Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Comin' On from Joe Louis Walker and it's a fireplug. Opening with rocker, Feed The Poor , a funky blues rocker, Walker on lead vocal and Jorma on lead guitar, John Bradford on bass, Dorian Randolph on drums, Juma Sultan on percussion and Bruce Katz. This track is heavy. Super backing vocals by Bradford, and Randolph almost give it a Daryl Hall edge. Cool opener. R&B track, Someday, Someway is certainly one of my favorites on the release with Carla Cooke at the mic. Her vocals are terrific and with Walker on backing vocal and guitar and joined by Lee Oskar and his classic harp tone, Eric Finland on keys, Bradford on bass and Randolph on drums. Excellent! Easy shuffle, Old Time Used To Be has Walker on 12 string and vocal, with Joh Sebastian on harp and  Keb Mo on slide. Katz has a real nice piano solo on this one and adds an overall bright feel to the track. Swampy Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man has a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Proper Years , from Bill Kirchen and it's strong. I'm certain that most readers know Bill but if not, he was the guitar fingers of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. That being known, you can expect that deep throaty telecaster guitar sound and rich country roots. Opening with Hammer of the Honky-Tonk  Gods , a swangin' country rocker with Kirchen on lead guitar and vocal, backed by Nick Lowe on bass, Geraint Watkins on bass, Austin de Lone on keys, Robert Trehorne on drums, Danny Levin on fiddle and Cindy Cashdoller and David Berzansky on steel guitar. Great opener. Working Man is a cool, country flavored track with solid 2 stepping beat. With great lead vocal and a really great bass background vocal among the others, this track is a standout. Remake of 60's pop hit, Devil In A Blue Dress , has a real bluesy feel with solid backing vocals by Sarah Carroll. Trish Anderson and Suzannah Espie. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Comin' On, by Joe Louis Walker, and it's a great blend of Blues, Soul, R&B and Rock musical styles. Opening with Feed The Poor , a funky blues rocker, Walker joins with legendary Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar who brings a ragged edge to this otherwise soulful track. With John Bradford on bass, Dorian Randolph on bass, Juma Sultan on percussion and Bruce Katz on organ this is a strong opener. Carla Cooke contributes lead vocal on Someday, Someway, a real nice soulful blues ballad. Her vocals, backed by Walker, on guitar and vocal, and with Lee Oskar on harmonica, Eric Finland on piano, Randolph on drums and John Bradford, this is definitely one of my favorites on the release. Keb' Mo on slide guitar and John Sebastian on harp join Walker on 12 string laying down a real nice shuffle, Old Time Used To Be . Backed by Katz on piano, Scott Petito on bass, Randolph on drums and Sultan on percussion thi...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues From The Inside Out , from Dave Specter , and it's got great style. Opening with title track, Blues From The Inside Out , Dave Spector leads on guitar and vocal with Brother John Kattke on keys, Harlan Lee Terson on bass, and Marty Binder on drums. Adding in the horns on Ponchatoula Way , Specter put up a blues rocker with a splash of New Orleans. Mars Williams on sax, Jon Janowiak on trombone and Ron Haynes on trumpet give the track fullness and Spector's innovative blues riffs and the solid piano work of Kattke are really nice.  Hot Tuna leader, Jorma Kaukonen joins on Sanctifunkious , a real sweaty blues funk right out of the streets of NO. A cool instrumental with essential drums by Binder and percussion by Ruben Alverez, and nice key work by Kattke, a great groove. Latin influenced, Minor Shout has a super beat and with tight percussion, clean lead guitar and fluid organ runs, it could easily be from ...

Jorma Kaukonen   The Legendary Hot Tuna/Jefferson Airplane Founder Performs on eTown Radio  With Red House labelmates Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams Tune in to eTown Radio this week or listen online here   Jorma's new album,   Ain't In No Hurry ,   is out now on Red House Records           Photo: Erin Cox   April 22, 2015: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jorma Kaukonen  stopped by eTown Radio earlier this year to record a performance in support of his acclaimed Red House release,  Ain't In No Hurry . For the session, Jorma is joined by legendary producer/guitarist Larry Campbell (Levon Helm, Dylan, Hot Tuna) and Campbell's wife, vocalist Teresa Williams, both of whom appear on the album. The episode, which features Jorma and Joe Purdy, is airing around the country via radio and podcast starting today, Wednesday, April 22 through Monday, April 27. ...

