Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Six String Soul , a double cd release by Dave Specter and it's great. Celebrating 30 years on Delmark, with remastered recordings from throughout his career and celebrating many guests. Opening with Buzz Me Specter on guitar, is joined by Barkin Bill Smith on vocal and Ronnie Earl on guitar as well as Ken Saydak on organ, Dez Desormeaux on sax, Red Groetzinger on sax, Mike McCurdy on bass and John Hiller on drums. Very cool. Specter really stretches out nicely on solo guitar on slow blues, Railroad Station . Smith, on lead vocal does a real nice job and Bob Stroger on bass anchors the track. Saydak's piano is a nice accent and sax soloing by Groetzinger is really nice. I really like instrumental, Specter's Walk, with it's deep jazz groove. Specter cruses on guitar, Desormeaux's sax solo is rich, and Saydak's organ work is strong. Tad Robinson has lead vocal on Sweet Serenity . I've always been ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Brother's Blues , from Benny Turner and it's great! Benny pay homage to his big brother and best friend, Freddie King and does it with style. Opening with Big Legged Woman , Benny is on lead vocal and bass, showing excellent vocal style and tone. A punchy horn section featuring Barney Floyd on trumpet and Jason Mingledorff on sax really sets the track off and the solid foot pedal of Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander and the riding organ work of Keiko Komaki plays nicely with rhythm guitar fills by Derwin "Big D" Perkins and lead guitar runs by June Yamagagishi. Excellent! Have You Ever Loved A Woman is a definite highlight on this release with soulful vocals by Turner, backed by Earl Smith and suppressed but critical horn work and organ by Davell Crawford, and Jack Miele plays some real tasty guitar lead to ice the cake.  Swinging I'm Tore Down features Otis Clay, Turner and Marva Wright ...

Mark Pucci Media is happy to announce that our artists have received 8 nominations for the upcoming Blues Blast Music Awards! Here’s the entire list of our nominees & we’d appreciate your consideration in voting for these well-deserved artists. Information on how & when to vote is listed at the end. 2015 Blues Blast Music Award Nominations Traditional Blues Album ·          Mud Morganfield  &  Kim Wilson  - For Pops (A Tribute to Muddy Waters) Soul Blues Album ·          Otis Clay  &  Johnny Rawls  - Soul Brothers ·          Tad Robinson  - Day Into Night Rock Blues Album ·          Tinsley Ellis  - Tough Love Acoustic Blues Album ·          Big Dave Mclean  - Faded But Not Gone ·   ...

I just received the newest release (May 19, 2015), This Time For Real , from Billy Price and Otis Clay and it's one of the best R&B flavored releases I've heard in a long time. Opening with Somebody's Changing My Sweet Baby's Mind , Clay and price show just how nicely their vocals work well together, squeezing ever drop of soul out of the track with backing by Duke Robillard (guitar), Mark Teixiera (drums), Brad Hallen (bass), Bruce Bears (keys), Doug Woolverton (trumpet) and Mark Earley (sax). This track reminds me a lot of the days of Price working with Roy Buchanan and Earley's sax work is really nice! On I'm Afraid Of Losing You , Clay's strength is more prominent with backing vocals by Theresa Davis, Dianne Madison and Diana Simon creating a more spiritual feeling and an Al Green groove. Very nice! Going To The Shack has a funky rhythm with Clay and Price balancing nicely with the horns. Bears takes a key solo leading into a funky "King...

Otis Clay and Johnny Rawls Team Up as Soul Brothers for New CD Coming from Catfood Records On October 21 EL PASO, TX – Catfood Records announces an October 21 release date for Soul Brothers , the new album featuring Blues Hall of Fame singer Otis Clay and Blues Music Award winning vocalist Johnny Rawls for what promises to be one of the musical highlights of the year. Produced by Johnny Rawls and recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, Soul Brothers showcases the deep soul/blues veterans at their very best. They’re backed by the solid, in-the-pocket band, The Rays: Richy Puga (drums), Bob Trenchard (bass), Johnny McGhee (guitar), Dan Ferguson (keyboards), Andy Roman (sax), Mike Middleton (trumpet) Robert Claiborne (trombone), Nick Flood (sax) and The Iveys - Arlen, Jessica and Jillian - (background vocals). Also joining in the sessions was Southern California percussionist Jon Olazabal. Last year saw Otis Clay join Johnny Rawls as a special guest...

** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** A REUNION PARTY WEEKEND 35 YEARS IN THE MAKING! KANSAS CITY (April 24, 2014) – The hottest ticket in the Blues, The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise , which sails on the high seas twice a year, is hosting their Annual Cruiser Reunion shows for 3 nights this year. Based in Kansas City, the LRBC is the brainchild of Roger Naber , (former co-owner of the Grand Emporium live music venue) who is also celebrating 35 years as a music promoter in tandem with the music on stage. With the next two sold-out upcoming LRBC's, Kansas City music fans will have an opportunity to see six varied internationally famous acts at the well known and respected Knuckleheads honkey-tonk venue. Performing over the 3 day Memorial Day weekend soiree, May 23, 24 & 25, will be Blues Hall of Famer, Otis Clay and his 10 piece band, Royal Southern Brotherhood , an all-star band which includes music royalty names such as Cyril Neville and Devon Allman , Al...

I just received the newest release, Remembering O.V. from Johnny Rawls and it's quite tasty! Rawls was OV Wright's musical director and guitarist in the 70's and kept Wright's band together for quite some time. Opening with Into Something (I Can't Shake Loose) Rawls and guest singer Otis Clay create a driving R&B atmosphere that makes you want to get up and move. Precious, Precious, with more of a soul swing, let's Rawls deliver vocally with backing from Andy Roman (sax) Mike Middleton (trumpet) and Robert Claiborne (trombone). Johnny McGhee (guitar) and Richy Puga (drums) add substantially with rhythm on a solid bass part by Bob Trenchard. On soul classic, Blind Crippled and Crazy , Rawls delivers one of the nicest renditions in years. This song has a real warmth that should make it a new classic from this release. On Poor Boy , a pop soul track, Rawls does a great job at getting a super groove. Ferguson lays down a nice organ solo followed by cool ri...

Otis Clay (born February 11, 1942, Waxhaw, Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States) is an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music. Clay was born in rural Bolivar County, Mississippi to a musical family, who moved in 1953 to Muncie, Indiana. After singing with local gospel group, the Voices of Hope, he returned to Mississippi to sing with the Christian Travelers, before settling in Chicago in 1957. There, he joined a series of gospel vocal groups including the Golden Jubilaires, the Famous Blue Jay Singers, the Holy Wonders, and the Pilgrim Harmonizers, before making his first solo secular recordings in 1962. They were unissued, and Clay joined the Gospel Songbirds, who recorded in Nashville in 1964 and who also included Maurice Dollison who sang R&B under the name Cash McCall, and then the Sensational Nightingales. In 1965 Clay signed with One-derful! Records in Chicago, to make secular recordings. After releasing a series of gospel-tinged soul records,...