Roseleaf Records artist: Lisa Mann's Northwestern All-Stars - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Great Women in Blues, by Lisa Mann's Northwestern All-Stars, and it's powerful. Opening with traditional spiritual numbers, Wade In The Water/Swing Low Sweet Chariot really demonstrating the richness of Odabi's voice...wow. Rolling into rocking blues, I Sing The Blues, Odabi holds the crowd in her hands supported by the potent backing of Mann on bass, Jimi Bott on drums, Louis Pain on organ, and flaming guitar work by Ben Rice and Jason Thomas. Very cool. Pops Staples' Why Am I Treated So Bad has a lightly funky arrangement with rich harmonies by Odabi and Mann and crushing double stops against cool lead by Rice and Thomas really gives this track a potent signature. One of my favorites. Rudy Toombs' R&B hit, 5-10-15 Hours is smooth as silk with Odabi swinging the lead and Mann, Rice and Thomas setting the groove. Tasty blues riffs by Thomas and a tight bottom by Bott give this track great traction. Rose Marie McCoy's So Good To My Baby turned driving boogie has a lot of spring and hot solos by Rice on guitar and Pain on keys gives this track that extra something. Wrapping the release is Willie Dixon's Wang Dang Doodle with plenty of swagger with Mann driving the bottom on bass, Rice and Thomas laying in hot riffs and Odabi holding court. The organ efforts of Pain really add a lot of flavor to this track on organ, winding it up for an solid closer. 

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Roseleaf Records artist: The Proven Ones - Wild Again - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wild Again, from The Proven Ones and it's quite good. Opening with Jimi Bott penned, Cheap Thrills, The Proven Ones hit the high stepping with a driving bass line by Willie J Campbell, Bott on drums, Anthony Geraci on Hammond and piano, Kid Ramos on guitars and Brian Templeton on lead vocal, this is a veritable who's who band. Up next is City Dump, a rolling boogie not unlike James Brown might use with nice solos by Ramos and Renato Coranto on sax, joined by Joe McCarthy on trumpet and Robert Crowell on bari sax. Fats Domino's Don't Leave Me This Way has great dynamics with excellent vocals by Templeton and ripping guitar work by Ramos. Excellent! Peter Green's slow shuffle, If You Be My Baby, has perfect pace and with the jangle of Geraci's piano, Templeton's vocals and the stylistic playing of Ramos, this track really hits! Clarence Carter's Road Of Love had the fortune of having had Duane Allman on the original release giving it broad exposure. This remake is excellent with Templeton doing a great job on vocal and Ramos taking a new route but with definite nod to Allman with a fiery solo of his own. Probably my favorite track on the release. A Fenton Robinson track (and another Duane Allman influenced track from an early Boz Scaggs release) Loan Me A Dime, gets an 11:30min plus dedication. Ramos really digs in on this one ripping some extremely memorable guitar riffs of his own, soaked in the Hammond work of Geraci and of course with the solid lead vocals of Templeton. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Lennon/McCartney's Don't Let Me Down, a solid contribution with balanced instrumentation and nicely interwoven leads throughout. A very nice closer for a really strong release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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