Ruf Records artist: Ina Forsman - Been Meaning To Tell You - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Been Meaning To Tell You, from Ina Forsman and it's really strong. Opening with power ballad Be My Home, Forsman presents her vulnerable sounding vocal style over organ and piano by Red Young and gospel like backing vocals by Mark Kazanoff and Alice Spencer. Very nice. On Get Mine, blending hip hop vocal delivery and funky wah wah guitar by the notorious Laura Chavez, joined by Brannen Temple on guitar and Chris Maresh on bass really kicks this release into gear. Stepping high on Genius, Forsman moves further into a R&B groove with an excellent bass line and the Texas Horns (Mark Kazanoff - sax,  John Mills bari sax, Al Gomez - trumpet, Randy Zimmerman - trombone) with yet more sassy guitar style by Chavez. An interesting track, Why You Gotta be That Way has strong lines in neo soul with flavors of one my favorites, Eryka Badu. The band glistens on piano and tight bass and drum lines makes this fusion track one of my favorites. Blues ballad, Miss Mistreated really showcases Forsman's voice and it's rich strength with solid emotion. Also playing right into Chavez's had, Laura grabs the track by the short hairs accenting Forsman's vocal emotion with excellent guitar punctuation. Latin flavored Every Single Beat gets a strong latin rhythm going and you start to wonder if Forsman can do about anything. The Texas Horns are jolly on the spot with just that right tough of punch and Temple's drums and percussion is perfect. Wrapping the release is Sunny showing Forsman alone, acapella and powerful. Nice closer. Who wouldn't be proud of this release. 

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Ruf Records artist: Mike Zito - Blue Room - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Room, from Mike Zito and it's terrific! Blue Room was Zito's debut release back in 1998 and it's great that Ruf Records is re releasing and remastering it for the fans. Opening with Hollywood, a funky blues rocker, Zito really has edge on vocal and is guitar work is wild and unbridled with solid bass work by Doug Byrkit and tight rhythms by Brian Zielie. Excellent opener. Another funky rocker is Pull The Trigger again with excellent raw energy on vocal and fluid guitar work by Zito. Very cool. Instrumental, Gravy Jam is a solid instrumental with super funky bass work from Byrkit and snappy beat from Zielie giving Zito a wide open floor to rip ion guitar and he takes full advantage. Excellent! Slow blues, Lovering, takes the uncontained playing feel of Steve Vai, Stevie Ray, Buddy Guy or Jimi Hendrix and plows it into raw blues energy in his own way creating wild free flowing soloing. Excellent! Ways About You has a warm chord backing over a reggae beat giving Zito yet another avenue to explore his guitar flow. Very nice. Soundcheck is another unbridled blues guitar exploration with an excellent bass and drum backing. Smoking. Wrapping the release is Zito's take on Elton John's mega hit, Rocket Man with a bit more edge and a lot more guitar. Zito really put together a strong package here. You need to check it out!

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Mike Zito's 'Blue Room' - 20th Anniversary Edition to be Re Released on 11/16/18

Mike Zito Debut 'Blue Room' Celebrates Two Decades

20th Anniversary Edition Re Released Nov 16^th on Ruf Records

It’s back. The debut album that blew up the ’90s blues scene. The songs that announced the touchdown of a major new talent. In modern times, as an established solo star and former member of the globally acclaimed Royal Southern Brotherhood, Mike Zito’s reputation precedes him. But turn back the clocks. Rewind the film reels. Slip through the wormhole to 1998, when a 27-year-old punk kid took his first shot in the studio. “Blue Room,” he reflects, “is the beginning of me becoming an artist.”

By 1998, Zito had been around the block. Raised at the sharp end in St. Louis, Missouri, he’d witnessed the lean years of the ’70s, as his father – a union employee at the local Anheuser-Busch brewery – grafted to support five kids in a cramped apartment. Music was a way out, with Zito learning his craft at a downtown guitar store, then seizing any live work that fell his way. As he told the Blues Mag: “I’ve played with country bands, dance bands, rock bands, alternative bands…”

Blue Room was the moment of clarity, when Zito realised he was burning to be more than a roadhouse-filling covers band. In 1997, he assembled a dedicated lineup and announced his new mission statement: original songs written from the heart. But artistic integrity didn’t come cheap. With just $1000 for studio bills, the entire Blue Room tracklisting was captured in a single day, and you can still feel the urgency flood through the speakers. “We’d played the night before until 6am at an all-night club in St. Louis,” recalls Zito, “and went to the studio at 9am. We brought beer with us and basically did not sleep. The vibe is total bravado, full of honesty.”

