Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live And Havin' Fun , from Deb Ryder and it's a boat load of high steppin fun. Opening with Fun Never Hurt No One , with it's pumping rhythm, Deb Ryder is upfront leading the way on gritty vocals and Lon Price and Joe Sublett on sax. Tony Braunagel lays down a steady drum rhythm with Ric Ryder on bass and Johnny Lee Schell on guitar. Paul Litteral on trumpet and Jim Pugh on trombone really open the track up with brass. Solid Opener. Temporary Insanity has plenty of sway with Schell leading the way on guitar and Pugh, Price and Litteral on horns. Ric's bass work adds a real nice bottom giving Deb a solid footing for her powerful vocals. Albert Lee lays down some real nice guitar riffs on Ma Misere for a strong addition to the set. Braunagel sets up a hot, New Orleans rhythm and Albert Lee picks some real nice riffs under the soulful vocals on Deb. Funky, I'm Coming Home , leads off with Price wailing o...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, At Christmas , from Lisa Biales , and it's a solid mix of blues, pop and holiday sounds. Opening with title track, At Christmas , Lisa Biales leads the way on vocal with Tony Braunagel on drums, Jeff Paris on keys, Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, David J. Carpenter on bass, Jerry Vivino on sax, Maxayn Lewis on backing vocal, Mark Pender on trumpet and hot trombone work by Garrett Smith creating a cool second line feel. Shuffle, That's What I Like About Christmas , opens with a slick guitar intro by Schell. A snappy bottom by Braunagel, great vocals by Biales, swinging keys by Paris and a solid sax solo by Joe Sublett makes this a likely radio track. Mary's Little Baby Boy is my favorite track on the release with a distinct rock feel. Biales holds the reins tight and Braunagel's drum snap paired with Carpenter's bass line gives the track a Stones sound with high tension Hammond work by Paris and really cool...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Who Is He? , from Dylan Triplett and it's a  strong blend of blues, R&B, soul and jazz. Opening with blues shuffle, Barnyard Blues , Dylan Triplett wastes no time showing his vocal skills, backed by Kingfish Ingram on solo guitar, Johnny Lee Schell on guitar and Dr Wayne Goins on rhythm guitar, Mike Finnigan on organ, Ryan Marquez on piano, Montez Coleman on drums, Larry Fulcher on bass and with Kudisan Kai, Maxayn Lewis, Mike Finnigan and Larry Fulcher on backing vocals. Excellent! Soulful, Brand New Day...Same Old Blues has a really nice feel. Triplett's vocals are smooth as silk, with clean piano work by Marquez, floating slide guitar by Tru Born and backing vocals by Kai and Lewis are as nice as D'Angelo. Very nice. I'll Be There Waiting is a terrific track, with a R&B feel and great lead vocals. Schell covers lead guitar and Finnigan's organ work adds super warmth. Very nice. On up tempo ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues For Breakfast , by The Phantom Blues Band and it's a solid party. Originally formed as Taj Mahal's backing band, PBB began performing on their own and released their first release back in 2006. With a few changes in the lineup most significantly Les Lovitt replacing Darrell Leonard on trumpet and Jim Pugh replacing the nearly irreplaceable Mike Finnigan after his fight with cancer ending in 2021. This newest rendition of the band opens with a roaring  cover of I Take What I Want with Larry Fulcher on bass and lead vocals paired with Johnny Lee Schell on lead vocal and guitar. Backed by Tony Braunagel on drums, Joe Sublett on sax, Les Lovitt on trumpet and Jim Pugh on piano and organ this track has real juice. New Orleans flavored, She's Into Something has strong percussion by  Braunagel and the horn work of Joe Sublett and Les Lovitt really spices things up. Schell drops into a nice Texas style guita...