Provogue Records artist: Supersonic Blues Machine - Voodoo Nation - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Voodoo Nation, from Supersonic Blues Machine and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Money, SBM sets up a cool New Orleands flavored funk rocker with a solid drum line by Kenny Aronoff and featuring Kris Barras on lead vocal and guitar, Fabrizio Grossi on bass, Alex Alessandroni Jr on keys and perfect backing vocals by Francis Benitez and Andrea Grossi- Benitez. You and Me is a solid rocker that reminds me of Pink Floyd (and I actually don't know why). I think maybe it has the drive of Roger Waters' The Wall and the guitar attack by King Solomon Hicks  (doesn't sound like Gilmore), but the riffs are cut from the same cloth. Very cool. 8 Ball Lucy is one of my favorites with solid vocals, cool slide by Sonny Landreth and really cool reggae drum work by Aronoff. Title track, Voodoo Nation, has an interesting sound with really potent drum work by Aronoff, wark key addition by Alessandroni Jr. and again very effective vocal backing by Grossi-Benitez. Wrapping the release is radio track, All Our Love with it's catchy tune andlight country influence. With Charlie Starr on slide guitar paired with Barras on lead guitar and lead vocal, and strong piano work by Alessandroni, this is a strong closer. 

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Cleopatra Records artist: William Shatner - The Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues, from William Shatner, yes that William Shatner. What's it like...you'll have to see for yourself.  Opening with blues classic, Sweet Home Chicago, Shatner teams up with Brad Paisley who throws down some cool blues and country riffs along with Jurgen Engler on guitar, bass and banjo, Chris Lentz on keys and Adam Hamilton on drums, bass, guitar and harmonica. Shatners vocals are freeform and emotional. Otis Rush's I Can't Quit You Baby, features Kirk Fletcher who runs some real nice glues riffs of his own and manages Shatner's freeform vocals nicely. Cream's Sunshine of Your Love is up next, mostly in spoken word and I gotta say that Hamilton's work on drums is exceptional and Landreth wails on slide. Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore takes BB King's, The Thrill Is Gone to the next level and Shatner's vocals are as relaxed as I've ever heard on this track. Pat Travers screams on guitar on Screamin Jay's, I Put A Spell On You and Shatner keeps his cool with almost shouted lyrics. I think that Smokestack Lightning with Steely Dan and Doobies' Jeff Skunk Baxter is my favorite track on the release with Shatner "sing" crying where he almost sounds high. Baxter doesn't let up a bit with slashing guitar riffs. With a serious nature, As The Years Go Passing By, Shatner seems to be performing a play (Like Jack Palance singing country) and featuring Arthur Adams with sweet soloing. The track that I find best suited to Shatner on the release is In Hell I'll Be In Good Company with Albert Lee. His spoken work is animated and Lee's guitar work is spry. Actually very cool. Wrapping the release is Secrets Or Sins, with a whisper like vocal and a shuffle rhythm. I really am not sure what Shatner was trying to do with this release, but it got my attention.

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Nola Blue Records artist: Gregg Martinez - MacDaddy Mojeaux - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, MacDaddy Mojeaux, from Gregg Martinez (pronounced Mart nez with a silent i) and it's a cool soul and R&B set. Opening with Ray Charles' I Believe to My Soul, vocalist Gregg Martinez puts his own  R&B spin on  this classic track with a voice that shows loud and clear why he has lead such bands as King Fish, The Heat and The Boogie Kings. Backed by Tim Courville on drums, Charles Ventre on Hammond, Tony Daigle on percussion, Claude Salles on trombone, Allan Linker on trumpet and Ronnie Eades on sax, this is a great opener. Followed by Don Nix's Same Old Blues, Martinez digs deep down for a great soulful blues ballad, accented nicely by stinging guitar work. Very nice. Skylark's Wildflower is up next with a traditional soul mix but there's no taking from Martinez's pure vocals and style. Very nice with solid background vocals by Carla Benson and Evette Benton. One of my favorites on the release is original shuffle, Eva Delle strong vocals by Martinez with his swampy rhythm, Sonny Landreth on slide guitar, Anthony Dopsie on accordion and punchy horns. Tyrone Davis', Can I Change My Mind, is a perfect fit for Martinez and his vocal style. Plenty of people have covered this track but this and Billy Price/Roy Buchanan's cover stand out in my mind. Very nice with strong sax by Eades. Wrapping the release is a change up ballad, Randy Newman's, Marie. Every bit a soulful as any other track on the release but with a straight ballad delivery over piano. This is a solid closer. 

