Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fall Back Home , by Suzie Vinnick and it has a nice groove. Opening with solid radio track, Lift You Up , with just the right country blues blend and a New Orleans like rhythm, Suzie Vinnick on lead vocal and acoustic guitar is backed by Davide Di Renzo on drums, Alec Fraser on bass, Colin Linden with some signature electric guitar riffs, Jesse O,Brien on organ and Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar on backing vocals. With a stronger country overtone and real nice guitar work by Linden, Salt & Pepper has a strong melody and Vinnick shines on lead vocal. I really like ballad, City & Skies with it's simple melody, straightforward vocals and nicely crafted steel guitar work by Steve Dawson. Another real nice ballad, Let Me Make It Up To You Tonight , is a bluesy ballad with jazz overtones, but retaining it's simple, country based theme, with excellent vocals by Vinnick, tasty harmonica soloing by Carlos Del Jun...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Solar Powered Too , from Rick Fines , and it's a soft blend of blues, tropical and folk music. Opening with Below The Surface , a smooth acoustic ballad, Rick Fines accompanies him vocal on Cuban Tres and Baritone Guitar. With it's solid melody and accomplished vocal and guitar work, this is a fine opener. With traditional blues guitar riffs and slide by Fine and Roly Platt laying in some really nice harmonica, Worry be The Death of Me is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Country style blues, Laundry On The Line , is nicely executed by Fines with tight finger patterns and warm vocals. Another of my favorite tracks on the release is Tex Mex styled, That's What Makes You Strong with Melissa Payne joining on vocal, Alec Fraser on bass, Gary Craig on drums, and Jimmy Bowskill on Mandolin. Very nice.  Slow, country style ballad, One Lone Loon has a beautiful melody and with singing pedal steel guitar by Bo...

I just received the newest release (May 12, 2015), Like Elway , from Lee Palmer and there's a lot of airplay coming. Opening with Rockin' This Chair , a bluesy, country kind of thing with a pinch of New Orleans, Palmer on vocal has enlisted Lance Anderson on accordion and Elmer Ferrer who screams a pretty good electric guitar solo to make this a fun opener. On pop country ballad, Life's A Mess , Anderson on keys and Al Cross on drums provide most of the music not produced by Palmer on acoustic guitar and vocal. Light, breezy jazz number, Those Winter Blues , has a smooth bass line by David Woodhead and crisp runs from Anderson on piano and Ferrer on guitar. Lonely At The Top is a simple 2 stepper with a catchy melody and vocal harmonies by Mary McKay. Country flair is added by Ferrer on guitar and Cross keeps the drums tight and simple. Title track, Like Elway , has a real cool feel with a Latin beat. Palmer spins a talking tale as McKay sings a catchy chorus and Ferrer ...

I just received the newest release, Inside Out from Roly Platt and I really like it. A mixture of classic ballads, jazz, R&B and deep seeded blues this release has a lot of breadth. Opening with Joe Sample's, Put It Where You Want It , Platt that's a jazz track and replacing horn with harp it has a real nice effect. Joined by Al Cross on drums, John Tilden on guitar and Lance Anderson on keys this is a super opener. Mad River has a real nice Texas boogie style driven by Russ Boswell on bass, Platt, Tilden and Anderson each take nice solo lines. Dropped down a few clicks, Steve Strongman takes the lead vocal spot and adds guitar on Good Mind To Wander . Platt rides high with his harp on the melody of this likely commercial track. Congo Strut has a jazzy feel of course featuring the slick but gritty harp work of Platt. Anderson adds some real nice electric piano work giving the track a nice transition to a hot guitar solo from Tilden. Yes, everyone has done an interpr...

DUTCHIES LAST ONTARIO GIG...WITH PAT RUSH,JOHN LEE,ROLY PLATT,JOE MACLEOD,COLONEL JESSOME AND SAB SABOURIN. Dutch Mason, CM (19 February 1938 – 23 December 2006) was a Canadian musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was inducted into the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2005 Dutch started performing as a musician in the mid-1950s, usually playing rock and roll or rockabilly standards as well as traditional music from the Canadian maritimes. Dutch regularly played the local twin city lounge scene, notably The Wyse Owl/Eastern Billiards, The Dartmouth Inn and The Monterey in Halifax. As he began to become known as a blues artist in the sixties, he started to tour various parts of Canada. Into the 1970s and onwards, he became a very popular act and toured the country regularly, performing at the legendary Albert Hall in Toronto and the Rising Sun in Montreal. In 1998, during his 60th birthday celebration, the CBC recorded a live tribute C...