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 17, 2021), Rose-Colored Glasses Vol. 1 , by Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps and it's a smooth blend of blues, rock and R&B styles. Opening with Show Me How You Do It , Teresa James on keys and lead vocals shows why her newest releases are widely anticipated. With Yates McKendree putting up some real nice lead guitar, and backed by Jay Bellerose on drums, Kevin McKendree on B3, Paulie Cerra on sax,  this is a solid opener. R&B flavored title track, Rose-Colored Glasses , really has a nice feel that I would expect to garner strong airplay with some nice slide guitar work by James Pennebaker. With a cocky strut, Wish It Into The Cornfield features Anson Funderburgh playing up the guitar starch and McKendree's B3 giving flow under the horn work of Cerra. Goes without saying that James has a natural voice for this and she really works it on this track. Really nice. Dean Parks, well known session...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (June 11, 2021), Memphis Moonlight, by Deb Ryder and it's a cool, R&B based blues release packed with talent. Opening with I'm Coming Home , a sassy R&B track features Ryder on lead vocal with Tony Braunagel on drums, Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, Mike Finnigan on B3, Travis carlton on bass, Mark Pender on trumpet and some super sax riffs from Joe Sublet. Cool opener. With a bluesier feel and a touch of gospel on These Hands, Ryder really hits the groove vocally and Alastair Green's addition on slide is a super perk. Schell's backing vocals and the addition of Pieter Van Der Pluijm on harmonica adds real texture. Driving rocker, Blues Is All I Got had a solid bass line by Schell andwith Braunagel on drums and van Der Pluijm on harmonica. Classic slow blues, Love Is Gone is a real standout giving Ryder a chance to show the richness of her vocals and featuring the king of blues guitar phrasing, Ronn...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Crawling Spider: A Tribute To Mike Montgomery Vol.1: The LA Sessions. The release was compiled by Marlon Montgomery, son of Back Street Crawler keyboardist and composer, Mike Montgomery who passed in 1991 of lung cancer. Opening with Survivor ,  featuring Robbie Wyckoff on lead vocal, Billy Watts and Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, Tony Braunagel on drums, Terry Wilson on bass and Adam MacDougall on keys, this is a solid rocker. It's A Long Way Down is a cool British style blues rocker with a strong Bad Company feel. Lead vocals by Wyckoff and great backing vocal by Teresa James and Terry Wilson along with Braunagel make this track a standout. 99 Days is a straight up rocker along the lines of the Stones and Mark Campbell has the mic with cool slide work by Schell and Adam MacDougall on keys. All The Girls Are Crazy (Flood The Engine) has a real swagger with a great guitar vamp by Bill Leverty and lead vocal by Jim...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Crossing Borders , from Evelyn Rubio and it's a solid blues/R&B effort with with a lot of radio appeal. Opening with One More Last Time , a sassy R&B number with super lead vocals by Rubio and Lori Michelle on backing vocal. The band features David Grissom on guitar, Kirk Covington on drums, Zach Person on guitar, Red Young on keys and Larry Fulcher on bass. Very nice. Just Like A Drug is another track that screams for radio attention with it's Latin rhythm and complimentary guitar lead by Johnny Lee Schell and Rubuio on lead vocal sax. Mike Finnigan joins on keys, Jorge Orta Cro Cro on percussion and Tony Braunagel on drums making this a tight unit. He Did Me Wrong, But Did It Right, is a cool track with just the right amount of bluesy sway. Rubio shines on vocal and sax on one of my favorite tracks on the release. Rubio turns the jazz card with a real swinger, Cruel , where she works it like a pro on ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Still Cookin' , from Phantom Blues Band , and it's terrific! Opening with a classic R&B track by Wilson Pickett, Don't Fight It (Feel It) , this band knows it's strengths and plays into it. With Mike Finnigan (keys), Larry Fulcher (bass) and Johnny Lee Schell (guitars) on lead vocals, this band lays out one of my R&F favorites with strong horn work by Joe Sublett (sax) and Les Lovitt (trumpet) and great rhythm  and Tony Braunagel on drums. What a lineup! Slipping into a New Orleans funk on Wingin' My Way Johnny takes the lead on a strongly Little Feat influenced track (dedicated to Paul Barrere) with solid slide work and a tight horn line. Slow blues, Blues How They Linger , features Finnigan on lead vocal and piano, with light backing. A strong, somber track keeps it low till about half way through when Sublett cuts loose with a real nice sax solo, punctuated by Lovitts trumpet work. Very n...