Blue Room changed everything. As the album sold, the songs began to be requested live – displacing the Cream and Hendrix covers – and Zito was heralded as an artist of rare potential. Back then, he didn’t anticipate the bitter-sweet future about to unfold – the lost years of alcoholism in the post-millennium, the salvation offered by his wife, Laura, the plaudits of Royal Southern Brotherhood in 2012 and the rising trajectory of his solo career since he picked it back up with 2015’s Keep Coming Back. But when Zito looks back now at Blue Room, he wouldn’t change a thing: “I find such joy in listening to the young man on this recording. I’m so proud that it’s finally being released by Ruf Records after twenty years…”

Blue Room out on Ruf Records Nov 16, 2018

New Release RUF 1260: Mike Zito, Bernard Allsion, Vanja Sky - Blues Caravan 2018

Mike Zito, Bernard Allsion, Vanja Sky Blues Caravan 2018 Release: 19.10.2018 Format: CD + DVD Video Label: Ruf Records GmbH EAN: 0710347126027 This was no ordinary club tour. This was the Blues Caravan 2018. If you’ve followed Ruf’s rolling revue since it started life in 2005, you’ll already know that these shows are must-see events, throwing together three stellar artists on one bill – then letting the chemistry do the rest. Traditionally, the Blues Caravan lineup has showcased the label’s breaking talent – from Aynsley Lister to Samantha Fish – and given fans a chance to catch the blues titans of tomorrow before they go ‘boom’. But in 2018, it’s time to mix things up. On this year’s Blues Caravan, you’ll not only find one young gun with a dazzling career ahead of her, but also two heavyweights with a sky-high reputation. Let’s welcome them to the stage… This CD / DVD release revives a unique Blues Caravan! A unique live piece to experience the Blues Caravan of 2018 again and again! The accompanying DVD was recorded on 27.01.2018 at Café Hahn in Koblenz! Ruf’s tireless dedication to the blues means it hunts far beyond the US and UK for its new signings – and the label has struck gold with Croatian gunslinger Vanja Sky. Channelling the fire and flair of Rory Gallagher, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, this 23-year-old hot-tip has already broken out in her home country and bordering Balkan States. On this CD / DVD she presents songs from her first studio album "Bad Penny". Vanja says, „I’m very excited to play on the Blues Caravan 2018,” she says, “and looking forward to meeting a lot of new people and sharing my music with them. My shows are filled with great energy and I always give everything when I’m on stage. I’m gonna play songs from my debut album, and also some cover songs – so people can definitely expect some great music and fun.” Some surnames command instant respect on the blues scene. As the son of the mighty Luther Allison – the late Chicago blues titan who was Ruf’s first signing back in 1994 – Bernard Allison has added to the family legend and carved out his own mythology as a world-class songwriter and performer. For this year’s Blues Caravan, he’ll be drawing on an acclaimed back catalogue that includes 1997’s US debut Keepin’ The Blues Alive and 2000’s classic Born With The Blues, and slipping between genres as only a master can. “My show is all about sharing my musical talent and presenting different styles like blues, rock and funk. There’ll be lots of energy, because I feed off of my fans and love interacting with them on and off stage. You can expect a fun time – the Allison way!” says Bernard. If you’re remotely serious about modern blues, you’ll have followed the twists and turns of Mike Zito’s fascinating career. The Missouri-born bandleader overcame his crippling early addictions to become one of modern America’s sharpest songwriters, and few artists have written with such stark eloquence as he did on 2011’s Greyhound album. In 2012, Mike threw us a curveball, lining up alongside Devon Allman and Cyril Neville as a key member of Royal Southern Brotherhood – and went on to stay with the supergroup for two critically feted albums. But the call of his own muse was too strong, and in 2014, Mike burst straight back into his solo career with Keep Coming Back and Make Blues Not War. “I have long wanted to join the Blues Caravan and run away, so I’m excited,” he says. “My shows are energetic and passionate: I try hard to give everything I’ve got and make every note count. You can expect rocking blues guitar, with a dose of soul vocals, and a mix of my best songs.”

