Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Come What May , from Sam Joyner , and it's a cool mixture of blues, soul, and R&B music. Opening with It's That Mojo That Makes Me Stay , Sam Joyner on lead vocal and keys sets a funky rhythm. With cool slide guitar by Marc Stone, and a great bass line, this is a cool opener. Title track, Come What May (I'll Always Love You) , is a solid soul track with great blues guitar riffs and super vocals by Joyner and a healthy sax solo by Brian Wingard. As Long As You Are Here has a strong funky groove featuring Joyner with the Saint Anthony Singers, keys by Kevin Hayes and deep funky bass and super rhythm guitar by Lil Ray Neal. My favorite track on the release. New Orleans flavored, Too Many Cooks has a super swampy funk with a strong bass line and slap drums. Joyner on keys and vocal give this track real juice. A strong guitar solo by Lil Ray Neal adds just the right amount of spice. Wrapping the release is Holm...

Born March 16, 1960, Lil Ray (Raful Neal III) the third eldest of ten siblings, has long been regarded as one of the finest blues guitarists in the business. Raised in Ervinville, Louisiana, he started playing at Spooner's, a country store/club owned by his grandfather when he was about 12 years old. His father played at that store with his band and during the break he would let Ray and his brothers get up to play. Ray learned much with the likes of Buddy Guy and Harpo Slim hanging around but it was two of his school teachers that gave him the incentive to want to hone his craft as a guitar player. In the days leading up to summer break he would take his guitar to school and persuade Mr. Ronald Young and Mr. Edward Yearby to play. "Both were hell of a guitar players and I learned from just listening..you really didn't want to play, you just wanted to listen", Lil Ray recalls. In 1976 the Neal family moved to Baton Rouge and within a few years Ray was playing regu...