Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bridge Street Blues , from Dave Thomas , and it's a solid blues rocker in the vein of Mayall or JJ Cale . Opening with Go To Legends , an easy flowing Cale like track Dave Thomas on vocal and guitar sits down in a groove, with nice guitar riffs that really work, and Declan Sinnott on drums holds it tight.  Gone For Good is a broken down country rocker that has super style. A trace of Neil Young with cool acoustic slide gives this track a memorable melody. Honey is a smooth as silk with some of Thomas' best vocals on the release in traditional blues style. Light acoustic guitar work by Thomas really works on this track. One of my favorite tracks on the release is blues rocker, I Know You Through and Through with a snappy drum rhythm by Sinnott. Thomas balances his soft spoken vocals with nice, round guitar tone solos, overlaid on his own guitar rhythm. Very cool. Wrapping the release is title track, Bridge Stre...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Call Me Mr. Blues , by The Scott O'Neal Band and it's a good mix of rocking blues. Opening with Nothin' To Gain , Scott O'Neal on lead vocal and guitar gets the track rocking with Carl Dalgren on keys, Mike Hutchenson on drums,  Mark Winley on bass and Brian Waterbury on guitars. Solid opener. Just Another Day has strong radio play bones with a cool melody and solid backing vocals by Casandra Long, Mary Kelley and Merri McKee on backing vocals and Dalgren on keys. Shuffle, Givin' me The Blues , has a real nice feel with solid vocals by O'Neal, warm organ work by Dalgren and vital guitar riffs by Waterbury. Rocker, Cash Is King is one of my favorites on the release with a driving guitar rhythm, piano and bottom and the addition of Max Bouchard on trombone, Brad Moors on trumpet and Alex Holland on sax. Trading guitar riffs with Dalgren on piano, and a standout sax solo by Holland, this is a super...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Never Alone , from The NTH Power and it's a solid release of pop based, R&B, funk, rock and reggae styles. On opener, Dream Alive , Nick Cassarino leads the way on vocal and rhythm guitar, backed by Nikki Glaspie on drums and synth and Nate Edgar on bass. I like the soulful vocal and syncopated rhythms on Crave You with rock solid bottom and terrific vocal blending by Glaspie and Cassarino with traces of D'Angelo . Very nice.  Could It Be '74 Remix has a real smooth, old school soulful mix featuring Courtney Smith on keys and vocals and Jon Deas on keys. Very nice vocal harmonies and a punchy bottom make this a certain favorite. Wrapping the release is cool jazz rocker, Simple Life featuring Soul Rebels with Derrick Moss on bass drum and cowbell, Lumar Leblanc on snare, Passport P on trombone, Paul Robertson on trombone, Julian Gossin on trumpet and Corey Peyton on trombone. With a funky lead guitar ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Giants , from Barry Greene and it's killer. Opening with Lonnie Smith 's, Backtrack , Barry Greene really picked a smart track with a solid blues base. Excellent guitar work by Greene illustrates the body of the composition with a smart B3 solo by Pat Bianchi and hot and heavy drum work by Ulysses Owens Jr. Excellent opener. Grant Green 's Green Street is up next with Bianchi setting the background on B3 and Owens Jr on drums. Greene on guitar really has a nice hand trading lead phrases with Bianchi on this Latin infused number. Wes Montgomery 's fleet footed, SOS really hums along with Green taking the lead on guitar and David Kikoski really chasing on piano. Owens Jr. drum work is light and tight with Marco Panascia on bass and Steve Nelson on vibes is spot on with Kikoski really working the 88's over. Wow! Greene original, In Her Room , is a solid blues opening with duet with Nelson on vibes. K...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Vigil and The Sleeping Giant by Ron Wilkins and Rebecca Patterson and it's quite interesting. Opening with Covid Suite I . Big City Livin' , Ron Wilkins and Rebecca Patterson start off a dual trombone riff and you immediately know something special is about to happen. Boris Koslov initiates a strong bass solo carried by Ray Marchica on drums. Joined by Seneca Black , Alex Pope Norris and Freddie Hendrix on trumpet; Ron Wilkins, Rebecca Patterson, Ed Neumeister on trombone and Eric C Davis on french horn; Zac Zinger and Carl Maraghi on sax, Mike King on Rhodes, this is a cool mix. Neumeister and Wilkins each blow radically great solos followed by King on Rhodes who gets a real nice swing emphasis going. Very cool opener. Sulk City is a more laid back, orchestral piece, featuring Black on trumpet, King on piano and Marchia on drums. Near East is another cool piece with a super melody, anchored by Patte...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fool's Fate , from Rik Wright's Fundamental Forces and it's really cool. Opening with Fool's Fate , Rik Wright on guitar sets a rhythm, joined by Greg Campbell on drums and Geoff Harper on bass carving out a funky fusion feel. James DeJoie on alto sax plays aggressive shredding riffs surrounded by lush chords by Wright. This is a spacy, creative track with plenty of expansive space. Very cool opener.  