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Warren Storm - Taking the World, by Storm - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Taking the World, by Storm from Warren "Storm" Schexnider and I like it. Opening with John Fogerty's Long As I Can See The Light and featuring Fogerty on vocal with Storm, the original arrangement is pretty much intact with Eric Adcock on piano, Roddie Romero on guitar, Chris French on bass, Gary Usie on drums and featuring a nice sax solo by Derek Huston. On Earl King's Lonely Nights, you get the real feel of syrupy swampy blues with solid vocals by Storm and a real nice guitar solo by Romero and piano solo by Adcock. Very nice.  Bobby Charles' Tennessee Blues has the real flavor of traditional country and western music. With Richard Comeaux on pedal steel, the addition of Beau Thomas on fiddle and the conventional piano treatment by Adcock makes this one of my favorites. Another traditional country track, Merle Haggard's My House Of Memories has great poise and Storm digs in on vocal with beautiful piano ornamentation by Adcock. Wrapping the release is Raining In My Heart with some of Storm's best vocals on the release. A traditional Louisiana sound sends this release off in a cool way. 

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Ruf Records artist: Mike Zito & Friends - Rock 'N' Roll - A Tribute to Chuck Berry - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rock 'N' Roll - A Tribute to Chuck Berry, by Mike Zito and this disc is loaded. Opening with St. Louis Blues and Charlie Berry II, Mike Zito handles guitar and lead vocals, backed by Matthew Johnson on drums, Terry Dry bass and Lewis Stephens on keys. Joanna Conner joins on Rock and Roll Music and there is just no match for that dynamo on slide guitar. Powerhouse player, Walter Trout steps in on Johnny B Goode, a long time favorite of blues and rock players alike. Trout's fluid, high intensity attack is well suited for this classic. Very nice. On Wee Wee Hours, master showman, Joe Bonamassa is featured and he lays out a full tour of the fretboard hitting about every fret on every string, making it seem totally effortless and with great feel. Clocking in at almost 5 and a half minutes, Bonamassa gives you the grand tour. Smoking. Robben Ford takes more of a country flavored approach to You Never Can Tell, contrasting nicely with earlier gun slingers. His poise and music sensibility adds nicely to the overall mix. Simplicity is the word on Luther Dickinson's approach on Too Much Monkey Business. A great rocker with vocal duet and straight up Berry riffs, this track is great. Shared lead vocal with Ally Venable gives School Days a unique perspective and holding tight to the rhythm as Venable and Zito jam is just a bit different. I like Kirk Fletcher's understated guitar work on Brown Eyed Handsome Man, tight and flavorful with soul. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Chuck Berry's classic ditty, My Ding A Ling that is tackled by Kid Andersen who tackles it with all seriousness. Vocals are playful but solid and guitar work full of stylized bens. Super closer. 

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Wild Heart Records artist: Charlie Wooton Project - Blue Basso - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 23, 2019), Blue Basso, from Charlie Wooton Project and it's really good. Opening with funky rocker, Jaceaux, Wooton sets a terrific bass line with Keiko Komaki heating up the keys, Doug Winbish on bass and Jermal Watson on drums. Excellent opener. Rolling into a cool radio style R&B number, Arsene Delay has lead vocal on Reflections. Her vocals are sweet and float on the tune with glistening key work and jazzy guitar riffs by Daniel Groover. Come On Come Over has a great funky bottom, and instrumental style vocals, an aggressive bass line and a snappy drum line. One Night is a bluesy ballad with my favorite vocals by Delay. Anders Osborne sits in with a real nice guitar solo giving the track a bit more sting. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Fulton Alley with really funky bass and guitar lines. This track, which really crosses over into fusion really humps. Excellent! Guitar wiz Sonny Lanreth steps up on Tell Me A Story and his wicked slide. Delay's vocals are deep and rich and with it's Latin framework, really cuts a nice swath. On Front Porch, an country style acoustic blues, Landreth is back and this time on resonator, paired with Wooton and Groover trading riffs. Very nice. Wrapping the release is the Rolling Stones, Miss You, with a hot New Orleans style drum line and really funky bass work from Wooton. Eric McFadden sets a melodic guitar lead trading off with Delay on vocal. As the track winds up it also winds out with a flurry of guitar riffs and that steady thumping bass line by Wooton. Very nice closer for a very cool release. 

