Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Grit , from Cara Being Blue and it's got grit! Opening with title track, Grit , Cara Lippman shows a heap of swagger with thick, soulful lead vocals and solid backing vocals by Mandy Vixen. Guitar lead by Val Lupescu, keys by Eric Robert, drums by Flip Winfield and bass by Jonathan Nixon and solid horn punch by Miqui Gutierrez on sax, and Varney Green on trombone. Rock flavored ballad, One Day , has classic lines and nicely showcases Cara's voice. Lupescu's melodic guitar lead gives the track a regal feel and Tim Gonzalez on harmonica a bluesy flavor. Jack Pearson lays out a nice guitar intro on slow blues ballad, You Don't Wanna, with tight accents by Matt Doctor on drums. Robert's keyboard soloing on this track really adds a nice contrast to the overall tension of the track. Very nice. Nicely articulated guitar soloing by Lupescu gives Old Feelin' a great footing out of the gate, warmed by G...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, VooDoo Woman , from Crystal Shawanda and it's off the hook. Opening with Willie Dixon's Wang Dang Doodle and Shawanda wastes absolutely no time showing that she means business. With a powerful voice and the greasy slide work of DeWayne Strobel, backed by Stephen Hanner on harp, Dave Roe on bass and Louis Winfield on drums, this track is powerful! Title track, Koko Taylor's VooDoo Woman has a rock edge with crafty harp riffs and a tight bottom. Again, Strobel's slide work had a strong influence on the overall sound supporting Shawanda's powerful vocals. One of my favorites on the release is Big Mama's Hound Dog with a snappy rock edge. Shawanda handles the shift in tempo like an old pro with sure dynamics and Strobel's rock riffs are clean and distinct. A definite high point on the release is Shawanda's cover of Etta James' I'd Rather Go Blind . He voice really lends itself to t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (February 23, 2018), Step On It , from Big Shoes , and it's slick. Opening with Duplex Blues , lead vocalist and guitarist, Rick Huckaby leads this easy shuffle blending vocals with Will McFarlane on guitars, Tom Szell on bass, Mark T Jordan on keys and Kenne Cramer on guitar. Andy Peake adds drums and is joined on percussion by Bryan Brock. Light, funky, jazz rocker, There You Go , has a real nice rhythm and interwoven soloing by Huckaby, Cramer, McFarlane and Jordan. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Latin flavored, Don't You Do Me That Way with nicely stylized guitar lead, a solid piano solo from Jordan and snappy percussion rhythms. Excellent! A solid radio candidate is Ain't Nobody Loves You Like Me , with nicely blended vocals, punchy horn work and a smooth slide guitar solo by McFarlane. Pop rocker, Give It To Me Now is another strong radio track with a super melody and catchy rhythm. Wrappi...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Swing Set , from Eight O'Five Jive and it's a swinger. Opening with Make Mine A Double , lead vocalist Lee Shropshire has the house rockin with the strong support of Andy Scheinman on guitar, Patrick Mosser on sax, Bill Bois on bass and Duane Spencer on drums. With a more casual style, Lee gets full vocal backing by the band on Ragged and Andy twists in a stylistic solo leading to a rich solo by Patrick. Get Away is a real hot footer with smoking riffs by Andy and Patrick. Very cool. Backing off a bit, Put It Back, has a smooth Louis Jordan kind of feel with warm sax work under Lee's vocals. One More Glass Of Wine has a real nice jazz club pace with smart solo's by Andy and Patrick. Very nice. Another smoker, Ridu Green's My Mumblin' Baby is a great track with hot sax work by Patrick and again hot licks by Andy...possibly my favorite track on the release. Cool swinger, A Little Bit of Bourbon ...

    ROUNDER RECORDS COMPLETES MOVE  TO NASHVILLE Concord Music Group Acquires Treasured Children's Label Music For Little People,  Imprint Will Operate Under Rounder  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MARCH 6, 2014 - Rounder Records, a division of leading independent music company Concord Music Group, today announced the completion of the company's relocation from its longtime base of Boston, Massachusetts to its new home in Nashville, Tennessee.  The region's vibrant creative community and dynamic business environment offer Rounder an enormous opportunity to build on its legacy as one of America's most revered music labels.  Located in The Gulch, Nashville's popular shopping and entertainment district, Rounder's new headquarters (1209 Pine Street, Suite 100, Nashville, TN 37203) is centered in the heart of the city's thriving metropolitan core. A major force in a bro...

