Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the newest release from Landslide Records , 40th Anniversary , a two disc compilation celebrating their 40th anniversary and a full house of great artists. Opening with Tinsley Ellis and the Heartfixers and Drivin' Woman . Ellis is a great choice to open this retrospective with his fiery guitar attack and tight rock shuffle beat. Strong opener. The Bluesbusters' track, If The Phone Don't Ring , is up next led by Little feat guitar and vocalist Paul Barrere in collaberation with Dregs keyboardist Lavitz and associated Feat personalities. This is a great track and solid addition to this release. Damon Fowler contributes Make The Best Of Your Time . Fowler was a great addition to Landslides lineup with his rugged vocal, strong rhythm and terrific slide work, I always look forward to his releases. Sean Costello was a unique talent and spectacular blues player. His contribution here is Motor Head Baby with it's slow swagger and Costello...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Phoenix Blues Sessions , from Kid Ramos and Bob Corritore and I really like it. Opening with Aw Shucks Baby , Kid Ramos and Bob Corritore really have a jam packed release here. With Nappy Brown on lead vocal, Henry Gray on piano, Mario Moreno on bass, Chico Chish on drums, Johnny Rapp on guitar and of course Corritore on harmonica and Ramos on lead guitar this is a solid opener. Super shuffle, Come On In is a perfect style for Ramos' guitar slinging style with it's swagger and features Gray on lead vocal and piano. Ramos walks it out nicely making this one of my release favorites. Slow blues, 24 Hours features Dr. Fish on lead vocal and he really digs in nicely working in really nicely with the soulful guitar lead of Ramos. Another slow blues, Mother In Law Blues , features Chism on lead vocal, Paul Thomas on bass and Tom Mahon on piano. I really like the piano guitar interplay between Mahon and Ramos on this o...

I just received the newest release, Blues Won't Let Me take My Rest from Henry Gray and Bob Corritore . Featuring 10 previously unreleased out of 14 included tracks, this release features not only Gray and Corritore, but many other of the greats in recent blues history. Opening with Let's Get High , a great piano shuffle with Gray on lead vocal backed by Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on backing vocal and drums and Corritore on harp, this is a great opener. Gray's vocals on Blues Won't Let Me Take My Rest are a stark contrast to Clapton but this is real and Gray's piano with Corritore on shielded harp, Bob Margolin and Johnny Rapp on guitar and Chico Chism on drums, this sounds a lot like Muddy's band. New Orleans flavored boogie, I'm In Love Again features a cool harp riff by Corritore and hot guitar riffs by Rapp. Robert Jr Lockwood is featured on vocal and guitar on Robert Johnson's Ramblin' On My Mind , one of my favorite tracks on the rel...