Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ooh Yeah! , by Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne , and it's a full plate of Boogie Woogie. Opening with title track, Ooh Yeah! , a cool piano boogie, Wayne really rattling the piano and lead vocal joined by Joey DiMarco on drums, Nick Succi on bass, and Jimmy Bowskill on guitars. Solid opener.  With a New Orleans flavor, Baby, I'm Your Man has a shuffle rhythm by DiMarco Succi, and full horn support of Kaven Jalbert on tenor sax, Remi Cormier on trumpet, Mathieu Mousseau on bar sax and of course strong vocal and piano by Wayne. With a potent strut, Wishing Well is a soulful track really showcasing Wayne's vocals as well as some real nice guitar riffs by Bowskill, backed by Ian McKeown on drums. I really like Honey, Honey, Honey with it's rolling feel, piano/vocal lead by Wayne and and potent horn backing by  Jalbert, Cormier and Mousseau. Wrapping the release is That Crazy Monkey , a cool blues rocker wi...

 I just had the opportunity to review the release, Blues From Chicago to Paris , and it's a strong traditional blues release from Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne . Opening with piano boogie, Rock This House , Wayne really has the keys rolling with his terrific vocals and solid backing by Russell Jackson on second vocal and bass and Joey DiMarco on drums. Great opener. Slowing things down a bit, Willie Dixon's A New Way To Love is a scorcher with soulful vocals and really strong piano work by Wayne. Clocking in at over 7 minutes, this is a showcase tune. Memphis Slim's Messin' With the Blues is a real cool addition to the set with it's jazzy approach but solid blues core. Wayne, again is showcased on vocal but his piano work is really tops, both under the melody and in soloing conditions. Excellent! Up tempo, After While has a revival feel with Wayne and Jackson on vocal and Wayne's piano rolling. Another fun piano boogie, I Ain't Gonna Be No Monkey Man ,...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Go, Just Do It! , from Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne , and he covers the gamut from R&B to Rap. Opening with title track, Just Do It, a funky, R&B blues number with Dawn "Tyler" Watson singing along with Wayne on lead vocal, and with Russell Jackson on super bass, pumped by Jerry Cook on sax, Vince Mai on trumpet, Yuji Ihara on guitar, Joey DiMarco on drums and of course Wayne on keys. Solid Opener. Percy Mayfield's, You're In For A Big Surprise features Diane Schuur on lead vocal with Wayne and is my favorite track on the release with it's smooth, bluesy feel and strong vocals and super sax work by Cook. Very nice. Shuffle, Motor Mouth Woman is another favorite on the release with a moving beat, swinging vocals, nice piano work from Wayne and solid horns. JJ Cale's, Call Me The Breeze , maintains a bit of Cale's original rural feel but with just the right dose of soul, cool ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Friends of the Blues 2 , by Myles Goodwyn and it's easy going. Opening with shuffle track, Hip Hip a shuffle track with Kenny Blues Boss Wayne on piano and Blair Mackay on drums, Goodwyn on lead vocal and ripping some tight guitar riffs. Bobby Womack's, All Over Now, gets an interesting rework with John Main on piano, Shrimp Daddy on harmonica and John Canpbelljohn on slide. Very cool. More traditional blues track, Fish Tank Blues , has cool guitar pick and slide technique over a slightly funky rhythm under Goodwyn's vocals. Campbelljohn is back on slide on Daddy Needs New Shoes , a quick paced shuffle with a snappy beat and backing vocals by Reeny Smith and Lisa Macdougall. Up next is I Saw Someone That Wasn't There (And It Was You) , a blues rocker with some of the best vocals on the release and likely the best radio track on the release. With it's solid melody, call and response guitar riffs by ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Inspired By The Blues , by Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and it swings. Opening with solid blues opener, I Know I'd Be Playing The Blues , Wayne on piano, organ and lead vocal leads the way backed by Russell Jackson on bass, Joey DiMarco on drums, and Yuji Ihara on guitars. Billy Branch adds some real nice licks on harmonica to spice up this fine opener. Opening it up on Start Rockin'  Dave Babcock on sax and Bob Tildesley on trumpet pump up the action and Wayne's piano playing really rolls, balanced nicely against Yuji's guitar. Laying way back on I Like That Woman, Wayne sets a great pace on piano and his vocals are excellent. Jump track, Jimmy and Johnny has great feel with a trumpet solo by Tildesley and really nice piano work by Wayne. Very cool. Lake Country Boogie , led by the warm sax work of Babcock gives Wayne a wide open road to ply his trade. Wayne isn't shy and shows he really is t...

