Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bad Man , from Martin Lang and it's pure blues. Opening with Reefer Head Man , a real nice Chicago blues, featuring Martin Lang on lead vocal and harp, Little frank on guitar, Illinois Slim on bass and  Dean Haas on drums. Lang's phrasing and sense of feel is really classic sounding like original Chicago blues rather than a current day take. Very nice. He Don't Love You is a great track with some of Lang's best vocals on the release. His harp tone is warm and round and David Waldman on piano adds classic blues piano. Harp boogie, High as a Georgia Pine is a top notch track with Lang riding high on harp over a solid bass line by Illinois Slim. The Mix Up is another harmonica instrumental with a Latin flavor. Lang has a great feel for just how much harp to add with a great balance of guitar by Little Frank. Mood Indica is a cool, slow blues instrumental with really nice exchanges between Frank and Lang. V...

I just received the newest release, Cell Phone Man , by Willie Buck . This release sounds really fresh but it fits like an old glove. This new release is a mixture of new tracks written by Buck and some old classics written by Muddy Waters among others. The release opens with Doin' Good And Bad At The Same Time , a contemporary Chicago style blues track. Buck is backed by Rockin' Johnny Burgin (lead guitar), Rick Kreher (rhythm guitar), John Sefner (bass), Steve Bass (drums), Barrelhouse Chuck (piano) and harp men Bharath Rajakumar and Martin Lang. Darling I Miss You So , the classic Ted Taylor track is right on the spot with crisp riffs by Burgin. Muddy Waters' Strange Woman has a beautifully slow pace which provides plenty of space for Bucks' gritty blues voice, Rajakumar's soulful harp work and tasty guitar tweaks from Burgin. Each featured artist takes a turn showing their stuff, you find yourself just closing your eyes and letting it in. Excellent! Cell Pho...