Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release ( April 3, 2026 ), Slidemaster , from Rick Vito and it's great! Opening with Vegas Jump , things are immediately rolling on a Lonnie Chatmon thing with Rick Reed driving on drums, Charlie Harrison on bass and clean and wide slide by Rick Vito. Strong opener. I love the droning bass line on The Danger Zone by Vito who overlays soulful picking/slide reinforced by Charlie Johnson on drums. Very nicely done. Peter Green 's, Albatross is a nice addition to the set with warm chords, picked melody and authentic, "Green like" slide work. A real surprise on the release is a beautiful cover of Sam Cooke 's, A Change Is Gonna Come . The phrasing is delicate and the tones pure. Excellent! Another Peter Green composition, The Supernatural , has an eastern feel with a Latin beat by Lynn Williams on drums. Vito's slide work seems to just hang in the ether as he tastefully articulates the melody. Very nice. Wrap...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Common Sense , by Gary Nicholson and it's a mix of pop, rock, country and blues. Opening with What A Little Love Will Do , a country rock flavored pop track, Gary Nicholson on vocal and guitars leads the way with vocal backing by Harry Stinson, joined by Kevin McKendree on guitar, Jim Hoke on guitar, Lynn Williams on drums and Mike Joyce on bass. Laid back country shuffle, Make Good Trouble featured some of Nicholson's best vocals on the release and The McCrary Sisters on backing vocals Mike Finnegan on organ and piano, Hutch Hutchison on bass, Tony Braunegal on drums and John Jorgensen on guitar. We Don't Talk About It is a cool track with Nicholson and The McCrary Sisters ramping the vocals up. McKendree on piano really kicks up the juice and Jim Hoke on harmonica gives the track a real zing. Another favorite is Follow The Money with a funky blues feel. Jim Hoke on steel guitar and sax gives this track some...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cadillac Man , from Rick Vito , and it very cool. Opening with Love Crazy Baby , a solid shuffle Rick Vito on lead vocal and guitar takes command of the track, backed by Mojo Johnson on drums, and Jim Hoke on sax. Blues rocker, Little Sheba has a cool mix of blues, rock and ethnic overtones, with Steve Marriner on harmonica working nicely together with Vito on guitar and vocal. A tight drum line by Jackson and Vito on bass makes this an ideal radio track. Slow blues, Crying at Midnight , is a real nice track with a super melody showcasing Vito's vocals as well and his Fleetwood Mac guitar influence. Very nice. Chicago style blues, Barbeque'n Baby had a great feel with Vito on slide guitar and vocal. This is a pretty hopping track and surely a favorite. Instrumental. Just Another Day is one of my favorites on the release featuring the lead slide work of Vito, backed by Hoke on sax, Jackson on drums, and Kevin MacK...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Soulshaker , from Rick Vito and  it's really cool. Opening with low slung Texas style blues number, She's Just Too Fine , Vito is hitting on every cylinder right out of the gate. His vocals are strong and his slide work great. Backed by Rick Reed on drums, this is a great opener. I Do Believe has a snappy, revival pace with drums on the 2 and 4. Vito's slide work is contagious with excellent tone and vibrato. Doggin' Around is a cool instrumental ballad with lead slide guitar and Kevin McKendree on organ. This is one of absolute favorites on the track with a smooth style and trademark slide. Very nice. Two stepper, Dancin' Little Sister has a great beat blending early rock and roll with boogie guitar. How can you not love this! Another instrumental ballad, Soul Shadow , features strong drums rhythms by Charlies "Mojo" Johnson playing in beautiful sympathy to Vito's excellent slide pl...

I just received the newest release, Mojo On My Side , by Rick Vito and I think it's his best work to date. Opening with title track, Mojo On My Side , a warm swampy track with strong rhythm, cool slide, reverb and a handful of voodoo, this track is a great opener. Backed by Charles Mojo Johnson and Rick Reed on drums Vito on vocal and guitar is really nailing it! Sauntering, Easy baby , has a great feel joined by Jim Hoke on sax. Vito has a smooth voice and extremely effective slide style making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Rocker Pretty Women , really moves fielding Hoke and Vito both showing just how warm an instrument can sound. Nice! R&B style My House has a great strut enhanced by Dan Serafini on B3. Nito's vocals are strong and clear and his slide work is cool. This is a great radio track for broad audience. Missy Brown has a lower key delta rhythm and acoustic slide work with an almost East Indian twist. Mesmerizing. Life Was Just A Struggle ha...

I just received the newest release, Slide Guitar Summit , from Arlen Roth and it definitely lives up to all the pre hype. Roth, well known for his own guitar styling, especially on the tele with the likes of Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton, has put together a group of the best known slide players on the planet for a full blown celebration of all things slide. Opening with Do What's Right , Roth teams up with Jack Pearson on vocal and slide guitar as well as Tom Hambridge on drums and backing vocal and Tommy MacDonald for a country two step rocker. This track moves along nicely with lead and harmonic sliding... a terrific opener. Robert Johnson's Dust My Broom is next featuring Lee Roy Parnell on vocal and slide and adding Kevin McKendree on piano. With the feel of Elmore James and a nice thick slide texture, this track is hot. McKendree adds significantly to the mix with hot piano riffs. Much like a live recording, Parnell and Roth take turns on lead slide making for a hot t...

Arlen Roth Gets His Mojo Workin’ On New Album Deal with King Mojo/Garage Door Records, Due Out April 14 Acclaimed Guitarist Convenes a Slide Guitar Summit on Latest CD, with Special Guests Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin, Produced by Tom Hambridge RIDGEFIELD, CT - Guitarist Arlen Roth announces that his new CD, Slide Guitar Summit , which teams the acclaimed musician with fellow slide guitar greats Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin, will be released April 14 under the terms of a new deal signed with King Mojo/Garage Door Records, distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution. Slide Guitar Summit was produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge, and recorded at studios in New York, Nashville and Connecticut. Called “The Master of the Telecaster,” Arlen Roth re...

Acclaimed Guitarist Arlen Roth Convenes a Slide Guitar Summit on New CD, Due January 13, with Special Guests Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin, Produced by Tom Hambridge CD Release Performance with Special Guests Set for Nashville’s City Winery on January 20 to Include Screening of Film Documentary on the Making of the Album RIDGEFIELD, CT - Guitarist Arlen Roth, the “Master of the Telecaster,” announces a January 13 release date for his new CD, Slide Guitar Summit , which teams the acclaimed musician with an incredible lineup of fellow slide guitar greats – Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin – for what promises to be one of the most celebrated albums of the new year. Produced by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge, Slide Guitar Summit was recorded at studios in N...