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Queen of Blues/Rock Guitar Joanna Connor Performing At The Dallas Guitar Show

Queen of Blues/Rock Guitar Joanna Connor Performing At The Dallas Guitar Show New Album Coming This Summer & Lots of Festival Dates

Northport NY - M.C. Records is proud to announce that the Queen of Blues/Rock Guitar, Joanna Connor will be performing at The Dallas International Guitar Festival this Friday. Other legendary guitarists performing at the weekend long event include Sonny Landreth, Paul Reed Smith, Larry Mitchell, Eric Gales and many more. Click the photo of Joanna to get the complete schedule for all three days.                                                           Joanna Connor might be the best—or most original—blues-based slide guitar player you're likely to come across today. Or tomorrow.  Guitar World  - https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/joanna-connor-shreds-slide-guitar-video  If you’re seeking amazing guitar talent, you need to check out the string-bending, mind-blowing Joanna Connor.  Elmore Magazine                                                  Joanna Connor is currently working in the studio working on her follow up to 2016's "Six String Stories." The new, untitled release will be coming out later in the summer and will be available on vinyl on M.C. Records. Joanna has had several videos that have been viewed millions of time on You Tube. You can find out more about Joanna here, http://joannaconnor.com/bio/         Joanna Connor on Tour  - Contact: Crystal Crawford Talent- 615.206.4428 crystal@crawfordtalentgroup.com  Selected tour dates - Her complete list of dates can be found here, including all her shows in Chicago. http://joannaconnor.com/shows/ FRI. 7 JUNE - Chicago Blues Festival 2019 - Chicago IL  FRI. 21 JUNE - Northwoods Blues Festival - Chippewa Falls, WI SAT. 22 JUNE - Winnetka Music Festival - Winnetka, IL MON. 8 JULY– TUE. 9 JULY - Tremblant International Blues Festival - Mont-Tremblant, QC, Canada SAT.  13 JULY - Lighthouse Blues Festival - Kincardine, ON, Canada THUR. Aug. 1 - City Winery - Chicago IL - Opening for John Mayall FRI. 9 AUGUST– SAT. 10 AUGUST - Knuckleheads Kansas City, MO FRI. 16 AUGUST - Chenango Blues Festival  - Norwich, NY SAT. 17 AUGUST - White Mountain Boogie n' Blues Festival - Thornton, NH SUN. 18 AUGUST - McHenry Rotary Blues, Brews & BBQ - Mchenry, IL  SAT. 24 AUGUST - Kenlake Hot August Blues - Murray, KY, SAT. 31 AUGUST - Lefty's Live MusicDes Moines, IA   SUN.  8 SEPTEMBER - Big Blues Bender @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV   SUN. 15 SEPTEMBER - Joanna Connor @ Telluride Blues & Brews Festival - Telluride, CO                                                                  ***

