Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Major League Blues , from Jose Ramirez , and it's solid contemporary blues. Opening with title track, Major League Blues is a cool shuffle featuring Jose Ramirez on lead vocal and guitar and with Jimmy Johnson sitting in on guitar as well. Bob Stroger on bass, Willie Hayes on drums, Roosevelt Purifoy on B3 and Billy Flynn round out the band for this solid opener. On soulful ballad, I Saw It Coming , Ramirez is really out front on vocal with Purifoy creating a warm B3 envelope for his vocals. Flynn and Ramirez really do a nice job on lead guitar with solid melodic lead soloing. Here In The Delta is a cool contemporary blend between Hill Country flavored music and solid BB King styling. I really like the heavy tom tom work by Antonio Reyes, working nicely with Purifoy on B3 and the nice guitar work by Flynn and Ramirez, his own solid vocals and cool backing vocals. Kenny Watson Jr on bass adds to the heavy bottom makin...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Here I Come, from Jose Ramirez , and it's a very cool, R&B flavored, contemporary blues release. Opening with title track, Here I Come , Jose Ramirez leads on vocal and guitar, backed by Jim Pugh on piano, Wes Starr on drums and Nate Rowe on bass. Showing his first solo, he's low slung and with plenty of Texas feel...think Jimmie Vaughan or Anson Funderburgh styling. Very nice. Slow blues, I Miss You Baby sounds like it's right out of the T Bone Walker songbook and with solid vocals by Ramirez and the backing of  Texas Horns ( Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff, John Mills and Al Gomez)  this track is rich. Listen to Ramirez make that guitar sing... nice. Anson Funderburgh actually shows up on Gasoline and Matches and lays in some stinging riffs over the Horns, a funk bass line by Rowe. Very nice. Goodbye Letter is a real nice slower blues with some of Ramirez's best vocals on the release and excellent rolling pia...