Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, For You , by Tim Woods and its an earthy contemporary blues release. Opening with Can't Stop Rockin' with it's blend of the Doors and Ten Years After blues rock feel. Woods definitely has a Morrison vocal styling and Bobby Lee Rogers bass lines are driving. Cool opener. Another cool blues rocker, Are You Kind? has just a taste of metal but with Rogers on keys this track almost takes on a Deep Purple flavor. Mimic has a really cool, bounce to it with just the right amount of funk. Rogers' drum anchor gives Woods freedom to jam out on guitar and it's just the perfect combination of groove and lead guitar (think old Savoy Brown meets old ZZ Top). Very nice. Wrapping the release is ballad, Within , with Rogers highlighted on vocal with only the  minimal keyboard and brushed drums over his own guitar. With a solid melody and and flowing guitar lead, this is a cool closer.    If you support live Blu...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nosy Neighbors , from Paul Boddy & The Slidewinder Blues Band , and it's a cool, straightforward contemporary blues band. Opening with easy shuffle, Trouble Finds Me Everyday , Paul Boddy on lead vocal and guitar sets a solid platform, joined by Glenn Halo on keys, Chuck Hearne on bass and Dave Hollingsworth on drums. Another shuffle, Hanky Panky Blues has a real nice sway with a strong piano solo by Hale and excellent vocal by Boddy who adds some real nice slide. With it's cool Latin beat, title track, Nosy Neighbors , has strong radio appeal with a great melody, hot drum rhythm and real nice slide work by Boddy. Right Way Up is a real nice blues rocker with nice finger work by Boddy, a driving bass line by Hearne and strong backing vocals. Wrapping the release is Trash Can Head , a laid back bluesy rocker with super jammy piano by Hale, and a cool bass line by Hearne. Backing vocals aren't listed on the ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Break It Down , from Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen and it's quite cool. I've listened to this release a number of times and I keep hearing new stuff. Opening with A Little Bit , a really cool neo soul track blended strongly with raw guitar attack by Dustin Douglas, a meaty bass line by Matt Gabriel and tight drum rhythms by Tommy Smallcomb and you get something really cool. Think "D'Angelo light' jamming with David Gilmore in a modern rock band. Very cool! Destiny has an even more rocky feel almost into Living Color territory. Goodbye is another particularly interesting track with a Led Zep spin. It doesn't have the Bonzo bottom but the riffs are the children of Page and even the vocals are "Plant"ish, although Douglas' vocals are much more listenable than Plant's. Another track with a definitive Page riff and a JP Jones line is Out Of My Mind . This is a partic...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, It's My Life , from Bobby Kyle and it's a cool, R&B style rocker. Opening with Johnny Copeland's Daily Bread , Bobby Kyle shows his unique styling in vocal and guitar, backed by Everett Boyd on bass, Joel Perry on guitar, Marc Copell on drums, and Dave Keyes on keys. Driftwood has an almost Allman feel is their early, era. Kyle's vocals are solid and Keyes' accordion work gives it a totally different sound. Soul ballad, Highway Man , is one of my favorite tracks on the release with smooth pace, tension and solid horn backing by Laron Land on tenor sax, Alex Harding on bari sax, and James Smith on trumpet. Radio strong track, Blood From A Stone , is another of my favorites with solid soul roots and super horn backing. Sax solos from Land and Harding as well as a nice trumpet line from Smith give this track a cool edge.  Eddie Kirkland's I've Got My Bloodshot Eye's On You is a simple ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 9 Miles To Nowhere , by Jeff Fetterman , and it's quite good! Opening with funky blues rocker, Somebody Get Me A Doctor , Fetterman on lead guitar and vocals sets a great stage. With a nice groove and solid vocals, backed by Eric Brewer on guitars, Ralph Reitnger III on bass, John McGuire on drums and Judy Kessler on vocal and percussion, this band is rocking. Nice round tone opens Something Just Ain't Right and the stomping woodblock snap is pure magic. Brand New Day has a tight, thumping bottom and a real good blues rock feel. Fetterman's sense for dynamics is nice with compressed neck pickup picking balanced with open bridge soloing. Goodbye John Brown has a snappy drum riff that really delivers for me and Fetterman's slide works nicely with his rugged vocals. The smoothest track on the release is Broken Hearted , T-Bone Walker progression, just set up for perfectly for lead guitar soloing. A real nic...

