Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Have Mercy! , from Sean "Mack" McDonald and it's terrific! Opening with Rudy Moore 's, My Soul , Sean McDonald really turns out. With smooth vocal lead backed by The Morgan Brothers and Marcel Smith on backing vocals you immediately feel like you're in a club in the 50's. With D'Quantae Johnson on bass, Jim Pugh on piano, June Core on drums and featuring T-Bone Walker like lead guitar by McDonald, this track is rocking. Original McDonald track, Killing Me , is a terrific slow blues with excellent Ronnie Earl /Walker style blues runs that will curl your hair. His vocals are amazing and with  Pugh on organ, Eric Spaulding on tenor and Jack Sanford on bari. Wow!! Shuffleboard Swing is another hair raiser bringing to mind the great Clarence Gatemouth Brown . Hot jump track with excellent guitar lead and hot hot sax by Spaulding and sailing organ by Pugh. This guy is amazing! Rev Oris May...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Keep Living Til I Die , from Monster Mike Welch and it's terrific. I see Mike's clips on Facebook and I have really been looking forward to this and it was worth it... believe me! Opening with title track, Keep Living Til I Die , Welch is really hitting hard with super vocals and stinging guitar riffs. Brad Hellen on bass lays down a solid line, pumped up by Brooks Milgate on keys and heavy drum riffs by Fabrice Bessouat on drums. Excellent opener. On Love Me Baby with it's N.O. style rhythm reinforced by Milgate on piano and Hallen on bass Welch really drives this thing. I mean Welch is choking the crap out of the neck, ringing out every drop on blues and Bessouat anchors the track like lead. Wow! Resurrecting Aretha 's, Good To Me As I Am To You as an instrumental, Welch has the lead on guitar and his guitar is just oozing soul. Rich organ and piano by Milgate gives the track serious gospel overton...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, ...Took A While , from The Mike Duke Project and it's a soulful southern style release packed with musical elite. Opening with Little Miss Ponytail , a certain radio track, Mike Duke on lead vocal and piano leads the way with Bill Stewart on drums, Phil Yeager on bass, Ronnie Brown on guitar and Rick Kurtz on guitar. Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do features Duke with Jimmy Hall and the vocals are not only warm and solid but this is really a strong track. Let Me Be Your Fool Tonight is a real cool track with the addition of Lloyd Meadows, Angela Strehi  and Lisa Lueschner Andersen on backing vocal and featuring super accordion work by Bruce Gordon. I'm Not Sad Tonight sounds like it could be pulled right out of Van Morrison's songbook with distinct vocal phrasing and poise and the addition on Jim Pugh on B3. Very nice. Gospel flavored Torn & Scarred is Duke, accompanying his vocal lead on piano wit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nothin' To It But To Do It , by Junior Watson and I really like it. It's become a theme, but I like most of what comes out of Greaseland, Kid Andersen's shop. Opening with Up and Out , an up tempo blazer led by Sax Gordon, Junior Watson opens this release like a showman with horns blazing. Gordon really has it humming with great underpinning by Kedar Roy on bass, Andrew Guterman on drums and Jim Pugh on keys, swinging the door open and letting Junior Watson run on guitar. Excellent! On swing boogie, Louella , Watson has lead vocal and guitar with big time sax work by Gordon. This track really has presence and Gordon shares the spotlight with Watson who shows why he's one of the best loved contemporary guitar players on the circuit. A Shot In The Dark is a terrific slower blues with Alabama Mike really working vocals upfront and giving Watson the space to work over his fretboard and he really does give i...