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fish in dirty H2O , from Barbara Blue and it's solid. Opening with My Heart Belongs To The Blues , Barbara Blue is joined by Will McFarlane on guitar, Dave Smith on bass, Lester Snell on keys and Bernard Purdie on drums. With it's smooth smoky feel, Blue displays the richness of her deep voice. Boogie blues, Accidental Theft features some really nice slide work compliments of Scott Sharrard giving the track a thick gutsy texture to compliment Blues own gutsy vocals. Dr Jesus has a gospel style with warm backing vocals by Maureen Smith, Candace Mache, Lorina McMinn and Lynette "Sue" McCracklin and some spicy guitar accents by Michael Tols.  Shuffle,  Gravy Train has a sparky pace with plenty of horn by Lonnie McMillan on tenor sax, Marc Franklin on trumpet, Jim Spake on bari sax, and Steve Graham on trombone. Another bluesy shuffle, That's Working On Me works really nicely with Blues vocals and te...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Enjoy The Ride , from Deb Ryder and is has a great feel. Opening with high stepper, A Storm's Coming , Deb Ryder is back sounding as powerful as ever. Johnny Lee Schell and Coco Montoya on lead guitar plays nicely off of the steady beat of Ric Ryder on bass, Mike Finnigan on keys and Tony Braunagel on drums. Exceptional ballad, For The Last Time, is a terrific showcase for Ryder's voice and also features Finnigan on vocal as well with the sweet guitar lead of Montoya. What You Want From Me blends New Orleans feel with pure gospel vocals from Maxanne lewis, Ricky Nelson, Leslie Smith and Kudisan Kai Regalot. Very nice. Got To Let It Go has a real nice BB King style groove featuring Cain and Ryder on a cool vocal duet and slick guitar lead. Sweet Sweet Love has a tight Latin beat with nice piano work by Finnigan and featuring fat guitar riffs by Debbie Davies. Wrapping the release is Red Line featuring the st...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Big Daddy Gumbo , from Tommy DarDar and it's a healthy helping of swampy gumbo music. Very nice to get this release after DarDar's death in July of 2017. Opening with Johnny Lee Schell's It's Good To Be King , with DarDar on vocal and featuring Johnny Lee Schell on some exciting slide, backed by Hutch Hutchinson on bass, Jon Cleary on piano, Mike Finnigan on keys and DarDar on harp. Great opener. Baby I Can Tell has a great Chicago blues feel with solid bass lines and DarDar's vocals and harp up front. This has a great SB Williamson feel. C'mon Second Line really shows off Braunagel's excellent New Orleans drum styling with solid bass lines by Hutch. Very nice. With pure New Orleans R&B style, Jon Cleary's Let's Both Go Back To New Orleans is a nice showcase for DarDar on vocal, anchored by Cleary's piano rhythm and Hutch's bass. Very nice. The absolute radio track on t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Feet Back In The Door , by Johnny Ray Jones and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Feet Back In The Door , Johnny Ray Jones show strong soul roots with a great rhythm and horn section. His vocals are strong, joined by Mike Finnigan on piano, Hutch Hutchinson on bass, and Tony Braunagel on drums and topped off with Joe Sublett on sax, Darrell Leonard on trumpet and Teresa James on backing vocals. Very nice. I really like the bass work on Come Up And See Me Sometime which really carries Finnigan's organ line and sets a cool stage for Jones to strut. Jones' vocals on High Cost Of Loving and Johnny Lee Schell throws down some stinging blues guitar riffs making this one of my favorites on  the release. Z.Z. Hill's, I'm A Blues Man has a great balance of heavy bass, big brass, snappy drums and warm vocals giving Jones and Schell a wide open slate to sing and play. Very nice. Allen Toussaint'...