I just received the newest release (October 7, 2016), Blues Karma and the Kitchen Sink , from Charlie Wheeler Band and it's an interesting mix of contemporary music. Opening with pop rocker, People Keep On Talkin' , Charlie Wheeler who leads on vocal and guitar sets the pace and Dave Fink and Rad Akers hold down the bottom on bass and drums respectively. Tight. On Shiver , I really like the plucky bass lines of Fink on this spacey rocker. One Of These Days has a little bit of country flare with traces of the Doobies. Certain radio track with a good hook and snappy drums. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Flicker Away , has a heavy footed rock beat with it's feet in the blues. With solid vocals, a good hook and slick guitar work, this track is tops. P romise of Daylight is another track that catches my attention with hot guitar riffs and a real nice bass line. Wheeler's vocals are spot on giving this track multi station appeal. Another blues rocker, Love Y...

I just received the newest release, Bottle Full Of Blues , from Jeff Fetterman Band and it's quite good! Opening with Paradise , influences of Jimi Hendrix and Texas blues guitarists are readily apparent. Strong driving guitar riffs by Fetterman on the intro develop into a cool funky groove with John McGuire on drums, Ralph Reitinger III on bass and Anthony Brown on keys. This track has a lot of fluidity and Fetterman is definitely comfortable leading this groove. Very nice! On Out Of Time a Bo Diddley beat is twisted with a Texas blues funk. I particularly like the bass growl of Reitinger. Brown steps up with a blanketing keyboard solo and a nice opening for Fetterman to lay out his guitar chops and Judy Kessler, Amy Shallenberger and Bea Antonelli sing precise backing vocals. Southbound has a driving blues rock beat with riding harp work from Otis James. Strongly blended lead and backing vocals as well as a strong melody make this on the the prime radio style tracks on the r...

I just received the newest release, I Can't Change from Billy The Kid & The Regulators and it's quite good! Coming out of the gate with title track, I Can't Change , Billy and the Regulators hit the funky groove with Reggie Watkins on trombone, Rick Matt on sax and JD Chasin on trumpet. Billy Evanochko, Jon Vallecorsa and James Dougherty on guitar and vocals lead the way and Yolanda Barber's complimentary backing vocals are excellent! Arnold Stagger on bass and Brian Edwards on drums really anchor the bottom and stylized guitar soloing tops this super opener! On Ain't Gotta Prove Nothing, Billy leads the way vocally and with voracious guitar work. Another track with a serious funky feel driven by Stagger, this track moves! Radio styled, R&B ballad, What Are We Fighting For has a catchy melody and warm horn work, nicely complimented by Dougherty's singing slide work. R&B styling on Story of the Blues suits this band well. This is a tight track ...

Ted (Bundy) and Andy (Shack) have been talking about doing a Blues Brothers tribute for the past 20 years or so. Finally, one night over a couple of beers they decided to move forward with the project. They called their old "bandmates" from previous projects: Brian Solomon, David Schroeder (Schro) and Kurt Fleckenstein (Jorge) who were instantly on board and excited. After two years of changes in the horn section due to folks moving for jobs or leaving for Afghanistan (and thankfully returning home safe and sound), the Booze Brothers are happy to present Brian Dahm, Jeremy Ketter, Marty Herchko, Greg Sloan and Dan Rusnak as the horn line up for this project. The band rounded it out and added Rich Risnear on keys in February of 2014. Our love of the music the Blues Brothers band has produced (or reproduced) has brought us together. We hope you share our love for this timeless music and enjoy our shows as much as we enjoy performing for you. EVERYBODY GET RIPPED!!!!!!   If ...