Freezer Jam pairs Wright and DeJoie on melody over a creative, jagged rhythm by Harper and Campbell. DeJoie breaks free forming a more cohesive melody on sax and Wright plays a particularly melodic rhythm as DeJoie breaks free, leading to his own guitar romp supported by Harper and Campbell. Staggering. Luminescence has a haunting, particularly beautiful melody, structured by Wright on electric guitar chords, and easy paced melodic lines by DeJoie. Wright takes a calming, well articulated guitar solo of...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Is Now , by Pete Mills and it's hot! Opening with title track, This Is Now , tenor sax player, Pete Mills lays out the melody, punctuated by Kenny Banks jr. on piano and Matt Wilson on drums. Wilson digs in with his first solo and he is really cooking with Martin Wind on bass driving hard and active drum action by Wilson. Banks Jr. lays down a solid groove of his own and Pete McCann on guitar really sails, making this a dynamite opener. Laying back a bit, Daddies has a real nice, soulful melody with Mills leading the way on sax. Really settling into the groove Mills double times his phrasing before handing off to Banks Jr. who floats on the groove. A meaty solo by Wind on bass is punctuated by Wilson on tom tom. Very nice. Exit Strategy is a contemporary jazz track with a more eccentric rhythm. Mills and Wilson really set it up and Banks Jr. takes one of his most exciting piano rides on the release. McCann ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Back To The Blues , by Beyond 1969 and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with I'm Never Gonna Leave You , a cool rocker with a funky backbeat, Tom Forst on lead vocal and guitar sets the pace with active bass work by Tony Delisio , Jeff Bousfield on keys and Bryan Caudle on drums. Bluesy ballad, Consolation Man is a real cool track in the vein of the Thrill Is Gone with soulful vocals and tasty, overdriven guitar lead by Forst, backing vocals and bass by Delisio, saturated organ work by Bousfield and a tight rhythm by Caudle. Very nice. Caudle opens Darkest Before The Dawn with a funky drum rhythm, supported by a complimentary bass line by Delisio. This may be my favorite track on the release when Forst gets into the groove with his vocal and melodic guitar soloing, surrounded by Bousfield's saturated organ and keyboard soloing. Very cool. Blues soaked, It's My Own Damn Fault, really gives Forst a c...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Night Sky , from Robert Jospe' Quartet and it's quite good. Opening with Latin flavored, Crooked Mile , Daniel Clarke on piano and Robert Jospe' set a terrific, rhythmic tempo and Chris Whiteman on guitar cruises the melody with the smoothness of Benson . With Paul Langosch on bass and extended piano work by Clarke, this is a super opener.  Pyramids is another track with a heavily rhythmic feel follows a great melodic phrase set by Clarke on piano and Whiteman's guitar work really is quite nice with excellent percussion by Jospe' holding it all together. Flashback is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a funky keyboard, bass and drum setup. Clarke on piano and Whiteman on guitar solo out with tight phrasing pushed by Langosch on bass and Jospe' o drums. Super. Billy Strahorn's classic, Take The A Train ,  is reworked with Clarke and Whiteman working the melody. Whitehorn'...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Plaid Pants , by Cyger & Butterworth and it's cool. Opening with Latin soaked, Pequena Diabla , Ron Cyger on sax has the lead with a smooth and moving melody, supported by Brent Butterworth on bass, guitar and ukulele. Solid opener. Clunky has a cool, suspenseful melody with Butterworth creating a framework for melody on guitar, joined by Cyger on flute and Dimitris Terzpiis on drums. Cyger takes the first solo on flute followed by Butterworth on guitar. Returning to sax, Cyger blows a soulful solo and Butterworth a solo on bass. This track is unusual and interesting. Poydras St. has a springy rhythm and Butterworth on guitar and Cyger on sax are tight on a unified melody, chased by Terzpiis on drums with a New Orleans flavor. Cyger takes an extended solo on sax expanding the melody and Butterworth on bass takes it a few steps further before rejoining for a melodic reunion. Bye-Bye Blue Whale opens with Butte...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dear Ms. Dearie , from Dawn Clement , and its really quite good. Opening with The Gentleman Is A Dope , Dawn Clement on piano and vocal leads the way, supported by John Clayton on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums. Steve Kovalcheck on guitar really gives the track a workout with bright guitar soloing. Super opener. With it's waltz feel, Dance Only With Me is one of my favorite tracks on the release with Clement, first laying down the base melody and clean and articulate soloing by Kovalcheck on guitar. Clement's improvisation on piano is quite nice and her vocals are clean and sweet. Clement's cover of Blossom Dearie 's I Like You , You're Nice is quite nice with smooth vocals over piano by Clement. Latin rhythm under Dearie's, I Know The Moon is cool with light, almost breathy vocals and firm, percussive piano over an easy but firm bass and drums bottom. Another favorite on the release, Our Day ...

