Bman's Blues Report

Mitch Woods has spent over forty years keeping the absolute best styles of American roots music alive and kicking. Originally from Brooklyn, he eventually headed out west and carved out a legendary reputation for blasting high-energy jump blues , stride piano, and infectious boogie-woogie. Whether he is ripping up the keys backed by his full band or holding down the stage entirely on his own, his style is all about raw groove and good times. Deeply influenced by icons like Fats Domino and Professor Longhair , Mitch infuses that authentic, piano-pounding rhythm and blues spirit into everything he touches, turning every single performance into an absolute celebration. 🎵 LISTEN & SUPPORT THE ALBUM   Mitch Woods · A Night in New Orleans (Live) Add this Record to Your Collection Available in CD Format 🛒 Buy Album on Amazon Store As an Amazon Associate, Bman earns from qualifying purchases. The Deep Dive Mitch Woods plays li...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Who Knows What The Future Holds , from Greg Piccolo & Heavy Juice , and it's a cool mix of R&B, rock n roll, blues and soul. Opening with I've Lost Faith , Greg Piccolo on vocal leads the way over percussive piano work by Shinichi Otsu, Mark Kazanoff on bari sax, Al Gomez on trumpet, and Piccolo on tenor sax and Bob Ruggiero on drums. I really like Dean Shot 's guitar work on this track with plenty of swagger contrasting against the backing vocals of Shot, Ruggiero, Paul Tomasello, Kazanoff, and Gomez. People Are Hot is cool reggae track featuring Piccolo on lead vocals and warm horn work and a cool sax solo by Piccolo, classic guitar rhythm by Shot and bass by Tomasello. Laid back JJ Cale style rocker, Don't tell Me The Truth really has a solid feel with a nice melody, and punchy horn backing. Another no nonsense guitar solo by Shot turns the heat up a notch for this track. Ballad, Guilty f...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Come To Me , from Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen and it has a cool groove. Opening with No Delusion , a slinky track with a well woven rhythm backing, Jill Dineen on vocal really holds tight on the reins. Carmen Ratti on rhythm and lead guitar adds tome distinctive riffs feeding Tony Lufrano on keys, Steve Hazelwood on bass and Randy Hayes on drums. Super opener. Bluesy ballad and title track, Come To Me , is a nice showcase for Dineen on lead vocal and Ratti's soulful guitar phrasing drips blues. Organ saturation by Lufrano and solid backing vocals by Lisa Leuschner Andersen adds just the right juice. Riley is real nice instrumental (think Thrill Is Gone ) with Ratti laying out the melody with crisp, clear, electric guitar work and Lufrano's organ solo is warm and inviting with a great bass lead by Hazlewood. Really cool track. Blues rocker, Coming Down , has a super funky rocking sound with great...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This World , by Billy Thompson and I really like it. Opening with This World, a rolling rocker, Billy Thompson on lead vocal and slide is joined by Golder O'Neill on bass, Eric Selby on drums and Michael Leroy Peed on keys. A super opener with solid vocals and radio promising melody.  Like Rain is another strong track with a great, funky style rhythm. With Kirk Joseph on sousaphone (which is great), Eddie Christmas on drums, Lionel Batiste Jr. on drums, and Thompson on guitar and vocal. One of my favorite tracks on the release is For True with a real swampy, funky blues feel. Thompson's vocals are great and his slide guitar is reminiscent of Lowell George . O'Neill on bass, Selby laying down some terrific drums and and Peed on keys really propel this track. R&B track, Hope, Peace and Joy has a great feel with some of Thompson's best vocals on the track and warm keys work by Peed. Latin rhythm r...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release ( April 3, 2026 ), Slidemaster , from Rick Vito and it's great! Opening with Vegas Jump , things are immediately rolling on a Lonnie Chatmon thing with Rick Reed driving on drums, Charlie Harrison on bass and clean and wide slide by Rick Vito. Strong opener. I love the droning bass line on The Danger Zone by Vito who overlays soulful picking/slide reinforced by Charlie Johnson on drums. Very nicely done. Peter Green 's, Albatross is a nice addition to the set with warm chords, picked melody and authentic, "Green like" slide work. A real surprise on the release is a beautiful cover of Sam Cooke 's, A Change Is Gonna Come . The phrasing is delicate and the tones pure. Excellent! Another Peter Green composition, The Supernatural , has an eastern feel with a Latin beat by Lynn Williams on drums. Vito's slide work seems to just hang in the ether as he tastefully articulates the melody. Very nice. Wrap...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bad At Being Good , by Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps and it's solid. Opening with upbeat, Love's A Full Time Job , Teresa James on lead vocal and piano sets the pace with Terry Wilson on bass, Billy Watts on guitar, Tony Braunagel on drums, Darrell Leonard on trumpet and Paulie Cerra on sax, this is a hot opener. With a real sway, I Got This Thing has a nice groove. Wilson sets a super bass line and James really digs in with sassy vocals and Watts guitar work add some real sting. Trouble In Paradise is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a lightly funky beat and excellent vocals by James. Dean Parks sits in on lead guitar and his and Kevin McKendree on Wurlitzer gives the track a real mellow feel. Very nice.  Bluesy, Treat Her Like You Want Her To Treat You is an excellent showcase for James and soulful horn work by Leonard and Cerra adds real nice depth. The addition of McKendree on B...