will Remain” and “40 Light Years.”

“Blues has always been a pass-it-forward kind of thing,” says James. “It’s also surprisingly hard to write. You have to be careful how modern you get in your phrasing. Certain writers can write a song that sounds like it was done 40 years ago, but it’s deceptively hard.”

To be a blues musician is to always have a dialogue with the past.  As with much blues music, it’s the performances on the original versions rather than the actual song that drew James to them. That said, what could he possibly bring to them in 2018? “You bring what you can,” he says. “If I feel like I’ve brought enough, then I put it out. I knocked a bunch of songs off this record when I realized that I couldn’t bring anything to them that weren’t there already. All my life I’ve tried to bring vitality to older songs. Hopefully, my dedication to it is what floats it over the mark. That’s a subjective thing; some people will always prefer the original. However, there’s always a group of people coming up to see me after a show who might say, ‘Oh, I never would have heard ‘One More Mile’ by James Cotton—nothing in my life would have pointed me there.’ ”

So much of Colin James’s career has pointed him to this moment: joyfully tangled up in the blues, which, as he notes, “is the only genre where you can maintain a young profile at the age of 53.”

Colin James Upcoming Canadian Tour Dates

07/13/18    Windsor, ON        Bluesfest Windsor   

07/14/18    Ottawa, ON        Ottawa Bluesfest   

08/17/18    Grande Prairie, AB    Bear Creek Folk Music Festival   

08/19/18    Salmon Arm, BC    Salmon Arm Roots & Blues   

08/25/18    London, ON        London Bluesfest   

09/08/18    Blue Mountains, ON    Blue Mountain Village   

Justin Saladino Band - A Fool's Heart - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Fool's Heart, from Justin Saladino Band and it's groovingly smooth. Opening with A Fool I'll Stay, a melody rich track with a catchy hook, Justin Saladino on lead guitar and vocal crafts a top radio track, joined by Gabriel Forget on bass, A.J. Aboud on drums and Felix Blackburn on guitars. Add a little bounce and you have Honey, a polished R&B track with just the perfect balance of guitar and vocal.  Take What You Need is polished with a solid weave of vocals, keys and guitar. This is as close to Steely Dan as it gets. My favorite track on the release is Bad Habit with it's skipping funky rock fusion feel. Saladino's vocals are cool and lain back and the guitar, bass and drums workout is terrific! Bluesy ballad, Peace Be With You, has a strong melody and familiar feel with smooth vocals and nicely accented guitar work over warm organ backing. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Mama Said, an easy set acoustic style ballad featuring Saladino backing his own vocals with fingerpicked electric guitar. This is a really "nice" release with a lot of feel. 

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No Label Records artist: Steve Hill - The One-Man Blues Rock Band - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The One-Man Blues Rock Band, a new live album from Steve Hill and it's powerful. Opening with Rhythm All Over, a power rocker, Steve Hill wastes no time making you a believer. With an excellent rock voice, the terrific ability to accompany himself as well as any band and fluid slide riffs, this is an excellent opener. His lead guitar on Go On, make you actually sit back and listen. This guy's playing has such presence that it rivals Jimmy Page and Alvin Lee. We're talking strong phrasing and focused notes. With a solid bass line and strong melody, Hill has great energy.  Excellent! Never Is Such A Long Time oozes blues like it was born in the Mississippi hill country but with a firm grip on modern rock and guitar techniques and tight drum rhythm giving it not only an emotional power but also strong musical punch. Very nice!  Little Walter's Hate To See You Go is a great blues rocker with Hill just killing it on guitar. You hear the initial interpretation style of jack White but pushed to the limits and the energy of young Alvin Lee. Terrific! Still Got It Bad is so beefy with tone that this thing is ready to pop. Excellent! The release is wrapped with a super rendition of Hendrix's Voodoo Chile with dynamics and gripping, soaring guitar riffs.

This is a really strong release and one that should easily plant Hill atop the hill!!

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