Nik C & The BlueTops are a musical group excelling at a soulful style of blues and funk that will move you and make you move. Nik Callahan - Vocals / Guitar Keith Gamble - Bass Jules Coulson - Drums    “Like” Bman’s Facebook page. I use Facebook to spread the word about my blog (Now with translation in over 50 languages). I will not hit you with 50 posts a day. I will not relay senseless nonsense. I use it only to draw attention to some of the key posts on my blog each day. In this way I can get out the word on new talent, venues and blues happenings! - click Here  

I just received a new release, Empty Roads , from Dan Bubien . It's not often that I get to review an artist from my original hometown, Pittsburgh Pa. but it's a solid pleasure when I do...and the music is great! Bubien presents not only a pleasant rack of tunes but a strong voice and great instrumentation. This release is a bit more "popular" sounding than I typically listen to but it's always cool when musical strength, catchy tunes and vibrant grooves collide. Opening with the title track, Empty Roads , a funky, Little Featesque, track with strong vocals and cool guitar. Excellent start. The guitar work on this track is straight forward and interesting exhibiting solid chops. Fight Club pulls even more funk with Andy Taravella on drums, Gary Ripper on bass, Timmy Mabin on keys, Jonathan Vallecorsa on guitar, and especially Eric DeFade on sax. Crazy Days really has a strong Philly sound (the other side of the state) and I really like it. If you don't kno...

The Sarah Ayers Band began cooking up their unique blend of blues, funk, and rock on a cold Tuesday night in January ‘02 as the hosts of a brand new blues jam in Macungie, PA as Sarah’s Rhythm Recipe. Little did they know that less than a month later their little blues jam would be the hottest jam in the Valley. Since that time, the group has branched out to become one of the valley’s best blues bands. Their spicy recipe for funky, kick-ass, butt-shaking blues has rocketed them right through the usual rites of passage for a new blues band, peforming at the Lehigh Valley Blues and Jazz Festival, competing in the regional International Blues Challenge, and performing in the Best of the Lehigh Valley Festival. Sarah has been awarded Best Female Vocalist at the Lehigh Valley Music Awards every year since 2003. In each year she has also taken home additional awards in other categories, including: best original band, best blues vocalist, best all around performer, and best original song “B...

Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter and actress. Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh. Born to an African American family, she was the eldest of seven children and a third cousin of actor Earle Hyman (best known for his recurring role on TV's The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable). After leaving Pittsburgh, her music training started at a music school. On graduation, she performed on a national tour with the group New Direction in 1971. After the group disbanded, she joined All the People and worked with another local group, The Hondo Beat. At this time, she appeared in the film Lenny (1974). She also did a two-year stint leading a band called Phyllis Hyman and the P/H Factor. Hyman was discovered in 1975 by internationally known pop artist and music industry veteran Sid Maurer, and former Epic Records promoter Fred Frank, ...

Have you heard of this guitar wiz from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that goes by the name of Rob Carlton? If not, get ready for the blazing hot sound of RC as he excites the world with his phenomenal playing skills. Originally from Long Island, NY, this guitarist is no stranger to the music game as he has played in many bands over the years. One band in particular, Empyre, helped Rob gain more notoriety and exposure early on his career. This band had the pleasure of opening up for and touring with such acts as: Cinderella, Zebra, Blue Oyster Cult among others. Fun times for Carlton & company during those Empyre years, but the journey was far from over. Three albums later after leaving Empyre, Rob decided to start a new band titled Sevenfold. He would go on to tour big Christian festivals such as SuperFest traveling all over the United States. From there, it was time for Rob to make some music of his own as a recording solo artist. The first solo album recorded would be called...

