Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Life Don't Miss Nobody , by Tracy Nelson and it's really good. Opening with Strange Things Happening Every Day , Tracy Nelson on vocal really gets things moving. Kevin McKendree on piano knows how to play a boogie and backed by John Gardner on drums, Byron House on bass, Mike Henderson on electric guitar, this is a great opener. With a Spanish taste, title track, Life Don't Miss Nobody features Nelson on lead vocal and Wurlitzer, with Mike Dysinger on congas and Guiro, House on bass, Larry Chaney on 12 string guitar and Cuatro and Steve Conn on piano and with the tight horn work of Jack Warner on sax, Dominique Caster on trumpet, and Chase Carpenter on trombone. Very nice. Willie Nelson steps up on Honky Tonkin' sharing the lead vocals with Nelson. Mickey Raphael adds some tasty harmonica lead melody and I particularly like Mike Johnson's contribution on steel guitar. One of my favorites on the relea...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven , by Peter Parcek and it's quite good. Opening with Peter Green's, World Keep On Turning , Parcek presents a dark, drum heavy track with flashy guitar. Solid blues rocker. On Blind Lemon Jefferson's, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean , Parcek's guitar chords are shimmery and haunting, his vocal interpretation is excellent and his solo guitar work is eerie. I've heard this track done numerous times by modern players but none as well as this. Very nice. Instrumental, Pat Hare has a country blues flair with modified chicken pickin' and cool harp work from Mickey Raphael. Ashes To Ashes is a really nice contemporary number with strong, ancient bone from Lil' Son Jones with slashing slide work and cool harp work from Raphael. Shiver has a cool mid century surf rock beat lead by Parcek's guitar and reinforced by Marco Giovino on drums. Andy Sanfospago lays in so...