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Arrival , from The Lucky Losers and it is their best release yet. Opening with funk infused, S-C-A-M , Cathy Lemons leads the way with solid vocals backed by the pumped up horn work of Doug James on tenor sax, Mike Rinta on trombone and John Halbieb on trumpet. With Phil Berkowitz on vocal, Chris Burns on keys, Simon Govan Smith on guitars, Edgar San Gabriel on bass, Jon Otis on drums, and Kid Andersen on keys, this is a high stepping intro. Lemons really digs in vocally on Pull On The Rope with some of her best vocals on the release. Smith grinds out a strong guitar intro and with Berkowitz on harmonica, Otis on drums, Gabriel on bass, Burns on keys and warm backing vocals, this is another strong track. Phil is up front on vocal and soulful harmonica on Sorry Brother . This track has a real slinky feel and Burn's key work coupled with the excellent percussion by Otis gives this track a dark, rich feel. Pig...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (10.24.25), Two Trains , from Dave Keyes and it's loaded. Opening with shuffle, Blues Ain't Looking for You , Dave Keyes on vocal and piano set the pace, backed by Bernard Purdie on drums, Jeff Anderson on bass, Rob Paparozzi on harmonica and featuring John Putnam with some wicked slide and Alexis P. Sutter and Vicki Bell on backing vocals. Title track, Two Trains has a swampy rhythm with Keyes on piano and lead vocal,  Paparozzi on harmonica, and solid backing vocals by Suter, Bell and Frank Pagano . Slow blues, A Long Way From Right Right Now features some of Keyes best vocals and sweet harmonica work by Paparozzi. Keyes really shines on instrumental, Boogie For Patty , with excellent piano phrasing and rhythm. Another favorite on the release is Worried in Mind Blues featuring Woody Mann on guitar and vocal with Keyes on piano and vocal. A simple, laid back acoustic blues with great feel. Wrapping the r...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Which Way Do We Go? , from Brandon Santini and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with laid back, title track, Which Way Do We Go?, Brandon Santini on vocal and harmonica sets a soulful table with just a touch of country with Timo Arthur on electric guitar, Jeff Jensen on guitar, Cliff Moore on bass, Ron James on drums and Jesse James Davis on backing vocals. A well rounded track with a solid melody, this is a cool radio track. Rocker, See That Pony , has a cool, stripped down feel with heavy snare driven drum work by James and cool rhythm guitar by Arthur. Santini alternates vocal and harmonica melody but his solo harmonica solo is serious business. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Do What Comes Naturally with it's driving guitar/bass/drum rhythm and grinding vocals. Arthur's guitar solo is just right for this primitive rocker giving it just the right amount of fuel. High energy rocker, Working On ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, August Moon , by Allison August and it's funky and sassy. Opening with Afraid of Love , Allison August shows what a great lead vocalist does and with excellent backing vocals by Maxayn Lewis and Jen Caston on, tight drum rhythm by Bryan Head, David J. Carpenter on bass, Sam Meek on guitar, Lenny Castro on percussion, Joe Sublett on sax, Les Lovitt on trumpet and Sam Meek on guitars, this track is tight! Sugaray Rayford joins August on lead vocals on I Won't Say No with a charging drum/percussion line by Tony Braunagel and Castro and a slashing guitar lead by Meek accented by Mike Finnegan on organ. Top radio track selection is Desiree with it's warm, memorable melody and vocal/keyboard interplay between August, Teresa James and Gregg Sutton and  Finnegan. Very nice. I like the cautious confidence on The Cure , and it's funky underbelly. August manages the track masterfully followed by James and Sutton on b...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nothin' But The TRUTH , from Max Hightower and it's a romper. Opening with funky blues rocker, Double Bubble, Max Hightower blows the intro announcing that something big is about to happen and he doesn't disappoint. Leading on vocal and funky rhythm guitar, Hightower gets things moving and kicks up on harmonica some fat fat tone. Joined by Brandon Phelps on drums, Steadman Williams Sr. on bass, James Beaumont on sax and Rob Davis on keys, this is a great opener.  Twitchy Witcha keeps that funky groove going with Davis on piano and Beaumont on sax rolling over Phelps on rimshot and funky funky vocals. Adam Lessneu joins on trombone and sousaphone and Hightower breaks loose on harmonica and it's not subtle. Great tone. Sweet Gum Tree has a strong New Orleans jam flavor with active Drum/bass/guitar work and Beaumont on sax and Adam Lessneu on trombone working with Hightower on vocal and harmonica in lead. Th...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breadman's Blues , by The Bob Lanza Blues Band , and I really like it. Opening with Johnny Jihngo , a cool blues rocker, Bob Lanza is upfront on guitar and vocal with healthy sax work by Nick Conte. Eric Heilner on keys,  Steve Kirsty on bass and Nick Fishman on drums keep it tight and the slashing guitar lead of Lanza really delivers. Excellent opener. Strutting blues rocker, Cut Off My Right Arm really hits the slot with gripping SRV/Albert King style guitar attack and his vocals are gritty and real. Really nice. Ballad, Same Old Blues , has a strong melody, supported by Heilner on keys and Lanza's guitar chops are A1. Shuffle, A Man Like Me, has traditional form and solid lead lines supporting some of the best vocals on the release. Honey Hush has a great, Latin rock twist giving Lanza, Heilner on piano and Vin Mott on harmonica great room to solo. Very cool. Roller Coaster has that signature Allman Brothers/D...