I just received the newest release, It Wasn't Real , from Gina Sicilia . Sicilia has a rich voice and a smooth delivery. Opening with the title track, It Wasn't Real , Sicilia delivers a sultry pop jazz track with nice sax work backing by Jay Davidson. Next up is a track that I became familiar with through my love for James Brown. This has a totally different feel with a more laid back swing type groove. Davidson again steps up with a sweet solo. Walkin Along The Avenue has a distinct 40's sound and possibly the coolest track on the release. Dennis Gruenling plays some really complimentary harp on this track and Joel Bryant adds a nice B3 line. City By The Water is a strong radio play track with a real bluesy feel. Davidson again gets the chance to shine with a real solid sax solo. The release is wrapped with country influenced Walkin' Shoes . Overall this release will appeal to a more adult audience with strong pop melodic tendencies. It is very well done.  If yo...

Been on the music for 14 years. Started with blues band BMW-"Blues Music Works". Currently lead singer of "Miss Freddye and the Blue Faze Band". also duo acouistic act "Miss Freddye & Mike Huston on acoustic sounds. Starting singing at the age of 15, mostly in church. Became winner of the West Virginia Blues Society's 2008 Appalachian Blues Competition. Went on to compete in Memphis, TN Feb. 2009, at Club 152. Had the honor and pleasure of having Greg "Fingers" Taylor play some mean, down home harp at CC's Cafe, Sharpsburg, Pa. Opened for Kellie Ricthie at Moondog's, Blawnox, Pa. Jammed with DeWayne Burnside a Moondog's. Had the the honor of singing with the blues band Mississppi Heat in Morgantown, Wv! Recording artist for Bonedog Records, located in McKeesport, Pa   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...

one of the first guitar songs i ever wrote GOING ALL THE WAY ended up on a local cable tv show as its theme song in brookhaven long island the song also won me a ascap songwriters award and apeared on long islands soundscape record featuring the best long island artists from there my metal rock band was formed EMPYRE at this time i contacted CONKLIN guitars and begain to do national ads promoting there guitars in GUITARWORLD CIRCUS MAGAZINE over the years good times magazine/ kerrang/ burn to name a few supported us. i have been a member of ASCAP for many years and recieved many songwriting awards. EMPYRE opeaned and toured with national acts we caught the eye of blue oyster cults bass player joe bouchard who produced its first cd to rave reviews the band also scored a record deal with DUTCH EAST INDIE fingers metal shop wbab suported the band as well after empyre the christian metal band SEVENFOLD was born we played large christian festivals to also rave reviews phil keaggy being one ...

Jymie Merritt (born 3 May 1926) is an American jazz double-bassist.Raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he has worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, and blues. He has worked with Bull Moose Jackson, B. B. King, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Max Roach, among others. He was an early adopter of the Ampeg bass (a hybrid acoustic-electric instrument) and founded Forerunner, a community organization in Philadelphia. He is the father of a bassist Mike Merritt from Conan.   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 favorites band! -  ”LIKE”  

What started as an experiment has developed into the area's most dynamic blues rock trio. By skillfully weaving point and counter-point into “off measure” time signatures, Nick Cianci, Brandon Walker and Isaiah Weatherspoon make up the band known as RILEY ROAD. From three different school districts, RILEY ROAD’s members were brought together through the efforts of Erin Riley, founder of Phoenixville’s Rock and Roll After School (RRAS) program. Drummer Isaiah Weatherspoon and bassist Brandon Walker joined with Nick Cianci, a long time student of the Downingtown School of Rock, in Fall 2010 to form a blues rock based trio. The diversity of these three students is their greatest strength, with each one bringing a different skill and perspective to the band. On lead guitar and vocals, Nick Cianci channels the spirit of many of the great blues artists of the past. Close your eyes and you will hear Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, B.B. King and Buddy Guy. From a blistering f...

After playing with Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton's bands in the mid-'40s, sax player Johnny Sparrow formed his own band, Johnny Sparrow and His Bows and Arrows. The group was based in Philly in the early 1950s, and signed to Gotham Records in 1952.   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!