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Desire , from Lauren Mitchell and it's a fine blend of rock, blues and soul. Opening with I Don't Need Nobody , a light R&B number, Lauren Mitchell is backed by Jim Pugh on keys, Reggie mcBride on bass, Tony braunagel on drums with Darrell Leonard on trumpet, Joe Sublett on sax and Johnny Lee Schell, Josh Sklair and Jose Ramirez on guitar. Pop track with a jazz edge, Soul Music allows Mitchell to show off her vocal skills with Maxanne Lewis, Kudisan Kai, Leslie Smith and Mellodye Perry on smooth backing vocals. Title track, Desire , has a warm country soul feel with deep rich vocals. Steve Fister is featured on slide guitar giving the track a crisp edge. McBride lays down a real nice bass line on Jump Into My Fire with a cool R&B style. Bluesy guitar riffs and sassy vocals give this track real traction. With a basic gospel structure, Good To Me As I Am To You , is an excellent track. Pugh's piano wo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Beat of My Heart , from Lisa Biales and it's rich. Opening with Mabel Scott track, Disgusted , Biales is swinging right from the start backed by Jim Pugh on piano, Larry Taylor on bass and Tony Braunagel on drums. Darrell Leonard adds solid trumpet work and Joe Subjett really gets the sax working with some hot solo lines. Volt (Stax) record, What A Man , a hot R&B track by Linda Lyndell is up next with just a bit of polish a little more funk in the bottom, cool lead guitar work by Johnny lee Schell and cool backing vocals by Maxayn Lewis and Kudisan Kai. Allen Toussaint's I Don't Wanna Hear It has that primal R&B spirit with Tom Peterson on bari sax lead, Joe Sublett on sax and Darrell Leonard on trumpet. Nina Simone's Be My Husband has a swampy feel boosted by Pugh's Hammond work, cool Kay guitar riffs by Schell and top reinforcements by Braunagel. Meemphis Slim's Messin' Around...

I just received the newest release, Sweet Soul , from Deb Callahan and that's exactly what it is. Opening with Big Love with it's solid strut, Callahan establishes her ground vocally joined byMike Finnigan on keys, Reggie McBride on bass, Tony Braunagel on drums and Allen James. Very nice! I Keep Things Running has a solid footing in the blues with bass vamp and and nicely woven keys by Finnigan. Nice backing vocals by Teresa James, Finnigan and Leslie Smith warm the track and a slick guitar solo from James punches it up. Rocker, Shackin Up features Johnny Lee Schell on slide guitar and a cool bass line from McBride drives this track and Deb rides the wave vocally with clarity and authority. Soulful ballad, I Am Family , will have strong cross radio appeal with a taste of country and nice vocal harmonies from Teresa James and Finnigans articulate piano work. Laid back, Sweet Feeling , is a soulful pop track with strong support from Finnigan. Born To Love You screams 60...

I just received the newest release (April 21, 2015), Let It Rain , from Deb Ryder and it swings. Opening with That's Just How It Is , Ryder comes out hot and heavy with powerful backing from Kirk Fletcher, Ric Ryder on bass, Mike Finnigan on B3 and Tony Braunagel on drums. Fletcher really hits the groove and Finnigan lays it flat out. On Latin/shuffle track Can't Go Back Again , Braunagel sets a mean line and Johnny Lee Schell joins Fletcher on guitar with Lee Thornburg on Trumpet and Lon Price on sax. Very nice! On You Won't Be True Thornburg and Price give the track a much heavier swing and Schell and Fletcher lays down some really hot riffs. I really like Ryders vocal work on this release. Excellent! On the smokey, Guilty As Sin , Ryder guides her listeners down a dark slinky alley. Finnigan's B3 punctuation is particularly effective, Kim Wilson tips in some warm harp work on this track and Fletcher steps up with a few real nice R&B style blues guitars solo a...