Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, No More Worlds To Conquer , from Robin Trower and I like it! Opening with Ball of Fire , Trower on guitar (and bass), joined by Richard Watts on vocal and Chris Taggart on drums set a solid foundation. Maintaining a trace of early Trower styling, this music sounds fresh and new with rock roots and blues influence. Trower's riffs show power that I rarely see in contemporary rock or blues and his runs are fluid and firm. Very cool. Title track, No More Worlds To Conquer , has rhythmic roots in that early Trower/Hendrix dialog but the track is all original. I like how Trower takes a basic concept and with only a trace of history makes a new and completely independent new track which has excellent strength. With only a bass line and drums to guide to concept, Trower crafts the new melody and solo line on guitar, giving Watts the pathway for the vocals. Excellent! Birdsong is one of my favorite tracks on the release with w...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Crown , from Eric Gales and it's powerful. Opening with Death of Me , a solid blues rocker with metal overtones. With a heavy drum stamped bottom by Greg Morrow and Lemar Carter this track has real swagger. Gales has never been bashful about throwing heavy guitar riffs out there and this track is no exception. His Jimi influence is ever present but not overtelling, backed by Joe Bonamassa on rhythm guitar, Josh Smith on rhythm guitar and Michael Rhodes on bass and backing vocals by LaDonna Gales. Very cool. I really like soul track, Stand Up with it's radio quality. Gales really shines on vocals on this track with it's super melody and with it's rich bass work and backing vocals by Jade McCrae, this track is strong. Another track with a heavy bottom is Survivor and it's lumbering feel lays open a grand floor for ultra fluid soloing by Gales. A lush guitar chord laden intro on Too Close To The Fire rea...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dear America , from Eric Bibb and it may be his best in years. Opening with Whole Lotta Lovin' with it's rolling acoustic guitar riff and backing instrumentation by Ron Carter on bass and Glen Scott on keys this track had a very friendly warmness. Shaneeka Simon joins Bibb and Tommy Sims on lead vocal, and teamed with Steffan Astner on slide guitar gives this track strong appeal. Slower, lumbering Whole World's Got The Blues features a nice appearance by Eric Gales who lights up his electric guitar and Sims on bass, and Glen Scott on drums fill out the bottom. A modern take on the delta style blues, title track, Dear America pairs Bibbs acoustic guitar and vocal over Chuck Anthony on electric guitar, Scott on drums and percussion, Christer Lyssarides on mandola and Simon and Big Daddy Wilson on backing vocals. Strong ballad, Emmett's Ghost plays to Bibb's strength in songwriting, vocal and acoustic gu...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Straight To You Live , from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and it's a solid rocker. This is a double pack with a cd recording as well as a dvd video of the concert. Opening with Woman Like You , KWS of course leads the pack on vocal and guitar, backed by Noah Hunt on vocal and guitar, Chris "Whipper" Layton on drums, Joe Krown on keys, Scott Nelson on bass, Mark Pender on trumpet and Joe Sublett on sax. Shepherd sets a solid pace and with his trademark vocals and fluid lead runs sets up a good opener. Elmore James' Talk To Me Baby has a real nice shuffle pace with Pender and Sublett on horns and Shepherd on guitar and slide and some of his best vocals on the release. Real nice sax work by Sublett and a hot trumpet solo by Pender gives this track a real turbo boost. Bluesy ballad, Heat of the Sun is one of my favorites on the release with soulful vocals by Shepherd and explosive, melodic guitar work by Shepherd. Ve...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Survivor Blues , from Walter Trout and it's his most mature and cohesive release to date. Opening with powerful slow blues number, Me, My Guitar and the Blues Trout is back locked and loaded. I love his command of the volume swell, using it like an old master, making his guitar cry like a baby and his prasing is magical. With Michael Leasure on drums, Johnny Griparic on bass and Skip Edwards on keys, this is a terrific opener. On Woman Don't Lie , it's a slink funky beat that gives this track traction.Trading lead vocal with Sugaray Rayford and adding Teddy Andreadis on Wurlitzer really sets this one up or a guitar slam and Trout is all over it. Gone are the days of cramming every note into one measure and real feel and biting riffs carry this track high. Shuffle track, Please Love Me has great feel and tension with relaxed riffs with excellent punctuation work on a heavily pumped up BB King like style. Re...

