Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Outskirts of Love , by Sue Decker and it's a solid rural country flavored blues release. Opening with Lay Me Down In the Indigo , Sue Decker, shows a solitary sound, singing toe to toe with her resonator guitar. This is an interesting track and a cool opener. Wynn Gogol adds full keyboard support and Damian Graham on bass giving The Stain a strong radio feel. A nice melody and Decker's unique vocals give this track solid traction. A real nice acoustic blues is Too Close to the Bone , one of my favorites on the release. Fingerpicked and simple, may be Decker's best vocal track on the release. Easy flowing pop tune, Let Me Begin with You , has a contemporary rock rhythm and strong melody, with horn programming by Gogol. Backing vocals by Gavin Hodgins and Gogol give this track a healthy radio feel. Another of my favorites on the release is folk flavored Silver Anniversary , with a great melody, strong lead vo...

NPR MUSIC'S FIRST LISTEN TO PREMIERE SHEMEKIA COPELAND'S OUTSKIRTS OF LOVE Album Is #1 Most Added Triple A Record On FMQB Chart NPR Music's influential  First Listen will host the premiere of singer Shemekia Copeland 's Outskirts Of Love , beginning Thursday, September 3 and running through the CD's September 11 release date. Initial radio response has been stellar -- the album was the #1 Most Added Triple A Record for the week of August 24 on the FMQB chart. MOJO magazine says, "It is Copeland’s thrilling voice, part Koko Taylor, part Mavis Staples and capable of incredible expression, that makes Outskirts Of Love so super-special. Spectacular, stirring, sanctified and sassy…at the crossroads where funk meets blues rock. Her band, led by producer Oliver Wood, and featuring guests Billy F Gibbons, Robert Randolph, Alvin Youngblood Hart...

SHEMEKIA COPELAND'S OUTSKIRTS OF LOVE SET FOR SEPTEMBER 11 RELEASE Shemekia’s a ball-of-fire vocalist with a voice that’s part Memphis, part Chicago and all woman… devastatingly powerful. She’s a great singer, period. --Chicago Sun-Times Shemekia captures the timelessness of the blues while spinning it forward with remarkable maturity. --USA Today   Alligator Records has set a September 11 street date for Outskirts Of Love , the genre-smashing new release from trailblazing vocalist Shemekia Copeland . With a voice that is alternately sultry, assertive and roaring, Shemekia’s wide-open vision of contemporary blues, roots and soul music showcases the evolution of a passionate artist with a modern musical and lyrical approach. Whether she’s belting out a raucous blues-rocker, firing up a blistering soul-shouter, bringing the spirit to a gospel-fueled R&B rave-up or digging deep down into a subtle, country-tinged ballad, Shemekia Copeland sou...