Superstar Records artist: Tom Hambridge - The Nola Sessions - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The NOLA Sessions from Tom Hambridge and it's got real feel. Opening with Easy flowing, Blues Been Mighty Good To Me, Hambridge has lead vocal and of course drums backed by superstar Allen Toussaint on piano, max Moran on bass and Wendy Molten on backing vocal. Smooth opener. On Bluz Crazy, Hambridge has a distinctive slap on the snare that I really like and the lope of the track is further enhanced by John Fohl on guitar with Tommy MacDonald on bass and Kevin McKendree on piano. Very nice. Sonny Landreth's Slydeco guitar on This End Of The Road gives the track a real nice edge on a John Hiatt style track. Great two stepper. With real New Orleans style, I Love Everything has a great melody and sense of rhythm. With Shance Theriot on guitar, Calvin Turner Jr. on bass, David Torkanowsky on piano, McKendree on B3, SaRachael on backing vocals and The Naughty Horns this track rocks! Landreth is back again on Little Things, funky New Orleans style blues rocker. Gotta love his slide work and Hambridge really works the skins over. Very nice! Save Me has a cool country rock flavor and strong melody with outstanding backing vocals by The McCrary Sisters and super punchy horn work by The Naughty Horns. Wrapping the release is Faith, a quiet acoustic track featuring Hambridge on vocal, with Fohl on guitar, macDonald on bass and Nathaniel Smith on cello. This is a really nice closer to a very enjoyable 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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Moon Voyage records artist: Chris Daniels and The Kings with Freddi Gowdy - Blues With Horns Vol 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues With Horns Vol 1, by Chris Daniels and The Kings with Freddi Gowdy and it's a lot of fun. Opening with country rocker, Sweet Memphis, Sonny Landreth has his slide would up and Freddi Gowdy's vocals a pure. Backing Gowdy and Daniels are Randy Amen on drums, Kevin Lege on bass, Colin "Bones" Jones on lead guitar, Jim Waddell on alto and tenor sax and Darryl Abrahamson on trumpet. Very cool. Fried Food/Hard Liquor is an interesting blend of Steeley Dan and blues. The backing vocals provided by Hazel Miller, Coco Brown, Jacob Davis and the band mates are warm and well blended and acute guitar soloing by Jones is tight. Just the right touch of horns gives this track a super feel.  Get Up Off The Funk is driven by the funky guitar rhythms of Jones and Lege but it's the excellent sax work by Waddell that punts this track out of the stadium. Excellent! Elvin Bishop's Can't Even Do Wrong Right, maintains Elvin's tongue in cheek approach, playing it with a slightly smoother delivery with sweet backing vocals and a nice trumpet solo by Abrahamson. Very cool. Johnny Guitar Watson's infamous, You Can Stay But That Noise Must Go is a great match for this band with it's tight horn section and Gowdy's vocals. always loved this track and this is a cool rework with a crisp guitar solo by Jones. Buddy Miles' Changes, always a great driving rocker slots in next with hardy horn and harp work. Jones gets the go ahead on a more progressive guitar solo and he does a really nice job with fluid runs, punched by horn work. Super. Wrapping the release is original track, Rain Check, featuring Daniels on slide guitar, vocal and harp and John Magni and Doug Krause on keys . This is a light hearted ballad, primarily acoustic in nature with a solid melody.


And I forgot to mention...this extremely expensive looking die cut cover is out of control cool!

  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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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! 

  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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Josh Hyde - The Call Of The Night - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Call Of The Night, from Josh Hyde and it's super. Opening with title track, The Call of The Night, Josh White lays out a bluesy track that is ready for the radio with a great melody, nice vocal harmonies, nice organ support by John Gros, smooth vocals by Hyde paired with a stylized guitar solo that maintains compactness while expressive feeling, Jamey Bell on drums and Joe V. McMahan on guitar. The Truth is a really hot swampy funk rocker in the style of Little Feat with great pace and beautifully woven instrumentation. This really is an excellent track with nicely crafted guitar work, a moving bass line and tight organ work giving it a lot of spunk. Close is a quiet ballad with a sweet melody and expressive slide guitar work by Buddy Flett. Sonny Landreth joins the mix on Offshore adding his distinctive slide styling to this bluesy funk rocker. On acoustic, It's Not Too Late, Hyde shows some of his best vocal work. A folk ballad, it is a really cool track, accented again by the slide work of Landreth and complimented by the acoustic guitar work of Tony Daigle. Need A Lil More has a contemporary sound but definite roots in the blues. Gros' keyboard work really carries the track with cool vocals by Hyde and nicely executed guitar riffs by Hyde. Guitar In Hand is a cool Jackson Browne/Neil Young like track with burning guitar soloing by Hyde which nicely accents his own solid vocals.  Mississippi Bridge is a terrific new country style track along the lines of Frank Black. With a great melody and a compact form, Buddy Flett on guitar and Laura Mayo nicely work with Hyde's certain vocal strength. Wrapping the release is I've Got This Song, a smooth radio track with a cool melody and featuring James Westfall on keys. With jazz and country characteristics this track is a solid closer for a very enjoyable release.