Nashville-based Griese writes and perfoms original music that is packed with feel and heartfelt lyrics. Bill's smooth voice and laid-back approach often lead to comparisons to the great James Taylor. His acoustic-pop style is both familiar and fresh. Bill has two original CDs, "For This Day" and "Too Long Coming," and several singles available on iTunes -- including the father-daughter song "On Three" and his fun, new release "Taylor Swift's Ex!" In a major departure from his usual sound, Bill recently released a high-energy football song called "R U Ready," featuring a guest appearance by the rapper Heathen. Get/Hear Bill's original music...   If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

  Guitarist Steve Dawson Is Ready to Shake the Rattlesnake Cage on New Black Hen Music CD Coming February 18, 2014 All-Instrumental Solo Disc Showcases a Master Guitar Player NASHVILLE, TN – Black Hen Music announces a February 18, 2014 release date for Rattlesnake Cage , the all-instrumental latest CD from master guitarist Steve Dawson. The album’s original 11 tracks showcase Dawson in a no-frills setting: just him, his guitars and a microphone to record all the beautiful tones emanating from his fingers. Rattlesnake Cage is the album that Steve Dawson’s growing numbers of fans have been waiting for and finally gives them the opportunity to hear Steve interact with his guitar in a way that has never been captured on record before. Until now, hearing the sweet melodies and deep soul of Steve playing solo guitar has been a treat reserved for live audiences in intimate settings.  These new simple and unadorned recordings hearken ba...

Guitarist Sean Chambers Steps Outside the Box to Record with First-Time Producer Reese Wynans on Upcoming The Rock House Sessions , Due October 15 New Album Recorded in Nashville Using an All-Star Cast of Musicians and Songwriters Extensive National Touring Planned to Support New Disc NASHVILLE, TN – When Tampa Bay Area-based guitarist Sean Chambers began planning for his next album release, he decided to do things differently than he had on previous albums and looked northward to Nashville with its amazing studios, musicians and songwriting talent. The result will be released on October 15 when Sean’s new album, The Rock House Sessions , comes out on Blue Heat Records. The Rock House Sessions features a number of firsts: it’s the first album he’s recorded as Sean Chambers rather than the Sean Chambers Band; producing for the first time is legendary keyboard player Reese Wynans (best-known for his long tenure as a member of Stevie Ray Vaug...

I just received the new release, Waiting On Daylight from Bart Walker and it's really strong! Walker, a new artist with Ruf has put together a package of great material that really nicely displays his skills and a performer. Opening with It's All Good , Walker wastes no time getting on the slide. This track reminds me a lot in rhythm to Stealin' Watermelons, a great Elvin Bishop track with a bit of funk and a bit of country in the rock. Walker is a modern slide player with southern influences sounding a lot more like Derek Trucks than Elmore James but really playing with his own guitar voice. Cool track. Black Clouds opens with a swampy bass riff by Dave Smith and then followed by grinding guitar riffs along the lines of Mule.Steve Potts has a good had with the drums and this blues rocker sets a firm footing. Walker is certainly no stranger to the guitar ripping gret guitar riffs throughout the track and his voice is well suited for the band. Took It Like A Man is a rock...

I just received the new release, This Time Another Year , from Brandon Santini and it's a cooker! Opening with Got Good Lovin' , harpist Santini wastes no time taking a shot at contemporary harp champs like Magic Dick. A hot blues rocker, Santini has a cool voice and can really get the harp flaming. Bill Ruffino on bass and James Cunningham on drums hold down the bottom and Jeff Jensen flys through with some slick riffs of his own on guitar. This Time Another Year , along the lines of Help Me, is a great track with roots deep in the blues with really great harp tone. Santini holds the band back to a simmer as he builds the pressure vocally and then drop in on harp for the swat. Really masterful. Jensen coaxes some nice riffs from the strings and Santini has the control of Jim Morrison just waiting to unleash the dogs. What You Doing To Me , is a great New Orleans tempo track on chromatic harp. Santini has a real great sensitivity for when and how to reel in the track. Interesti...

