Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, My Voice , by Laura Chavez , and it's a super blues rocker. Opening with a driving cover of CCR 's Born On The Bayou , With Chavez grinding out the melody, Lea Worms playing over the top organ, Tomek Germann on bass and Explosive drumming by Marty Dodson, this is a powerful opener. Shot-Zee is a full on R&B track in the vein of Booker T ... a 70's rocker with heavy drums and bass, saturated organ and fiery guitars.  One of my favorite tracks on the release is sensitive blues, Wanderer . With Worms forming the melody on warm organ and Chavez literally screaming out a melodic interpretation on electric guitar with hints of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac , this track is explosive. Excellent! Covering El Cascabel is a natural for Chavez who grew up in San Diego just minutes from the Mexican border, her father being a first generation Mexican American. El Cascabel is a Mariachi standard and Chavez picks up a nylon...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Songs From The Road , by Mitch Ryder and it's a solid rocker. Opening with Lilli May , Mitch Ryder fronts the band on vocal with Laura Chavez and Sean Athens on guitars, Tomek Germann on bass, Denis Palatin on drums and Lea Worms on keys. On bluesy, All The Fools It Sees , Ryder digs deep with nicely phrased soul vocals with glistening keyboards by Worms and Athens on acoustic guitar lays in some real tasty riffs. Latin flavored, Oh What A Night has really great movement focused by Palatin and Germann and a sweet piano solo by Worms really works nicely. Chavez dishes up a blistering guitar solo and Worms' backing vocals with Ryder make this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Chavez and Athens pair up nicely for dual guitar leads on War and the texture of this track really suits Ryder's vocal style. Athens steps up with a real nice guitar solo on this one and Worms ramps up the heat on organ. Country ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, With Love , by Mitch Ryder and it's an interesting mix of rock and R&B tracks. Opening with Lilli May , an up tempo rocker featuring Ryder on lead vocal, Dave McMurray on sax, Luis Resto on keys, Roscoe White on guitars, Jeff Canady on drums, Mahindi Masai on percussion and Chuck Bartels on bass. Solid opener. Sanguine is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's lightly salted Latin influence and super guitar soloing by Laura Chavez. Another Latin flavored track, Oh What A Night , really has a great rhythm featuring Masai on percussion and Resto on keys. Ryder's vocals, backed by Hershel Boone and Terena Boone give it just the right flavor and McMurray's sax solo really tops it off. Fly is on of my favorite tracks on the release with it's funky rhythm and solid vocals by Ryder and Boone. McMurray steps up again on sax and Canady's drum work really shines on this track. Wrapping the r...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Do It My Own Way , by Vanessa Collier and it's full of funk, soul and Latin sounds. Opening with Elbow Grease , Collier leads on vocal with a hot, funky, Latin rhythm, fueled by Laura Chavez on guitar, Scot Sutherland on bass, Byron Cage on drums, a hot solo by Doug Woolverton on trumpet and Collier on sax and Maureen Murphy on backing vocals. Powerful opener. Blues rocker, Take Me Back has a strong, memorable melody making it a likely radio track with a warm sax solo by Collier and real nice drum and percussion work by Trey Macias and Cage. Funky, boogaloo rhythm laid down by Chavez and Cage gives Shoulda Known Better a real hot sound. With Collier letting the sax fly on this one and punchy trumpet work by Woolverton, followed by a tight solo by Chavez, this is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Latin flavored balled, Just One More , highlights Collier on lead vocal with shimmery guitar work by Chavez. Sultry...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Damn Good And Ready , from Chickenbone Slim and it's a cocky, blues rocker. Opening with High Ballin' Train , a southern style rocker with plenty of swagger, Chickenbone Slim on guitar and vocal leads the way and Laura Chavez really lets it fly on guitar. With Marty Dodson on drums, Justice Guevara on bass and Kid Andersen on everything else, this is a powerful opener. Low slung, Drink Me has a great lope and Slim's vocals are spot on. Stylistic guitar soloing by Chavez gives the track a nice boot and a heavy bottom by Guevara really is solid. Chavez lays down some searing riffs on Damn Good and Ready with just the right amount of funk from Guevara and Dodson. