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💿 ALBUM REVIEW: Ronnie Baker Brooks - Blues In My DNA

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Ronnie Baker Brooks is a powerhouse Chicago blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who carries the torch of a legendary musical lineage. Born into blues royalty as the son of Hall of Famer Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie didn’t just inherit the music—he lived it. He cut his teeth learning directly from master icons like B.B. King, Albert Collins, and Willie Dixon. Today, the multiple Blues Music Award winner seamlessly blends authentic Chicago roots with a high-octane mix of rock, funk, and soul. “I’m blessed to have learned from the best,” Brooks says. “I’m carrying them within me.” 🎵 LISTEN & SUPPORT THE ALBUM ▶ Listen to Album Samples (Click to Expand) Add this Record to Your Collection Available on CD and in Digital Formats. 🛒 Buy Album on Amazon Store As an Amazon Associate, Bman earns from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Associate, Bman earns from qualifying purchases. < The Deep Dive The continuation of Chi...

Southpaw Steel 'N' Twang - Stat(u)e of Mind - New release review

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I just received the most recent release, Stat(u)e of Mind from Southpaw Steel 'N' Twang and it's terrific! This is a creative release with a lot of diversity. Opening with Gateway , a subtle instrumental, JP Monkkonen on bass, acoustic and baritone guitars, Tero Mikkonen on drums, percussion and ukulele, and Ville Leppanen on steel, electric, resonator and vocals, this is a really nice tune with lead primarily in resonator. Gentle Storm has a blend of progressive with a touch of country with Leppanen on lead steel. Funky instrumental, Aloha Garage , has a snappy drum beat, strong bass line and a cool lead steel making this a cool rocker. Water , has bit of a Latin feel and at times sounds like The Mars Volta with rowdy vocals but cruising swing on steel. Very cool! Route 68 really jazzes it up but with a modern touch. Excellent jazz chords and jamming with a bit of twang bar laid in is just the right touch. This track really opens up with strong addition of drum work...

Hale's Pleasure Railway - Southpaw Steel 'n' Twang - New Release Review

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I just received a new release, Hale's Pleasure Railway from Southpaw Steel 'n' Twang and it's really an eclectic blast! Opening with Open Field , Ville Leppanen plays some distinctively American country style pedal steel guitar riffs over jazz grass riffs on guitar. Joined by Tero Mikkonen on drums and JP Monkkonen on bass, these guys have concocted a formula that really successfully blends country, jazz, blues and bluegrass sounds in an exciting way. Bayou , again with pedal steel lead has a bit of muted strings and jazz fusion funk sounds. This is a great track. Alternating between picking and slide is a cool effect for this all instrumental track. Secret Sunset has a distinctively Hawaiian sound even including ukulele. Ville breaks away from the solid Hawaiian slide work and picks a bit giving the track texture but this thing is all tropical. Bad Alley has a beautiful classical (electric) intro before entering into a modern take on swamp blues and gypsy jazz wi...