Bman's Blues Report

Mark T. Small Wins “Acoustic Blues Album of the Year” Award at 2014 Blues Blast Magazine Awards Show CHAMPAIGN, IL – Blues singer/guitarist Mark T. Small won the “Acoustic Blues Album of the Year” award at the 2014 Blues Blast Magazine Awards Ceremonies, held October 23 at the Fluid Events Center in Champaign, Illinois. Small also performed during the gala held to honor blues music artists and CD releases for the year. "It was an honor to be part of such a fine event and be associated with such a fantastic publication,” said Mark T. Small. “Winning the award was the icing on the cake.” The Somerset, Massachusetts-based artist garnered the recognition for his January, 2014, release, Smokin’ Blues , on the Lead Foot Music label imprint. The dozen tracks on Smokin’ Blues , Small’s fourth CD,   solidified his place as an emerging master of the guitar, whose styles range from Delta and Chicago blues to the intricate, flatpicking style from his early days in “Ne...

I just received the newest release (January 28, 2014), Smokin' Blues , from Mark T Small and it really is smokin! Opening with Blind Boy Fuller's guitar boogie, Step It Up And Go , Small is cooking right out of the gate. A straight simple acoustic guitar boogie with vocals its a great start. Next Up is Tampa Red's Sell My Monkey , a slow acoustic blues with really clean walking bass line and blues riffs. Cool track. My Daddy Was A Jockey is right out of John Lee Hooker's songbook and Small gets the feel of Hooker with his relentless vamp and 2 note solos. Very cool. Jimmy Oden's Going Down Slow has really expressive vocals and exceptional acoustic blues riffs. Really really nice. Gary Davis' Buck Rag is really well executed. Davis was one of my favorite acoustic players and Small has done an excellent job of playing tribute to a great player. Rufus Thomas' Walkin The Dog is always a fun track and Small gives it a new run. He coaxes himself on in a cal...

Guitarist Mark T. Small Delivers Some Smokin’ Blues on New CD Coming January 28, 2014, on Lead Foot Music   Latest Album Showcases Small’s Guitar Mastery in a Variety of Blues & Roots Forms SOMERSET, MA – Guitarist Mark T. Small announces a January 28, 2014 release date for his fourth CD, Smokin’ Blues , on the Lead Foot Music label imprint. The even-dozen tracks on Smokin’ Blues solidify the Massachusetts-based Small’s place as an emerging master of the guitar, ranging from Delta blues and Chicago styles, to the intricate flatpicking schooled from his early days in “Newgrass” bands. The 12 songs on the new CD reflect music originally performed by such early blues legends as Blind Boy Fuller, Tampa Red, Charley Patton and Reverend Gary Davis to post-war icons John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James and even a Stax/Memphis soul vibe with the inclusion of a Rufus Thomas tune.   “Smokin' Blues is a sampler of the guitar g...

I just received my advance copy of Mark T. Small's new release. It is a mix of uptempo, Piedmont style, rag and delta blues and nicely executed. Mark has a solid voice and the recording is well done.If you like the acoustic finger picking blues I'll bet you'll like this one. SCOTTSDALE , AZ – Solo Delta and Chicago-style blues guitarist Mark T. Small announces a September 20 release date for his new CD, Blacks, Whites & the Blues , on Lead Foot Music. The new album features 14 songs bursting with his trademark incendiary blues guitar work on a variety of vintage instruments that emphasize his improvisational playing within the framework of classic Delta and Chicago-style blues idioms. “I started developing the solo show because I love the freedom associated with playing alone,” he states “Musically, you can frame a song and take it wherever it leads you during the performance. I hear so much of that when I listen to guys like John Lee Hooker and Lightnin’ Hopkins. They...