Nashville-Based Singer-Songwriter Rian Greene Set to Debut His New CD, Drown the Miller , June 4 on Post Oak Records Latest Album Produced by Brian Harrison and Features Nashville All-Star Backing Musicians NASHVILLE, TN – Singer-songwriter Rian Greene announces a June 4 release date for his new album, Drown the Miller , on Post Oak Records, which showcases his keen eye for a lyric and rootsy Americana take on country music. Produced by Brian Harrison (Shelby Lynne) and recorded primarily at The Rendering Plant in Nashville, Drown the Miller features Rian Greene’s unique blend of Americana music and traditional country sounds backed by a cadre of Nashville all-stars with pedigrees from work with such stars as Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings and Buddy Miller. The recording sessions feature Bryan Owings on drums, Phil Senseny on bass, John Jackson on guitar, Phil Madeira on keyboards, Robby Turner on steel guitar and Tom Littlefield on harmony v...

Arthur Gunter (May 23, 1926 – March 16, 1976) was an American blues guitarist and musician. He was best known for his song "Baby Let's Play House", which was later a hit single for Elvis Presley. Gunter was born in Nashville, Tennessee, a musician from an early age; as a child, he was in a gospel group with his brothers and cousins called the Gunter Brothers Quartet. In the early 1950s he played in various blues groups around Nashville, and began recording for Excello Records in 1954. In November 1954, Gunter recorded "Baby Let's Play House" for Excello (2047), which became a local hit. It became nationally known later that year when Elvis Presley recorded a version for Sun Records. "Elvis got that number and made it famous. But I didn't get a chance to shake his hand," Gunter would later say. His first royalty check, received that same year, was for $6500. Gunter continued to record for Excello until 1961. His regular band broke up in 1966 a...

"Sweet" Charles Sherrell (born Charles Emanuel Sherrell, March 8, 1943) is an American bassist known for recording and performing with James Brown. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Sherrell began his career playing drums with fellow Nashville residents Jimi Hendrix and Billy Cox, practicing at a club a block from Hendrix's residence. Sherrell learned to play the guitar by washing the car (a Jaguar) of Curtis Mayfield in exchange for guitar lessons. Sherrell soon began teaching himself to play the bass after buying one from a local pawn shop for $69, which led him to join Johnny Jones & The King Kasuals Band, Aretha Franklin's backing group. Sherrell joined James Brown's band in August 1968 and played on some of Brown's most famous recordings of the late 1960s, including the No. 1 R&B hits "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Mother Popcorn", and "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose". In the 1970s, Sherrell rejoined Bro...

Blind James Campbell (September 17, 1906 - January 22, 1981) was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is mostly remembered for his 1962-1963 recording for the Arhoolie label with his Nashville Street Band. James Campbell was born in Nashville, Tennessee on September 17, 1906. He later became known as Blind James Campbell after an accident at a fertilizer plant left him permanently blinded. In 1936 he formed a band and began playing folk, country, pop, jazz and blues music at parties, dances and for other local events. The Nashville Street Band consisted of fiddler Beauford Clay (born 1900) who was a great influence on Campbell's playing, second guitarist Bell Ray (born 1909), bass horn player Ralph Robinson (born 1885), and trumpeter George Bell. Campbell and his band appeared to be quite content with the steady work they were receiving, and did not seem to have any desire to pursue a career in recording. However, Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records became interested in...