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FEB. 24 rel-JOSH HYDE (w/Sonny Landreth) "The Call of the Night"

"A gifted native son, Josh Hyde is one of my favorite artists from Louisiana. Funky, atmospheric and soulful, his new album, "The Call of the Night", was a pleasure to work on."  (Sonny Landreth)




https://soundcloud.com/user-45065947/sets/josh-hyde-the-call-of-the/s-CTNFD

Recorded at the iconic Dockside Studio in Maurice, LA, on the banks of the Vermillion Bayou in the heart of Cajun Country, "The Call of the Night" was produced by Joe V. McMahan (who has helmed projects by Webb Wilder, Mike Farris, Kevin Gordon and Sarah Potenza, among many others). Hyde (guitars & vocals) was joined in the studio by Joe V. McMahan (guitar), Ron Eoff (bass), Jamey Bell (drums), Bryan Owings (percussion) and John Gros (keyboards). Special guests on "The Call of the Night" include Sonny Landreth, Buddy Flett, Tony Daigle, James Westfall and Laura Mayo.

From the slippery title track with its indelible image of "a slow heart attack, your smile shining thru me," and the pleading "It's Not Too Late," to the French Quarter funk of "Need a Little More" or the enigmatic tale of infidelity, "Offshore," each of the nine original tracks peels back another layer of the singer-songwriter's lyrical depth, while at the same time providing a showcase for his engrossing vocals and skillful playing. The finely etched songs throughout the album resonate with depth and darkness (his mother's death, a 2014 divorce), yet they remain melodic, celebratory and accessible.

Hyde's childhood was spent mainly in – yet not limited to – Louisiana's two biggest cities. Born in Baton Rouge, he was barely seven years old when his family moved to New Orleans for a time. "I only lived there for three or four years but even though I was that young, it left an imprint on me," he acknowledges. By that time, he had also already written his first song. In the late '70s, Hyde penned "Mississippi Bridge," which is included on the album. The musings of a child of divorce, from the wide-eyed perspective of a youngster who traveled unaccompanied on a Greyhound bus from Alexandria, where he was living with his mother, to Baton Rouge every other weekend, where he would visit his father. The tune is at once simple and poignant but also astonishingly honest and devastatingly mature. He was 11 years old when he wrote it.  "It's just a picture of the world inside that bus," he explains. "People don't ride buses anymore, so it's kind of like a throwback piece now. For a 10- or 11-year-old it was a little bit scary but it was also an adventure. I got to know the bus driver, he was a nice guy. We would stop at every little town between Alexandria and Baton Rouge.

Hyde's precocious nature at around that same age extended to live performance as well. During a family trip to Mexico, he witnessed a band playing and approached the drummer, asking him if he could get up and perform with them. He had started playing guitar at just 10 years old and began writing songs not long after, immersing himself in the blues at one of Baton Rouge's most renowned nightspots. "They had a place called Tabby's Blues Box, where a lot of real-deal blues guys played. Tabby Thomas owned the place. As soon as I could drive, when I turned 15, I would head down to Tabby's Blues Box. I started to play there on jam night."

In his early 20s, Hyde quickly became a popular fixture on the festival circuit throughout Louisiana, while at the same time began honing his songwriting, developing the distinctive New Orleans influence he retains to this day. In his late 20s, he fell in love with slide guitar after hearing Sonny Landreth, the supremely skilled guitarist who lifts the deliciously enigmatic "Offshore" to chill-inducing levels with his unmistakable playing.

"I met him at a few different shows and we got to know each other," Hyde says. "Offshore," which is kind of a song about 'high infidelity,' was the perfect South Louisiana song for Sonny to play on. He has a very unique style to his slide guitar. It's an open tuning and he has a very violin-like way of playing. I had been talking to him about this song for a long time."