I just received the newest release (February 17, 2015), Ain't In No Hurry , from Jorma Kaukonen and it warm and soothing. Opening with a laid back version of classic Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out , featuring Jorma on vocal and guitar, Myron Hart on bass, Justin Guip on drums and Larry Campbell on mandolin and fiddle. A loose folk country jam creates a very nice opener. The Other Side Of The Mountain has a rockier but acoustic feel with Campbell and Jorma trading riffs. Woody Guthrie's Suffer Little Children To Come Unto Me has a distinctive Jorma/Dead sound with a cool recurring guitar riff. In My Dreams is a quiet acoustic ballad featuring Jorma, Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin and Myron Hart on bass. Very nice! Sweet Fern is a true country classic with a waltz rhythm, my last time hearing it was on the Porter Wagoner show. Joined by Teresa Williams on vocal, and with Campbell on lap steel it definitely has a early country feel and performed much more clean...

Yesterday the Common Ground On The Hill Music Festival began wrapping up two weeks of workshops, lessons, and jams. The prime purposes of Common Ground are cultural diversity, musical education, and promotion of the American roots art forms, particularly music and dance. Of course, at the heart of all this is blues music. Whether sawing out a hoedown on a fiddle, a zydeco two-step on accordion or ripping up a mean blues break solo on a National Steel guitar, the blues is always present while not always front and center. My day started out with a set by Scott Ainslie . He played a National Steel throughout his whole set, once using a paper napkin to use as a damper to get the sound he wanted when blending sad blues lyrics with an upbeat guitar line straight out of Nigerian Juju music! In addition to some original tunes his set was accented by Robert Johnson tunes and stories. He did Come On In My Kitchen in the David Bromberg style. And after telling the story of the "Sun...

RAFFLE ENDS SATURDAY MAY 24, 2014   Our raffle for an Epiphone Jack Casady Signature Bass ends this weekend.  Get your tickets now . . . tickets will be available online until 5PM Saturday May 24, 2014.  The drawing will be held on the Fur Peace Station stage before David Lindley begins his second set. Epiphone Guitars , the Athens Area Citizens for the Arts and Fur Peace Ranch are teaming up to raffle off one of the finest instruments to ever feature a "superb balanced electric tone and the response of an acoustic bass" - Epiphone's Jack Casady Signature Bass Guitar , signed by Jack .   Jack with bass at signing event in Psylodelic Gallery The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee worked closely with Epiphone's luthiers, designing an instrument that could fulfill his dream. The hollow, maple body fea...

THE FINGERSTYLE ENTRANCE RAMP Guitar Novices Flat Pickers Rhythm Players 3 WEEKS AHEAD JORMA KAUKONEN: ENTRANCE RAMP Level 1 /2 JUMP START YOUR GUITAR PLAYING WITH THIS GREAT WORKSHOP! STUCK ON FIRST POSITION CHORDS? -  LEARN ABOUT CHORD SHAPES,    MOVE OUT OF FIRST POSITION, EXPLORE THE FINGERBOARD UP AND DOWN THE NECK! -  LEARN HOW TO DEVELOP A RELIABLE THUMB TO PROVIDE YOUR BASS LINES!  -  LEARN NEW LICKS & TRICKS TO SPICE UP YOUR PLAYING AND AMAZE YOUR FRIENDS!   -  EXPAND YOUR REPERTOIRE!  This workshop will provide a solid introduction to fingerpicking guitar, including development of that reliable thumb so essential to mastering this style. This pianistic style of playing often characterizes the music of Master Instructor Jorma Kaukonen , and is typical of the great country blues artists such as Rev. Gary Davis , Blin...

JORMA KAUKONEN: LOVE IS STRANGE JORMA KAUKONEN: LOVE IS STRANGE NOW'S YOUR CHANCE ! Love is Strange Level 2/3 In this class I will be teaching my students some of my favorite and more personal songs that illustrate my somewhat idiosyncratic views of relationships. I am encouraging my students to bring one song about relationships from any point of view to work on so that our student performance will be a class collective of strange tales of love. Here are a few prospective tunes for the class:   1. New Song For The Morning 2. Genesis 3. Trial By Fire 4. Barbeque King 5. Heart Temporary 6. Things That Might Have Been 7. In My Dreams Marjorie and I are very excited about this new class and hope that you will be too. Sign up today!  Don't miss this opportunity! MARCH 21st - 24th Fur Peace Ranch Pomeroy, OH Ac...