Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, While I Can , by Mike Guldin and it really hit's the spot. Opening with Driving Rain , Mike Guldin is upfront on vocal and guitar and this track really has a great groove. Guldin's vocals are soulful and with Steve Mackey on bass and Lynn Williams on drums the strut is heavy. Kevin McKendree really works the organ providing a great back beat and Guldin and James Pennebaker play some stinging riffs making this first track worth the price of admission. Excellent! Rocker, Always A Woman has a cool Latin beat, reinforced by a driving rhythm guitar layer. Guldin was made to sing this music with his natural delivery and Pennebaker really rips it lose on guitar with snappy drum work by Williams. A cool stroll, When The Bills Come Due , has a stiff cowbell strike over Mackey on bass. Gulden on guitar and vocal, and McKendree on keys give legs to this swampy rocker. Don Williams ' New Orleans flavored, Oh Lonesom...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Motormouth , from Seth James and it's terrific! Opening with Why Should I Suffer , vocalist extraordinaire, Seth James, creates a great vibe with his rich, R&B style vocal lead and his own lead guitar work, joined by Kevin McKendree on keys, Rob McNelley on guitar, Steve Mackey on bass, Lynn Williams on drums and super backing vocals by Alice Spencer and Etta Britt and and punchy horn work by Jim Hoke on sax, Steve HHermann on trumpet and John Hinchey on trombone. Excellent!  Soulful, I'm In Trouble has a great, slinky feel with James, Spencer, Britt and Jackie Wilson really working the vocals and featuring McKendree on piano. Hoke, Herrmann and Hinchey keep the back hopping and Mackey and Williams the bottom tight. Super. Country swing track, I'll Be Gone , has a great feel with excellent lead vocals by James and excellent piano work by Jeff Taylor. Eddie Dunlop on steel guitar gives the track real sti...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Last Nite at the Bluebird Live , from Mike Henderson and it's a super live recording. Opening with Weepin' and Moanin' , Mike Henderson wastes no time diggin' in deep on his guitar, squeezing the blues out of the neck. With Kevin McKendree playing impeccable rhythm on piano, Steve Mackey on bass and Pat O'Connor on drums Henderson sings the blues bringing to mind the vocals of Johnny Winter . Excellent opener. JB Hutto 's Too Much Alcohol   is up next and Henderson slips on his slide and puts it to work. This is a tasty shuffle with great vocals and with Henderson and McKendree both really rolling. Smoking!  Mercy Dee Walton 's One Room Country Shack is a strong, slow blues, giving Henderson to show his soulful vocals. McKendree plays some great piano lead. Henderson slide in with authority showing excellent blues style slide work giving this track real grit. Big Walter Horton's Have A G...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Need To Know , from Yates McKendree and I really like it. Opening with solid blues number, Burnin' Tears , Yates McKendree on lead guitar and vocal really sets a nice pace. With Steve Mackey on bass, Griffin Photoglou on drums, Robert Frahm on rhythm guitar and Kevin McKendree on piano and Hammond , Yates vocals are strong and his BB King flavored guitar attack really fits this track perfectly. Excellent opener. Run It In The Ground is a super hot runner with Muddy Waters roots. Yates is really riding high on lead vocal and his guitar work sails with Kevin and Frahm kicking it with heavy support by Griffin. James Brown 's, I Don't Care gets a real nice cover by Yates with his soulful voice and solid horn backing by Steve Herrman on trumpet, John Hinchey on trombone and standout sax work by Jim Hoke on tenor and bari sax . Chris Kenner 's Something You Got has a real nice funk underpinning by Kev...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Buchanan Lane , from  Yates McKendree  on the indie Qualified Records label, and it moves. Opening with jazzy  Out Crowd , Yates on piano sets a great stage, backed by his father Kevin McKendree and Big Joe Maher on drums and percussion. Excellent opener. On BB King's  Ruby Lee , Yates moves over to guitar and lead vocal showing excellent versatility. With classic rhumba/blues styling, this track really swings. Backed by Kevin on piano, Steve Mackey on bass, Jim Hoke on sax, Andrew Carney on trumpet and Roland Barber on trombone, this track is tight. Original track,  No Justice  really digs in with Yates playing lead guitar, bass, drums and organ (and singing) joined by Kevin on piano. If you wonder if this kid has chops... listen to this track. Excellent! Earl King's funky R&B blues number,  Always A Good Time  gives Yates a chance to show even more style on vocal and...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tennessee Run , from Lloyd Jones and its a cool blend of blues, R&B, funk and pop giving it a bright, energetic feel. Opening with hard driving R&B track, You Got Me Good , Jones on lead vocal and guitar really has the place hopping. Backed by Kevin McKendree on keys, Steve Mackey on bass, Kenneth Blevins on drums, Jim Hoke on sax, Quentin Ware on trumpet and Roy Agee on trombone this is a strong opener. Rock n roller, I Wish I Could   Remember Loving You , has a great rhythm guitar pace with Jones paired with Teresa James on lead vocal and McKendree's piano work is outstanding. One of my favorite tracks on the release is funky swamp track, Bayou Boys with McKendree on organ and cool horn interplay by Hoke, Ware, Agee and with Richard Metz on percussion. Very cool. Hoke lays in a really nice bari solo on another funky swamp track, That's All I Want which also features LaRhonda Steele on vocal. Dilly Dal...