Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Do What Your Heart Says To , from Scott Ramminger and it's a gumbo of great tracks. Opening with mambo, Living Too Fast , George Porter Jr. on bass and Doug Belote on drusm set a great table for Scott Ramminger's vocal and sax work. David Torkanowsky dresses the track nicely with super piano work, joined by Eric Lucero on trumpet, Rick Trolsen and Greg Hicks on trombone and Shane Theriot on guitar. Great opener. Really slamming the New Orleans feel, title track, Do What Your Heart Says To finds local grown(Phoenix) talent Francine Reed joining Ramminger on a great duet. Scott is up front on sax and Torkanowsky's piano work is strong. Funky, Give A Pencil To A Fish , really has a serious groove with excellent key work by Torkanowsky and super punctuation by Theriot and Ramminger on sax. Ramminger's vocals are really nicely complimented by the McCrary Sisters making this one of my favorites on the release...

A CrawSticker or "craw sticker" is something that stays with you -- sticks in your craw. We also like to think this music will stick in your craw (in a good way). The name is also a vague nod to some of the New Orleans influence you'll hear (along with a stew pot full of other stuff from Chicago Blues, to Stax/Motown R&B, to Soul Jazz, to Nashville Twang). Finally, it's a pet phrase around the Ramminger house. For example, Clare might randomly bring up the Valentine's Day that Scott forgot 20 years ago -- or the time 15 years ago he got busy hooking up the stereo and forgot to watch their infant son, who subsequently rolled down the stairs into the basement (no lasting damage). We call something with that kind of staying power a CrawSticker. Here's hoping our music has the same sort of staying power. But beyond that, this name was available the day we needed a name. Try this. Think of a cool band name and Google it. Likely as not, you'll discover...