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Showing posts with the label Little Mike Markowitz

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💿 ALBUM REVIEW: D.K. Harrell - Live Your Dream - Talkin' Heavy

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Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter D.K. Harrell , one of the most formidable young stars of the current blues resurgence , sounds like no one else on the scene today. With his stinging, single note string bending, deep soul vocals, and attention grabbing original songs, the 27 year old Harrel - a major draw at blues festivals around the world is already in a league of his own.  🎵 LISTEN & SUPPORT THE ALBUM (Click the Track Number) ▶ Listen to Album Samples - Click the track number (Click to Expand) Add this Record to Your Collection Available in CD/Vinyl and Digital Formats. 🛒 Buy Album on Amazon Store As an Amazon Associate, Bman earns from qualifying purchases. The Deep Dive Bursting into the release with a stinging guitar intro on A Little Taste , D.K. Harrell has a no holds barred approach with trem bends that will set you shaking. His vocals are...
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Alpha Sun Records artists: Bridget Kelly Band - Blues Warrior - New release review

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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Warrior , by the Bridget Kelly Band and it's cool. Opening with Lil' Honey Bee , an up tempo shuffle, lead guitar player Tim Fik wastes no time in showing his guitar prowess. Kelly has the lead on vocal backed by Mark Armbrecht on bass and Alex Klausner on drums. Good opener. I like Fik's finesse and dynamics on Stolen , a bluesy ballad featuring Kelly's lead vocals, Mike Hamm on bass and Michael Barady on drums. With it's droning bass line by Armbrecht, No Good Man Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a solid melody and rich guitar lead. Another of my favorites is Alone with its twist on Robert Johnson's Crossroads. Fik powers up in this track showing is pyrotechnical capabilities but it's the basic groove on this track that hits home. Trouble In Texas has a driving boogie beat with traces of Johnny Winter and Billy Gibbons. Jimi influenced Let's Go has a c...
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Cassie Keenum & Rick Randlett - Hauntings - New Release Review

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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (9/23/17), Hauntings from Cassie Keenum & Rick Randlett and it's aninteresting mixture of blues, gospel and country. Opening with Seventh Day , Keenum is upfront on lead vocal adding acoustic guitar and Randlett adds interesting lap steel work. One More Last Time gets a Latin/rock feel with the addition of Little Mike's cool harp work, Rusty Valentine on drums and Nicole Wagner on bass. Shuffle track, All Along has a cool guitar solo to compliment Keenum's powerful vocals. Not a big fan of Leonard Cohen, but Randlett's slide work on his Hallelujah is pretty cool! On She's Gone , a duet by Keenum and Randlett is my favorite track on the release with just the right blend of texture and tension. Minute Man is a cool swinger with tidy guitar riffs by Randlett. With it's up tempo shuffle feel and laid back soloing, it hits the mark. Wrapping the release is hill country style blues track, How Lo...
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ELROB Records artist: Zora Young & Little Mike and the Tornadoes - Friday Night - New Release review

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I just received the newest release, Friday Night , from Zora Young & Little Mike and the Tornadoes and it's got texture! Opening with the dynamic, I've Been A Fool Too Long , Tony O Melio gets a great guitar groove going. With Jim McKaba on organ and piano, Robert Piazza on drums and Brad Vickers, Zora leads the way on vocals for a real nice shuffle track. Slowing down a bit R&B track, A Fool's Lament is really designed to showcase Young's vocals. With Little Mike Marknwitz adding some key harp work and Rick Johnson on sax and Gary Smith on trumpet, this track drips soul. Howlin' Wolf's 44 Blues is up next with strong piano work from McKaba. With strong a Chicago feel, this track is perfect for Young's voice, complimented nicely by Mike on harp and McKaba on piano. Easy swinging, True Love Is Hard To Find , plays the horns nicely against Young's perfect vocal phrasing. McKaba takes a real nice piano solo on this track as does O Melio. Very ...
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ELROB Records artist: Little Mike & The Tornadoes - All The Right Moves - New Release review

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I just received the newest release, All The Right Moves , form Little Mike & The Tornadoes and it's great! As you know I'm a real Little Mike fan and this new release is no exception. Opening with Hard Hard Way , a smokin Chicago style blues track features Little Mike on vocal and harp. Tony O. Melio plays a real nice guitar solo leading up to Mike taking over with a super harp blowout. This is a great year for harp lovers with this and Corritore's recent release being two of the best I've heard in some time. So Many Problems is a cool R&B track with a great groove. Brad Vickers (bass) and Robert Piazza (drums) seat Jim McKaba on organ for a cool ride but I really like Melio's loose guitar style and Mike comes up with some really nice harp phrasing making this a real heel bopper. Since My Mother Been Ill is a really nice slow R&B blues track featuring soulful vocals by Mike. His clear interface with Melio's punctuating guitar riffs and super pia...
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The Hustle Is On - Little Mike Markowitz

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Queens native Little Mike grew up on the very competitive New York City music scene. He started playing harp at age 14 and took up piano two years later. His first brush with the blues came while hearing John Lee Hooker at Carnegie Hall and later listening to a Paul Butterfield record. After that Little Mike couldn't get enough. If a blues show was in New York City, Mike was there, especially when the Chicago players came to town. His favorite was Muddy Waters. "I used to go and see Muddy anytime he was within 150 miles of New York," he said. "He is easily the biggest influence on the band and my playing. And if it's not Muddy himself then it's the great guys he always picked to play with him, like Pinetop Perkins and Otis Spann on the piano or Little Walter and James Cotton on harp." Another musician Mike greatly admired was Paul Butterfield, who would regularly come and see Mike's band perform. He liked their old "Chess sound...
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