Ruf Records artist: Vanja Sky - Bad Penny - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 17, 2018), Bad Penny from Vanja Sky and it's a pop rocker with zip. Opening with title track, Bad Penny, Vanja Sky wastes no time in demonstrating her no prisoners attitude with a swaggering track that could easily be from the Lynyrd Skynyrd songbook. Leading the band on guitar and vocal Sky is backed by Mike Zito on guitar, Terry Day on bass, Matthew Johnson on drums and Lewis Stephens on keys. Low Down And Dirty is my favorite track on the release with what to me sounds like Mike Zito on vocal and slide guitar. This track has a gritty two step feel with cool guitar lead and vocals by Sky making this track hot hot hot! All Night has a poppy/rock feel with firm rhythm guitar and polished vocals by Sky. Ballad, Inside Pain has a smooth Mark Knopfler guitar feel and a solid radio melody. Another of my favorites is Give Me Back My Soul with a great SRV /Texas lope with Dave Smith on bass and Yonrico Scott on drums. Very cool. Pop rocker, Do You Wanna has great attitude with a rock and roll rhythm, stinging guitar riffs and a Joan Jett feel. Another track with a rowdy feel is Don't Forget To Rock n Roll, with melodic guitar lead and Patty Smith like vocal attitude. Wrapping the release is a southern based, Crossroads of Life with understated slide guitar and an anthem feel. This is a solid closer for a cool release.

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Ruf Records artist: Victor Wainwright and The Train - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release, Victor Wainwright and The Train and it's rockin. Wainwright on lead vocal and keys pushes a nice duel with guitarist Pat Harrington, on Healing, backed by Billy Dean on drums and Terrance Grayson on bass. Also adding a nice bit of oomph are Mark Earley on sax and Doug Woolverton on trumpet. Nice opener. Train is a hot boogie woogie track with Wainwright really driving hard on vocal and piano. Woolverton and Earley fill nicely and Reba Russell's vocals are super.  Excellent track. Soulful, Dull Your Shine is a really nice track that puts me in mind of D'Angelo with a suspenseful approach to the song and super vocals. Also of particular note on this track is a sweet guitar solo by Greg Gumpel. Blues with a distinct R&B feel, Thank You Lucille, is possibly my favorite track on release featuring some of Wainwright's best vocals on the release and Monster Mike Welch handling the lead guitar spot, backed by Reba Russell, Nick Black and Patricia Ann Dees on vocal. Boogie Depression is another driving boogie with super piano and excellent slide work by Harrington. Nice! Foot stompin rocker, Righteous really gets that tent revival feeling going with a solid bottom, powerful vocal by Wainwright, super slide work by Harrington, and vocal backing by Russell. Very cool. Rocking boogie, I'll Start Tomorrow is a real mover with cooking piano and organ, tight drums, a great sax solo by Earley and punchy trumpet work by Woolverton. Another track with strong slide lead by Harrington is Sunshine. His slide work is inspired and fat, soaring into the music nicely. A track, seemingly built around his excellent slide lead, a real keeper. Wrapping the release is gospel styled, That's Love To Me, with it's rich melody, organ and soulful vocals by Wainwright. Subtle but nice acoustic guitar by Jeff Jensen adds nicely and solid lead guitar by Harrington adds depth for an excellent closer to a really strong release.

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Victor Wainwright & The Train On Tour, Record Release Party at The Bank & Blues, 2 Big Nights!

(Photo by Austin Britt) Victor Wainwright & The Train On U.S./Canadian Tour In Support of New Self-Titled Album (Ruf Records) Perform Locally with The Train Horn Section: THE BANK & BLUES  Thursday/Friday, March 29/30 (Record Release Party Both Nights)

