Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Bitches Blues , from Sass Jordan and it's really quite good! Opening with Johnny Winter's, Still Alive and Well , Sass Jordan maintains Winter's gritty approach, joined by Steve Marriner on bass, Cassius Pereira on drums, Jesse O'Brien on keys and stinging guitar riffs by Chris Caddell and Jimmy Reid. Strong opener. O'Brien really digs on on piano on Even , a slow piano blues giving the spotlight to Jordan's vocals and she really shines on this one. Excellent! Mississippi Fred McDowell's You Gotta Move has a great delta feel with Caddell on slide and only the simplest percussion on the bottom, supporting Jordan's vocals. Very cool. Lowell George's Sailin Shoes is really a great selection for this band with strong slide work by Caddell and great vocal harmonies by Jordan, Caddell, Reid, Marriner and O'Brien. The band really pulls together tightly on this one but of particular note is the...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rebel Moon Blues , from Sass Jordan and it's got a raw edge. Opening with a funky take on Sleepy John Estes' Leaving Trunk , Sass Jordan shows just how special her vocals can be with Steve Mariner on harp adding great punctuation. Backed by the Champagne Hookers, Chris Caddell on guitars, Jimmy Reid on guitars, Derrick Brady on bass and Cassius Pereira on drums, this is a great opener. Smokin. On Keb Mo's Am I Wrong , Jordan works it hard with Caddell on slide acoustic guitar, kick drums and basic handclaps percussion. Simple and solid. JB Hutto's Too Much Alcohol gets a strong remake with Caddell on slide dobro. Keeping the track in it's raw "acoustic" format and accentuating the raw marriage between Jordan's vocals and the sound of Caddell's resonator guitar makes for great blues. Wrapping the release is Gary Moore's blues ballad, Still Got The Blues . Jordan backs off of the t...