Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the Larry Coryell's At The Village Gate , a essential fusion release from a live concert performed in 1971. Opening with The Opening , an original composition Larry Coryell on guitars and vocal is joined by Mervin Bronson on bass and Harry Wilkinson on drums. Starting with a simple guitar line, The Opening is reinforced by the same line on bass and anchored by the drum part allowing Coryell wide open space to improvise. This is classic Coryell and a great tune. After Later has a lighter feel and fleeter tempo and an almost pop melody wanting to emerge fro this jagged tempo. Coryell really opens up on this track blistering the strings and giving you a mental workout. Very cool! Chick Corea's Entardecendo En Saudade is up next with a driving drum rhythm and Coryell experimenting with phase shifting and working chords against wammy bar and feedback as he literally torches the audience with riffs. Excellent! Jack Bruce's Can You Follow...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Coryell , from Larry Coryell . This of course is a new release of a 1969 Vanguard release of the same name. The name Larry Coryell has always been synonymous with jazz rock and this release shows exactly why. Being released just before Coryell's unexpected and untimely passing in late February while on tour, this release shows just how long Coryell has been making crate sized impacts on the music scene. With Coryell, an absolute maestro on guitar and with first class associates Bernard Purdie on drums, Albert Stinson, Chuck Rainey and Ron Carter on bass, Mike Mandel on keys and Jim Pepper on flute, this release is heavily weighted by heavy weights!  Opening with Sex , Coryell shows raw adventurous fusion rock and takes the lead on vocal as well as guitar. With his phaser flaring, Coryell blasts off. Sensitive vocals and a quite melody on Beautiful Woman opens wide for Ron carter to lay out some really nice bass lead and ...

            February 3 Releases Include Deluxe Reissues of Albums from Delaney & Bonnie, Lesley Gore, and Thom Bell, Plus Long-Lost Albums from Larry Coryell, Jim Kweskin, and Duke Ellington, Capped with Rare Live Soft Machine on Vinyl and a 2-CD Lynn Anderson Collection Year after year, Real Gone Music starts the calendar with a bang by putting out a huge slate of releases, and this year’s crop is no exception—the label is putting out a total of ten releases the day after Groundhog Day! Leading off the line-up is a deluxe reissue of the roots-rock classic LP Motel Shot by Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, featuring eight unreleased bonus tracks on a domestic CD debut. The label is also filling in the last big gap in Lesley Gore’s catalog by reissuing her A&M album Love Me by Name , again garnished with bonus tracks. And fabled R&B producer Thom Bell’s classic soundtrack to The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh featuring The Sp...

I just had the opportunities to review one of the best pop collections ever assembled and it's terrific. That's right...I'm talking about the Mamas and the Papas and The Complete Singles 50th Anniversary Collection . Sure, this collection has all of the radio tracks, Go Where You Wanna Go , California Dreamin' , Monday Monday , I Saw Her Again , Words of Love (a terrific sleeper featuring Mama Cass), Dancing in the Street , the huge... Dedicated To The One I Love , Twelve Thirty , the dynamic Dream A Little Dream of Me , but also Mama Cass solo tracks including Make Your Own Kind Of Music ! All this and 22 pages of liner notes by Ed Osborne, some great photos and 53 tracks should keep you happy for a long while. Made during a time when the hippie movement was just beginning and the drug culture was an experimentation, a masterful compilation of singles by great writers and singers, John Phillips, Michelle Phillips, Denny Doherty and Mama Cass Elliot.   If ...

I just received the latest release from Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks, Vol Seven and it's a strong set. Opening with Scarlet Begonias the Dead wastes no time whatsoever getting the groove going. Western flavored Mexicali Blues has a great feel and Weir's vocals are strong and clear. Row Jimmy is a nice change up and Garcia plays some shimmery guitar riffs that are actually chilling. Very cool! On Black-ThroatedWind the Dead's blues influences are particularly strong. Lesh's contribution on bass are vital on this track. A cool little (extended) ditty, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo has a real nice swagger and clean guitar solos. Garcia's vocals are spot on and fine! Beat It On Down The Line is of course one of the band's rockers and has great drive. Keith Godchaux lays down some nice piano work on this track and Donna Jean adds nice vocal harmonies. Tennessee Jed has just the right groove and Garcia leads it perfectly. Keith, Jerry, Bob and P...

