Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Greenville, MS … What about you? , from Kern Pratt and it's a straight up blues rocker. Opening with Loving That Feeling , Kern Pratt is digging into that southern funky blues pot with a great New Orleans rhythm. leading the way on vocal and guitar, this track is moving with Chris Gill on slide, Bobby Walker on rhythm guitar and drums and Bob Dowell on bass and keys. Cool opener.  Slow blues track, Baby's Got Another Lover is a real nice track with Pratt singing lead and responding with smart guitar riffs of his own. With the addition of Shannon Goree on drums, this is one of my favorites on the release. In the vain of Jimmie Oden, Something's Gone Wrong has a really nice bottom courtesy of Dowdell and Pratt again gets a nice chance to stretch on guitar and Kris Jenson lays out a real nice sax solo. Bluesy ballad, Rita not only has nice instrumentation but a perfect radio melody. Sharing lead vocal spot w...

I just received the newest release, Broken Chains , from Kern Pratt and the boy can play. Opening with Greenville Mississippi Blues , an Elmore James like track with nice slide riffs and Eden Brent on piano. Lights Are On But Nobody's Home is up next with a compliment of horns including Lacy Blackledge on trumpet, Bob Henderson on sax, Pete Verbois on bari and Chris Belleau on trombone. There is some exceptionally warm sax work here that you should check out and Kern absolutely smokes the guitar on this slow blues number. Excellent! Somewhere South Of Mississippi has a radio style format but nice and clean... well written. David Hyde runs a nice bass line on this track and Denise Owens on backing vocals adds a bit of warmth. Black Hannah is a high stepper with tight drums by Nelson Blanchard, nice vocals with Kern and Owens and tight horn work from Blackledge, Henderson, Verbois and Belleau. Nice blues rock guitar riffs lay out nicely on this track making it a sure radio cross...