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Showing posts with the label Joe Restivo

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Overton Music artist: Russ Green - Stone Cold - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stone Cold , from Russ Green , and it's a driving blues rocker. Opening with Lint Redux , you are immediately in the middle of a swampy blues with modern effects. With a firm foot stomp by Felix Pollard on drums and Vic Jackson on bass Russ Green on harmonica and vocals really has the earthy feel. Giles Corey on slide gives the track great grease and Green's harp work is strong. Excellent opener. 12 Feet of Water opens with a terrific harmonica aria before grinding into a super drum driven romp. With the feel that I can only describe as Hill Country , Green delivers such soulful vocals, comforted by Joe Monroe on keys, this track just grabs you. Green's harmonica is like a shuddering wind blowing through you with the thumping bass of Vic Jackson and Vince Agwada on guitar. Excellent! Easy going shuffle, Nobody Knows has a smooth, supple melody with backing acoustic guitar, minimal drum work and melodic ha...
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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


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Emma Wilson - Memphis Calling - New Release Review

By Bman -
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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Memphis Calling , from Emma Wilson , and it's got that hot 60's Memphis sound. Opening with A Small World , with Emma Wilson on lead vocals and Kirk Smothers on sax, Marc Franklin on trumpet, Charles Hodges on organ, Leroy Hodges on bass and Steve Potts on drums. This is a solid opener. Soulful, I Still Love You , is really a nice showcase for Wilson on vocal with it's pared back instrumentation. Kicked up, Drug, has a real nice funky beat with a solid bass line by Leroy, drums by Potts, electric piano by Archie Turner, and Franklin and Smothers really sassing it up on horns. Joe Restivo gets the floor on guitar, laying down the blues on Hoochie Coochie Mama . A low slung version of Morganfield's centerpiece, Wilson really carries it nicely and Charles on organ adds just the right heat. Wrapping the release is soul classic, Since I Fell For You , with Wilson dialing it down over light guitar by Restivo, Ler...
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NOLA Blues Records artists: The Love Light Orchestra - Leave The Light On - New Release Review

By Bman -
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  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Leave The light On, from The Love Light Orchestra and it's quite good. Opening with soul track, Time Is fading Fast, front man, John Nemeth on lead vocal sounds great. With it's Memphis sound, dominated by horns by Marc Franklin and Scott Thompson on trumpet, Jason Yasinsky on trombone, Art Edmaiston on tenor sax and with some outrageous alto sax by Kirk Smothers and including Joe Restivo on guitar, Gerald Stephens on piano, Tim Goodwin on bass, and Earl Lowe on drums, this is a great opener. Blues shuffle, Come On Moon has a really great feel with excellent guitar work by Restivo and warm horn backing by Franklin, Yasinsky, Edmaiston, Smothers and Paul McKinney on trumpet. On Lowell Fulson's 3 O'Clock Blues, Restivo really steps out on one of my favorite tracks on the release. His paced guitar soloing, and of course the excellent vocals of Nemeth accented by Thompson and Franklin really push this track ove...
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Severn Records artist: Tad Robinson - Real Street - New Release Review

By Bman -
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Real Street, from Tad Robinson and it's jam packed with R&B soul music. Opening with Changes , a real nice "Al Green" flavored track, Tad Robinson shows what much of the world already knows... he's a great singer with poise and style. Backed by Charles Hodges on Hammond, Leroy Hodges on bass, Howard Grimes on drums, Joe Restivo on guitar, Kevin Anker on piano, Mark Franklin on trumpet, and Kirk Smothers on sax, this is a great opener. Bluesy ballad, Search Your Heart is really strong and Robinson's exceptionally smooth vocals, backed by Devin Thompson on vocals and the warm Hammond work of Hodges and with a crisp guitar solo by Restivo make this one of my favorites on the release. Excellent! Another really bluesy track, Love In The Neighborhood has a great R&B style but checks off the blues box nicely with soulful vocals and harmonica by Robinson and solid guitar lead by Restivo. My favo...
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Blue Barrel Records artist:Joe Restivo - Where's Joe - New Release Review

By Bman -
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Where's Joe? , by Joe Restivo and it's really strong. Opening with late 50's jazz styling on T. Monk's Bolivar Blues , guitar player Joe Restivo has put together a really nice selection of tracks and just the right mix of musicians to pull this off. With it's bluesy style, Restivo lays out really articulate guitar soloing over the tight rhythms of Tim Goodwin on bass and Tom Lonardo on drums. art Edmaiston hammers the sax delivering a period master work making this an excellent opener. Title track, Where's Joe is a real nice shuffle led by Edmaiston, paired with Restivo on guitar. His solo break here is excellent and of course Edmaiston's sax work is really nice as well. What an opening duo! Backed down to a whisper, Starlight Motel has a really nice melody framed by Restivo and Edmaiston. Restivo's pure understanding of what this music should feel like causes his guitar runs to float o...
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