I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Shadow Man, by John McLean and Charles Barkatz and it's a mixed bag of blues based rock. Opening with Leaky Shoes Blues with it's almost Pink Floyd like feel and blues overtones. With John McLean on lead vocal, Charles Barkatz on guitar and vocal, Derek O'Brien on guitar, Nick Connolly on keys, Chris Maresh on bass and John Chipman on drums and with Kaz Kazanoff on sax, John Mills on bari sax, and Al Gomez on trumpet this is a cool opener. Title track, Shadow Man, is a bright shuffle with and a cool extended guitar solo. Slow blues, She Cry Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with fat sax work behind soulful vocal lead by McLean and tasty blues guitar lead and solid accents. Bathtub Blues is a cool, upbeat blues rocker with the addition of Kazanoff on harmonica. Wrapping the release is New Life, a strong blues track in the manner of Willie Dixon. With it's hard rhythmic bottom, loose but cool guitar lead and cohesive piano work, under the lead vocals of McLean and backing vocals by Connolly, John Chipman, Stuart Sullivan, Derek O'Brien, Maresh, Kazanoff and Barkatz, this is a cool closer for an interesting release.
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