The song's reference to the mysterious, mythical figure of "Jody" may be lost on some, but men who work the offshore oil rigs off the Louisiana coast may find it eerily familiar. "In Louisiana, a great deal of the men work offshore, working 14 days on 14 days off," Hyde notes. "There's kind of a mythological character in the offshore world and his name is Jody. Jody is the guy that's having an affair with your girlfriend or your wife while you're out on the oil rig. 'Jody is creeping around your house.' When I play that song live, especially if there's somebody in the audience that works offshore, they always come and talk to me about it."

Josh Hyde works on stage and in the studio the way another gifted native son of Louisiana, Chef Paul Prudhomme, worked in the kitchen. His recipe for musical success found in seasoning gorgeously seductive tunes with a flavorful blend of American roots, blues and soul. Hyde's slinky, sensual tunes can bubble over with the exuberance of a New Orleans street parade, or stew in a hypnotic, laid-back vibe. Yet, while the framework of "The Call of the Night" is quintessential Louisiana, Hyde's distinctive approach to songwriting, performing and recording propels it beyond its deep Southern origins and into the wider realm of Americana.

In the same way its varied, distinctive cuisine has defined and enriched its people, music remains one of the Bayou State's most important natural resources. "Music is just everywhere in Louisiana. It's part of our culture, from the crawfish festivals to the funky clubs to the jazz trios. There is a raw energy to it. It's just the air you breathe," Hyde says.

If music is the food of love, heartbreak, celebration and redemption, Josh Hyde's "The Call of the Night" is one of the most flavorful recipes Louisiana has ever produced.

www.joshhyde.com

Ruf Records artist: Layla Zoe - Breaking Free - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Breaking Free, from Layla Zoe, and it's powerful. Opening with Backstage Queen, a power blues rocker, you know you are in for something special. Layla Zoe has a special voice and has surrounded with a terrific band featuring Jan Laacks on guitars and Hardy Fischotter on drums. This is a power setting sounding like nothing I've heard since John Bonham died with over the top drum work. Excellent! Why We Hurt The Ones We Love, highlights the richness of Zoe's voice with subtle organ work and acoustic guitar by Laack. With nicely crafted electric guitar soloing, the track has a blend of Marshall Tucker Band and the Rolling Stones. Slide genius, Sonny Landreth, lays in beautiful slide riffs on Wild One, a slinky track with glistening guitar chords and nice tom tom work by Fischotter. Very nice! Blues ballad, Highway of Tears, features a really soulful lead guitar melody and an emotional vocal delivery by Zoe. A powerful track. Title track, Breaking Free has an interesting funk, rock feel with a blues balance. With a super balance of lead and backing vocals over a solid melody, this is a strong radio contender. Funky, Work Horse, has a strong blues base and a great rhythm. With this groove it's a sure thing. Sweet Angel is a mellow, pop track with smooth lap steel guitar work creating texture under a nicely crafted melody. Run Away is a lumbering blues rocker with strong vocals and interesting ambiance guitar chords and strong lead guitar riffs. Laacks conjures up some really hot riffs against the rock hard drum work of Fischotter making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Jagger/Richards composition, Wild Horses, has always been one of my favorite rock tracks and Zoe presents a real sensitive version of the track with some of her richest vocals on the release, accompanied only by Laacks on acoustic guitar and backing vocals. Blues ballad, A Good Man, with a light country rock flavor, is pure radio strong. Laacks adds clean guitar backing and Fischotter's drumming is precise and clever. Wrapping the release is He Loves Me, a solemn ballad featuring Zoe accompanied by Gregor Sonnenberg on keys. Very nice closer to a strong release.



