Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 20, 2021), Blind Faith , from Jimmy Carter (Co-Founding member of The Blind Boys of Alabama) and it takes pieces of a number of genres of music and blends them together nicely. Opening with After The Storm , Carter on lead vocal, is joined by Joey Williams with some nicely finessed gypsy style guitar, Ryan Joseph on violin, Steven Ray Ladson on bass and tidy drum rhythms by Chris Marshak. Solid opener. With a cool R&B feel, Dream On, has a snappy rhythm and super backing vocals. With a firm bass line. forward trombone solo by Freddie Lonzo, and piano backing by Max Leake, this is one of my favorites on the release. Charlie Musselwhite  lays in some nice harmonica work on Find Your Way Home with the addition of Joseph on violin, and a jazzy piano solo by Peter Levin. Wrapping the release is blues shuffle/gospel track, Why Me , with Musselwhite, on harmonica, Ron Pullman on guitar and powerful choral...

Captain John Handy (June 24, 1900 - January 12, 1971), was an American jazz alto saxophonist. Handy's style was rooted in New Orleans Jazz but also incorporated elements of R&B. Captain John Handy on saxophone with Kid Sheik Colar on trumpet, Preservation Hall, 1965 Handy was born in Pass Christian, Mississippi. He played clarinet in New Orleans bands from the 1920s, including in his own Louisiana Shakers. He switched to alto saxophone in 1928, and was little-known outside of Louisiana until the 1960s, when he began playing frequently with Kid Sheik Cola and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and recorded for GHB Records, RCA, and Jazz Crusade. He is well known for playing in the December Band alongside Kid Thomas Valentine, Big Jim Robinson, Sammy Rimington, Bill Sinclair, Dick Griffith, "Mouldy" Dick Mccarthy and Sammy Pen. His solo on "Ice Cream" is well known in New Orleans Jazz. Another one of his cuts that is often reproduced is "Cap's Blues...