(Daytona, FL) - Multiple award-winning boogie-woogie blues pianist-vocalist Victor Wainwright kicks off his 2018 U.S./Canada Spring/Summer Tour in support of just-released album Victor Wainwright & the Train (Ruf Records), with a Record Release Party at The Bank & Blues, 701 Main St., two big nights, Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30. Showtime: 9:00pm each night. Tickets: $48., Reserved Tickets (include new CD); $38., (General Admission) each night. Info: (386) 252-9877 or visit https://daytonabeachmainstreet.com/venue/the-bank-blues-club/. Also joining Wainwright and his band onstage: Star horn players, Doug Woolverton (trumpet) and Mark Earley (alto, baritone sax).                                                                                                                            ~Victor Wainwright: What The Media Is Saying~ "Wainwright serves as an electrifying guide to a good time-spinning tales, telling his listeners how to beat the blues, and meticulously conjuring raw soul and energy out of his acoustic piano. He displays a sharp sense of humor and a knack for storytelling... every track is brilliant."                                                                            LIVING BLUES "Victor Wainwright is a world champion piano player, two times over! Not only is Victor one of the greatest blues piano players in the business, he’s also a world class-entertainer and vocalist."                                              BLUES REVUE “Savannah, GA native Victor Wainwright is all about boogie-woogie piano, deep soul, and a voice that recalls Dr. John at his best. He is a blues star, a tremendous player.”   CHICAGO BLUES GUIDE        "Victor Wainwright, winner of this year's Pinetop Perkins Award at the BMA's, is a force to be reckoned with on a piano. He IS honky-tonk and boogie, with a dose of rolling thunder. Wainwright's playing is simply beautiful madness."                                                                                            It had to be a train. The name of Victor Wainwright's new band - and the sleeve image of their debut album - is also the most fitting of metaphors. In music folklore, the train might have associations with the freight-hopping bluesmen of yore, but with this restless boogie-woogie innovator stoking the furnace, this latest project is a charging locomotive - surging forward, crashing through boundaries of genre, sweeping up fresh sounds and clattering headlong past the doubters.   As the man himself hollers in the ivory-pounding title track: "If you wanna boogie get aboard this train/Get yourself a ticket or get out of the way..." At a sweet-spot in his career, where most established stars would rest on their laurels, Victor Wainwright & The Train instead rips up all that has gone before. The twelve tracks are originals in every sense, written by Wainwright, pricking up ears in a sterile music industry and stretching the concept of roots in bold directions.   "I wanted to write this new music mostly on my own," Wainwright explains, "as it was coming and speaking to me. I believe that for roots music to grow, and reach out to new audiences, we have to push it forward." The result is an album that walks a tightrope between scholarly respect and anarchic irreverence. You'll hear Wainwright twist boogie-woogie tradition on barrelhouse thrillers like "Healing" and "Boogie Depression," both driven by his visceral piano style. But you'll also hear him fearlessly explore the gamut of genre, from the Latin flavours and New Orleans horns of "Wiltshire Grave," to the mellow near-psychedelia of "Sunshine." It's a musical cocktail served up by Wainwright's inimitable gravel-flecked vocal.   His words can be hilarious, as on "I'll Start Tomorrow," on which he postpones his doctor's clean-living advice. But they can also be heartfelt, on the gospel-tinged kiss-off of "That's Love To Me". "I've tried to write songs that remind us to love ourselves," explains Wainwright. "It doesn't matter who voted for who, what your religion is, who you love..." On this white-knuckle ride, only The Train could keep the material on the tracks. "I ended up with a hit-squad of downright amazing musicians that shared my curiosity for all corners of the roots genre. We wanted to capture how we feel performing, right smack-dab on this record, and I believe we've done that. Now I just try to keep up."   In truth, Wainwright has always been an artist that sets the pace. Born into a musical family in Savannah, Georgia, the formative influence of his father's vocals and grandfather's rolling boogie-woogie piano compelled him into a life of music. By 2005, he'd announced his talent with solo debut, Piana' From Savannah, while his central role in Southern Hospitality and partnership with Stephen Dees in WildRoots has seen him ignite stages and stereos for over a decade. Among his numerous accolades: In 2013 and 2014, Wainwright won the 'Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year' at the Blues Music Awards. Also in 2013, his collaborative album, Easy Livin' , made the Top 10 in the U.S. Billboard Top Blues Album Chart.   "Looking back on your career is a tough thing to do," he says. "Challenges are many, and frequent, but when you get it together, it can also be extremely rewarding." A man of many talents, Wainwright is a composer, producer, vocalist, piano player and award-winning entertainer. A long-standing leader of the boogie-woogie pack, he could refer you to his BMA and Blues Blast trophies, or a catalog that has repeatedly hijacked the Billboard Top 10. But rather than dine out on past glories, this questing artist would rather you joined him for the ride ahead. "Of course, I still have songs on this album that are just about kicking ass and taking names, like The Train," he laughs. "But if you listen to the lyrics, what I'm really saying is, we got to get on the train and move forward together."               Victor Wainwright & The Train - Upcoming Live Shows & Special Events March 29/30 (Thur./Fri.) THE BANK AND BLUES                 Daytona Beach, FL March 31 (Sat.)                 BRADFORDVILLE BLUES CLUB        Tallahassee, FL April 1/2 (Sun./Mon.)       PARADISE BAR & GRILL                 Pensacola Beach FL April 3 (Tues.)                  BLUE BAMBOO ARTS CTR.             Winter Park, FL April 4 (Wed.)                   ENGLEWOODS ON DEARBORN       Englewood, FL April 5 (Thur.)                  BUCKINGHAM BLUES BAR              Ft. Myers, FL April 6 (Fri.)                     THE BLUE ROOSTER                       Sarasota, FL April 7 (Sat.)                     FUNKY BISCUIT                             Boca Raton, FL April 8 (Sun.)                    SPRINGING THE BLUES                  Jacksonville Bch FL April 18 (Wed.)                 CANADIAN CORPS UNIT 44 HALL Thorhold, Ontario April 20 (Fri.)                    SALLE PROMUTEL ASSURANCE     Montmagny Que April 21 (Sat.)                   SALLE SAGUENAY                         Saguenay, Que April 23 (Mon.)                 ROCKLAND PUB                           Rockland, ME April 26 (Thur.)                LA BASOCHE                                Gatineu, Que April 27 (Fri.)                   SALLE SANCTUAIRE DE ST. JAX     Monteal, Que April 28 (Sat.)                  LA BASOCHE                                 Gatineu, Que May 24 (Thur.)                 TRALF                                          Buffalo, NY May 25 (Fri.)                    RUSTY RAIL                                  Mifflinburg, PA May 26 (Sat.)                   MADAMS ORGAN                          Washington, CD May 27 (Sun.)                  ROOSTER WALK MUSIC & ARTS FEST  Martinsville, VA June 9 (Sat.)                    GREELEY BLUES JAM FESTIVAL        Greeley, CO June 23 (Sat.)                  RIVERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL         Ft. Smith, AR July 2 (Mon.)                   NANTUCKET DEAMLAND                Nantucket, MA July 4 (Wed.)                   BLUES IN THE BARN                        Kingfield, ME July 5 (Thur.)                  MUSIC SERIES                                 Norwich, ME July 10/11 (Tues./Wed.)    MONT-TREMBLANT BLUES                  Mont-Tremblant Que July 13 (Fri.)                   KALAMAZOO BLUES FESTIVAL        Kalamazoo, MI July 14 (Sat.)                  LIGHTHOUSE BLUES FESTIVAL         Kincardine, Ontario            www.victorwainwright.com www.facebook.com/VictorWainwrightFan soundcloud.com/victor-wainwright/sets/victor-wainwright-and-the/s-9R3bK Join us on Facebook      Follow us on Twitter       Send us an Email