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Ice In My Whiskey , with it's heavy bottom and guitar reinforced melody. Stinging guitar work by Chavez reverberates over a bass and drum vamp as the band collects for it's refrain. Another track that ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live at Power Station , from Vanessa Collier and it's energetic. Opening with The Run Around , Collier has the mic vocally and on sax on a driving rocker. With the incredible Laura Chavez on guitar, William Gorman on keys, Andrew Crane on bass, and Byron Cage on drums, this is a bright opener. Rolling, Whiskey and Women has a really nice feel and is a grat showcase for Collier's voice. Chavez lays in a solid solo and Collier caps on the track with a nasty solo of her own. Sweatin' Like A Pig, Singin'' Like An Angel has a cool, swampy New Orleans styling and I really like the interplay between Chavez and Collier instrumentall over the tight bottom provided by Cage and Crane. Excellent track. On Chris Smither's, Love Me Like A Man   Chavez really shines and Collier not only really rips it vocally but gets a great groove going on her sax. Excellent track. Pulling out her James Brown funkiness on Tong...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Serve It to Me Hot, from Chickenbone Slim and I really like it. Opening with title track, Serve It to Me Hot , Slim and the crew are hitting it hard. This band sound like they're ready for a rumble with the low slung power attack of slinger Laura Chavez on lead guitar and Slim on guitar and lead vocal. Marty Dodson on drums and Andrew Crane round out the band making this crew ready for just about anything. Great opener. On up tempo boogie, Wild Eyed Woman , the band cranks like they're backing HD Taylor or Slim Harpo. This may be my favorite track on the release with a great driving beat and Chavez's relentless guitar attack. Excellent! Harp wizard, Aki Kumar joins the crew on Top of the Clouds , with a solid Texas style. Chavez steps out nicely on guitar and Slim's vocals are nicely complimented by Kid Andersen and Lisa Andersen. Funky, Laying In The Weeds , is a real cool track with a solid exchange betw...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Heart On The Line , from Vanessa Collier , and it's quite good. Opening with James Brown's, Super Bad Collier is off to a strong start morphing a quick tempo driver into a slow, funky instant hit. This track has it all with movement, great vocal, a great bottom, and saxy solo by Collier. Backed by Nick Stevens on drums, Scott Sutherland on bass, Laura Chavez on guitar, William Gorman on keys, Quinn Carson on Trombone, Doug Woolverton on trumpet, this track is hot! With a delta feel on Bloodhound , Chavez lays down a cool slide riff and Colliers vocals really take over. With CC Ellis on bass and Stevens on drums, this track has oomph. Randy Newman's You Can Leave Your Hat On gets a really nice rework with plenty of spunk. I really like the horn work on this one pushing it along and Chavez's guitar solo just just right in the groove. Excellent! Original track, Weep and Moan has a really great feel with a slo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good As Gone , from Casey Hensley and there's some powerful good music on there. Opening with driving blues rocker and title track, Good As Gone and Casey Hensley wastes no time in showing what she's got. A powerful lead singer along the lines of Ann Wilson, Hensley cuts loose over a potent rhythm section of Laura Chavez on guitar, Marcos C. on bass and Evan Caleb Yearsley on drums. On You Should Be Lucky , Chavez steps up in the mix with that rich guitar tone that she's known for playing some blistering riffs balancing Hensley's strong vocals. With a shift to swing style and the beat on 2, Be My Baby (What Do You Say?) is a comfortable style for Hensley with perfect clarity and Chavez of course plays tight and right. Blues ballad, Love Will Break Your Heart is the best showcase for Hensley's vocals on the release with a smooth backing vocals, horn work by Jonny Viau and Steven Ebner and of course ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stand Up! , from Whitney Shay and its got a cool R&B vibe. Opening with funky title track, Stand Up! ... Whitney on lead vocal and strong drumming by Brannon Temple. This track has got it going. With solo guitar work by favorite Laura Chavez and a full horn compliment of Kaz Kazanoff on tenor sax, John Mills on bari and Al Gomez on trumpet and with Chris Maresh on bass and Red Young on keys, this is a strong opener. Equal Ground is a slower, lumbering blues style track with a lot of swagger. Slide work by Derek O'Brien and the rich vocals of Shay gives this track just the right sound. Radio ballad, I Thought We Were Through has a strong melody and soulful vocals by Shay and a cool sax solo by Kaz makes this an ideal radio track. A duet vocal with Guy Forsyth on funky, Far Apart (Still Close) a solid fluid guitar solo by Chavez and a strong bass line by Maresh makes this track one of my favorites on the relea...