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release , Good Life , from Seth James and it's quite good. Not since the early inception of Little Feat have I heard anything quite this strong in this vein. Opening with Brother , a funky, swampy blues number, James on lead vocal and guitar has heavy backing by Bob Britt and his sweet Lowell George like slide style, Kevin McKendree on keys, Lynn Williams on drums and excellent backing vocals by Windy Moten. A solid compliment of horn work by Jim Hoke on sax, Roy Agee on trombone and Vinnie Ciesielski on trumpet. Excellent opener. Continuing is that funky blues vein, title track, Good Life , has a strong woven instrumental feel with thick slide work by Britt. James' vocals are solid and tuneful Very cool. Yates McKendree steps up with a real nice guitar solo and some of James' best vocals on the release on easy R&B ballad, From Way Behind .  Radio track, I'm Coming Home is dripping with soul with excellent l...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Satisfied , from Tim Gartland , and its well balanced and cool. Opening with blues rocker, Drinking For Two , Tim Gartland's vocals are casual but authentic and the spanking drum work of Jack Bruno really hits the spot. Wendy Moten's backing vocals give the track a nice additional dimension and solid piano work by Kevin Mc Kendree, slide work by Tom Britt, Steve Mackey on bass and Gartland's own harp work make this a real nice opener. There is something about the vocal delivery on Don't Make More Trouble that almost makes you think it's asking for trouble with it's cool arrogance. I mean I really like it and lead guitar soloing by Robert Frahm it strong. One of my favorite tracks on the release is honky tonker, Can't Paint A Prettier Picture , with a great rolling rhythm, firm piano by Tom West. Excellent! The vocal interplay between Gartland and Ray Disilvis, the guitar discord by Frahm, the...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 11, 2017), Midnight Believer , by Lee Roy Parnell and it's smooth. Opening with Hours In Between , a rich, pop driven track, Lee Roy Parnell shows why he's known for his soulful voice and solid songwriting. With bluesy guitar riffs, a thumping bass line courtesy of Steve Mackey, Kevin McKendree on keys and Lynn Williams on drums, this is a great opener. Title track, Midnight Believer , really has that Muscle Shoals, Pete Carr/Boz Scaggs sound. Parnell clearly has a super feel and for this Blue Eyed Soul. A definite radio track, Ponchatrain , is as solid a ballad as you're likely to find with a warm melody, nicely blended vocals and subdued instrumentation. Too Far Gone is another terrific soul track with warm vocals and cool keyboard work by McKendree. Sunny Days, a quiet acoustic based ballad features Parnell way out front singing lead vocal with only minimal backing, and nice slide guitar and backe...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, If You Want A Good Woman , from Tim Gartland and it's quite good! Opening with shuffle track, What The Blues Look Like , Tim Gartland establishes a solid foundation as lead singer and harp man with strong slide work from Tom Brett and nice backing vocals by Wendy Moten. Kevin McKendree adds cool keys and Steve Mackey on bass and Lynn William on drums fill out the band. Latin salted R&B track, I Had It All , has a smooth feel and a nice showcase for Gartland on vocal and harp as well as Brett on slide. Bluesy ballad, I Come When You Call , has a real nice pace with nice solos by Tom West, McKendree, and Gartland on harp. I really like the shimmery guitar work of Brett on this track giving it an iridescence. Funky instrumental, Eight Ball , is a really cool jam with lead harp on the melody, nice bass work under the track and cool solo lines by West, Brett and McKendree. Another track with a funky rhythm, If That...

I just received a new release, Deal with it , from the 4 Jacks and it's a killer! With an allstar cast of Anson Funderburgh, Big Joe Maher, Kevin McKendree and Steve Mackey this is a band of bands. The title track, Deal With It is the opener and has that Stax sound with a round, plucky lead guitar melody and keyboard soloing with the solid bottom on an instrumental that is instantaneously cool as cool gets. Funderburgh plays a real nice lead solo and shows that taste that he is so well know for. Great opener! Have Ourselves a Time is a hot swingin blues featuring Big Joe on vocals. Mackey drives this track on bass and Funderburgh sets down a real nice groove on this track as well. I Don't Want To Be President brings out the Albert King funky blues style and prolific lyrics don't get lost behind the magic. She Ain't Worth A Dime is a classic 12 bar with each player contributing some smoke here. McKendree lays down some particularly hot piano licks on this track. Lov...