Ruf Records artist: Jane Lee Hooker - Spiritus - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Spiritus, from Jane Lee Hooker and it's smoking! Opening with How Ya Doin?, Hooker opens up where they left off on their hot release, No B! back in 2016. Dana "Danger" Athens is upfront with a powerful voice and Tracy "Hightop" Almazan and Tina "T-Bone" Gorin create a sense of Thin Lizzy while Melissa "Cool Whip" Houston on drums and "Hail Mary" Zadroga on bass give you flashbacks to Van Halen. Powerful is the word. With the poise of Free, Gimme That is a solid blues rocker... oh yeah...with cow bell! Blues ballad, Later On shows a more subtle side of Athens' vocals and Almazan and Gorin's guitar tones are round and mellow. Blending Hound Dog Taylor with a modern garage rock feel gives you a hot rocking version of Lightning Hopkins' Black Rat. Excellent! Clean blues ballad, How Bright the Moon is a real spin featuring Athens on piano and total blues sincerity for one of the best tracks on the release. It doesn't have the frenzy of most (and I like frenzy) and it doesn't have the rawness of many (and I like rawness) but it is a really nice track showing what this band can do in the pure blues ballad arena. Very cool. Bobby Blues Bland's Turn On Your Love Light is a fusion of tandem (Allman like) guitar leads, Greatful Dead like jamming and of course Bland's own energy, spun into a modern blues rocker. Very cool. Wrapping the release is The Breeze, a smooth, blues (mostly) instrumental giving the gang a good chance to stretch instrumentally. Athen's lays down some of her most emotional vocals on the release here making it a perfect conclusion to another strong release by the band.