I just received the newest release, Apollo Saturday Night/Saturday Night At The Uptown , from Real Gone Records and it's a real R&B party. Originally released on Atlantic in 1964, these two original LP's are combined onto a single Cd. Opening Apollo Saturday Night with I Found A Love and Alabama Bound by the Falcons , this is scorching hot and real. Otis Redding takes the stage with Pain In My Heart and These Arms Of Mine and in classic style. His voice is unmistakable and his dynamics with the horns impeccable. Doris Troy swings with Misty and gets a hot groove on Say Yeah . Great sax (King Curtis) backing really pushes this track. Rufus Thomas is down with Rockin' Chair and Walking The Dog gets that funky groove going with trumpets, trombones and sax with a Watusi kick. The Coasters deliver T'Ain't Nothin' To Me with their typically classic humor and Speedo's Back In Town with that hot R&B feel. Ben E King 's set includes Groovin...

I just received the newest release, Volume 13 of Dick's Picks from the Grateful Dead and the concert is quite entertaining. Opening with Alabama Getaway Garcia wastes no time getting the crowd on its feet and hopping. A wide open guitar solo in this one sets the pace. Continuing with the high energy rock of Greatest Story Ever Told , Weir leads the way. Settling down into a groove with They Love Each Other Lesh has his bass popping and Brent Mydland opens the door with some cool piano. Garcia uses the funky beat of the track to play some otherwise uncharacteristic riffs. Cool! On Cassidy , the easy country rock feel that the Dead developed so well gives Garcia and Weir the opportunity to get a little more progressive in their approach. Jack-A-Roe has a strong country flavor and is one of my favorites on the release. lead by Garcia on guitar and vocal it has that pure feel. Excellent finger work by Garcia on this track is icing on the cake. The Dead's take on Burnetts...

I just received the newest release, Under The Big Black Sun from X . Of course if you're a fan of punk or alt. rock music you know that this excellent release came out originally in 1982. Bassist and vocalist John Doe and co conspirator Exene Cervenka led the way in the LA punk scene with guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebreak. Opening with the Hungry Wolf , X establishes it trademark sound. Duet vocals, grinding rhythm guitar and firm drums. Motel Room In My Bed follows with Exene taking the lions share of the vocals and you can really see where even bands such as The Donna's got their influence. Riding With Mary is a solid rock track with confident drumming and solid guitar riffs. Come Back To Me is a mellow bluesy ballad with smooth vocals from Exene and sax work by Zoom. Title track, Under The Big Black Sun , is a really top notch pop rocker with edge. Because I Do cuts loose at warp speed, but keeping it simple is where it's at. Doe and Exene trade off on...

I just received the newest release from Real Gone Records, Riding Your Way - The Lost Transcriptions For Tiffany Music 1946 - 1947 by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and it's a real authentic cowboy/big band/Mexican/Hawaiian/bluegrass/swing/jazz fusion collection and a joy to explore. Included are all of the background hoots and hollars, hawaiian steel guitar tuning, big band horn arrangements, yodeling and authentic American music that you could imagine. This 11 or so piece band brought it all and didn't leave any of it when they were done. They went all after it. For two years Wills and the Playboys recorded tracks for about 30 radio stations airings including written dialog for the DJ's to string together the tracks. Originally 220 tracks were compiled for release between 1947 and 49.With the resurgence of interest in Wills music in the 90's and again in 2009 a large set of these recordings were released as a box set. This set, the recordings which are premium q...

I just received the new reissue of The Lords Of The New Church and it's as fresh as the day it was cut! Opening with New Church ex Dead Boys singer Stiv Bators leads the way for mainstream punk rock. This is a classic track and one that will stick with you. Russian Roulette is up next with a more classic rock format and melodic temperament. Damned guitarist Brian James takes a short solo on this track which shows signs of David Bowie and U2. Question Of Temperature is really a pop punk track with a contagious hook and solid bass by Sham 69 bassist Dave Tregunna and drummer Nicky Turner from the Barracudas. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Eat Your Heart Out with a real punk /rock flair. This track had a great driving rhythm and how can you beat that hook (Rich Bitch...Eat Your Heart Out)! Classic! James plays some really cool riffs on this track. Portobello opens with hot drumming and a more classic punk sound. With melodic weaving contrasting against the raw edg...