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Roads That Cross , from Katarina Pejak and I really like it. Opening with surf rocker, Nature Of My Blues , Pejak is upfront on lead vocal and keys, with axe master Laura Chavez on guitar, Lonnie Trevino Jr. on bass, Damien Llanes on drums. Excellent opener. Modern jazz, blues track, Sex Kills has a cool, understated, almost reggae rhythm with solid lead vocals and nice piano work by Pejak. Southern soul oozes out of Pejak on Old Pain , a really nice track with real radio potential. Soft heat on organ gives the track an even warmer feeling yet. very nice. Country rocker, Chasing Summer has real sting with Chavez giving the track a coarse guitar edge and nice piano soloing by Pejak. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Latin flavored She's Coming After You . Llanes light had on drums really gives the track air, Chaves' guitar work is classic and Pejak's vocals are terrific. Excellent! Another radio ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blind Spot , from The Lucky Losers and it may be their best one yet. Opening with It's Never Too Early , a melodic two stepper featuring nicely blended vocals by Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz, backed by Ian Lamson on guitars, Chris Burns on keys, Endre Tarczy on bass and Robi Bean on drums. Take The Long Road is a real cool track with an Al Green strut. Lemons' vocals are spot on, with Laura Chavez on lead guitar and Berkowitz harp contributions are notable. Alligator Baptism is a cool blues rocker with a pinch of Latin spice courtesy of D'mar on percussion and the addition of Kid Andersen on lead guitar, Jack Sanford on bari sax and Nancy Wright on sax. Another strong track, The River , this time country soul really nicely showcases Lemons' voice which sounds a lot like Susan Tedeschi. Lamson's slide work and harp work by Berkowitz add nicely to this really solid entry. With a cyclical bass line...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, live, from Casey Hensley and it's smokin'. Opening with Big Mama Thornton's, Big Mama's Coming Home , Hensley grinds right into it with gritty vocals and a big presence. Backed by Evan Caleb Yearsley on drums, Johnny Viau on sax and Marcos C on bass this band is first class. I really want to point out that this release features Laura Chavez and I mean it features her. Chavez has always carries a big hammer but this first track has made me a big fan. Chavez really tears it up, reminding me of the style of one of my favorite contemporary players, Rockin' Johnny Burgin and that is a huge endorsement. On original track, Put Your Lovin' Where It Belongs , Hensley digs in her heals vocally with a lot of heft.  Again, Chavez is hot on her heels hot, tasty riffs. A slow grinder with teeth. Classic, You Can Have My Husband , has a cool shuffle feel and again, right with Hansley's front work is Chave...

I just received the newest release (June 25, 2013), Coming Out Swingin' from Candye Kane and it may be her best effort to date. Opening with the title track, Coming Out Swingin' Kane and notable guitarist Laura Chavez literally come out swinging!! This authentic swing track features really tasty guitar riffs but conjures the feel from the 40's with Bill Caballero on trumpet, April West on trombone, Jerry Viau on sax and tight tom tom work from Fred Rautmann. On Rock Me To Sleep , Kane leads the way with swell vocals and Chavez plays some remarkably clean guitar work backed by Sue Palmer on piano and Kennan Shaw on bass. I'm The Reason Why You Drink has a Chuck Berry flavor but with a twist of horns and of course Kane on vocals. Chavez steps up again on this track showing that she well knows the fretboard. Bill Watson also adds nice harp work on this track. One of my Personal favorites, Invisible Woman , is a slow bluesy ballad track with shimmery guitar work. Low fr...