Bman's Blues Report

I just received a copy of the newest release from Nuno Mindelis , Angels & Clowns featuring the Duke Robillard Band and Sunny Crownover . Opening with It's All About Love , a blues laced pop track, Mindelis is nicely complimented vocally by Sunny Crownover. With simple blues riffs and a nice hook and melody, this is a track that could easily hit the airwaves hard. It's Only A Dream is a straight up rocker along the lines of a Glenn Frey track with a twist of Dire Straits. The title track, Angels & Clowns actually has the melodic sound of a Jimi Hendrix composition but as executed by Steve Winwood. Very interesting. Miss Louise has an easy going bluesy sound with a clever key solo and a well executed guitar solo as well. Hellhound has a funky jazz rhythm and some pretty strong guitar riffs laid down on a cleanly executed bed of drums (Mark Teixeira), keys (Bruce Bears) and bass(Brad Hallen). 27th Day is one of my favorite tracks having an unusual melody and instr...

Born in Cabinda (Angola) Eastern Africa on Aug. 7, 1957, Nuno Mindelis became a guitar enthusiast at the very young age of 5. By the age of 9 he began building and playing self-made guitars. A primary influence at that time was Otis Redding and his great rhythm section, Booker T. & The MG's, made up of Booker T., Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and Al Jackson. Nuno continues to enjoy the work of these musicians to this day. Because of a civil war, which made Nuno lose everything he had, he had to run out of his country at the age of seventeen. He joined an older cousin in Canada. He remained there for about a year, jamming where possible and increasing his guitar knowledge. In 1976, following a year of separation from his family, he decided to rejoin them in their newfound home of Brazil. Nothing eventful happened until 1990, when an independent recording he had made there began to receive airplay on local radio stations. In 1991 he was invited to record his debut...