Cecil Gant (April 4, 1913 - February 4, 1951) was an American blues singer and pianist. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Gant worked local clubs through the mid 1930s up until the Second World War, when he enlisted in the United States Army. Though his piano was blues-based, vocally he was a crooner of considerable cross-over appeal. He sang at a War Bond rally in Los Angeles, California, signed with the Gilt Edge record label, and recorded the self-penned ballad "I Wonder" late in 1944, billed as "Pvt. Cecil Gant." "I Wonder" reached number one on the Billboard Harlem Hit Parade (as the R&B chart was called then) and sold impressively nationwide. Gant then went on tour billed as "The G.I. Sing-sation," dressed in Army khaki and breaking attendance records at major venues, attracting both black and white audiences. As well as singing in the dream vein of his hit, Gant could deliver a pleasant blues and energetic boogie-woogie; versatility sh...

TO VIEW THIS MESSAGE AS HTML - CLICK HERE   DELTA GROOVE “BLUES STIMULUS PROGRAM” WINNERS! Delta Groove Music is very pleased to announce the participants in their first annual Blues Stimulus Program, an opportunity for blues talent around the world to become members of the successful Delta Groove Family.  Over the last decade, Delta Groove Music has set the new standard for producing, promoting, and booking exciting blues and roots music talent.  Now they’re sharing in their success by inviting emerging blues acts to submit their recordings for review, and each year Delta Groove will choose two U.S. and one foreign blues act to come on board with one of the biggest success stories in blues in this millennium!  After much careful review and painstaking consider...

Michael Vance is a 24 year old guitarist/ vocalist/ songwriter who was born and raised in Nashville TN. Having only picked up his first guitar at the later age of 16, in the short span of 8 years, is now performing in the ranks with world–class musicians, including Derek St.Holmes ( Ted Nugent), Shaun Murphy (Eric Clapton, Bob Seger), Johnny Hiland, The Wooten Brothers, James "Nick" Nixon, Darrel Roberts of Motown, Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) in 2007 as well as studio sessions Nahsville studio drum legend Milton Sledge. But perhaps the most surreal moment of Michael's young career came when legendary rock star, Robert Plant, lead singer of Led Zeppelin happened in to Nashville's Hotel Preston one night. Michael was playing with his band and on a break they came to pay homage to the rock great and get a photo. Robert commented that he not only liked the band but thought they were great. With influences like Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and...

Richard A. "Ricky" Allen (January 6, 1935 – May 29, 2005) was an American blues singer from Chicago. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee and began his singing career as member of a church choir in his home town. He relocated to Chicago in 1960, and received a recording contract one year later at Age Records. He had a local hit with "You Better Be Sure" and in 1963, his hit "Cut You A-Loose" reached #20 in Billboard's R&B chart. Some of his recordings of the 1960s such as "It's A Mess I Tell You" and "I Can't Stand No Signifying," portended the emerging soul-blues style of the 1970s. After his retirement from the music industry in the early 1970s, he conducted a laundry and a limousine service. In 2001, he performed at the Mönsterås Festival in Sweden, and the following year at the Chicago Blues Festival. He died in 2005, aged 70. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more a...

James Burke "St. Louis Jimmy" Oden (June 26, 1903 – December 30, 1977) was an American blues vocalist and songwriter. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, Oden sang and taught himself to play the piano in childhood. In his teens, he left home to go to St. Louis, Missouri (c. 1917 ) where piano-based blues was prominent. He was able to develop his vocal talents and began performing with the pianist, Roosevelt Sykes. After more than ten years playing in and around St. Louis, in 1933 he and Sykes decided to move on to Chicago. In Chicago he was dubbed St. Louis Jimmy and there he would enjoy a solid performing and recording career for the next four decades. While Chicago became his home base, Oden traveled with a group of blues players to various places throughout the United States. He recorded a large number of records, his best known coming in 1941 on the Bluebird Records label called "Goin' Down Slow." Oden wrote a number of songs, two of which, ...

Gregory LeNoir "Gregg" Allman (born December 8, 1947 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2006. His distinctive voice placed him in 70th place in the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". At the beginning of the 1970s, The Allman Brothers Band enjoyed huge success and a number of their most characteristic songs were written by Allman. Unusual for the time, the band was based in the Southeastern United States and their music, which has been called ‘Southern Rock’, a term derided by Allman, incorporates an innovative fusion of rock, blues, and jazz. Following the death of his older brother, guitarist Duane Allman in 1971, and a year later, bass guitarist Berry Oakley, both...