 I just had the opportunity to review  the most recent release, In The Wee Hours , by George Cotsirilos , and it's refreshingly beautiful. Opening with lush, A Nameless Poet , George Cotsirilos on nylon string, acoustic guitar flawlessly executes a super opener. Richie Beirach 's, Gale , is a nice ballad with a smart, call and response between his single lined statements and chorded responses. With rich tones and and quiet background, very nice. Ellington 's, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me , has classic framing and a minor swing, giving the track a clean approach. Jimmy Van Heusen 's Like Someone In Love has a cool, bop feel, with clean articulation and vibrant chords. The track seems to just hang in the air. Matt Dennis ' The Night We Called It A Day really nicely showcases Cotsirilos' ability to present the melody on a platter with creative, harmonica garnish . A  genuine pleasure to listen to. Wrapping the release is Gordon Jenkins ' classic, This Is...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Picc Pocket , rom  Erica von Kleist , and it's super. Opening with  We Know how To Picc 'Em , a bright poppy number with a Latin beat, Eric von Kleist lays out the melody on piccolo with precision and soul. Backed by Yago Vazquez on piano, Noriko Ueda on bass and Anton Kot on drums, this is a strong track. Vazquez maintains the rhythm as Ueda solos on bass creating a strong opener. On  Bone 2 Picc , von Kleist teams up with Jennifer Krupa on trombone for a perfect melody. Krupa really handles the trombone with a terrific, muted horn solo, backed by Kot, Ueda and Vazquez for one of my favorites on the release.  Picc & Choose  is another strong composition, with von Kleist presenting the melody over a very light backing. Slowly building with  Vazquez on piano, and Ueda on bass quietly building with more cymbal and snare by Kot as Vazquez solos. Lively movement and a bright me...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Interim , from Jeff Aug , and it's an extraordinary exploration in fingerstyle playing .  Opening with New Day's Dawn , Jeff Aug and his son, Oskar Tauber , sketches out a solid acoustic rocker with traces of Jimmy Page and Patrick Simmons creating a quiet melody under the percussion of the strings. Interesting opener. Katzenjammer has a playful acoustic melody created in memory of the family cat who was lost during the pandemic. Title track, Interim is one of my favorites on the release with a repetitive acoustic guitar riff played together with some environmental electronic guitar sound. Puts me in mind of a Fripp composition . Very cool. Another track with the family pet in mind is Ernesto with a rich melody and Kottke like structure. This is a cool track with supple guitar phrasing. Open Fields has a strong melody, the essence somewhat putting me in mind of David Crosby , not so much in execution but melod...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ode To The Possible , by Tom Lippincott , and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with Preface/Overture , David Fernandez on tenor sax brings a flowing yet jagged melody to life, caressed in the lush guitar work of Tom Lippencott, Marty Quinn on bass and Lucas Apostoleris on drums. Very cool. On An Inhabitant of Carcosa, a complex rhythm spurred by Apostoleris, and a driving bass line and soaring guitar and electronics by Lippincott on his fanned fret 8 string guitar, this track really gets moving. A super bass line by Quinn and melodic soloing by Fernandez, this track is complex without being tedious. Very nice. Stella By Searchlight is an interesting track with a cool interplay between Fernandez and Lippincott, anchored by Quinn, and Apostoleris. Lippincott lays out a flowing yet obtuse melody on sailing guitar with a counter solo by Fernandez and snappy drumming by Apostoleris before coasting into a peaceful tempo, making...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love, Peace & Chicken Grease, from Pontchartrain Shakers and it's refreshing. Opening with blues rocker, Sunshine , Amedee A5 Frederick sets the pace on guitar and lead vocal, and Earl Smith Jr. holds it tight with a tidy drum rhythm. Jojjo Wight on guitar and Red DeVecca on bass make this a compact yet effective opener. A strong cover of St. James Infirmary features A5 on lead guitar and some really tasty riffs. Michael Loupe on sax, wails soulfully over the patient bass and drum bottom of DeVecca and Smith Jr. Very nice. Ammdee Frederick IV is featured on guitar and vocal on acoustic, Lucy Mae , backed by DeVessa and Smith Jr. A cool understated boogie, this track rocks. You Amaze Me  is one of my favorites on the release with excellent, soulful vocals by A5 and melodic guitar soloing giving the track just a hint of fullness. Strong. Elizabeth Cotten's , Freight Train features Wight on vocal and guitar w...