I just received the latest release of Grateful Dead music from the vault, Dick's Picks Vol. 21. This 3 disc set is a bit different from the others that I have reviewed in that it showcases many tracks by other artists and covered by the Dead. The first disc, recorded at the Richmond Coliseum (1985), opens with Dancing In The Streets popularized mostly by Martha and the Vandellas and Mick Jagger with David Bowie. On this extended track, Garcia opens the door early to a cool jam. Cold Rain and Snow follows being one of my favorite originals on this disc. Lesh plays some of the coolest riffs and the vocal harmonies are right on. A cover of Willie Dixon's Little Red Rooster showcases Brent Mydland on keys some excellent slide work by Garcia making it an absolute standout for the entire set. Western style track Me And My Uncle is really done nicely with not only pace and rhythm but also smart guitar riffs. A little more country in Big River , and again Mydland steps up on k...

I just received the newest in the line of Dick's Picks Grateful Dead releases by Real Gone Music and there are some real gems here. This 2 cd set was recorded on March 23, 1974 at the Cow Palace in California. Hot tracks on disc one are U.S. Blues , Scarlet Begonias , Deal and a great cut of Weather Report Suite . This particular cut is terrific and a special gem. Disc two opens with crowd favorite Playing In The Band and continues into Uncle John's Band . Garcia is really on tonight and his extended soloing on this track is particularly tasty. I am also particularly fond of this particular cut of Morning Dew and the handling of the vocals in particular. Second runs, or a refrain if you wish, on Playing In The Band and Uncle John's Band give the band ample opportunity to jam. Another sparkling guitar solo appears on Bertha . A slower than usual tempo is presented on Sugar Magnolia , the closer on this recording. One more chance for a tight and cohesive isn't missed a...

I've just received a copy of the newly released, Guitar Monsters by Chet Atkins and Les Paul. This recording, originally released on vinyl back in 1978 is seeing cd for the first time. Sure, some of these tracks are tongue in cheek but the guitar work is masterful. With 5 pages of liner notes written by Chris Morris this is one that open minded guitar enthusiasts need to check out. Opening with Limehouse Blues , the guitar aces play a "Nashville Jazz" version of a classic tune. The riffs are both Spanish and gypsy influenced and the track is really quite cool. A very intimate rendition of Over The Rainbow is played by showing a lot of emotion and the pristine style that both players are known for. Meditation , has a distinctive era style but again allowing both players the room to show their own independent styles from country jazz to gypsy jazz. The arrangement on this track is really super. Lazy River , another classic track, is given juxtaposed styling for each playe...

I just received The Complete King Federal Singles , the first-ever compilation devoted to Freddie King 's King-Federal singles, released by Real Gone Music. This is an incredibly comprehensive package including 55 tracks of Freddie's best work. I have been a fan of Freddie King's for such a long time and it's great to have all of this great music on 2 CD's. King had his own signature style that was uniquely his own. Passing at an early age Freddie didn't have the advantage of time like the other two renown kings of the blues, Albert and BB. Freddie's catalog includes a wide variety of musical takes on the blues like swing on See See Baby with the honking sax and Come On ; It's Easy, Child with a R&B but Tex Mex styling; Bossa Nova styling shown on The Bossa Nova Watusi Twist (cool instrumental); deep blues on Look, Ma. I'm Crying (Incredible); Elmore James style like Takin' Care of Business; Tbone Walker style of I'm On My Way To A...

REAL GONE MUSIC'S FEBRUARY: SHORT MONTH, BIG RELEASE SCHEDULE                   February 26 Releases Include Titles from Fanny, Freddie King, Rod McKuen, Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, the Hello People and Grateful Dead Los Angeles, California-Real Gone Music's February releases, due out on the 26th of the month, continue to cut a wide swath through the various genres of popular music, with entries ranging from to folk cabaret to electric blues to chick rock to even mime rock! At the front of the line is the first-ever standalone CD release of the debut album from Fanny, the first-ever al l- female group signed to a major label, and a thundering, 54-track double-CD set from blues guitar legend Freddie King featuring all of his King and Federal label singles, both A and B-sides. And Real Gone is, by exclusive arrangement with the artist himself, releasing what are arguably the two signature alb...