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Ruf Records artist: Ghalia & Mama's Boys - Let The Demons Out - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Let The Demons Out, from Ghalia & Mama's Boys. Yes, this is Johnny Mastro's Mama's Boys. Opening with  4AM Fried Chicken, a driving rock n roller, Ghalia Vauthier has that natural rockin vocal style and Mastro really rides tight on harp with Smokehouse Brown on guitar, Dean Zucchero on bass and Rob Lee on drums and percussion. Super opener. Press That Trigger is a cool track with traces of SB Williamson and Alvin Lee with a pinch of the Pretenders. Mastro's harp shows solid tone and Smokehouse's guitar riffs are sparse but cool. Blending a little contemporary styling into delta style blues, Addicition is a cool, mostly primitive blues track with Ghalia on vocal and slide guitar with only the basics of percussion by Lee and Mastro's harp filling the air. Very spatial. A great rocking boogie, All The Good Things is really infectious (like a boogie should be). Vauthier really winds it up vocally and Zucchero bass line sets up perfectly for Brown's British blues style guitar attack. Excellent. Vauthier really works, Little Willie John's I'm Shaking putting in a lot of emotion and Brown's guitar riffs are perfect. Shuffle track, Waiting has traditional Chicago blues bones with a nice solo by Mastro and shared vocal lead between Vauthier and Mastro. The killer on this track is Brown's smoking slide work. Stand back! See That Man Alone is a real nice blues based rocker with a heavy bottom. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Hiccup Boogie, a real John Lee Hooker style boogie with super pace. Vauthier sets the line vocally but it's Zucchero, Brown and Lee who deliver the goods on this cooker with maestro fanning the flames on harp. Super closer.

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Ruf Records artist: Albert Castiglia - Up All Night - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Up All Night, from Albert Castiglia and it's smokin! Up to his 7th release now and still getting better, Castiglia opens with Mike Zito's Hoodoo On Me blistering his way on guitar and leading on vocal. Joined by Jimmy Pritchard on bass and Brian Menendez on drums, this is a great opener. With a heavy footed rock beat, I Been Up All Night is a classic funk rocker. Castiglia has great presence with fluid blues riffs and raspy vocals over the big bass lines of Pritchard and tight drumming of Menendez. Excellent! Driving rock n roller, 95 South is a super track highlighted by real nice slide work by Sonny Landreth. Another Mike Zito track, Quit Your Bitching has beautiful slow blues phrasing and may be my favorite track on the release. Smooth vocals, inspired guitar soloing lead the way. Cyril Neville's Unhappy House Of Blues has a solid blues bass with a great harp topping by Johnny Sansone. Another rocker, Chase Her Around The House, has a great boogie base line giving Castiglia a super opportunity to fly on the fretboard. Excellent! Wrapping the release is lumbering blues, You Got Me To That Place, featuring Zito and Castiglia on acoustic guitar and vocal. This is a solid closer for an exceptional release! 

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Ruf Records artist: Savoy Brown - Witchy Feelin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Witchy Feelin', from Savoy Brown and it's quite good. Opening with Why Did You Hoodoo Me, Kim Simmonds is back, better than ever with Pat Desalvo on bass and Garnet Grimm on drums. With a pounding bass rhythm and some of the most scorching riffs to come off of Simmonds guitar on record in a long time, this track rocks! There's something about a Gibson humbucker and a Marshall amp that just has that tone and Simmonds has it. Title track, Witchy Feelin', is a somber, dark blues number with light backing highlighting Simmonds vocals and exceptional soloing. Very nice. Gun Slinger kicks it into gear with modern boogie style. With a droning bass line and raw, saturated guitar tone Simmonds uses this basis to deliver one of the best rockers of modern Savoy Brown's history. Standing In A Doorway is a solid, old school blues style number with sweet slide work with tone not unlike Ron Wood on the Stones Love In Vain. This may be my favorite Savoy Brown track in many years.  Excellent! Memphis Blues is a blues rocker with a solid bottom. With Simmonds' signature rock slide sound and some of the best vocals on the release, you can hear a clear tie to his records of the 70's. Very nice. Another of my favorite tracks on the release is Thunder, Lightning & Rain with it's droning boogie bass line and extended guitar soloing. Brilliant! Wrapping the release is Close To Midnight, an enticing instrumental with a smooth, mellow melody and clean guitar riffs. This is the strongest Savoy Brown offering in a number of years. I am excited to hear Kim sound so inspired.

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