Award-Winning Keyboardist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Is Inspired by the Blues on New CD Coming September 28 from Stony Plain Records Special Guests Include Harp Master Billy Branch, Guitar Legend Duke Robillard and Long-Time B.B. King Bass Player Russell Jackson EDMONTON, AB – Acclaimed award-winning keyboardist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne will release his new CD, Inspired by the Blues , September 28 on Stony Plain Records. The new disc was recorded at Dan/Lyn Studio in Edmonton, Alberta, and produced by the “Blues Boss,” himself. Inspired by the Blues features 11 original songs, plus a live bonus track of Kenny performing “Georgia on My Mind” that was recorded in Mexico. Watch an exciting behind-the-scenes video about the making of Inspired by the Blues here: https://youtu.be/IV4flyr-99E Stream the first single, “Start Rockin,’” off the new album here: https://soundcloud.com/stony-plain-records/kenny-blues-boss-wayne-start-rockin/s-3yRrT ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues , from Myles Goodwyn and it's a lot of fun. Opening with I Hate To See You Go ( But I Love To Watch You Walk Away) Goodwyn shows super feel on lead vocal and keys with Shaun Verreault on slide guitar, Eric Khayt on sax. Blues ballad, It'll Take Time To Get Used To , has a super melody and Amos Garret's lush guitar work really hits the nail on the head, backed by Emily Lamarche on vocal. Very nice. Western styling on Tell Me Where I've Been (So I Don't Go There Anymore) is really nice with excellent piano work by Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and twangy blues guitar riffs from Steve Segal. I'll Hate You (Till Death Do Us Part) shows continued story telling and tongue in cheek soulful tracks. Wayne really works the keys on this one as well (I mean he really works them) and Frank Marino cooks the strings on guitar with precise blues riffs giving the trac...

  QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS The Paul DesLauriers Band and Angel Forrest win multiple awards The fast-paced performance rich gala featured a moving memorial tribute to the late John Mays (Fathead), Brian Cober and past Blues With A Feeling Award Winner Bob Walsh (January 23, 2017) Toronto, ON – Canadian blues artists from coast-to-coast were honoured by their peers at the 20th Annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto last night as a crowd of blues lovers gathered to celebrate Canadian blues at Koerner Hall.   Quebec blues artists swept the awards with honours going to trio The Paul DesLauriers Band who won Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Drummer of the Year for Sam Harrisson , and Bassist of the Year for Greg Morency . Blues belter Angel Forrest took home three awards including Female Vocalist of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year...

I just received the newest release, Jumpin' & Boppin' from Kenny 'Blues Boss" Wayne and it's a swinging party. Opening with, Blues Boss Shuffle , and with hot solos from Dave Babcock on sax and duke Robillard on guitar, Boss really has this place hopping on piano. Bankrupted Blues features Boss on lead vocal with a really nice swinging guitar solo from Robillard and backing from Russell Jackson on bass, Charlie Jacobson on guitar, Joey DiMarco on drums and Babcock on sax. Very nice. Jumpin' & Boppin' For Joy is really hot with a boogie bottom. This track smokes with great speed and smoking hot solos from Robillard and Boss. Excellent! Blues Stew is low slung and easy. Sexy sax and nicely stated piano work compliments smooth vocals. Classic, You Don't Know Me , features Wayne on upfront vocals highlighted by his own piano and organ work and lightly peppered with guitar and rhythm. Babcock blows another sweet sax solo to cap off the tune. ...

I just had the chance to review the new 3 CD set, 4 0 Years of Stony Plain and it's a super bag of super recordings and unreleased music. CD One called Singers, Songwriters and much more features tracks by Colin Linden; Spirit of the West; Corb Lund; Doug Sham; Harry Manx & Kevin Breit; Emmylou Harris; James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, David Wilcox; New Guitar Summit; Rodney Crowell; Valdy & Gary Fjellgaard; Jr. Gone Wild; Tom Hus; Ian Tyson; Jennifer Warnes; Steve Earle; & Eric Bibb featuring Taj Mahal, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Ruthie Foster. This CD has a real rural feel with folk, country and grassy feel. Louis Riel by Doug Sham is a super track with a Tex Mex country sound. Rockabilly, That's Alright by James Burton and crew is another standout. New Guitar Summit's Flying Home throws a bit of swing jazz in with super nice flavor. Tim Hus's Wild Rose Waltz has real traditional country feel and is pure as snow. Eric Bibb and crew deliv...

