Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Truth Hurts , from Regina Bonelli and it's a funky blues rocker. Opening with title track, Truth Hurts , Bonelli on lead vocal and keyboards really has the band humping with Tomas Doncker on guitars, Mark Henry on sax, Kevin Jenkins on bass, James Dellatacoma on guitars, Nick Rolfe on organ and piano and Leroy Thompson on drums. Bonelli resurrects a great Gregg Allman track, Cross To Bear , that was a real workhorse for the original ABB with Duane Allman. Her vocals are heartfelt and Michael 'Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton's blues guitar riffs are smoking. Very nice. Ballad, Baby Don't Hurt Me is a strong original really showcasing Bonelli's soulful delivery, caressed in warm organ backing. Darondo's R&B favorite, Didn't I really works well with this set with it's funky underpinnings, groovy bass line by Jenkins and creamy vocals by Bonelli. Willie Dixon's Killing Floor got a great ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love Letter , from Regina Bonelli and it's a cool mix of pop, blues, R&B and blues. Opening with blues rocker Don't Put Your Hands On Me , Bonelli shows pure attitude and backed by Nick Rolfe on keys, Mike Griot on bass and some hot guitar riffs by Tomas Doncker. R&B track, Nothing I Can't Handle has a strong melody and a good beat, with strong vocals by Bonelli, solid sax work by Mark Henry and cool guitar work by Hill. My favorite track on the release is bluesy ballad and title track, Love Letter with musical tension and really strong guitar phrasing by Hill to support Bonelli's soulful lead. Very nice. The Stones' Paint It Black gets a pop rockier feel but with a more contemporary edge and eerie guitar work by Artur Uronen. Very cool. Wrapping the release is The Ladder , a strong, pure pop rocker. With it's straight ahead beat, wailing guitar and firm tom tom work, this is a solid cl...

I just received the debut release, Open Up The Door , from Regina Bonelli and it's springy, bluesy and fresh. Title track, Open Up The Door , is a fusion of country, pop and blues. Vocalist Bonelli accompanies herself on piano with super guitar man Michael Hill adding some real nice riffs. Swing jazz track Cybersex Blues has a fuller arrangement including David Barnes on harp, Mike Griot on bass, Bill McClellan on drums and Hill on guitar. Rich vocal doubling harmonies add to the richness of the mix. Bluesy ballad, Mystical Love , is a nice vocal showcase with an excellent guitar solo by Hill. The bass lines by Pete Cummings on this track really hit hard and Bonelli's organ work is cements the track. R&B flavored Mama Raised A Sweet Thing has a real nice feel. Memphis style backing and hot guitar riffs take this track to the next level. Shuffle track, Daddy I'm A Big Girl Now may be my favorite track on the release with a sassy vocals from Bonelli and stinging gu...

My friend, Regina Bonelli is in the studio with Kevin Hill, Michael Hill's brother and bass player for Michael Hill's Bluesland. She laid down vocals on a new song of hers called "Single Mother, Single Life." I'll keep you posted on new things coming from Regina! Here's some footage performing Can't Stand The Rain.

I had a quick chat with Regina yesterday. She indicated that Mike Hill, the Blues Mob and she are set to do some preproduction work right after the holidays and record 2 new tracks. That should be up and running by end of January. She is also in process of lining up some UK festivals with the band. Preliminary indications are that she will be on a tour roster. Now they just need to work out the finite details. She is also looking to connect with some people round this way and see about the festival scene here. She's working through the preliminary tunes for a new release but hasn't formalized and dates or distribution. She also did a video last month but is still awaiting for the guy to complete editing. It takes a lot to get things done and out to use... much more that we might think. She is keeping herself busy with writing and trying to find the right mix on the business side. Bonelli has been getting a lot of airplay over in the UK on Lookerradio, Blues on the ...

Regina is putting it down out there. I found this short clip of her singing a Lowell George tune and thought you may enjoy it. Regina is a singer/songwriter out of NYC. In addition to composing these songs, she is playing piano, organ and synth. Regina is accompanied on this live demo by international recording artists Michael Hill on guitar, Mike Griot on bass and Bill McClellan on drums.The last track features Bruce Engler on slide guitar and backing vocals, Chris Gambaro-Vega on bass, Robert LaMonica on drums with Jason Kuriloff on backing vocals.