Signs To Be Released On September 8 th In North America Available For Pre-Order Beginning Today 2017 World Tour Dates On Sale Now First Track “Make It Move” Now Available On All Streaming Services Los Angeles, CA --- Jonny Lang ’s brand new studio album, Signs , will be released in North America on September 8th via Concord Records.  The album (his sixth major label release) is his first in four years. The album is now available to pre-order beginning today: http://amazon.com/dp/B071FPWNS6 The European release for Signs will be on August 25 via Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group. Fans can now get an inside look at the making of Signs here: North America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx_R2U8h_9E Europe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA-BkmZ-2IM&feature=youtu.be Anyone who originally discovered Jonny Lang through his searing instrumental work will revel in the huge guitar tones and go for broke solos on Sig...

QUINN SULLIVAN CRUISES ‘MIDNIGHT HIGHWAY’ IN THE STUDIO AND ON THE ROAD Provogue / Mascot Label Group Debut Hits Retail January 27, 2017 EPK:   https://youtu.be/08ujABkiLOA Provogue / Mascot Label Group has announced the release of Quinn Sullivan’s Midnight Highway on January 27, 2017.  Sullivan has been a music professional for more than 75 percent of his life. He’s shared the stage with Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Los Lobos, The Roots, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi and Joe Bonamassa, and he opened for B.B. King, who later invited him to play his treasured “Lucille” guitar. He has performed on concert and festival dates throughout the United States – including at storied venues like Hollywood Bowl, RFK Stadium and Madison Square Garden – traveled overseas – performing at both the Montreux Jazz Festival and India’s Mahindra Blues Festival – and played several editions of the Experience Hendrix Tour, backed by Jimi’s original bassist Billy Cox.  H...

RONNIE BAKER BROOKS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF  TIMES HAVE CHANGED, HIS FIRST ALBUM IN TEN YEARS Produced By Steve Jordan, Featuring Lonnie Brooks, “Big Head” Todd Mohr, Bobby “Blue” Bland,  Steve Cropper, Angie Stone, Eddie Willis, Al Kapone, Felix Cavaliere, Lee Roy Parnell Out On Provogue / Mascot Label Group January 20, 2017 Chicago, IL --- Brooks, 49, was born in Chicago, and started playing guitar around age six. At 19, he joined his father, Lonnie Brooks who by then had influenced some of the most well-known bluesman of our history: Jimmy Reed, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Johnny Winter, and Junior Wells. For 12 years, the two would tour together, putting Ronnie out front with Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Koko Taylor.  Times Have Changed , Brooks’ first album in ten years, carries with it the weight of grown perspective and time spent perfecting old material. Brooks worked it with Steve Jordan, whose work runs from Keith Richards ...

I just had the opportunity to review Eric Johnson 's newest release, ej and it's quite special. An all acoustic release with acoustic guitar and piano it is a different side of Johnson. Opening the release is an instrumental cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson . Solid and very ornately adorned, a beautiful track. Somber ballad, Wrapped In A Cloud features Johnson of vocal, piano and acoustic guitar with strings. A very nice track outside of what you would traditionally think of with Johnson. Once Upon A Time In Texas is a curious, adventuresome, guitar interlude with a lot of dynamics and almost Spanish accents. Very nice. Jimi Hendrix's One Rainy Wish has the introspective melody of Hendrix with it's complexity but with a totally new twist. Johnson has successfully take it to a new place with new dynamics. Very nice. One of my favorites on the release is the classically structured, Serinidad , with it's chord bases and jazz like lead. Very speci...