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Is Jumpin’ & Boppin’ on New Stony Plain Records CD Out June 3 EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces a June 3 release date for Jumpin’ & Boppin’ , the new CD from Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, who was named “Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards)” for 2015 by Living Blues magazine. Produced by the “Blues Boss,” himself, Wayne’s third CD for Stony Plain is firmly rooted in the joyful jump blues style of Louis Jordan and Amos Milburn. Special guests on Jumpin’ & Boppin’ include award-winning guitarist and labelmate Duke Robillard, as well as Russell Jackson, B.B. King’s long-time bassist, who locks-in the rhythm section. The new disc showcases 12 original songs and one cover (“You Don’t Know Me”) that clearly illustrate Wayne’s way with a keyboard, as well as his soulful vocals.   “I’ve really been looking forward to this record and I’m very excited to share it with you,” exclaims Kenny in the album’s liner notes. “Th...

I just received the newest release (April 22, 2014), Rollin' With The Blues Boss , from Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and its quite good. Opening with Leavin' In The Morning , opens the release with a R&B infused blues track and a fine guitar intro by Tom Lavin on guitar. Wayne on vocal, organ and piano gets the band hopping and Loren Etkin on drums and Russell Jackson on bass hold down the bottom. You Bring The Jungle Out Of Me has a bit more funk and Jerry Cook (sax) and Vince Mai (trumpet) add nice horn work on the track. Wayne takes a nice organ solo on this track topping it off. Hootenanny Boogie-Woogie has a bit of that New Orleans feel with the piano and funk along the lines of WW Washington with nice backing vocals from Christine Best. Roadrunner has that gospel like key work that has made Leon Russell so popular (with me anyway). A straight beat on drums by Etkin offsets that "Mad Dogs" sound keeping it straight in the R&B style. Baby, It Ai...

It’s Time to Get Rollin’ With the Blues Boss on New CD from Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, Coming April 22 on Stony Plain Records with Special Guests Eric Bibb and Diunna Greenleaf EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records, Canada’s premier roots music label, announces an April 22 release date for Rollin’ With the Blues Boss , the new CD from keyboardist/singer extraordinaire Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne. Produced by Tom Lavin, Kenny’s new CD also features special guest appearances on one track each by Eric Bibb (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Diunna Greenleaf (vocals). Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne’s last album for Stony Plain, An Old Rock On a Roll (2011), garnered him a nomination for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Award from the Blues Foundation, as well as being awarded two 2012 Living Blues Awards, one for “ Best New Contemporary Blues Recording of 2011” and one for Wayne as “ Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard).” Wayne is a veteran blues and boogie pian...

Mark Pucci Media MARK PUCCI MEDIA CONGRATULATES ITS ARTISTS NOMINATED FOR THE 2012 LIVING BLUES AWARDS READER’S POLL Blues Artist of the Year (Male) – Johnny Rawls Best Blues Album of 2011 (New Recordings) – Johnny Rawls, Memphis Still Got Soul Blues Artist of the Year (Female) – Rory Block Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar) – Duke Robillard Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards) – Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Best Blues DVD of 2011 – Guy Davis, Guitar Artistry of Guy Davis: Teller of Tales All ballots must be received by July 10, 2012. Vote for one choice only in each category. All ballots must have valid contact details. Only one ballot per person is allowed. To vote, follow this link and click on the VOTE button: http://www.livingblues.com/ .

Stony Plain Records celebrates 2012 Blues Music Awards' nominations When The Blues Foundation announced the list of nominees for the 33rd Annual Blues Music Awards on Tuesday, December 13, Stony Plain Record’s artists were well represented with 7 nominations. The Blues Music Awards are universally acknowledged as the highest honour for musicians and songwriters in Blues music. Winners will be announced on May 10 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. Online voting is now open to Blues Foundation members at www.blues.org. Individual and corporate memberships are available for those who would like to vote. The nominations continue a year in which Stony Plain Records Records celebrated our 35th year as Canada's roots, rock, country, folk and blues label, with the release of a special 2CD + bonus DVD compilation, 35 Years of Stony Plain. Earlier this fall the label received 14 nominations in Canada's Maple Blues Awards, recognising the talents of MonkeyJu...