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15 South Records artist: D.L. Duncan - Self Titled - New release review

I just received the newest release, D.L. Duncan from Dave "D.L." Duncan and it has a good feel. Opening with I Ain't The Sharpest Marble, a rockin boogie track, Duncan lays down a cool groove on vocal and guitar with David Hood on bass and Vince Santoro on drums reinforcing the bottom. Kevin McKendree hammers out a real nice piano line making this a solid opener. Dickerson Road has a super guitar rock sound (think All Along The Watchtower) and Duncan sets his strings searing into the stratosphere. On Walter Vinson style blues track,You Just Don't Never Know, McKendree adds nicely to the texture on the track and the McCrary Sisters provide a warm background as Duncan sings lead, Delbert McClinton plays harp with Duncan's guitar adornment. Very nice! Your Own Best Friend has a distinctively Gregg Allman sound and Sonny Landereth adds a heaping share of his distinctive slide sound. McKendree takes a really nice piano solo over B3 and with the McCrary Sisters on vocals, this is certainly one of the best tracks on the release. I Know A Good Thing is a high stepping stripped down blues track with a solid bass line and drum beat keeping it tight. Duncan's own guitar work which rides the melody is quite effective. Super! Sending Me Angels is a solid blues based pop track sounding like an Eric Clapton hit. The McCrary Sisters really warm up the track along with Duncan's smooth vocals as well as resonator. McKendree on B3 and piano adds just the right touch of gospel style keyboards giving the track an embracing feel. Orange Beach Blues has a R&B sway with warm jazz overtones. Duncan's vocals are pure and his guitar work clean as a whistle. The McCrary Sisters again add just the right mix of warmth with McKendree on B3 and Duncan pairs with Guthrie Trapp on guitar giving the track a super overall sound. St. Valentine's Day Blues is an easy paced R&B style blues track with Duncan's vocals leading the way balanced nicely with McKendree on keys. Duncan does some of his nicest guitar work on this track throwing down some really sweet blues riffs. Sweet Magnolia Love is another track which to me has a distinctive Eric Clapton pop style. A nice hook and warm backing vocals from the McCrary Sisters along with twin guitar riffs from Duncan and Trapp make it perfect radio track. Wrapping the release is All I Have To Offer You Is Love, a simple bluesy ballad with nice acoustic slide guitar work and rich lead vocals from Duncan. McKendree always seems to have just the right amount of throttle on keys adding nicely to most anything he touches. The slide work on this track is sweet and well manicured making this an excellent closer for a solid release.

   

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2015 Daytona Blues Tickets Are Now on Sale

The Best of the Blues at the Nicest Time of The Year
Janiva Magness Sonny Landreth Victor Wainright		2015 Daytona Blues Festival Tickets Are Now on Sale Purchase Tickets Here It’s that time again! Time to buy your Daytona Blues Festival tickets! Early Bird tickets for the 2015 Daytona Blues Festival are now on sale on this website. Just look for the “2015 Tickets” tab or the “Buy Now” button to go directly to the ticket store. Early Bird ticket prices are the same as last year – $60 for a 3 day ticket and $25 for a 1 day ticket. Early bird ticket pricing is valid until September 7, 2015 at 11:59 pm. Student ticket with valid student ID is $15 per day – must be purchased at the festival. Children under 14—- 1 child admitted free with 1 paid adult ticket. As an all volunteer run 501(c)(3) the Daytona Blues Festival continues to donate all proceeds to support local women and children’s health.  In just five years, the festival has donated over $100,000 to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Halifax Health and Project WARM at the Vince Carter Sanctuary.  For more details, visit the website, watch the interviews, and open the 2015 Charities tab. Main Stage Line-Up – check our website for full details Friday Oct 9  ·         2:30 pm The Vaudevillian ·         4:00 pm Noah Wotherspoon ·         5:30 pm Watermelon Slim ·         7:15 pm Kenny Neal ·         9:00 pm Janiva Magness Saturday Oct 10 ·         1:00 pm Randy McQuay ·         2:30 pm Balkun Brothers ·         4:00 pm Eddie Cotton Jr. ·         5:30 pm Jarekus Singleton ·         7:15 pm Nikki Hill ·         9:00 pm Sonny Landreth Sunday Oct 11 ·         1:00 pm Brian Keith Wallen ·         2:30 pm Moreland and Arbuckle ·         4:15 pm Alexis P. Suter ·         6:00 pm Paul Thorn ·         7:45 pm Victor Wainwright & The WildRoots Purchase Tickets Here