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

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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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Joplin Sweeney Music Company artist: Jim Witzel Quartet - Very Early (Remembering Bill Evans) - New Release Review

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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Very Early (Remembering Bill Evans ),  by Jim Witzel Quartet , and it's terrific! Opening with Victor Young 's, Beautiful Love , JimWitzel on guitar paints a lush landscape of guitar chords setting up this jazz standard. With Phil Aaron on piano punctuating the melody and Dan Feiszli on bass and Jason Lewis on drums, this track is really humming. Aaron really stretches the melody on piano giving the track real width and Feiszli and Lewis alternate riffs adding the depth. Excellent.  opener.    Steve Swallow 's Falling Grace has a stylistic Latin rhythm and Witzel really rolls on guitar with flowing rhythmic lead and Aaron on piano uses a percussive style to really deliver the goods. John Carisi's Israel has an incredible groove. Witzel and Aaron outline the melody nicely in duet, with Aaron first breaking loose with a light piano lead with just the least amount of bass and drums to set up the ...

Joplin Sweeney Music Company artist: Jim Witzel Trio & Quartet - Feelin' It - New release review

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  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Feelin' It , from Jim Witzel Trio & Quartet and it's really nice. Opening with title track, Feelin' It. Jim Witzel on guitar really has solid phrasing over a strong bottom provided by Jason Lewis on drums and Brian Ho on B3. Dann Zinn steps up on tenor sax with an aggressive solo followed by Ho laying out the B3 making this a dynamic opener. In 3/4 time, Beyond Beijing has great flow with Witzel and Zinn playing in tandem on the melody. Zinn breaks free first with an abstracted melodic solo line with Ho providing plenty of bottom and the crisp rhythm work of Lewis tying it all together. Witzel has a really clear guitar tone and his phrasing is classic. Witzel really dices Gershwin's I Love You, Porgy is excellent traditional jazz style. Possibly my favorite track on the release. Wrapping the set is Cannonball Adderley's, The Old Country which is a true jazz standard. Nancy Wilson did a terrific ...